We Got Answers

Like Cha-Cha, but slower! Like KGB, but free-er! We're a group of college students with a wide variety of interests and a love for discussing them. Got a question? We've got someone to answer it for you. If we don't know the answer, we'll find you one. All of our answers are put into terms a regular person would understand so we can all actually gain something from this experience. Sort Posts by Mod Tragedorable (AB) | HiggsBr0son(RW) BobaF3tish(RP) | Gianangeli(GB) Fred-Otts-Sneeze(CW)

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To get to the other side.

A few months ago I would've said that metaphorically. The chicken was suicidal.

Today I say that literally.

There is an ice cream shop across the street and god damn it that chicken deserves his brownie sundae and there is not a single vehicle in the world that will stop him!

HAVE A NICE DAY, TUMBLR.

ASK US SOME QUESTIONS.

-AB

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you know, from a biological standpoint, chickens are not sapient like humans are; that is, they are not aware of or curious about their surroundings unless it pertains to food or danger. A chicken runs on instincts, it has no "intent", ergo the question "WHY did the chicken cross the road" is fallacious, as it assumes the chicken knows what a road is and is making a conscious choice to cross it. A chicken has no concept of roads, it can no more choose to cross one than you or I could choose to "cross" an invisible scent trail only animals can perceive. We're not aware of it and we don't care, we are simply walking in a straight line.

TL;DR chicken don't give a shit.

-RP

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TIL a good way to think about working out with weights

The trick is to not go into an exercise (bicep curls, for example) thinking "how many reps will I do?"  The trick is "what weight will I use?"

As I've said in a post before, aim for 8-10 reps for mass building, and 12-14 reps for lean muscle.  That doesn't mean do 10 reps and stop though, what you're actually choosing is the weight to use.  Choose the weight that gets you to 10 and you can't do any more.

If you find out you are using a weight too small, keep going for that set.  Keep going until you cannot anymore, you want to do max reps every set.  That's where it depends on the weight, choose the weight that puts your max reps in the 8-10 zone, or 12-14 zone.

So it's not that 10 reps is building muscle, it's when you can't do any more than 10 that you are building muscle.

And as always, be aware of the difference between "the burn" and "this is legitimately causing destructive damage to my muscle and I need to stop."

If you have any questions, we got answers!

-RW

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The questions are no problem, we'll take this one at a time.

Is it difficult to get in?  Not really, but there is a difficult cut later on.  Out of High School you also have the option to apply for an ROTC Scholarship, this one is actually difficult to get, probably about as hard as getting accepted to a Service Academy.  The scholarship is earned based on SAT/ACT scores, HS GPA, and your scores on a fitness test, play around here to learn more about that.  You can get into an ROTC program without the scholarship though, this is done by applying at your school of choice.  Having the Scholarship guarantees admission to the program, but getting into the program without one is basically based on your HS GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and your criminal record (hopefully lack thereof).  The bar is set pretty low though, so it isn't difficult to get accepted.

Now the cut I mentioned, this one is actually tough, and you will need to be physically above average, demonstrate good leadership skill, and have a College GPA of at least 2.5 to make it.  You apply for the cut after your 2nd year in the program, or sometimes 1st if you're on a 3-year program.

Does your major matter? Not really.  They do prefer technical majors, which may help you survive the cut later on, but non-tech majors are fine if you keep your grades up and have a good fitness score.  We have a saying "poli-sci so I can fly" joking that non-tech majors usually have much higher GPAs which is a big help if applying to be a pilot.  We had a cadet that was a music major at my Det though (he dropped out...) but it's not uncommon.

What do Air Force officers do? Hmm, to put it simply, officers lead the enlisted members.  Officers are your Lieutenants, Captains, Majors, Colonels, and Generals.  Enlistees are your Sergeants, Privates, Airmen, and so on.

Officers can have a huge variety of different jobs.  You've got engineers, weather officers, cyber defense, security officer (MP), Flight commanders, wing leaders, nurses, space and missiles.  Only officers can be pilots in the AF, so if you want to fly you must be an officer.  And there are also more actiony roles too, like Combat Controllers, Special Tactics Officers ("stows"), and Combat Rescue Officers ("crows").  Your controllers attach with a unit of ground troops and call in air strikes, STOs attach with Special Ops groups to command them tactically, and CROs command your para-rescue guys.  Those were just off the top of my head, you can look at more here.

