I out ate marathon training

HuskyMarathoner

HuskyMarathoner

New member
Hey all. I'm pretty excited to have found this forum.

I'm a 32 year old man. I've never been able to successfully manage my weight. I'm a total comfort eater. I've had bad habits my entire life. My parents are both obese. I grew up with pastries and soda. I used to put syrup on my breakfast eggs.

Without being mindful of my eating, I can gain 40 pounds in 6 months. I've done this twice in my life. I smoked a pack a day from the time I was 17 till I was 30 when I HAD to quit when I got married to a fitness enthusiast. That really removed a big part of the way I controlled my weight.

Seven years ago I was 160(smoking). Three years ago, when I got married, I was 206. My BMI was just over the line to be obese.

I've had success counting calories in the recent past. Last January I started at 184 and dropped to 173 by June. A part of that weight loss was my running whenever I felt like it.

In June we started training for the Philadelphia Marathon and I was no longer able to use running as a tool in my weight management. I had to throw in rest days, so if I was stressed but it's a rest day, instead of getting out and running, I would just eat, and I could justify it because I was training for a marathon. And when we started running longer distances, I would come back and overeat just because of the trauma to my body.

So from 173 pounds in June, I ended up running the marathon in November at 185. And believe me, that wasn't muscle. Ran it in 4:42 though! Not bad for chubby. But I out ate marathon training.

So bottom line, I'm not confident at all in my ability to manage my weight.
 
P.S. My wife beat me in the marathon by 17 minutes. I need to maintain a healthy weight so I can restore the natural order of things and be faster than her.:)
 
You ran a full marathon in 4:42? If so, great job. I'm currently training for my first half marathon and my goal is to finish in 2:30. Anyway, I know exactly how you feel when it comes to over eating after coming back from a long run/workout. One thing that has helped me is to try to sit down and relax or even take a short nap before hitting the kitchen after I've worked up a good appetite. I've also made the mistake of thinking that I can eat whatever I want/whenever I want because I'm training or working out a lot. Now I let the scale be my conscious. I have mini-thresholds that I try to make myself maintain before I'm allowed to indulge in some of my favorite treats or slack off from working out. For example, I'm comfortable at weighing 205. As long as I am maintaining 205, I don't really worry about watching my intake or increasing my workouts. However, if I hit 207 I'll cut down on junk food until I'm back in my comfort zone. If I make it to 209 or more, I really start watching what I eat and begin to pick up the work outs as well. It also works as an incentive to get back to my goal weight (once I'm back down to 205, I can have that chocolate bar that I've been craving for the past couple of days). The key to using the scale in the way that I use it is to weigh yourself everyday about the same time and under similar circumstances. I usually weigh myself first thing in the morning. Good luck!
 
Solomon76 said:
You ran a full marathon in 4:42? If so, great job. I'm currently training for my first half marathon and my goal is to finish in 2:30. Anyway, I know exactly how you feel when it comes to over eating after coming back from a long run/workout. One thing that has helped me is to try to sit down and relax or even take a short nap before hitting the kitchen after I've worked up a good appetite. I've also made the mistake of thinking that I can eat whatever I want/whenever I want because I'm training or working out a lot. Now I let the scale be my conscious. I have mini-thresholds that I try to make myself maintain before I'm allowed to indulge in some of my favorite treats or slack off from working out. For example, I'm comfortable at weighing 205. As long as I am maintaining 205, I don't really worry about watching my intake or increasing my workouts. However, if I hit 207 I'll cut down on junk food until I'm back in my comfort zone. If I make it to 209 or more, I really start watching what I eat and begin to pick up the work outs as well. It also works as an incentive to get back to my goal weight (once I'm back down to 205, I can have that chocolate bar that I've been craving for the past couple of days). The key to using the scale in the way that I use it is to weigh yourself everyday about the same time and under similar circumstances. I usually weigh myself first thing in the morning. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Yeah I did a full 26.2 mile marathon. I've actually been running for distance for a couple years. I got married in June 08 at 206 pounds. I wasn't really taking it off in the following months so around Thanksgiving I challenged myself to the Philadelphia Broad Street Run in May 09. I never really ran in a serious way before that.

My mistake was that I challenged my wife to run it with me. So we did that and she challenged me to do the 09 half-marathon and then decided she wanted to run a marathon. We trained with a group(which I would recommend to anyone; great support). She wanted me to do the training with her and I thought, if I had to run a 21 mile training run, I might as well run the full marathon. And that was that.

I get on the scale every day too. And I've recorded it every day for over a year now. I can create awesome graphs about of my moving average which just skyrocketed when I started the marathon training.

The weight that I'm currently comfortable at 176. At 176 all my medium athletic fit shirts don't look tight. Right now I have to have three sets of sizes in my closet. I hate that.
 
I am at 212.5 at the moment and have started to run for exercise and as a work commute to kill 2 birds with one stone. My aim is 170 which I hope running will help with. do you find it gets easier with time as the weight comes off as at the moment it is a bit stop start for me.
 
Durham_Lad said:
I am at 212.5 at the moment and have started to run for exercise and as a work commute to kill 2 birds with one stone. My aim is 170 which I hope running will help with. do you find it gets easier with time as the weight comes off as at the moment it is a bit stop start for me.
Click to expand...

