The Fysical Phitness Thread

[WaterBomb]

@pokemonmasterblaster: definitely keep us posted on your stuff. One thing though, you need to be open to critique and suggestions, even if they come across harshly. The people in this thread know what they are talking about, and you should be humble and take their advice. If you're honest and humble then you won't get picked on too much, but if you try to keep your pride you will be cut down. Just a word to the wise, keep your routine going!

 

[Venom]

Starting strength is all about...strength. Even experienced people with this program are not that big.

Maybe you should try higher reps and lower sets, since muscle is your primary concern.

 

[reyscarface]

how long have you been going to the gym? 3 days? why are you already looking for results in half of your first week at the gym what the hell. no your body doesnt look any better, sorry to break it to you but like someone said before, its going to take a whiiiile until you start seeing results, so concentrate on the lifting and dont give up. if you have the mentality that youll see insane results in a very short period of time youll only end up disappointing yourself and quitting.

 

[Scimjara]

I just got back from the gym, pretty succeful workout I feel.
I will post my specific routine and diet soon, do you guys recommend the Startig Strenght Program? Because I'm doing a version of that.

No I don't recommend the Startig Strenght Program.
However, I do recommend the Starting Strength 5X5 program. Preferably Bill Star's version.


edit: even in more seriousness. dont do that stupid program and stick with something with higher volume.
seriously. take advantage of those "noob" gains while you can.

 

[Rakan]

You aren't going to look more muscular after one workout lol...

If you see that your muscles are slightly bigger directly after your workout, it is a result of the blood flowing to your muscles and making them temporarily pumped up. The effect doesn't last longer than an hour or so in most cases.

I wouldn't be so focused on how your body looks right now, or even after your workout. Focus on what you want to achieve, and work hard to get there. There's no other way to get around it. If you really are that concerned with your current status, you should just take a few simple pictures and use that as your motivation to get to where you want to be.

 

[Stylish Interval]

jesus i've never seen so many people here


and someone insults ss lolololololol


if this kid wants something easy to follow that will give him strength, he can take SS.

if he wants something easy to follow for hypertrophy and strength, he can do greyskull lp or phat



imo this kid's still a troll but w/e

 

[More Cowbell]

It's appalling to me that 6'2" 192 lbs is close to being "overweight". I am 6'2" 205 lbs, with a body fat of 12% (which is in the "athletic" range of 7-13 for guys), and yet my BMI is overweight? Someone needs to redo that scale, because it's kind of f'ed up.

More Cowbell, don't ever let the number on your scale dictate what you do. Weighing 192 lbs at your height is perfectly acceptable. What you need to pay more attention to is your body fat %, cholesterol and blood pressure. These are much better indicators of overall health than BMI, and their charts are more accurate.

Now, it's still ok to have a goal of 176 lbs if that is where you want to be. If you're trying to lose that weight, the last thing you want to do is cut out snack periods throughout your day. Spreading your meals out over 6 or 7 small portions every couple of hours during the day keeps your metabolism active and burning nonstop, so it's easier to lose weight. Rather than cutting out snacks, limit the amount of food you intake at each eating period, and keep a sharp eye on the types of foods. Push those raw vegetables like celery and carrots, and try to eat them plain or with a healthy dip. You really have to take the time to plan out what you're going to eat and at what times during your day, and stick to that schedule as closely as you can. Supplement this with a lot of cardio (swimming is best, but if you don't have access to a pool you can run or use the elliptical). If you're looking to decrease your waist size a bit too, make sure you throw some ab work in there to focus the fat burning around your midsection, and you'll reach your goal in no time.

Thanks for telling us, we'll be pushing you onward whenever you need it!

Much appreciated, WaterBomb. I know BMI is a bad scale to judge by, but I'm pretty sure my body fat percentage is too high (though I have no way to test it), so that's my biggest concern; losing fat. Not too sure about my cholesterol or blood pressure, but I never had any problems with those in the past, so I think they are fine.

Now what I'm basically gonna do is make my meals smaller, but eat more spread over the day. I'm also going to exercise more. There's a pool nearby (I used to swim a few years ago), but I'll stick to running for now, as it's much easier :) I will also start doing some ab exercises, as it's mostly my midsection where the fat stores itself, so to say.

Again, thanks for the tips and encouraging words!

 

[WaterBomb]

Much appreciated, WaterBomb. I know BMI is a bad scale to judge by, but I'm pretty sure my body fat percentage is too high (though I have no way to test it), so that's my biggest concern; losing fat. Not too sure about my cholesterol or blood pressure, but I never had any problems with those in the past, so I think they are fine.

Now what I'm basically gonna do is make my meals smaller, but eat more spread over the day. I'm also going to exercise more. There's a pool nearby (I used to swim a few years ago), but I'll stick to running for now, as it's much easier :) I will also start doing some ab exercises, as it's mostly my midsection where the fat stores itself, so to say.

Again, thanks for the tips and encouraging words!

If you have a primary care physician, you can make a check-up appointment with them and they can test all of these things for you. If you'd rather not go to the doctor, some big grocery stores with pharmacies (or a standalone pharmacy like Walgreens/CVS/Rite Aid) have free blood pressure checking machines out in their retail area, so you could do that on your own. Also, if you go to a gym and act like you're interested in getting a membership, many times they'll do a quick measure of your body fat as part of their "pitch" for you to get personal training sessions. I know LA Fitness did this when I first came in, other gyms might too. Pretty sure testing your cholesterol really can't be done unless you do go to your doctor, but there might be other ways I don't know about.

If there is in fact a pool that is accessible to you, I highly highly encourage using that instead of running. The overall benefits of swimming, both in cardio and muscular endurance, are exponentially better than just running, so unless you physically cannot get to a pool you should always swim instead of run. It's up to you though, just giving my suggestions. The biggest thing is consistency: Whatever you choose to do, do it every day. Sometimes you won't want to, and those are the most important times to force yourself to get out there. If you can keep that regiment up, you will see results in no time!

 

[XxpokemonmasterXx]

I wish I didn't post my pictures as that's all everyone focused on....

I'm going to repost my diet, can you guys tell me if it's alright?

this has been my diet the entire summer:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, 3 egg whites, 1 yolk

Lunch: Alternate between Spaghetti, Black Eyed Peas and rice with Spinach, Spinach Dahl, Chicken Wings, hamburger

Dinner: Alternate between 4 pieces of fish and rice, and lunch meals


Snacks: Soy butter crackers, greek yogurt, and mini wheats cereal, and 2 humus and pitas. After every workout I will drink a protein poweder with about 34 grams of protein. Also I didn't mention this but I'm allergic to nuts.


Rate my diet please? Also, since SS isn't good for building muscle mass, what's a good program to get bigger muscles/look buff?

 

[WaterBomb]

I wish I didn't post my pictures as that's all everyone focused on....

I'm going to repost my diet, can you guys tell me if it's alright?

this has been my diet the entire summer:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, 3 egg whites, 1 yolk

Lunch: Alternate between Spaghetti, Black Eyed Peas and rice with Spinach, Spinach Dahl, Chicken Wings, hamburger

Dinner: Alternate between 4 pieces of fish and rice, and lunch meals


Snacks: Soy butter crackers, greek yogurt, and mini wheats cereal, and 2 humus and pitas. After every workout I will drink a protein poweder with about 34 grams of protein. Also I didn't mention this but I'm allergic to nuts.


Rate my diet please? Also, since SS isn't good for building muscle mass, what's a good program to get bigger muscles/look buff?

Your diet looks alright, I'd recommend trying to fit more green vegetables in there though.

You don't really need a rigid program to gain muscle mass, as the way to doing it is very simple. Do lots of compound lifts (bench press, deadlift, squat) with as much weight as you can handle so you're doing 2-3 reps at a time. The heavier the weight, the larger the tear created in your muscle and subsequently the bigger the muscle ends up after it heals itself. This is where the high-protein and heavy eating comes in, as all those calories provide plenty of nutrients and energy for your muscles to draw from as they heal and grow.

Honestly if I were you, I would google search for effective compound lifts (in addition to the ones I listed) and see which muscles they target. Fill in the gaps with isolation lifts (lifts that target only one muscle or group) to make sure you're working all of your muscles evenly. Just make sure, since you're doing heavy lifting and you're new, allow AT LEAST two full days between workouts of the same muscles to give them time to heal fully. This is why I recommend dividing your muscles into three different groups, and work out each group two times per week (every third day or so). For example your week would look like:

Group A
Group B
Group C
Group A
Group B
Group C
Rest

And then repeat each week. If you do this, and remember to go for high weight + low reps during your workouts, you will see excellent strength and size increase. Try your best to find a buddy to go to the gym with you to be your spotter, since lifting heavy free weights can be dangerous if you don't do it properly.