Hope that helps, if you have any more questions you can just ask, or start looking into colleges that interest you and you can have the detachment there send you some info in the mail.

-RW

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No worries, Anon, photography can be a challenge to get into and can definitely seem overwhelming at times, but don't fear! At the end of the day, photography (above all else) is a science; there are a lot of optical science and chemical science to be studied and mastered when taking a picture.

A lot of what I've learned is from experience taking pictures, and also from talking to some of my friends about photography (some of the people that peaked my interest initially). Although it's great that you have a wealth of really nice equipment (I wonder how nice you mean exactly, maybe message again if you want to share more details, but no pressure, just curious!) but generally the nicer the equipment, the less user friendly ergo more frustrating it can be to handle.

I would suggest starting with some of your film equipment, hopefully/probably you have a 35mm system which would be the easiest to start out with, other film sizes can be exponentially harder to use so we won't really get into it. But like I suggested, start with film. As you say you're technologically challenged, film seems like a great way for you to start out, many times the equipment is easier to use and I personally find it to be a more intimate and calming experience over shooting digital images. Search the internet by listing some of your equipment by name and see what you find (google is good enough for that), see if any of your equipment has program features or aperture priority mode, as they are somewhat automatic features and can help you get a handle on photographing without the frustration of an entire roll of film wasted. 

Buy some cheap film from your local drugstore or buy some film on eBay for cheap and start taking your camera everywhere you go (within reason that is) and start shooting! The more time you and your camera have together, the easier it will be to figure out. 

Photography can be really frustrating sometimes, I've been regularly shooting with film and digitally for a few years now and still I'll get a roll back or look at an entire day's worth of images and hate them all, so it never gets perfect and you'll never be a flawless photographer. But if you were, where would the fun be? It's such an in-depth field that there's always something to learn and always something new to try! 

Some references:

Google:

Search your equipment by name, lenses, camera bodies, film, etc. (for example, image search "rokkor-x 45mm f/2" and you'll find thousands of pictures taken with that lens, which is great insight into some of your equipment's strengths and flaws)

Flickr:

Search by name here as well

RangefinderForum:

They have a lot of great threads on rangefinder equipment and usage

I hope I could help a bit for you, at least to try and ease your frustration! And please don't be shy, I would love to talk more about photography with you anytime. You can message my personal blog if you want to talk more, and I can try and be more specific (Fred-Otts-Sneeze)

-CW

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I went to church regularly for most of my life up until about age 15, was baptized Lutheran, and was raised in a Lutheran family. I finally started referring to myself as an atheist or non-religious around age 17, and that took a lot of work for me.

I can tell you I started questioning the logic behind my religion around when I was 14 years old - just two years after I was finally, officially told that Santa Claus wasn't real either. I appreciate the science behind things, and I just couldn't wrap my brain around a guy coming from the dead after three days or a mythical creature-man up in the sky controlling the universe. I came to develop a lot of personal opinions about the world - human rights, evolution, sex before marriage, Big Bang, etc. - that clashed with the views of Christianity.

And I was terrified.

Most people, I think, are more worried about what their families will think if they "come out" as non-religious. I, luckily, was blessed with a pretty accepting family. Sure, my parents still give me a hard time around the holidays when I don't want to go to church and my dad tells me I'm still Lutheran no matter what because I wouldn't be a morally "good" person otherwise, but I wasn't afraid of them disowning me or looking for a major intervention.

I was actually terrified of the what-if. Which, of course, is normal for me, but this caused a lot of inner dissonance in the beginning of high school. For one, at my high school, there was this super trendy youth group that seemingly EVERYONE but me went to, so at that point, everyone was all ~*OmG LoVe JeSuS*~ (side note: most of them do not feel that way anymore), I was surrounded by believers, and how could so many people be wrong? On top of that, I really wanted to be accepted by my peers, so I just quietly went along with it and kept my thoughts to myself.

But mostly, I was scared of what would happen to me if I finally "declared" that I didn't believe in any of it. Would something happen to my family? Would I suddenly contract a terminal illness? Would I live a long boring life and then go to hell?

I didn't place too much importance on this inner religious battle for the most part, but it really did stress me out when I came to think about it.

