u/Delicious-Series-316

If I’m honest I love running, strength training not so much. But you reach a stage in life when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror after a shower and think “fcuk” what’s gone wrong here lol.

I’ve got that skinny fat middle aged look now, I was sure I wasn’t gonna end up here as I’ve always been active, I don’t drink etc so nope when I hit middle aged I’m gonna be different but it just kinda creeps up on you.

Skinny arms, legs like sticks, all my weight is in upper body, so love handles, man boobs, I’m not really over weight 183cm 80kg but with no clothes on I certainly look it.

So want to build muscle not just mess around with single leg calf raises or spit squats to help my running which I’ve always done, but as I say I want to be able to balance running, build muscle especially upper body and work a physical manual labour job which clocks up 15k steps on average.

Tbh I wasn’t even aware it had this feature until I stumbled across a YouTube video today. I’ve had it 3 years or so. It has never once detected a nap and I am prone to a 10/20 min snooze after dinner or when I get in from work.

Anyone else?

So this is something I still haven’t got used to or settled in to after 2 years with this firm and maybe I never will. Maybe all small firms are like this?

I was in my last job 13 years, boss retired we all got made redundant, From day 1 I was made to feel welcome, the people were friendly and we did go on to become like a family, there were only 5 of us, even the boss was very approachable, you could chat to him about anything or have a bitta banter infact it was him that started it more often than not. If you needed to nip out 10 mins for something no bother, in 10 mins late no bother, you were treated well and on return we didn’t take the mick. I still meet up with these guys couple of times per year for a dinner we became friends.

My current job from day 1 I felt the toxicity, people acted friendly but it’s an act and you can sense it, they are playing a game which you don’t know the rules, the manager is anything but personable and acts like they are running Google instead of a small 6 employee firm in the back of beyond, every area of the workplace is covered by cameras which they monitor to make sure you are working, no one really likes anyone, they’re out to sink each other. It really does my head in. They’ve been looking to expand, they can’t get employees even in today’s climate, says a lot.

What scenario is more common in a small firm? Have I just been lucky in my previous job?

So for context I have 2 external HRM monitors, Coros Arm band and Garmin HRM Run. The issue happens on both, the problem also happens on my F7 and previous 255.

So source switching turned off. What should happen you go in select an activity, it should detect HRM and at this point should show connected hit start and away you go. What often happens though is it doesn’t use the external HRM, it doesn’t show connected when you select the exercise however you can go in and check sensors and it will show connected but the watch refuses to use it and is going to use the wrist HRM.

Garmins wrist HRM is crap, you could do a lifting set and it won’t spike until you’ve finished the set and sat down recovering, so whether lifting, or cardio or HIIT a 30 min session using the chest strap burns roughly 130 cals, when it uses the Garmin sensor you’ll be lucky to hit 50 cals it’s so crap at updating.

Haven’t found away to fix this, anyone else have this issue, for running will say the on board HRM seems fine it’s just activities with a spike it’s useless

So I’m not training for anything at this stage, I’m not really a fan of summer running either so wanna cut down until September time. I want 3 runs per week, 1 x Easy, 1 x Interval and a bit of a long run on a Saturday. As I say not trying to gain anything at best just maintaining.

Curious really, us over here in Ireland in general are renowned for being a friendly bunch. I’ll acknowledge anyone I go past when out for a morning run or walk, nothing major just a “Morning” or “Hiya” and 9 times out of 10 it is reciprocated, some older folk it even leads to a full blown conversation of randomness about the weather lol as it did with some old girl this morning.

Then there’s the 1 out 10 who doesn’t respond, the head down pretend to ignore or the ones who hear what you say and just stare you out and say nothing what’s that all about? Usually women I’ll add.

So after some advice. I’m mid 40s, did lift in my 20s but kind of drifted away from it to running. I’m at the stage now I’ve ran all I want to run lol and in my 40s now realise strength training would be more beneficial for long term health.

The problem is I’ve an issue building a habit again, I’ve tried and always quit, I hate long drawn out workout, I won’t stick at it, even 6 exercise 3 sets I again won’t stick, I need to start small again to get a habit going. I also workout at home so am limited to some adjustable dumbbells bench and barbell, should be enough to get me in shape again but plates are limited so would have to be higher reps 10-15.

Any advice on how to get this all going to get a habit built? I’m giving up running totally and using hiking and walking as my cardio.

So been running a few years now, my Zone 2 pace isn’t that bad really 125 bpm is roughly 6:00/km, I found when I add any intervals or speed work I under recover and end up hating running and end up having to take a break to let my body fully recover.

