Thank you to everyone who commented on my post yesterday. It seems like we are all in the same boat! After I hit publish, I kept thinking of things to add, so here goes…
I cannot stress enough that training for a marathon should not be about weight loss. Endurance runners need calories and if you don’t supply your body with enough fuel, how can you expect it to run 20 miles? I’ve made every mistake in the book when it comes to training – including not fueling enough – and, trust me, that 20-miler is NOT pretty. If you treat your body well, it will treat you well.
My cutting out sweets has nothing to do with getting rid of those 5 lbs. I recognized an unhealthy addiction (and it was becoming an addiction) and I wanted to correct it. It’s about making an effort to be healthier. And it’s not permanent, I can bring sweets back in the picture post-marathon (in moderation, of course…after I eat a Blizzard the size of my head post-marathon :))
Lastly, if these 5 lbs help me PR on May 1, they can become a permanent fixture!
Check out Kara’s blog – she wrote a similar post a few weeks ago.
Keri also made a great comment: The same thing happens to me. I always tell people I don’t run to lose weight and that I actually gain weight. I tell my friends if they want to lose pounds to start doing weights!
Thanks for sharing Kara and Keri!
This is definitely good to know before I start training for my first marathon. I’m still working on how to eat as a runner and stop being obsessed about weight. Thanks for the great post!
I remember when I first got pregnant I actually LOST weight because I couldn’t run (got dizzy). They didn’t understand at the doctor’s office when I explained about losing muscle 🙂
Thanks for the shout out 🙂
I hate weighing myself because it is so easy to obsess over a stupid number! Weight fluctuates so much (especially in women).. I focus more on how things are fitting. If things start to get tight, I skip dessert or a 2nd beer. It’s all about moderation!
I was really excited to see your comment on Kara’s blog that you approved of MY comment, because after I posted it I started getting scared that it would be perceived as way too mean. So I decided to check out your blog and love it and have decided we are the same person. I gained a few NON muscle pounds training for a recent marathon and it was completely due to my sweet tooth. I can barely make it to the halfway point of a long run before I start fantasizing about how much frozen yogurt I’ve earned. But, I feel like if gaining a few pounds is what it takes to run 26.2 miles and enjoy chocolate and wine along the way, so be it. I am very intrigued by your idea of cutting out sweets though, I would love to break the addiction and obviously it would be likely to help my running. I’ll be following to see how it goes. Remember the time I wrote a comment so long it could be it’s own blog post?
Hi Alyssa! Thank you for commenting (and I love this comment too)! You were not mean at all – I feel like you hit the nail right on the head! There are no short cuts to weight loss. No quick fix.
Now I have another blog to stalk 🙂