Luckily, when I was around a junior in high school, I finally convinced myself that if there were so many different religions in the world and no one was struck by lightning for that, I could at least finally come to terms with the fact that I was non-religious and not have to worry about the consequences, because there wouldn't be any. And aside from casual arguments with my parents here and there, it hasn't been too difficult.

To answer your question, I just think it's so hard for some people because they're scared - they can be scared of what God will do, what their families will do, what their peers will do, or really anything - but I think fear is the biggest factor in the difficulty that comes with abandoning religion.

Religion is a very personal thing, and likewise so is the decision to choose to leave your religion.

The ones who find it easier to abandon their religion are the ones who are okay with the fact that they don't believe and they're not afraid of what might happen. The ones that have a hard time are the ones who are less comfortable with the consequences of not being a religious person.

It's all personal opinion, but based on my experience with my religion and abandoning it, that's the way I see it.

-AB

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Wow, I just so happen to be an Aerospace Engineering major in AFROTC. I'll try to be concise, so you actually remember the tips.

For your major:

Take it easy your first year.  For ROTC you'll have to make an academic plan (Form 48 I believe) of your entire degree.  I made mine with the intention to graduate in 4 years. HA. What a mistake. I overloaded myself my first two semesters and my GPA sank.  I'm still recovering from it.  There's no shame in a 5-year engineering degree, in fact most of the engineers in ROTC that joined the same year as me changed to 5-year plans.  It can be done in 4, but most do it in 5.  Time is less of an issue than GPA, especially in ROTC, if you fall under a 2.5, you're out of there.

Edit: I'll specify a bit more.  I did like 16 credit-hours each my first two semesters.  The minimum is 12, so definitely shoot for about 12 or 13 for your first fall and spring, just so you can get the hang of it.  If it turns out it was too easy for you, you can add more classes for the next year, but if it was a good amount of challenge, then keep it that way and go for a 5-year plan.

Make friends in mech/aero engineering. Easy enough to figure out, but you can ask them questions on facebook, and you'll be in classes with them all the time.  I go to the 2nd largest college in the US, and I still have classes with the same people over and over.

Actually study.  If you were like me, in High School I barely ever studied.  I did my homework, and that had all the studying I needed in it.  I graduated with a 4.25.  Now I have a 2.5.  High School doesn't do shit to prepare you for college, especially when in an engineering major, by far some of the most difficult college majors.  Buy the books, do the reading, and do practice problems that weren't even assigned.  You gotta go hard to do well.

For ROTC:

You'll figure a lot out as you go along, and that's honestly part of the experience. Here's some good starter stuff though.

When in doubt, whip it out (saluting of course).  If you are in uniform wearing a cover, and someone else is in uniform wearing a cover, and you are a freshman, chances are you're supposed to salute them.  It's a lot worse to not salute someone you were supposed to (in which case they get pissed at you), then it is to accidentally salute someone you weren't supposed to (in which case they politely correct you).

Get noticed, but don't be obnoxious.  Being active in the detachment gets you recognized and brownie points, it's highly recommended.  But don't be "that cadet".  It's hard to explain... But he does things only for the recognition, not because he wants to help out.  Volunteer because you want to, if you don't want to don't do it.  It's obvious who actually wants to be there, and who's just there for the free pizza.

If you're in questionable shape, start exercising now.  Run run run run run.  So much running.  If you hate running, start getting better at it now.  Besides that if you can do like 40 push ups in a minute, and about 40 sit ups in a minute, that's not a bad place to start.

Good luck! Air Force is competitive, but it's obviously the best so don't give up and join Army/Navy ;)

-RW

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So exciting that you're interested in theatre! Being a theatre person myself, I know that often times we can be kind of intimidating. We're loud, not afraid to sing/dance in public, and are often times ALL friends. But not to be discouraged! We're also really open and inviting! (Well, most of us anyway) 

Not knowing your background in theatre/acting, I'm going to assume that this will be your first time doing anything of the sort. As a beginner, my recommendation would be to find a small community theatre in the area you live. I say this because the atmosphere tends to be a lot more casual and you have a better chance of getting a bigger role, which will give you a confidence boost and more experience right off the bat as opposed to being 3rd tree to the left in a show with 100 people in it. If you live in the Orlando area, Skye's the Limit Studio on the intersection of Forsyth and University near Full Sail is a great place to start out. And I'm not just saying that because I've been performing and helping with shows there since I was in 6th grade. I've honestly never encountered a more welcoming, fun, and educational theatre experience than I have at Skye's the Limit. But that's another story! If you're still in high school, auditioning for your school's shows is another awesome option! Even if you are just in the ensemble, you learn so much and really develop a community of friends and colleagues. Participating in a technical job at one of these places is also extremely fun and rewarding. I know a lot of people who had been performers, tried a technical role and immediately loved it and have been doing it ever since. So you never know! Don't write anything off until you try it!