I enjoy running and would every day if I could but it’s the recovery messing me up especially as I have a physical job and am late 40s I don’t race etc so not overly worried about getting faster I just run for the joy of running tbh and figure Zone 2 runs would be less fatigue.

I’m thinking a lot of this might be down to my age at this point (46). When I started running about 5 years ago I didn’t have much issue with this.

This week perfect example, ran Sunday long, Monday off, Tuesday tempo run, this morning after a tempo it’s always an easy, this run felt more difficult than yesterdays threshold run and it was only 30 mins a conversion pace.

I was up this morning it was a lovely morning so looking forward to getting out, had my coffee and banana out I went, I knew after a couple of mins this felt hard but my HR was 120 and my pace almost 7:00/km so well and truly easy but felt anything but, I completed the run but hated every min of it.

So I’m thinking I might have to stop consecutive days now, the following day is always easy but as I say they often feel harder than the previous days run.

I’m curious really. I’ve been a runner 4/5 years now, always kinda wanted to do the marathon, the training required seems brutal especially having to work full time in a physical job, is the training as bad as imagined? And the day itself I’m kind of introverted I feel it might be a bit overwhelming tbh, what’s your thoughts? I’ve never actually raced before just a virtual half during Covid. But yeah considering signing up for next years marathon.

So in my job which I’ve been in a couple of years this is the one thing that has really screwed me over big style. I’m sure you know they type of person I’m talking about, knows everything, it’s all about me me and me and are you focusing on me because it’s all about me, knows everything, they’re never wrong.

Myself I’m the polar opposite, I’m shy, humble, introverted. What really pisses me off is I know I’ll never win against these kind of people so I just sort of slot in behind them even though I know they’re wrong and don’t have a clue.

In work for example, I’d be classed as the dogs body, I do the shit these other people think they’re too good to do and I do it well without much complaint so I’m stuck there. Now from an outsider looking at this situation would say I’m perhaps least experienced. But let’s roll out the CV’s, I’m the eldest (46) am the only employee with any recognised qualifications in this firm, I’m the most experienced as I’m in this line of work since i left school at 16 yet I’m bottom of the pecking order all because of the above, I can’t blow my own trumpet like these other guys

Curious really and a bit worried as it’s away with all our birth certificates, needed one for my daughter for a school trip, should have been here mid April, but looking at the timeline I gather they’ve received it but it’s not even been looked at yet. There’s a live chat thingy but it’s always busy.

I remember when my son got his a few years back, took about 2 months, but there was a lot of back and forth looking various things first and checking details, this hasn’t even got to that stage yet.

Although I love running it’s sometimes hard to admit a break is needed. For me it always goes down hill after my longest run in a while. My training had been going great, had my long run then crash, you push on but day on day it doesn’t improve.

For me main signs are.

Not looking forward to my runs, dreading them, my sleep goes to crap, 4/5 hours instead of 7/8, RHR rises.

So yeah gonna take a week off I think

So I’m caught in a bit of a predicament, I work for a toxic firm, the logical option is leave but sadly leaving seems like an even worse option, which is why I’ve been there two years but also why my mental health in now in the gutter.

So I actually like the work, the hours are great 8-4.30 and 1pm Friday, it’s a 5 min drive from home, there is never any overtime required.

What do I mean by toxic? Well micromanaging everything, it’s a small firm 8 employees but no one gets on with anyone, all fake niceties and backstabbing, it rewards the slackers while the decent workers are rewarded with picking up the slackers load and just general incompetence through out.

The other options are a longer commute, condensed hours which I hate, overtime tread like a perk and is expected add to that I may not actually even like the work which is the most importance part.

Any advice? When I say my mental health is in the gutter I got diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder which comes with a host of perks such as insomnia, brain fog etc.

Curious really, for a non elite runner a 5k on a flat track would be impressive enough but on a hilly road course at peak traffic time would this be possible? I ask as a guy I follow on strava did this and labelled it “Easy run”. I’m calling BS given his usual pace is 10k in around an hour.

I always contemplate this question after watching the London marathon, it looks like an amazing experience with ordinary everyday people completing the distance, I enter the ballot only to be disappointed but would I actually really want to run it anyway?

I’ve been running about 4 years now, furthest I’ve done is half marathon 13.1 miles, the reality is after about 10k I don’t enjoy running, I hate that feeling of exhaustion after a long run and being too drained to do anything rest of the day, I’m not sure I could even devote the time to training or would have the energy as I work in a physical job.

But it almost feels like you’re not a proper runner unless you tackle at least one marathon. What’s your thoughts? Any have no desire to actually run a marathon? Perhaps you’re more than happy with a 5k a few times per week which is really my wheelhouse truth be told.