40 miles of running!

I did it! I hit my 40 mile in a week goal! Yahoo...
The three weeks before I was at 33, 39 (so close) and thne 37... then 40!!!! (Before that, I had taken about 3 weeks off from 'running only' and involving a lot of eliptical stuff)
But wait....
I put on weight.... at least I think I did! (close feel tighter, more 'thick' skin it seems) I was eating about 1500-2100 cals a day (depending on miles a day). Runners... talk to me...
Is this possible?!

great job I am envious of you, I think I shall try to match your goal, is this done on a tread mill or out doors how fast of a run?  Plese tell me and I will tell you how I do, By the way I am 350 lbs, but I aint scared.  I dont know about putting on weight,  but what is your body fat percentage that is the most important thing. 

Hey there. I run outside, and usually a consistent 8:30min per mile overall (on shorter runs, more like 7:30).

I had my body fat % taken about 2 months ago, and I was at 19%. I'm 5'11' and about 140 or so pounds.

I know for a fact that it is possible, just stick with it. While I was in Iraq, I started running for sanity's sake  and when I first started, things seemed to be fitting tighter, but then they quickly got looser. However, I think this is probably from the fact that you are building (lean) muscle, and not only that, but you are taking in more oxygen, your chest expands, etc. Like I said, I am no expert, I run for the pleasure of running and because it is great for reducing stress (I have kept it up since coming home), not for the sport, if that makes sense. Just keep with it. I managed to lose over 30 lbs in less than 3 months just by running at least 4-5 times a week. I run both oudoors and indoors, depending on the weather, how much time I have, and how cooperative my 19 month old is being :)

Good luck,

Bobbi

Bobbi!!! Running to reduce stress? I hear ya! I'm in my first year of Grad school at Berkeley... and somehow I haven't been too "stressed"...

I'd like to thank running for that, lol. Have you thought of doing any 1/2 or full marathons? I'm sort of thinking of it. Not sure yet.

Thanks for the advice!

Your very welcome :) And yes, if I didn't run, I would probably be a raving lunatic (okay, maybe not that bad, but I have noticed I am definately more relaxed and laid back since taking up running). I have been looking for marathons in my area, but they are few and far between. One of these days though :)  Good luck to you.

Bobbi

P.S. Wow, Berkeley! That's very cool! I am still trying to finish my nursing degree but these mini-vacations courtesy of the US Military keep getting in the way :)

Good afternoon folks:

I thought I would join in the marathon discussion. I have 3 Marine Corps marathons under my belt. I am thinking about doing another. Maybe next year. My running weight was 172lbs about six years ago. I just started to try to get back to that weight (233lbs upon joining this site) and running may very well be the way I will get there.  Alot of marathon runners train by running 3 days a week, with one run be a "long run". Right before my first, I was running on Tuesday and Thursday 3-4 miles each day. On Sunday. I would do my long run up to 26 miles. Although, I usually only trained up to around 20 miles. I alway wished I had more time to train. 

My suggestion would be for you to pick up a marathon training book. I think mine was authored by Jim Fix???  I would also recomend that your first marathon be on a flat course. Washington DC was very flat. I have also heard the Disney Marathon is a flat track and a great run through their parks.

Good luck. You will not be disappointed. Those marathons were the crowning athletic achievement in my lifetime. They were very special.  And, believe this or not, I was able to eat like a pig and still lost weight.

Good luck to those who set a marathon as a goal. It is one of the best things you will ever do.

Scott

PS: I am walking right now to loose some weight prior to my serious effort of training. The worst thing you can do is injure yourself. Joints are more susceptible to injury than muscle. I am thinking that around 200lbs, I will start toward that goal.

Marathons are awesome.  I ran NYC last year and was gonna do MCM this year, but hurt my knee, gained some weight and there went that - I did defer my entry to 2008 though. 

I used Hal Higdon's plans, I think they are awesome.  Here is the website:  www.halhigdon.com.  He also has a book on the marathon which was a great read to get me ready! 

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/i sbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781594861994& itm=1

Good luck to all!!!

I ran 36 this week....
and yeah... I feel like I'm gaining weight. Definitely. I want to maintain and/or lose... not GAIN. What the heck is going on?!

Peachy:

You may be gaining some muscle.  Which is good!

Since you are running a lot, you may want to consider joining a running or track club. They are usually very low cost and a lot of fun. They also can give you answers to your questions.

Good luck,

RunScotty

I just read what you wrote. I am kind of having the same problem. I have been running since june and run about 8 miles three times a week and I try to do a long run on the weekend. I started out at 235 or so and how am down to about 195. I haven't budged in 3 weeks. I am training for a half marathon in January and have already run the 13.2 miles on my long run. I probably average over 35 miles a week. I feel good and running relieves stress but it is bugging me that I am not losing any more weight. I log everything I eat on a spreadsheet and as far as I can tell I should be losing at least a pound a week. I have gotten faster though. I was averaging 10 min miles for a while and I averaged 7:40 on my long 13 mile run. I like to think that maybe I am putting on muscle and that is why my weight hasn't gone down any. Still someone that runs as much as I do (and eats like I do) shouldn't be stuck. I think this will be the week that I break free though.

It sounds like you are in good shape for a 1/2 marathon. It will probably be a piece of cake for you. I could probably do a full marathon but I think i want to take it in baby steps. I did a 10k a few years ago and it felt really good to finish that. It was nice to see the "runners" I knew in highschool sitting by the side of the road breathing hard while I zoomed past (It was a local turkey trot).  I think doing a race will keep you motivated.

I'm training for a 1/2 marathon in Jan (PF Changs), and I was shocked when my trainer told me that I wouldn't lose much weight training for this.  If I wanted to go with weight loss as my primary focus, she would have to provide me with a different routine.

Could this be a temporary bloated feeling?  Too much salt?  Retaining water?  I sometimes feel bloated and irritated, but that's more related to certain nut-sacks in my vicinity than my training.

Your calories look good.  You're not eating high fat items, right? 

I ran my first 1/2 this fall and didn't drop any weight all summer while training for it.  I have always been a strict ova-lacto veggie and paid close attn to what I ate throughout training. 

2 weeks or so after the 1/2 I resumed a more balanced routine (weight-lifting, aerobic classes mixed in with running) the weight started to drop off.....go figure! 

I have run three full marathons and several half-marathons.  I dropped the most weight while training for the full marathons.  Running in general still helps me to keep my weight at a certain point, though.

I'm a 58 year old male, I run most everyday and strength train three times a week. I took off over 150 pounds a couple of years ago and continue to carry the extra skin and of course it's weight. I run around 30 miles a week and it's everything I can do to hold my weight below 180 pounds. I use www.mypyamid.org daily. I can't believe weight maintenance is this hard for everyone. I must be a special case - since I've lost so much, my body wants the pounds on more. It's a thought. Aerobic exercise like running is terrific and extremely important but I also know I must increase my muscle mass. I believe it's only through increasing my lean body mass that I can increase my metabolism. Thereby making my weight management easier. Our bodies seem to be pretty smart. If we're not using our muscles, our bodies don't want to feed them and we decrease our muscle mass - which lowers our metabolism. Don't under estimate the importance of a good strength training routine. I've heard it said that the biggest mistake females make is a failure to develop a comprehensive strength training routine.