Finally, as has been mentioned before, be patient. You won't be seeing any noticeable results for at least a month, so don't post any more pictures until then. Continue to ask for support and advice, but don't be in such a rush to reach your goal. The longer it takes you to get there, the longer you will maintain and appreciate the results.

 

[More Cowbell]

If you have a primary care physician, you can make a check-up appointment with them and they can test all of these things for you. If you'd rather not go to the doctor, some big grocery stores with pharmacies (or a standalone pharmacy like Walgreens/CVS/Rite Aid) have free blood pressure checking machines out in their retail area, so you could do that on your own. Also, if you go to a gym and act like you're interested in getting a membership, many times they'll do a quick measure of your body fat as part of their "pitch" for you to get personal training sessions. I know LA Fitness did this when I first came in, other gyms might too. Pretty sure testing your cholesterol really can't be done unless you do go to your doctor, but there might be other ways I don't know about.

If there is in fact a pool that is accessible to you, I highly highly encourage using that instead of running. The overall benefits of swimming, both in cardio and muscular endurance, are exponentially better than just running, so unless you physically cannot get to a pool you should always swim instead of run. It's up to you though, just giving my suggestions. The biggest thing is consistency: Whatever you choose to do, do it every day. Sometimes you won't want to, and those are the most important times to force yourself to get out there. If you can keep that regiment up, you will see results in no time!

Thing is that the pool is only open at times that are very unpractical for me (during schooltimes, mostly), and my local pool doesn't offer unlimited subscriptions, meaning I'll have to pay every time I'd go swim, meaning that would easily cost me like 30 euros a month assuming I'd swim twice a week, which is not too easy too cough up for me. I'll look into it, though, and keep running until then.

Talking about running, how responsible is it to run daily? I've stuck to three times a week before, but want to crank it up a notch.

 

[WaterBomb]

you can easily get away with running every day. Try to run on a softer surface like grass or a rubber track if you have access to them. Anything you can do to soften the impact will be greatly appreciated by your knees down the road.

 

[Scimjara]

jesus i've never seen so many people here


and someone insults ss lolololololol


if this kid wants something easy to follow that will give him strength, he can take SS.

if he wants something easy to follow for hypertrophy and strength, he can do greyskull lp or phat



imo this kid's still a troll but w/e

Or he can just go in the gym and workout. you don't need a stupid weightlifting routine to make gains. Just going into the gym and working out a bodypart to failure is best for muscle growth. just remember to start off with compound motions and finish with isolation.

 

[some hero]

Never bothered to read this thread. Shame on me. I have for a while now wondered what excersises to do to stay and get in better shape. Keep in mind that i'm looking to do this in my house with the stuff i already have. Which include 10 and 25 lbs weights, mats, that yoga ball thingy and that machine you walk/run on. They mostly go unused though. So far all i can think of is sit ups and push ups along with pathetic attempts to use the other stuff. As far as my where i'm at, i'm the very definition of average. Not fat but a little more fat than muscle than i would like to. BMI i am a 22. Only reason why i stay in relative shape is because i'm a borderline vegetarian. Even then, after reading this thread, my diet is absolutely dreadful. I eat few times a day but when i do i stuff myself until i feel like bursting. Then do very little to no excersise all day. Other than the required walking. Again the only reason why i am not fat is because i don't eat any junk food, fast food and sometimes use the stuff i mentioned earlier. What i'm looking for: Basically a proper schedule way to use the stuff i mentioned earlier and get into better shape. Not looking to build a lot of muscle either. Just be able to last more than 5 minutes running without running out of breath.

Don't worry about commintment or whatever, last summer i weighed 50 more pounds which i lost by doing the above. Just dropping all crap food and not eating past 6 PM. What i eat:

6:55 AM Two plates of oatmeal mixed with cereal.
7:30 AM Milkshake(sugar, milk, bannana, strawberrys) mixed with cereal.

12:30 PM Depends on the day: Subway(footlong), chocolate milk, not sure how much
OR
More cereal. A crap load.

3ish PM Depends on the day: Usually a crapload of rice and chicken.
OR
More oatmeal with cereal. Around two plates.

