RACE WEIGHT—> I would love to hear your thoughts!

I don’t race but I also think that “dieting” while training would not be a great idea. I am fully on board w/ feeding the body when it needs fuel and training for long races means the body needs a lot of fuel. My workout today was a frigid (5 degrees) 3 miler + 1.5 miles of rowing. It was actually a few degrees warmer than yesterday and I could tell it wasn’t as intense. My husband and I have seen 6 movies this past week. I am off from work and it’s my favorite thing to do. Yesterday we saw Spectre! Today we will see Concussion and NYE we plan to see Joy. My favorite that we saw was The Big Short! Excellent film that I feel is a must see for all if you want to understand why we had the housing crash/recession in 2008.

Hi Janne
I don’t disagree with your advice/opinion but I think it’s worth mentioning that if someone is thinking of losing additional weight even though they’re already at a healthy weight might be a good idea to check in with the professional (Doctor or nutritionist) to be sure they do so in a safe way. So so many women in my life have gotten on a bad path with this kind of thinking. So I think it’s such a fine line to maintain on the very low end of healthy that you really need help to do it safely. Just my two cents.

Friends episode: the one where everyone finds out! We are re-watching them all right now :)

Race weight: I think it is a made up idea! And maybe an excuse for getting too thin?? Personally, I ran PRs at my thinnest (via eating only salad) and then ended up with a huge long stint of mono and other issues. So that obviously was not a good weight for me even though I did race well briefly. Just don’t fight yourself and your body!! It is tempting because I do want that glory back, but not at the cost…

I’ve noticed that during marathon training, I’ll crave healthier foods, and I wonder if that may lower my body-fat percentage and increase my muscle mass (simply by eating less sugars and relying more on wholesome, muscle-building foods). It’s not something I put a lot of energy into focusing on though, as long as I feel and run well.

I just saw “Concussion” over the weekend… Amazing. Definitely not a “feel good” movie but it related a lot to the types of things I study and I thought it was so interesting and well-done!

I am with you, Janae. I think there can be too much focus on body weight as a measure of performance but really there are other more important things to consider (in my opinion) like muscle mass, strength and cardiovascular health. I would much rather way more than risk injury and negative health ramifications from holding a weight that is too low. Since I have really gotten into running and consistent strength training, I am actually up in weight a bit and I’m okay with it because I know I have built muscle my body is in better shape. It can be too much of a slippery slope to focus on weight.

5 miles for me and some yoga!

I’ve never been one to diet, but during training I definitely clean up my eat habits. That usually means less sugary things and alcohol. In January I’m going to try out the Whole30 (which isn’t really a diet but eliminating foods that can irritate your stomach then re introducing them to see what makes you feel best) while I start marathon training, so I’ll see if eating clean makes a difference!!

Friends episode: “we were on a break!”
I don’t think ideal weight is as important as fueling nutritiously. Eating crap will affect performance way more than being a few pounds heavier or lighter than ideal. And who decided what ideal is anyway?

I’m about 20 pounds overweight but I know my running has been in the tanker because I est junk more often then not.

Like you Janae, a few years ago I became too thin and my body broke down in the form of multiple injuries. I’m still recovering from that and experiencing consequences. My advice to that reader is to maintain weight loss a separate goal from race training. The body can absorb so much change at one time and there is a time and place for both. To stay healthy and injury free, keep those two goals separate.

I don’t have an opinion on race weight because I don’t race. I just run because I like getting out there and it’s a little bit of time for me.

With that being said, I did participate in a diet plan for runners test group. It is now available. It is the k-fit 6 challenge. The coach is Kendrick Ribeiro. You can find him on Facebook. He is a running coach and I first used one of his marathon training plans when doing my first half marathon. Those of us in the first challenge group loved the training plan. I really loved the challenge and I think Coach K offers great info. (I sound like a paid advertisement but I’m not in anyway. I just really loved it!)

Check him out! If you’re reader has some questions, I can message you my email or Facebook info and you could pass it along.

I read recently (in RW mag?) that you shouldn’t cut back more than 200 cal a day or it will negatively affect your training.

I try to maintain a healthy weight, and haven’t dieted while training. I generally go by how I feel and how my clothes fit, especially since weight can fluctuate so much day to day.

I had a run on the plan for today, but it’s icy out, so I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing.

I finally saw the last Hunger Games movie – it was a little disappointing, but I’m still glad I saw it because you have to see the ending!

I don’t worry too much about weight when I am training for a marathon or triathlon. If anything, I have to be mindful about eating enough calories, especially on long run or workout days. I just try and fuel my body with healthy foods (with the occasional splurge) and don’t obsess about weight. However, I do notice that I race differently when I weigh more or less. It’s all very interesting!

Today I have a 5 mile run on the schedule and am supposed to do hill repeats. My favorite. Hopefully I can find a hill around here that isn’t covered in snow and ice.

Last movie I saw was the new Star Wars movie! So good. I might have to see it again before it leaves the big screen.

Last movie I saw was Elf..such a good one. I am on my dads elliptical today because it’s wet outside and I don’t want to slip and fall (I’m clumsy).

