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Dreamqueen

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About Dreamqueen

  • Birthday 08/01/1975

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  1. Thanks everyone! I'll try everything but the rowing machine...I used to row in an actual boat and so the machine is too horrible to contemplate again since I know how good the real thing is.
  2. Thank you, that all makes good sense. Not that we've had any real winter weather yet--it's been amazingly nice, in fact. But apparently the snow will finally come this weekend...
  3. Hi everyone, So I enjoy running and cycling and lifting weights (the last in a pretty minor way--only once or twice a week). I've recently been having problems with one foot; got new orthotics and it's getting worse. The podiatrist told me to give myself 6 weeks to adjust to the new inserts before coming back...that's in 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, I'm actually having trouble walking and so am not running much. So here's my question: Besides cycling and swimming, any thoughts on good cardio workouts that don't involve much or any footwork? I suspect the answer's no, but thought the collective brain might yield more than my solo brain. Thanks!
  4. Thanks! I have another question, Timetide, for you... You cycle all year--how do you deal with snow on the ground? I worry about ending up underneath a car.
  5. Vegantri and Timetide--both excellent suggestions, thank you! I went 20 km this morning in heavier socks and heavier, looser shoes. I was alright for longer but still got cold so will go shopping asap. Timetide: I am also in TO and I think I've seen you at Fresh a few times. Small world.
  6. Hi everyone, I joined a while ago but have posted almost nothing...I lurk a lot and get inspiration though! Today, I have a problem I hope all the outdoor cyclists can help me with. My plan is to continue cycling outdoors for as long as possible. I go between 26-30 km (16-18.5 mi) these days but could go longer--if my feet weren't turning into painful frozen lumps of hell at around the halfway mark. Right now, the morning temps are about 1C/33F. In these conditions, I've got everything else figures out--my hands, head/ears, core and legs are good. The last time I went, I wore my cycling shoes and two pairs of thinnish socks...horrible. Tomorrow, I'll try heavier shoes and two pairs of socks, at least one of which will be thick (though not wool, which while warmer, I'm horribly allergic to). But I worry. And I wonder if there's something obvious I'm missing--this is my first attempt at riding recreationally through the winter and so I can use all the help I can get! Thanks!
  7. I would start even easier than 10 x 1. Try running 3 minutes and walking 1. There are so many muscles you need for running that don't seem to get worked out doing anything else--best for long-term health and non-injury to start really, really slowly! Increase your time/distance no more than 10% each week, if you try running three times a week. If you're experiencing pain in your feet or knees, take it back a notch. As for your feet, it really helped me to focus my brain entirely on what my body was doing, what I wanted it to be doing. Getting distracted when I first started running led to making mistakes and because I'm clumsy, sometimes hurting myself -- but luckily not seriously. Be patient and take it slowly--besides avoiding injury, you want to find a way to enjoy it or you won't continue. Good luck!
  8. I sometimes just use tonnes of veggies and don't worry about a grain. So: julienned cucumber, carrot, zucchini, sprouts, avocado, with some shiro miso spread lightly over the nori, which is used to roll up the veggies like regular sushi.
  9. Hi everyone! Here's a brief history of my health life: -A childhood of bad eating which was reproduced by me in adulthood. -Grad school = almost total inactivity, a diet composed largely of pasta and crackers and cheese, and high cholesterol by the age of 26. -Went vegan because of animals at age 28. Lost some weight and started exercising fanatically. Lost tonnes of weight but the exercise became about obsessive weight loss not health. Was miserable so stopped entirely. Over the years remained vegan but as vegan convenience foods became more common, started eating less well and this plus renewed relative lack of exercise, gained a lot of weight back (luckily, cholesterol remained low). -Just over a year ago, found myself almost unable to walk because of back and foot problems and realized I needed to change my life--I didn't want life to be about self-neglect and -abuse; I wanted quality of life for the rest of my life! So, instead of trying to change everything at once, I did three things: 1) sought professional help for my back, etc issues (physio and massage therapists), 2) vowed to eat a salad each day. Started to feel better almost immediately, and 3) addressed my issues around anorexic thinking (I still need to keep a very close watch on this though.) -It turned out I needed a lot of pro help as my spine was compressed from the base of my skull to my tailbone!! 9 months of therapy and it's almost completely decompressed now. -I started going to the gym and could only manage about 15 minutes at level 3 on the elliptical before my back made me want to weep in pain. Also, I was out of breath and my feet really hurt (v. bad plantar fascitis). -Last February, I read The China Study and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease and very slowly started cutting down on oil in my diet; now, I'm nearing 0 processed oils. I eat nuts and seeds though. -Now, I go to the gym every day and do mostly cardio (elliptical, stationary bike, and now rowing machine now that my back is healthy enough) but also some limited weights. I have lost about 25 lbs in the last year. My back feels much, much better and my feet are much better too. Also, I ride my bicycle as much as possible but winter is long here... This year, I really want to up my weights both in terms of frequency and type of activity. For this, I'll need a trainer as I'm still considered to be coming back from injury. I would also like to get to the point where I could run maybe 5km outside every week or two, but I'm not sure that's possible. My plantar fascitis is much improved but I have arthritis in my big toes...We'll see! I would also like to make swimming a real part of my repertoire. If someone can tell me the voodoo required to put on a swimcap in a way that will result in hair that remains dry, that would be useful. That's all! Nice to meet all of you.
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