• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Run The Long Road Coaching

personalized coaching for distance runners

  • Philosophy
  • Services
    • Policies
  • Shop
  • Success Stories
  • FAQs
  • Meet Kristy
  • Contact
  • FaceBook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

weight gain and marathon training

A Few More Things…

March 30, 2011 by Kristy 5 Comments

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!

Weight Gain and Marathon Training

March 29, 2011 by Kristy 27 Comments

3/29/11

15 miles

2:13

8:52 avg pace

Nothing too remarkable about this run.  It was cold (again) and my hands were cold (again)…even though I brought a change of gloves.  I’m really sick and tired of this cold.  Spring, get here and stay here!

I wanted to address weight gain and marathon training.  I have gained 5 lbs this training cycle.  This isn’t uncommon for me; it has happened before.  My clothes aren’t tighter and I don’t feel that much different.  I don’t weigh myself religiously – just every now and then (that’s how I found out I was +5).  And no, this weight gain is not muscle…I can assure you of that!

It’s more common for runners to gain weight during marathon training than lose it.  It seems hard to believe that you can gain weight while doing all that running but it happens.  Non-runners ask me all the time how much weight I can lose when training.  You should see their faces when I tell them my weight remains the same or I even (gasp!) gain weight.  Training for a marathon should never be used for weight loss.  Your appetite is out of control, to put it mildly.  If you have every been around me during training, you know how much pizza I can put away!

My issue (and probably the reason for my weight gain) is my out of control sweet tooth.  This began around Christmas (which I think is normal; everyone overindulges in sweets during that time) but it has not gone away!  Coincidently, I started training for this marathon during Christmas.  I often use sweets as a “reward” for training.  And that is where the problem lies.  I really shouldn’t be rewarding myself with a DQ Blizzard after every long run!  Totally unnecessary.  The cravings for sweets are so strong that I just give in.  We can’t have sweets in the house – they are gone instantly.  I’m not one of those people who can have 3 Hershey Kisses to satisfy my sweet tooth!

So my solution is to cut out ALL sweets until after the marathon.  I gotta do this cold turkey.  I think by taking a drastic approach (i.e., total withdrawal) I can “calm” my never ending desire for sweets.  Ugh, it’s gonna get ugly around here 😉

Funny thing is these extra 5 lbs don’t make me feel sluggish when I run!  I feel so strong.  Odd, huh?  And no, it’s still not muscle!

Yesterday I went to Whole Foods to pick up some more crack White Chocolate Wonderful.  I was about to also pick up Dark Chocolate Dreams but then realized that would be too close to a sweet.  Chocolate + PB = Reese’s Cup.  Maybe after May 1!

Stocking up. Taking a picture of your cart is normal. I don't think anyone saw me.

Do you reward yourself with treats during training?  Ever gain weight while training?

© 2023 · Developed by JX2 Development.