You're almost in the same boat I was. I was 206 when I started and STILL want to get to 170.

Three years ago when I started running, I vividly remember just trying to run non stop for 3 miles. I'm seeing on here that a lot of people on this forum use that as a benchmark. I would run a half mile, walk a little, run another half mile. Sloooowly my running time got longer. I'd do three quarters of a mile, then a mile, then I'd run non stop to the turn around. Must have taken me a couple of month to be able to do it, and then I did it once and then I couldn't do it again for another three weeks. It had to have been the sheer will to do it.

Weight does play a part but if you're a beginner, there's other more important things. If you first start running, fat or not, there is so much new to your mind and body. Your legs suck, you need to strengthen them up. Your lungs suck too, they don't have the efficiency yet. Your mind sucks too. I'm not talking willpower; you actually have instinctual muscle memory that will pace your legs. It's like how it regulates breathing or your heart pumping.

Weight does play a part. I ran a 5k race in June at 23:30 at 173 pounds. I just ran another one in 25:55 at 186 pounds a couple weeks ago. I can feel the extra weight when I run now.

But if you're just starting out running, at 212 pounds, it's probably not your biggest issue. If you were 150 pounds, you'd still be slow. I've actually trained with skinny friends and I just smoke them because their leg muscles arent' as developed as mine. It takes time. Just keep getting out there and you'll get better.
 
Wow! Congrats on doing the marathon!! Question: how do you feel about
5ks or triathalons? Perhaps, since they're not as strenuous (by no means am I saying they're easy) as what you're used to, you might be less inclined to overeat. Don't be discouraged though! I admire your hard work and focus!! =)
 
soccerrox said:
Wow! Congrats on doing the marathon!! Question: how do you feel about
5ks or triathalons? Perhaps, since they're not as strenuous (by no means am I saying they're easy) as what you're used to, you might be less inclined to overeat. Don't be discouraged though! I admire your hard work and focus!! =)
Click to expand...

Thanks! The six months of training alongside my new wife was really a team builder for us. And I look back and it really changed my ideas about what I thought was possible for me. Surprisingly, the marathon training wasn't really any more physically strenuous than my regular running. It was way more about being consistent.

If you're just starting out running/jogging/walking, I think 5Ks are great. It's a great distance to challenge new runners. Anything shorter is a waste of time, anything longer and you might not make it. And no matter how terrible of shape you're in, you can sign up for a 5k two months into the future, train as best you can, and actually start and finish it. It can be great motivation.

I'm interested in triathlons but I don't have easy access to a pool, and I'd want to get a real triathlon bike. Also, I hate biking. There are a lot of duathalons showing up because a lot of people have trouble getting their swim in, where you just run and bike. You know, it's pretty much anything you're into that keeps you going. In my deepest dreams, I do think about an ironman, swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112, and then running a marathon.

I have a 5K coming up on Valentine's Day. I'm actually still trying to break my 5k record I set 15 years ago. I ran one in 23:11 at 17 years old. This June I missed it by 20 seconds. Of course at 17, I just showed up with no almost no training and ran, now I run constantly and I'm trying to catch that kid. Shows you what youth is.

In general, I think races ruin my training. My wife likes doing races at least once a month. I look at my running as more of zen thing. Left foot, right foot, left foot. I like to run how I like when I like, as fast as I like, for as long as I like. My favorite running distance is between 7.5 and 9 miles. Takes me a little over an hour and I can do it after work.

I shudder now, because my wife is starting to talk about doing the Chicago Marathon in October. I'll have to start back up with those long runs in May.
 
Last edited:
Hey welcome to the forum :) Im kinda new too, There is a wealth of information and support from other member. The club challenges are good. Been a comfort eater too i completely understand lol I have started a diary it helps me monitor what im eating and whats going on with me at the times. It stopped me from having meltdown after a bad day lol Good luck and well done on the marathons :)
 
I am jogging to and from work about 6km (4 miles) each way. coming to work is getting slightly better day on day 50 mins, 48 mins and today 45.5mins. These are slow compared to your times but I am new to this and do have a pac on my back with suit and shoes in.

Just for reference Durham is really hilly, i think out of the 6km only 1km is flat. But i have noticed the difference as I jogged home last night in 40.5 mins so must be slightly more downhill on the return leg. One stretch that i thought was flattish was a slow paced jog coming in to work was noticabley (sp) downhill going back and was practically a sprint.

If you would offer more help i would greatly accept it, I bought ron hills (pants and top) and now have all the gear but not much of an idea. I have some old trainers which are ok at the moment but i am off to get a decent pair at the weekend.
 
It's funny that love running and hate biking because I love biking and hate running. Well, I'm learning to hate running less but I'd much rather ride my bike than run. I started cycling a few years ago while I was in Germany. I weighed over 230 when I started cycling and about 3 months later I was down to 195 pounds. I had gotten to the point that I was cycling pretty much everywhere I went though. I've even made quite a few 100+ mile trips on my bicycle. Nothing really compares to exploring the countryside on a bicycle.

