Weighty Thoughts During Marathon Training
As I train for my first marathon, I am also learning about nutrition for performance and incorporating that into my diet.
I have lost about 35 pounds over the past year, and it has been a struggle to go from a dieting mindset to a nutritional one.
Rule one in marathon training is having enough carbs on board to fuel your body to get through all those miles. I have not eaten a lot of carbs over the past year and I am having to re-think a lot of my eating.
Diet for Weight Loss vs. Marathon Training
When dieting for weight loss, I do eat a lot of vegetables and healthy foods (because they are low-cal).
I also cheated the system and ate a lot of things that are filled with chemicals and artificial everything to stay within my calorie deficit for the day.
That helps with weight loss (in an unhealthy way that I don’t advocate, btw) but it doesn’t make me very fit or strong.
Since starting the marathon training, I find if I eat like crap I train like crap!
Going out for a 4 or 6 miler, eh…I suffer but I can manage. Going out for a 16 or 18 miler? I’m going to crash and burn.
Weight Loss Routine
My weight loss routine was to count calories Monday to Thursday and then allow for “treats” Friday to Sunday.
During the week I don’t drink any calories (except on my long runs, when I have some homemade sports drink which is hardly anything).
I drink my coffee black, no alcohol, etc. I eat a small breakfast, fruit mid-morning and then a light lunch and light dinner.
Training, though, kind of throws that out the window since my long runs are on Wednesday. I am trying to be a little more mindful on the weekends to not gorge myself with treats, and be a little more relaxed on Tuesdays when I have pasta or rice or something more carb-laden for dinner.
I usually would just eat an 80 calorie yogurt for breakfast on Wednesday, but now I am having a bagel and some peanut butter and honey. The weeks of the long run that I have done that, my run is challenging but not impossible. The weeks I try to shave a few calories it is torture! I find I want to quit and the feeling comes much earlier in the run.
I am trying to incorporate double the vegetables every day, and cut out as much artificial anything as I can.
If I eat fruits, vegetables, chicken, whole grains and whole foods I am still “cutting” calories without jeopardizing my training.
I am watching the carbs somewhat on days that I am not running, but I am being a little more relaxed with that as well. I also am trying to up my protein a bit, so my muscles are being fed and repairing too.
Numbers on a Scale
That darn number on the scale is so annoying, though!
It can really make or break your day. I KNOW it’s not supposed to and I KNOW that number can change hour to hour (I’ve seen it).
BUT I still get an unhappy twinge in my stomach if it goes up.
I’ve thought about not weighing myself for the duration of the training, but I don’t want to get out of control.
I have to find the balance between letting a few pounds add on here and there and not caring at all.. and gaining a bunch of weight that will be hard to get off after the marathon.
I need to be accepting of muscle weight and fight the fat at the same time!
At the stage of life I am in, hormones (or lack of) mean I am already at a disadvantage when it comes to weight control. I don’t have to let that stop me from being fit, and being fit needs to be the goal….not being skinny.
There is much for me to learn, nutrition-wise, and it has been interesting so far.
It has also been motivating because as I learn about something I want to find ways to incorporate that research into my life. I’m going to keep digging, and keep striving to be fit and strong!
UPDATE: March 19, 2019
Here we are a year later, and back into marathon training.
I have learned a lot over the past year about nutrition and being fit and I think I have a much better grasp on how to fuel without being obsessed about the number on the scale.
The fueling strategies I practiced with have taught me what I can and can not eat before long runs or the marathon itself. Oatmeal is great, a single egg not so much.
Sugar-laden carbs will give you a boost of energy, but won’t make you feel very good in the long run.
Since the original post, I have done some others on nutrition in the runner that you can check out:
