MoreEpinephrine

I will lose 40 pounds from my 1/1/09 weight of 235# by 6/1/09 (Too many Hershey bars last year, eating the jumbos from WalMart, buying them 10 at a time...I'm sooooooo ashamed) I'm down to 220# as of this day, with dieting and exercise. Everyday, I do 2 full hours of either treadmill running with intervals, or running outside, if the ground isn't too icy. Comes-out to be about 12 miles a day. Hope to eventually run Twin Cities Marathon this year (in October). My legs, especially the knees, get painful, and I have to stretch for about 30 minutes a day. Recreational Goals fo 2009: 1) Start skydiving school in the spring 2) Sturgis motorcycle rally in August 3) Twin Cities Marathon in October As if that weren't enough I'm hoping to fit-in a kayak trip to Canada sometime this year. My wife hates me. Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

If it persists, I would consult a "sport" doctor. R.I.C.E. = Rest, Ice, Compression, and Excercise(PT) (Google it) There's a good chance that the doctor will recommend a new set of shoes for you. Generally running shoes are only good for about 500 miles or 6 months of use. You also may require different shoes for running and the gym. A long time ago when I started running, as simular situation happend to me. The MD diagnosed Plantar Fasciaitis, and I eliminated the problem with RICE, a new pair of running shoes, and Toradol (A strong, but short term use NSAID (like Motrin)). It took me a few weeks to get rid of the pain, without recurrance. A running shoe expert from a marathon shoe store would be good resource for selecting a good shoe for you. If you decide to go that route, make sure to bring a well-worn pair of shoes with you to the store in order to see how your feet are interfacing with the ground. "Running Times" has an annual shoe review that you may be interested in looking-at before getting the shoes. These days, I respect the need for new shoes every 500 miles. 500 sounds like a lot of miles, but when you are doing 12 miles a day, they add-up quickly. My advice is FREE. Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

For what it's worth (from a "wanna-be" jumper): What works for me is a combo of distance running coupled with a low-cal, low-fat, high-carb diet. about 15 years ago, I found a group of people to train with for marathon running, and in my first year I lost 90 pounds in 9 months, and enjoyed every minute of it. (From 260 pounds to 170 pounds). Ran about 75 miles a week, and ate mostly carbos, vegetables, and lots of citrus fruit. Drinking lots of water along with the citrus really curbed the appetite. The years have gone slowly past, and I've found myself alone. Can't manage to connect with the same running group these days, but am performing daily runs which are at least compatible for the off season. This winter, I'm shooting-for 30 pounds (from 230 pounds to 200), and have lost 10 pounds in about the first 3 weeks. (I need to keep a little weight for my job). From my experience, the best way to break-out of a plateau is to not get discouraged, and keep building-up base stamina. Then, when you feel that you have even a little additional energy, and also aren't likely to get injured, try going into "burst-mode" by doing intervals, or the like. Just have to be careful not to over-do it, and get injured or neglect empoyment duties, etc.. Good coaching can go a very long way for making a goal. The problem is that everything costs money. My best advice is to start by building some good base stamina, then research and find a good running program with reputable coaching, even if you can only do it for a summer. I will never forget the fundamentals that I learned from the coaches that trained me for my first marathon. I can't even begin to describe what it's like to have the extra weight off, as well as the other benefits. I'm "game" for your Friday update idea. Anybody else? Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

SkyPainter, I look forward to meeting you at the DZ! Thanks for the review. Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

Hi Lynn. You've already answered some of my questions regarding the time frame for S/L training. I'm fairly certain that unless there are any hidden surprises, I'll probably apply for training. If everything goes well, I'm sure that I'll be winter diving next year. (I'm one of those crazy people who uses Accuweather and motorcycles Minnesota/Wisconsin up into December) I just wear lots of military surplus/Goretex. A good helmet/faceshield makes any temperature pleasant. Thanks for offering to answer questions: Is there a convenient time that works well for reaching Bob via phone? Is the 230 pound weight limit with or without gear? If it includes gear, then how much does the static gear weigh? I look forward to meeting everyone at Wissota! Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

I'm hoping for making-weight and doing a static-line train-in. Right now I weigh 230 pounds, but am base training for spring distance running and hope to drop about 20 more pounds of winter fat like I usually do anually. I hope to be calling Bob soon to get a few questions answered. To be honest, I am on a shoestring budget right now, and want to make sure that I'm not "jumping-into" something that is going to cost me more than what I am bargaining for (like with motorcycling). My wife is not happy with my "playboy" lifestyle (being a life-loving weekend warrior), but all she wants to do is sit-around all the time and belly-ache. Needless to say, my 26 year marriage really is not justified anymore, and we are probably going to inevitably call it quits. Needless to say, I won't be leaving any parachutes laying-around the house. I say all of this without guilt or shame, because life is something to cherished and enjoyed, and healthy lifestyles reinforce healthy living. Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

Thanks for the referal! I'll check it out. I'm afraid that I don't understand your signature, though. Any DZ owner who tolerates Pepsi products can't be all too bad. I'm thinking about pursuing an A license this year. Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

Thanks for the cultural orientation. I'm not the weeping type, but I can read. I'll just use earplugs at night as if I'm camping at The Chip in Sturgis. All I care is that no drunk SOB runs into me at 100MPH or something like that. Is it true that NOBODY regrets joining this sport (or has enough time to)? Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

Very well, I shall make my offering. Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

Keep on'a rocking Jart. No guts= No glory Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

Greetings to all. This newbie is a 45 y/o male, health professional, enjoys motorcycling (83 V45 Magna), distance running and camping. (I ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 3 hours, 50 minutes in 1995, and I'm not exactly in great shape today). Now that I'm out of school, I hope to spend some time catching-up on my fitness, and finding new interests. Would like to start sky-diving this summer. Need to find safe/economical drop zone that will accept me this spring. I would like to motorcycle to it on weekends with my tent and sleeping bag. I don't drink booze, period; and I make no apologies for being ethanol free. If the first jumper's case of beer is not mandatory, I may elect to disappoint a few people and substitute Caffeine-Free-Diet-Coke (CFDC). (CFDC was always a hit at the runner's club picnics.) If beer is mandatory, then I guess that I'll just give-in, because sometimes sacrifices must be made. Not that I'm superstitious, but is there like some kind of legendary voodoo curse for newbies who come-up empty handed? I'm sorry if I'm not grasping the concept. Well anyways, thanks for the "airtime" and I hope to be meeting some of you in Wisconsin this spring. Sincerely, The Catacholamine Fiend "Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."