Thursday, April 1, 2010

March Summary, and...Oops!

March ended up being a breakthrough month on a few levels. I ran the most miles I ever have in a month, put in my first 50+ mile week, ran back-to-back half marathons, and ran my first 18-miler and 20-miler. Knock on wood, things seem to be going well in preparation for the marathon in May.

Here are the stats:
Runs: 26
Miles: 206.4
Time: 28:57:47
Avg pace: 8:25/mi
Avg HR: 129.5
Long week: 51.3 mi
Long run: 20 mi

And, now, for the "oops". I try to keep my body weight within a 5-pound window. I typically weigh myself every Thursday morning. Last week, I fell just under that "window". This week, I fell even more. I've lost 3 pounds in the last 2 weeks and, for someone who is already very thin, that would be considered "free-fall". I've felt plenty strong during my runs and my recovery seems to be improving, but it's going to be a challenge, as the miles and long runs pile up, to make sure I stay on top of my caloric needs. My goal is to run strong and fast at an optimal racing weight - not "manorexia"!

6 comments:

  1. Hi Colin,
    Congrats on kicking big time butt with your high miles this month!! Also, nice work on your long runs:) Training for your May marathon is going well...you are going to do great! Make sure that you are taking in enough calories...I don't want to have to worry about you:) Have a good one!

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  2. "Optimal Racing Weight"
    I would define that as the lightest you can possibly be and still train and race without injury or becoming overtrained … fyi, imo, my.02 ... It's has nothing to do with the scale or mirror or BMI or body fat percentages and Everybody's different.

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  3. Thanks Julie!

    Good point, Arthur. I've never run this kind of volume before, so I don't really have a gauge for what my weight "should" be. So far I feel like I'm recovering well and staying healthy. I just get nervous seeing the weight start dropping suddenly. I'm pretty small-framed, so maybe I can get away with "Kenyan weight"!

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  4. I know what you mean about keeping weight from falling. I am thin also and keep a watch pretty closely. I weight each morning to keep a close eye on things. If I did it weekly I could really miss a bunch.

    Oh, and excellent month. Nice work.

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  5. When I increase distance I always get to a point where the weight just falls no matter what, even if I eat more. Eating enough is very important. I eat whatever I have a craving for. The lost weight is a benefit on the long runs.

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  6. Thanks Adam & Johann. Like Arthur mentioned, maybe my low weight itself is inconsequential (to an extent) as long as I feel strong and healthy. I do notice the difference in my long runs - even a pound or two! But my wife is starting to complain that I'm thinner than her!

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