As you can tell i rely a lot on cereal. Most of my cereal is sugar less though. And some days i do go all day without eating anything other than milk based products/oatmeal. Those are the days when i don't have much to do since that high milk diet makes me want to poop a lot during that day. Doesn't happen if i only eat it during the morning though. And yeh that's mostly based on laziness. After 3 if i feel hungry i do eat apples and bannanas.

Also note: that above is EXACTLY what i eat every day and have been doing it for almost a year. I do NOT eat ANYTHING other than what i have above at any time during the day.

Tl;dr? What excersises should i do to and how long to get in better general shape.

 

[Stylish Interval]

Or he can just go in the gym and workout. you don't need a stupid weightlifting routine to make gains. Just going into the gym and working out a bodypart to failure is best for muscle growth. just remember to start off with compound motions and finish with isolation.

so what's he gonna do if we don't give him a routine? just walk around and look at the bar and just start moving it around? look at the dumbbells and just sort of pick them up? dickarounditis is what he's gonna catch if he doesn't have a plan going into the gym.

on top of that, he asked for a program. so let's give him one that will set him on the right path, mmk?

---


Pokemonmaster, imo you should probably do Greyskull. You wants the muscles, and I want you to have the strength to back up the muscles. Greyskull will accomplish this.

pavels ladder[/URL]. i can do about 10 in a row and i weigh 217.4 (sooo fukn close to 220). so where it says chins, just do ladders. if you can only do it at the gym, two sets. if you can do it at home, one in the morning, one at night.

Simple to follow [x]
Will make gainz [x]
Compound lifts [x]
Accessory work [x]
Will look damn good in 3 months [x]


--2 cents

---

Never bothered to read this thread. Shame on me. I have for a while now wondered what excersises to do to stay and get in better shape. Keep in mind that i'm looking to do this in my house with the stuff i already have. Which include 10 and 25 lbs weights, mats, that yoga ball thingy and that machine you walk/run on. They mostly go unused though. So far all i can think of is sit ups and push ups along with pathetic attempts to use the other stuff. As far as my where i'm at, i'm the very definition of average. Not fat but a little more fat than muscle than i would like to. BMI i am a 22. Only reason why i stay in relative shape is because i'm a borderline vegetarian. Even then, after reading this thread, my diet is absolutely dreadful. I eat few times a day but when i do i stuff myself until i feel like bursting. Then do very little to no excersise all day. Other than the required walking. Again the only reason why i am not fat is because i don't eat any junk food, fast food and sometimes use the stuff i mentioned earlier. What i'm looking for: Basically a proper schedule way to use the stuff i mentioned earlier and get into better shape. Not looking to build a lot of muscle either. Just be able to last more than 5 minutes running without running out of breath.

Don't worry about commintment or whatever, last summer i weighed 50 more pounds which i lost by doing the above. Just dropping all crap food and not eating past 6 PM. What i eat:

6:55 AM Two plates of oatmeal mixed with cereal.
7:30 AM Milkshake(sugar, milk, bannana, strawberrys) mixed with cereal.

12:30 PM Depends on the day: Subway(footlong), chocolate milk, not sure how much
OR
More cereal. A crap load.

3ish PM Depends on the day: Usually a crapload of rice and chicken.
OR
More oatmeal with cereal. Around two plates.

As you can tell i rely a lot on cereal. Most of my cereal is sugar less though. And some days i do go all day without eating anything other than milk based products/oatmeal. Those are the days when i don't have much to do since that high milk diet makes me want to poop a lot during that day. Doesn't happen if i only eat it during the morning though. And yeh that's mostly based on laziness. After 3 if i feel hungry i do eat apples and bannanas.

Also note: that above is EXACTLY what i eat every day and have been doing it for almost a year. I do NOT eat ANYTHING other than what i have above at any time during the day.

Tl;dr? What excersises should i do to and how long to get in better general shape.