In regards to film/tv acting versus live theatre, I wouldn't say one is easier or harder, they are just very different. For example, working in film/tv you are working with looking a specific way, no use of projection, and a lot of subtlety and nuance. In live theatre, you don't necessarily have to fit a certain look, but you need to project, command a space, and do everything uncomfortably big in order to get your point across. And you don't get multiple takes or chances to say your lines. It's live, so what you get is what you get!

I hope this was helpful! If you have any more questions, let me know!

-GB 

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Well, It all depends on what you want to do, really. I have a Canon DSLR and I really like a lot of the images I get out of it, but sometimes I use a Nikon lens on it because I really like their glass. Both companies have a lot to offer, so there isn't really a way to go wrong. 

Just keep in mind that buying camera equipment is truly an investment, and that you should be buying equipment that you want to use for a really long time, so it's great that you're putting a lot of thought into it. I'm not sure exactly what you want to use your camera(s) for particularly but from what I've experienced personally and heard from others, Canon excels over Nikon when it comes to video (which is why I have a Canon DSLR), and Nikon does an amazing job handling light, although Canon does as well. But I've seen a large portion of still photographers / studio photographers who love their Nikon products, and when it comes down to it both companies have really similar camera bodies since they're in direct competition with each other (for example the Canon 1D Mark I-IV series is largely equivalent to the Nikon D1-D4 series). 

I would say that you should go with Nikon at this point, because your mother has some Nikon products so it looks like you might have a chance to use some semi-professional / higher end equipment. If you're feeling like you should upgrade, maybe get a nicer Nikon body, or a higher quality lens. Also I love that Nikon SLR lenses still fit all of their digital equipment, which is wonderful since they have a great lens collection from the past 4-5 decades. You really can't go wrong, as long as you're getting something that you like using, and that you'll get a lot out of.

I hope I could help!

-CW

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A lot of times trying lipstick colors that aren't neutrals and that you're not necessarily comfortable with can be scary, but I say go for it! It's hard to tell a lot of times if a color will really work for you simply by swatching it on your hand, but more often than not if you like the color, I say try it! I have a bright fuchsia lipstick that I had seen on someone else and really liked, but didn't wear it for a while because I wasn't sure what occasion(s) it would be appropriate for. The only advice I would give you regarding similar concerns are don't wear heavy eye makeup with a bright or unconventional lip color. Those colors are meant to be statements and by wearing a full face of makeup with them, not only does it take away from the power of the color, but you will end up looking much too made up. By letting the color of the lipstick speak for itself, it will allow you to wear the lipstick in a variety of situations from everyday errands to a party at night. I also wasn't sure how I felt about the color on me personally, but after the first time you wear it you'll like it more and more throughout the day and gain more confidence to wear other colors as well! 

In regards to orange specifically, you should look for shades of orange yellow as opposed to a coral or red orange. The orange yellow will balance nicely with the yellow undertones in your skin and prevent the orange from looking harsh. I have yellow undertones as well, and if you would like to try an affordable orange lipstick to start, one of my favorites is Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in the color Rendezvous. It has the consistency of a lip balm or chap stick and the pigmentation of a lipstick which I really enjoy because it doesn't dry out too quickly or come off as easily, but still provides a bright color. If you end up liking that color and would like to try something more high end, MAC's Sounds Like Noise is a similar shade. The benefits of purchasing a high end lipstick from a brand like MAC lie in the way the lipstick feels on your lips (extremely smooth and moisturizing), the lasting power, and the pigmentation. 

I hope I was able to help!

-GB

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Disclaimer: Note that I am by no means an expert on dating, but of the mods I do have by far the most experience being single and going in and out of relationships (Hell, I'm the only one who's been single at any point in nearly five years). So I'll do my best to share my advice.

Now, I could use knowing a bit more about your situation. Have you been with the same person for all ten years? Or did you just rebound quickly as each relationship ended? How old are you?

So here's some background. I'm a twentysomething college student. The absolute longest relationship I've been in was with a girl I dated my senior year of high school and partly into my first semester of college. First real commitment, first time being "in love", all that jazz. It was rough on me when we broke up. I kind of alternated between taking out my anger and loneliness on my ex and other people around me and just shutting down and being reclusive. Obviously, neither behavior is healthy in the long run.

So, first things first--the ex, whoever he or she is--forgive them, if they broke your heart, or forgive yourself if you broke theirs. You may need to do both. And when you're out meeting new people, never ever bad-mouth them to potential new partners (unless you were cheated on or abused or something similarly extreme) but simply say something like, "Sadly, things didn't work out between us, but I hope he/she is happy and wish them the best". Even if you feel like you're lying at first, saying it enough times and you'll actually start feeling that way. As a bonus, speaking well (not too well, of course, hah) of your exes means that any future partner knows he or she will be treated well by you during (and after) the relationship.

So enough sappy shit. When it comes to singlin' and minglin', the best advice I can give is don't try too hard. Don't take dating tips from magazines, especially Cosmo. Remember the old adage, "there's always more fish in the sea" or whatever? Well, let's just say that marine life is extremely biodiverse. There is no rule or pick up line that is guaranteed to work on all men or women. 

And this brings me to the next point of advice when seeking out new relationships: be selective. Unless you're very, very undesirable to most people, you can afford to be picky. Don't go out with someone only because they're interested in you, they've got to have individual merit (beyond but also including looks) or you'll find yourself feeling unsatisfied quickly.

Bottom line is be yourself. And if you're very concerned about men or women being interested to you, don't pander to any one stereotype--focus on becoming the type of person that anyone would be lucky to have. Throw yourself into your studies. Travel, and take lots of pictures. That language you've always wanted to learn? Start with "hello" and "how are you?" and keep it going from there. As a guy I find bilingualism very attractive, and I'm pretty sure that's universal. Read books. Become knowledgeable about the world around you. Enrich yourself, and everything else will follow. And if you can help it, never date someone who prefers happy ignorance over curiosity and learning. You'll thank yourself for it.

I hope that helps, and if you have any more questions I'll do my best to give you more advice!

-RP

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I saw this question last night and figured RP would be best for answering it, considering I'm nearing my 5-year anniversary with Mr. RW and therefore have like no dating skills. However, I did want to offer some advice on how to be alone - something I had to learn when my relationship became long-distance for 2.5 years.

In my personal experience with people in my life, I've never been a fan of a quick rebound, but go for it if you're comfortable with it! Just try not to lose yourself in it.

Sure, the situation totally sucks, but you also have been given an amazing opportunity that you may not have had in a decade: you get to discover yourself.

Now you may be saying "hey, I know who I am!" and I have no doubts about that! But when you're with someone for so long, you and your partner rub off on each other and your personality and interests kind of become like a 9:1 split of you and your partner. Trust me, I know this from experience. And it's not a bad thing, but it makes being apart, whether in distance or a split, a little more difficult.

Find things you love to do and totally immerse yourself in them. Pick up a new hobby. Work on improving yourself, for no one but yourself. Do something you would've never dared done while you were in the relationship. Cut your hair, get a piercing, whatever.

Rediscover yourself. Do things you never had time to do while in the relationship. Take yourself out on dates. Don't worry, no one will care - bring a good book and enjoy your coffee.

I guess what I'm trying to say is don't leave one relationship just to lose yourself in a rebound, you know? I guess everyone's different, but I've always stressed the importance of knowing who you are and being as you as you can be, in a number of difficult situations. That way, you always have a sturdy base to fall back on in case something doesn't work out.

Feel free to totally ignore my advice, because for all I know, it could totally be wrong for you! But I do think it's important to get to know yourself and know how to be alone, not just in relationships and break ups, but in general.

I hope everything starts looking up for you soon! And remember, our ask box is always open if you need anything.

-AB

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I wanna join in too!

I'd say make a new you.  Don't be something you're not, but in the spirit of discovering yourself, feel really damn good about yourself too!

Hit the gym! Get fit, look awesome, and don't wear headphones and you might meet some attractive people.

Get a new haircut, or hairdo.  Just make a change with your hair that makes you feel confident and fresh.

Find some new clothes too, again confident and fresh.