I didn't really love cycling when I first started. It was very hard because nothing in Stuttgart was flat. I didn't even start cycling to lose weight of for the health benefits. I started cycling to and from work as a personal protest against paying more than $4.00 per gallon for gas. The weight loss and extra energy was just an added benefit.

It was so much easier and safer for me to ride my bike in Germany than it is now that I'm back in the U.S. Now that I'm back in the states and don't ride my bike like I used too, I've had to find another way to keep my weight in check. That's one of the reasons that I decided try a half marathon at the end of this month.
 
Durham_Lad said:
I am jogging to and from work about 6km (4 miles) each way. coming to work is getting slightly better day on day 50 mins, 48 mins and today 45.5mins. These are slow compared to your times but I am new to this and do have a pac on my back with suit and shoes in.
Click to expand...

That's serious mileage. And you're not slower than me, I just started before you. Every runner that's ever lived has started out that slow.

Durham_Lad said:
If you would offer more help i would greatly accept it, I bought ron hills (pants and top) and now have all the gear but not much of an idea. I have some old trainers which are ok at the moment but i am off to get a decent pair at the weekend.
Click to expand...

Without knowing anything about where you are in your running experience, I would specifically mention shoes. A real runner needs real running shoes. Don't go to some mall and talk to some teenager working a part time job who has no idea what real running shoes are. If you're a real runner, you need real running shoes. You need to go to a specialty running store.

You go in and say you know nothing. Surrender yourself to being a student. They should watch you walk and check your gate. And tell you whether you pronate, overpronate, supinate. Those are they ways your ankle rolls. If they don't, they're a joke.

Definition of Pronation of Feet | eHow.com

Get the wrong shoes and you'll blister. Run in the wrong shoes for months and you could get injuries you won't even think are related to wrong footware. Like your hips will hurt. Your back will hurt. You could even attribute you're weight to how bad you run when really it's your shoes. Do your feet flop? My feet flop when I'm in the wrong shoes, and every step is uncomfortable.

Eight miles a day is serious. You need serious shoes. Just shooting in the dark, I google running store durham uk and I get this place:

durham uk running store - Google Maps

Give them a shot.

What other advice are you looking for? left right left right. That's how you start. :)
 
AshleyM said:
Hey welcome to the forum :) Im kinda new too, There is a wealth of information and support from other member. The club challenges are good. Been a comfort eater too i completely understand lol I have started a diary it helps me monitor what im eating and whats going on with me at the times. It stopped me from having meltdown after a bad day lol Good luck and well done on the marathons :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome, and to be clear, I just ran ONE marathon, and training for it was like a part time job;)
 
Solomon76 said:
I've even made quite a few 100+ mile trips on my bicycle.
Click to expand...

I can't even fit into my head what a 100+ mile bike ride is like. I think I might have done 8 miles when I was 15. Between the two of us we're 2/3 of a way to an ironman, we just need a guy who can swim.
 
Durham_Lad said:
If you would offer more help i would greatly accept it
Click to expand...

Without you offering specifics about help you need, I can just keep spewing my opinions. Talking about running and how fat I am are my two favorite past times.

Here's something about weather. Google tells me it's around 34 degrees out by you. And you've talked a lot about speed and progress and stuff. [I think] it's generally agreed that optimal running temperature is 50ish with low humidity. Too hot or too cold will slow you down, A LOT. There's actually a chart. Google "Tinman's Heat Index and Running Performance Chart".

Example, in April of last year I ran 10 miles in training run at an 8:07 pace. It was about 45 degrees. Two weeks later I had the 10 mile Broad Street Run, and you ALWAYS run faster in a real race. But the weather swelled to like 90 degrees, and I run a 8:53. That's drastic.

Keep up running, and you will surprise yourself how fast you get come springtime. A new runner like you could conceivably drop a minute off your mile.

Also, you're always faster in the morning. You run after work and you have the fatigue of just being awake for the whole day. Weekend morning runs are really where nirvana is.
 
I was going to try there and there is one just around the corner both appear to be good.

the map shows my route in quite well start in the east Sherburn village follow the B1283 (yellow) to where it says durham with the green roundabout go past the running shop on the green road then head north on the A691 (yellow)to the roundabout and i am there.

I am currently running the first 2km approx then walk a bit run as far as i can then walk and so on, i make sure the walk sections are only to the next lamp post etc so to keep the pace up.
 
p.s. cheers for the advice, as you say its largley trial and error in that the longer i run the more i will learn. Its also good to see someone in a similar boat. This site is good my only issue (not a problem with the site) is that i am neither a woman wanting to go from 150 to 120 or a 6 foot 400lb man, which appear to be the 2 main groups of people. Some brilliant advice but nice to meet someone in a similar size state of mind and the fact you are a runner is great.

Sorry if I bore you to tears in the coming months with questions.
 
Bought some proper running shoes on saturday £53 so about $80 reduced from £75 so $120. did proper gait tests very thorough, I told her my budget and she brought me a few options in range but didn't let me know the cost so i couldn't be influenced by price the ones i got were £53 so £3 over budget but they were the most comfortable. Running in them this morning the difference is massive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top