You've got several options, most just require a pull-up bar (Iron Gym, for example). You've got several options. SimpleFit, p90x, Convict Conditioning, You Are Your Own Gym, list is endless. Basically what it comes down to is doing the exercises you can do at home with your body often and with high intensity. Push ups, squats, pull ups, sit-ups, lunges, bridges, etc. Easy stuff that gets harder when you make it harder.


i'm guessing you can't do p90x (that's fine) and if you have somewhere to do pull ups (Even a tree branch will work) you can do the rest of this stuff

google-fu = copies of convict conditioning or you are your own gym
simple fit is just laid out for you

in order i'd do p90x > simplefit > convict conditioning > you are your own gym

do whichever if most possible to do in the chain imo

or just take up running / jogging / walking. keeps you in shape, is fun (well, it's an acquired taste of fun haha), you can listen to music while you do it, easy to fit into the day, easy to get better at, etc. if you want something easy to follow you can try C25K, or you can just go out every day / every other day and run. stath can plan out running better than i can, so he's more that guy if that's what your into. since you're not looking for a lot of muscle the stuff above might not be what you're about (although in general you're not gonna get super ripped doing bw workouts, but with p90x / insanity you're gonna get stronger and have much more cardiovascular endurance. (dm can vouch for those programs, i've only done a little bit of dabbling in either).

 

[popemobile]

git dem GAINZ

 

[Scimjara]

so what's he gonna do if we don't give him a routine? just walk around and look at the bar and just start moving it around? look at the dumbbells and just sort of pick them up? dickarounditis is what he's gonna catch if he doesn't have a plan going into the gym.

on top of that, he asked for a program. so let's give him one that will set him on the right path, mmk?

---

No you moron. What I was trying to say to some degree is that you don't need to follow a structured routine to make gains. It also gets boring and it is a lot better to listen to your body and do basic compound lifts first and then isolation . I can guarantee you that pokemonmaster can make better gains doing a standard 5 day a week gym split then that bullshit you suggested him. Fucking stupid joining a gym and following structured plan almost immediately. Most people who do that almost never go back to the gym because it becomes a hassle for them and they really dont end up enjoying working out. He's better off learning how to bench/squat/deadlift on separate days and do tons of isolation along with that.

 

[Razza]

I wish I didn't post my pictures as that's all everyone focused on....

I'm going to repost my diet, can you guys tell me if it's alright?

this has been my diet the entire summer:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, 3 egg whites, 1 yolk

Lunch: Alternate between Spaghetti, Black Eyed Peas and rice with Spinach, Spinach Dahl, Chicken Wings, hamburger

Dinner: Alternate between 4 pieces of fish and rice, and lunch meals


Snacks: Soy butter crackers, greek yogurt, and mini wheats cereal, and 2 humus and pitas. After every workout I will drink a protein poweder with about 34 grams of protein. Also I didn't mention this but I'm allergic to nuts.


Rate my diet please? Also, since SS isn't good for building muscle mass, what's a good program to get bigger muscles/look buff?

You arent eating enough IMO, add 1000 calories to your current diet, i find milk is a good way to do this as its a liquid, 2L of whole milk is around 1300 calories and 70g protein, start drinking that everyday and you will put on lots of weight. I wouldnt worry too much about what program you are using at your stage just starting out, so its not going to make much of a difference so long as its not utter crap. Just make sure you are pushing ypurself every workput and that they feel intense and it will be your diet which determines how much muscle you gain.

 

[TsukasaSIGN]

Doing cross country for the first time and I'm just starting to run again. Got my physical on Sunday, 5'9.5", 152 lbs, 68 RHR
Ran a three mile in a little under 27 minutes yesterday, a bit slow, but I am just starting out again

 

[Stallion]

Doing cross country for the first time and I'm just starting to run again. Got my physical on Sunday, 5'9.5", 152 lbs, 68 RHR
Ran a three mile in a little under 27 minutes yesterday, a bit slow, but I am just starting out again

That is a little slow but you can improve it in no time at all I reckon! You seem to be a decent body weight for your height, maybe slightly on the skinny side, which should be perfect for Cross Country! Are you looking to train to run competitively or just for a bit of fitness on the side in conjunction with a weights program or something? Depending on what your goal are will depend on how to approach your cross country running :)

 

[some hero]

so what's he gonna do if we don't give him a routine? just walk around and look at the bar and just start moving it around? look at the dumbbells and just sort of pick them up? dickarounditis is what he's gonna catch if he doesn't have a plan going into the gym.

on top of that, he asked for a program. so let's give him one that will set him on the right path, mmk?

---


Pokemonmaster, imo you should probably do Greyskull. You wants the muscles, and I want you to have the strength to back up the muscles. Greyskull will accomplish this.



You don't even have to do the neck harness movements if you don't want to (when I did greyskull I didn't because I couldn't, and you might not even have one at your gym).

This will satisfy your desire for that body girls want. You work to failure on your last set (doing accidental widowmakers is always fun), and you get the curls for dat bicep growth, in addition to the trap / tricep growth from the chins and pressing. It's linear so you're going to get strength and the progress is easy to measure. You get mass on your legs from DLs / Squats. easy stuff.

and for the chins, i reccomend pavels ladder. i can do about 10 in a row and i weigh 217.4 (sooo fukn close to 220). so where it says chins, just do ladders. if you can only do it at the gym, two sets. if you can do it at home, one in the morning, one at night.

Simple to follow [x]
Will make gainz [x]
Compound lifts [x]
Accessory work [x]
Will look damn good in 3 months [x]


--2 cents

---






or just take up running / jogging / walking. keeps you in shape, is fun (well, it's an acquired taste of fun haha), you can listen to music while you do it, easy to fit into the day, easy to get better at, etc. if you want something easy to follow you can try C25K, or you can just go out every day / every other day and run. stath can plan out running better than i can, so he's more that guy if that's what your into. since you're not looking for a lot of muscle the stuff above might not be what you're about (although in general you're not gonna get super ripped doing bw workouts, but with p90x / insanity you're gonna get stronger and have much more cardiovascular endurance. (dm can vouch for those programs, i've only done a little bit of dabbling in either).

Haha it really is an aquired taste. Never really thought about actually. It is also probably because i didn't WANT to do it. But now that i think about it, it's the perfect excercise for me.

 

[popemobile]

No you moron. What I was trying to say to some degree is that you don't need to follow a structured routine to make gains. It also gets boring and it is a lot better to listen to your body and do basic compound lifts first and then isolation . I can guarantee you that pokemonmaster can make better gains doing a standard 5 day a week gym split then that bullshit you suggested him. Fucking stupid joining a gym and following structured plan almost immediately. Most people who do that almost never go back to the gym because it becomes a hassle for them and they really dont end up enjoying working out. He's better off learning how to bench/squat/deadlift on separate days and do tons of isolation along with that.

this is horrible advice

 

[Stylish Interval]

No you moron. What I was trying to say to some degree is that you don't need to follow a structured routine to make gains.

Alright, other moron, that's true enough.

It also gets boring and it is a lot better to listen to your body and do basic compound lifts first and then isolation .

"It gets boring" = legit reason to put down a program. What is listening to your body, btw? Are certain muscles saying "Do tricep extensions today!!!" or "Romanian deadlifts today!!!" ??? idgi

I can guarantee you that pokemonmaster can make better gains doing a standard 5 day a week gym split then that bullshit you suggested him.

When you say gains what do you mean? Do you mean gains as in the numbers going up on the weights? Or do you mean muscle? I think muscle wise, hell yeah he's gonna look more "ripped" if he's doing a split routine. I don't think he'll be stronger though.

Fucking stupid joining a gym and following structured plan almost immediately. Most people who do that almost never go back to the gym because it becomes a hassle for them and they really dont end up enjoying working out.

You have a source for that? Just curious.

Do people who do split routines not have a routine? Like, walk me through a day at the gym with you. At this point, I'm really intrigued.

He's better off learning how to bench/squat/deadlift on separate days and do tons of isolation along with that.

Who really cares whether he does them all in one day or not? To me, none of those exercises are hard to learn. If he doesn't feel like learning them all in one day, who said he had to? He could spend a week before hand working on them if he felt he couldn't do them (although it would only take like 1-3 days, really).


y u heff 2 be mad bro

 

[Stathakis]

guys lets just agree to disagree. the best program is the one that keeps you in the gym consistently, and that's 100% personal. some may prefer structure, some may not. personally I prefer structure when it comes to gymming and no structure when it comes to running.


speaking of running, in honor of Lee on his 24th birthday, I have decided that I will take it up again. no concrete goals this time because then I will rush and do things stupidly and re-injure myself, but just letting it be known that sometime during college I will be running fast, and the journey to get there starts today.

 

[Lee]

If I could 'like' a post on Smogon, I'd be all over the above one.

You're doing the right thing with the no concrete goals thing, it's the first thing I would have suggested. Don't time yourself and preferably run on a route where you don't know the precise distance. Don't take any chances - wear a support, run on soft ground and look into nutritional support (from glucosamine supplements to good protein supply). Good luck Stat, I want you fighting fit for when we go running through Greece next year!