-RW

[we-got-answers]

We Got Answers just got a total makeover!

To celebrate, you should ask us questions!

[falsel0ve-in-reallife-blog]

Reblog if you want a bunch of “have you evers” and “would you rathers” in your ask box right now.

[we-got-answers]

Bring 'em on, boys and girls. As long as there's a question mark, we'll answer anything.

[we-got-answers]

Bobaf3tish is online and accepting your questions!

Want to learn facts and such? I'm the guy for you. Ask me anything.

RP

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Nice reference! I have noticed that meme for a while around reddit, and have done some thinking about it to the point of reaching a conclusion.

The answer is No. ...Kind of, but no.

Think of it this way. Humans are philosophically pipes, our digestive system being like the hollow inside of the pipe, with two ends of course.  If you had a big metal pipe that weighed 99 pounds, and you put 1 pound of nachos inside of it, then the pipe still only weighs 99 pounds.  The nachos are not one with the pipe.

Another example.  Take that same girl and glue a pound of nachos over the outside of her entire body.  What you get is a nacho-girl, which does total to 100 pounds and is indeed 1% nacho.  But the girl herself is not 1% nacho, because she is still only 99 pounds of human, inside a nacho shell.

It works the same way with your digestive system.  The nachos did not fuse into the girl so that nachos and girl became one.  The girl is still 99 pounds of human, with a pound of nachos inside her "pipe".  Her body will absorb some of the nutrients out of the nachos though, which will become one with the girl, but at that point those nutrients are now "girl" and no longer nacho.

To sum it up:  The girl and the nachos exist as separate entities.  The nacho-girl is 100 pounds, and 1% nacho.  The girl is 99 pounds, 100% girl.  And the nachos are 1 pound, 100% nacho.

-RW

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We got a follow up question to the BDSM question I answered earlier.  We decided to just combine it into the same post after accidentally losing the question screenshot.  Oops.

See it here

-RW

[psiionics-deactivated20170721]

if you reblog this I will put something completely random in your ask box

like literally it could be anything

u better be prepared son

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do it. but make sure it has a question mark.

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Oh, good point. I was going to say something about that but forgot.

I'd wait at least a full day before working a muscle group again.  I like to do a cardio day between every muscle building day.  So if you were working 3 different muscle groups every week, then 3 days a week would be fine.  Other days could be used for cardio like I do, or you could follow an arms day with a legs day the very next day, and be on a tighter rotation.

Every day you can do certain exercises though, like pushups, situps, pullups.  I used to do pushups every single day and was able to build the max reps I could do very quickly.

I can't find the link anymore, but on even dates I would do 300 pushups a day in as few sets as I could. So like 50 when I woke up, 50 late morning, 50 at lunch, 50 in the afternoon, 50 early evening, 50 at dinner.  And on odd dates I would do 300 pushups as well, but this time in a lot of sets of fewer pushups. So like 20 at a time at a bunch of points during the day.

So give a muscle group at least a day to rest before using weights again.  But other light exercises can be every day.

[we-got-answers]

That should be good, just make sure you’re doing low reps, high weight, multiple sets to build muscle! And always include cardio, because your heart is worth it! RW wanna add anything?

-AB

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It's good to have a focus every day like you said, I like to do Upper Body, Legs, Abs, Full Body.  Protein and supplements help too, but don't rely on them to do all the work for you.

As for the time, I'd say an hour 3 times a week is about the least you want to do if you want to see noticeable results in a fair amount of time.  The key is, as AB mentioned, high weights and low reps for building mass.

If you want to gain mass and muscle, each set you do you want to aim for 8 to 10 reps.  If you could do more than 10, then pick a heavier weight next time.  The idea is to choose the highest possible weight that you can get within 8 - 10 reps with, without hurting yourself of course.  And increase that weight over time as you get stronger.  I would do at least 2 sets of each workout a day, but you could do more.

While I'm on the topic, the alternative to building muscle would be lean muscle, good for either toning the muscle you have or burning fat.  It's the same idea as above, but pick the highest weight that can get you to do 12 to 14 reps.

Besides that, just make sure you use proper form when exercising with weights, hurting yourself is the fastest way to undo a lot of work you've done already.  I tore both my calf muscles last semester, I was literally in bed for 2 days and couldn't get out.  Two weeks later I tried to get back into running, and I was far worse than I was in a very long time.

-RW