That’s interesting Janae. I think race weight is really dependent on the person. Some people do well with more muscle amd some don’t. For me I know I’m at a good weight when I’m racing well and still enjoying life too.

I don’t worry so much about my weight. I find that if I focus on staying consistent and getting stronger, then a lean body and healthy performance weight are a happy by-product. As I’ve worked on getting stronger and improving my time over the past couple of years, I’ve realized that training won’t make my body stick thin. I’m not at all overweight, but training makes my body look a little more muscular. I’ve gotten faster by putting in the training work, not by losing weight. It’s so awesome to see and feel my performance improve, so I try not to worry too much about what the number on the scale is.

I’ve found that eating “cleaner” tends to help me lean out while giving me energy for my runs.
The injuries that come with calorie cutting are not worth it in my opinion. It doesn’t matter how low your weight is if you’re out for a stress fracture for months (been there!). Great topic!

Race weight can be a tough topic but I don’t think it has to be. I think you should keep it simple by focusing on making healthy food choices and limiting the junk when gearing up for a big race and that will give you the edge you are looking for.

My body naturally slims down when I am running miles upon miles however I never try to cut calories especially since I am already on a somewhat limited diet
(strict vegetarian by choice).

No workout for the next 2.5 months since I am on modified bedrest to keep this baby IN as long as possible. I cannot wait to get back to training, plan on signing up for a 1/2 for motivation!

I cannot remember the last movie I watched, probably Gran Torino with the husband a few weeks ago!

I try not to diet, per say…overall just eat healthy and consume more whole foods vs
processed or eating out.

Workout today is an undetermined distance/pace/etc. Today is my birthday…and I decided I will run 1 minute for each year of age (39). Hopefully I will end up with ~4.5 miles-ish.

Last movie I saw (sort of) was “Pixels” with my kiddo. We had seen that when it was out at the theater, then he received a copy for Christmas.

As for “Friends”…how could you pick just one episode?!?!?!? They are all amazing!!

I found stand to lose w few pounds, but I’m not overweight or anything. Really if I could just incorporate more cross/strength training into my regimen, i would see a major difference.

Favorite Friends episode?! There are so many to choose from! I do find that I LOVE the episode where they are watching the prom video and Rachel kisses Ross.

I’ve read a bit about race weight though I think the real focus should be on someone’s diet and nutrition during training and racing season if they want to perform well. When I started running on a more regular basis earlier this year, I lost 10-15 pounds and was told I was running too much. (Still a few points above the lowest end of my healthy BMI for the record and my closest family and friends shared no concerns). However, I know that changing my nutritional habits was the biggest driver – I used to INSANE portions of meals. And tons of sweets. I still have moments where I eat a lot but it happens far less than it did before. And much less sweets are being consumed. Since then, I have PRed in every race distance up to a half, and haven’t had any problems with GI issues like I did prior to this change.

There is evidence that being at an ideal weight/body fat percentage may result in faster times, but attaining that weight or degree of leanness is where it becomes complicated. Running Times published a good post on this last year: http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/your-fastest-weight

As a sports RD, I talk to endurance athletes all the time about optimizing their nutrition during training, and more often than not, I advise against trying to lose weight during a training cycle, especially once someone is past the initial base-building period. When ramping up and looking to make gains in fitness and reap the benefits of training adaptations, there are so many critical nutritional considerations for before, during and after runs and workouts to help with performance and recovery. If someone tries to restrict during this time, he or she could be be compromising their ability to meet his or her nutrient needs. At that point, I often find that the risks of cutting calories/foods/food groups (i.e. injury, illness, poor performance, lack of energy, development of disordered eating behaviors, etc.) outweigh the speed benefit of possibly dropping a couple of pounds. Also, based on my experience and a lot of the comments, it seems like “ideal” body weights, just like training and nutrition plans, are highly individualized and should take into consideration a slew of other factors aside from just one’s gender, age, current weight/body composition and fitness level.

More anecdotally, I’ve raced better and stayed healthier in the past couple of years than I ever have before when I was about 15-20 lbs lighter. Sure, there are times when I think about trying to drop a few pounds to see if I can find a balance point where I’m a bit speedier while remaining healthy/injury-free/not overly concerned/consumed with controlling my eating habits, but it’s clearly a delicate balance that requires a lot of effort and carries some risk. Losing weight is also not a primary focus for me right now since I have plenty of other areas to explore to improve my training, including working on mental toughness, fine-tuning my race fueling, and getting better at prioritizing recovery.

My race weight is a big issue as I know I am currently overweight. My fastest half marathon was when I was at my lightest, but I was still a healthy weight. Now that I am heavier I am much slower.

If donuts are to blame, cutting them out probably wouldn’t be a bad idea…

I’ve had a friend ask me about why she can’t lose weight running. And I never started running to lose weight. My running helped with post baby depression. I run more for mental clarity. I don’t really weigh myself and have never had an ED. So I’m clueless about weight and running. But I don’t think losing weight should be a priority at all when training.
And that is awesome about your ex texting pics!! That seriously is the best. The bond between us moms and our babies…no words. We just have to know they r safe and happy. Great news.

I think that as a runner (if you let it), your body will eventually get to its desired weight. I believe that there is a certain set point that every body performs it’s best at, and it’s up to each individual person to start listening to their body to get to that point. I know that for me, when I was 10lbs underweight and was deep into my exercise addiction, I didn’t have a lot of energy. I was at the peak of my endurance, running 10-12k nearly every day, but I was running 8 min miles. Now, I haven’t weighed myself in over 6 months, but I believe my BMI to be in the 19s. I can run a 20:08 5k and a 41:52 10k–something that I hadn’t ever believed that I would be able to do. I can tell that my weight has flu curated these past few months, but you have to let nature take its course and be patient.

My workout today was a 6k run in the snow! Even though I had my YaxTrax on, there was absolutely no traction in the soft snowy roads, and it took a lot of effort just to get those few kilometres in that I did. I hate winter running in Canada. :'(

I JUST got finished watching Carrie for the first time. I’m still cant tell how I feel about it.

I think that if you are able to hit your paces and feel good during training than your weight during the race doesn’t really matter :)!
If anybody could please check out my blog that would be amazing:
https://sweetpotatoesrunner.wordpress.com

I was SO SO worried when I started marathon training (for my 1st in September) that i was going to gain a ton of weight, cause that is what I had read. You eat more=you gain more. But that wasn’t the case! I didn’t gain, but I did lose about 4 pounds, but I also made sure I ate well, and that I didn’t over eat because I was hungry. I think I also gained muscle during that time too, and that helped with the transition. AND I was injury free! But I was slower than slow (due to a number of factors on race day).

My workout today will be running 4 miles on the treadmill.

We saw Star Wars in the theater on Christmas, and then just watched “Once I was a beehive” last night, which was pretty funny!

I never diet. But I decided to eliminate some bad habits ( Salty snacks & desserts) on June 1 last year. I lost about 10 lb. I PR’d by 2 minutes in a marathon I didn’t really train for (on a hilly course). Three weeks later I PR’d my 1/2 by 2 minutes. P. S. I’m old…. 46.

For my ‘race weight’ I try not to focus to much on the actual number but rather on how i feel and what I put in my body. when it’s race season I tend to be a little more conscientious with my food, leaning towards more vegetables, fruits, proteins, and complex carbohydrates like brown rice and sweet potatoes. I think it is also super important to balance that with adequate sleep but also relaxing once in a while say if you go out for dinner or its someones birthday, ya know?Then to go back to a ‘normal’ weight in off season is also important for your body’s recovery and rest period.

I think having a healthy balance between running, weights/core conditioning/yoga, healthy foods is where it’s at :)

I have been on vacation so it has been super relaxing and I have been treating myself to extra yoga – todays workout what a wonderful hot flow yoga class and an easy 40′ run :)

Hmm favourite friends episode?! gosh there were so many – the tears when the series ended :(

Cheers!

Race weight is tricky because of the risk of disordered eating and/or eating disorders. Everyone’s best weight is individual but keep this in mind: my competition weight in college was 3-4 pounds heavier than I am now but a full size smaller in clothes. Would I like to be a bit thinner now, specifically getting rid of the flub spots around my middle from three babies? Yes. Am I willing to go below my current low-for-height and low BMI weight? No. I’ll figure out another way…more core work, more weight lifting, less sugar, more protein, something…and if that comes with a little more weight, that’s okay.

We saw Krampus before Christmas………..I enjoyed it! I cannot pick one Friends episode…………they are all hilarious! But the Thanksgiving one where they play football is great!

I have gained around 5 pounds from the I started training for my first marathon in 2013. My weight has stayed there ever since…………..must be a comfortable and “fit” weight for me. I (as a girl) would love the scale to say a smaller number but I wear the same size clothes (smalls in most things, mediums in running tights) as before and I know that I am in better shape because I can do longer runs than I could before I started training. I don’t want to obsess over weight, and usually I don’t think about it. I am not fast, so for me dropping weight to get speedier isn’t worth it.

I’m not under or overweight, but last race season I lost 10 lbs just because of racing. I think there’s something to be said for race weight. I PRed almost all my races last year including taking 8 min off my marathon time. (Try running with a 10 lb ball and you’ll see how much weight that really is. So it’s not so crazy that a few less pounds can really help with race time.)

I lost the weight over about 4 months by cutting out most of my sweets and “bad” carbs. (I mean, their good, but you know). So I was still eating carbs and had plenty of energy for workouts. It sucked not having sweets for the first two weeks, but after that I didn’t mind it. I would have one sweet a week and it had to be something really worth it so I really looked forward to it.

Having a balanced nutritional program and if done correctly works wonders for energy and recovery. It’s trial and error and one has to listen to their body and how it responds which is the best indicator. What works great for one may not be the best for another.

Workout consisted of treadmill and weights.

Last movie we saw was Star Wars but heading out this Friday to see that funny movie Daddy’s Home – hopefully it’s not just the commercials that are funny and the movie is worth it – wife/kids are wanting to see it.

Favorite friends episode – just starting seeing that show again of late – the one with Ross’ pet Monkey Marcel is always pretty funny.