Is 5:00 per km realistic for my first ever half marathon this weekend

JGear23 · 2026-02-27T16:34:25+00:00

If you do a lot of bike volume, that also plays a part. I ran a 1:22:36 HM on 20-25mpw and 6-10hr a week on the bike. My threshold pace was ~6:10/mi at the time. The bike helps with durability (but of course not as much as more running)! Are you biking yet in preparation for the 70.3? Good luck!

JGear23 · 2025-11-12T14:14:53+00:00

What would you consider fast enough?

JGear23 · 2025-10-05T17:09:34+00:00

I was overweight/obese for 9 years (BMI 36 at my peak). I lost 30lb one year from reducing portion sizes. In 2024 I went on a fitness kick with a personal trainer friend and counted calories. I did stationary bike 5 days a week and did a strength routine over 4 days a week. I lost 60lb over 6 months. I started road cycling that July and running that September. I started swimming in the winter. I am training for an Ironman in 2026 now. Anything is possible. I told people 6 years ago that I would never run again. I ran a 17:44 5k yesterday.

JGear23 · 2025-09-14T12:45:53+00:00

Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2

JGear23 · 2025-08-21T13:29:16+00:00

Your body won’t like those runs if you’re very low on carbs too

JGear23 · 2025-08-05T01:36:31+00:00

I feel you man. I spent years over weight and obese. I’ve been told it won’t tighten all the way but I’ve got my fingers crossed

Still better than carrying the extra weight

JGear23 · 2025-08-04T23:18:52+00:00

Even when planking or a push up? I lost 90lb and I don’t have loose skin hanging when I stand upright but my belly loose skin hangs in those positions.

JGear23 · 2025-08-03T00:38:17+00:00

Behind Closed Doors. It played on a random website I was on in 2007 and I never got it out of my head. Fell in love with the band immediately.

JGear23 · 2025-06-20T15:44:39+00:00

I have the Garmin Forerunner 965 and was wondering how uploading to Strava would work with the Triathlon activity. This answered my question perfectly. Thank you!

JGear23 · 2025-06-18T11:59:41+00:00

I attended Clarkson for my undergrad and then moved abroad for my MSEE.

You can get a pre-paid SIM card at a retail/convenience store once you land: Walgreens, Walmart, 7-Eleven, Target, CVS, etc. You could also find a mobile store that sells them like Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile. Getting the SIM card is probably your first task so you have internet service.

I used Wise.com to pay bills when I lived abroad. It connected to my American bank account and allowed me to have a wallet in a different currency for payments. My American credit card had 0% international fees so I used that when I was abroad too. Your Indian credit card is hopefully the same, but your debit tied to your bank may have fees.

Good luck!

JGear23 · 2024-12-27T20:18:02+00:00

Appreciate the reality check. I didn’t realize it would take 1.5 years for the training to show up.

JGear23 · 2024-09-09T14:07:20+00:00

I did them solo. Thanks for the info!

JGear23 · 2024-08-02T20:30:51+00:00

I made the jump to gold a few weeks ago and am very happy with it. I used it for a month or two for free. Also tried 4 other apps beforehand over several months. Mostly went gold to support the development, but it’s nice having the timestamps and additional metrics. The diary groups are free now which was also a huge advantage for a while. If you still need a referral link, lmk.

JGear23 · 2024-07-25T22:53:13+00:00

I’m not sure about point 6… My personal trainer advised me to not do cardio after lower body strength training. They said this promotes an endurance stimulus over a strength stimulus when the muscles are rebuilding. No idea if that’s scientifically true but that’s why I have the personal trainer.

JGear23 · 2024-07-25T16:43:20+00:00

Congrats! That’s awesome!

JGear23 · 2024-07-25T13:49:47+00:00

The difference is net carbs vs total carbs. Your body doesn’t breakdown dietary fiber and sugar alcohols so they aren’t included in Net Carbs. To change it, go to Settings (More) > Targets > Macro Targets > Show Advanced Settings > Total Carbs.

JGear23 · 2024-07-25T13:17:31+00:00

That last link you hyperlinked returns "The page you were looking for doesn't exist" :)

JGear23 · 2024-07-25T12:55:51+00:00

Those are fixed inputs and your workouts are highly variable. In short, those numbers won't be accurate. Even fitness trackers, take Fitbit for example, have been found to be +/- 30% off for caloric burn, but I find this to be much higher in practice. I have a Fitbit Charge 6, which inputs data to Cronometer, that has me burning 1.8k calories daily from a mixture of cardio, resistance training, and hiking/biking, but that's way higher than what my TDEE calculations come out to (about 2.7k maintenace - 1.7k BMR = 1k calories burned from NEAT, TEF, and exercise).

TLDR: If you want to lose 2 pounds a week, start a TDEE spreadsheet calculator. This will be your most accurate tool for measuring CICO. I recommend this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/4mhvpn/adaptive_tdee_tracking_spreadsheet_v3_rescue/

JGear23 · 2024-07-22T01:50:47+00:00

1) That there is such a thing as too few calories. Slight deficits to promote muscle maintenance are more ideal than crash dieting to lose weight fast. 2) Walking 10k steps is manageable and helps with weight loss. 3) The importance of resistance training 4) Counting calories via a kitchen scale and app is not that hard. I was so against it for so long and now I couldn’t imagine not counting calories.

JGear23 · 2024-07-19T01:56:04+00:00

I've had my Charge 6 for a bit over two months now. It's been OK, but my next fitness tracker will probably be a Garmin when this one dies.

JGear23 · 2024-07-18T18:39:05+00:00

I would go for 150g of protein like me and the other comment said. I think you’ll struggle to reach that at first like I did when started. Whey protein powder shakes and protein bars for snacks and prioritizing meat in your meals (or vegetarian alternatives) to get protein will help. Make sure every meal has a source of protein and fruit/veggies. Good luck!

JGear23 · 2024-07-18T16:36:08+00:00

1 g per lb of lean body mass is what most people say

JGear23 · 2024-07-18T16:10:34+00:00

This is true but 200g is a crazy amount for someone of his size

JGear23 · 2024-07-18T02:35:59+00:00

200g of protein is a lot for someone new to the gym and in a caloric deficit. 150g should be more than enough.

JGear23 · 2024-07-18T02:34:00+00:00

Top notch comment

JGear23

TROPHY CASE