How Long To Get In Shape

Ouch, you're 40 lbs over your old racing weight? I say it will take 40 weeks.

Dude, I am right there with you. I was 6'2 160/165 when racing and ran 1:58/4:02. Now I am 195 (maybe more...I refuse to get on a scale because if I am over 200 I would want to vomit) and haven't done a whole lot since 2001. I ran my first and only marathon that fall (2:52) and have done minimal cycling/running since. So that is almost 7 years.

Good luck. Keep us posted on your progress. Maybe you can inspire me to get back into it.

Eat healthy, run 7 days per week. You will be not fat in a year or two.

Been there. If you eat right and run 6-7 days a week(even if you're only running 25-30 miles a week), it shouldn't take more then 4 months to drop the weight and feel like you can start doing some workouts.

You think so!

I sure hope so.

Race weight for me was about 150lbs. Now up to 210. Last raced competitively in 2003. Making a serious go of getting back and shape now and I was not even going to consider racing for about 18 months.

I thought the going rate for weight loss was about a pound a week!

alternate

18mwp+42mhc+16mcd with 28mwp+47mhc+15mcd

no need to post daily just check back in 2 years.

It will take a little time, but I am in the same boat. I am 41, 6'2 and currently 175 lbs. Six months ago I stepped on the scale and it read 201 and I was depressed for about a week. Anyway, after a near seven year break from running I started back. The first two months were the hardest. I usually ran early in the morning and on out of the way trails so no-one I knew would see me. I was running around 9 minute miles for the first month and then down to just over 8 min the second month.

The key for me was setting doable goals for each week. Such as:

Week 1: Run 4 days for 20-25 mins.

Week 2: Run 4 days at 30-35 mins

Week 3: Run 5 days at 30-35 mins

Week 4: Run 6 days and one long run of 1 hour

Anyway, I am now running over 70 miles per week at 7 min pace and have ran in a couple of local road races. Plus, I started cutting out all the extra little things that add to weight gain, such as only 1 latte per week compared to 7-8, packing my own lunch to work to ensure I eat healthy, oatmeal for breakfast, no soda and so forth.

Best of luck. Hang in there, I know it feels like crap right now, but you will knock off the weight and feel better.

I think the weight will take time (40 weeks at best). I was 20 lbs overweight when I restarted. At first, I got injured easily. I guess the extra weight was a factor, but I think another factor was that I lost a lot of durability (underrated). I think it takes a while to regain durability. I got injured doing long runs or hills or intervals. My 5 k times dropped from about 24 to 18 in about a year partly due to weight loss (10 lbs) and partly improved fitness. I just did 30-60 min runs most days.

Well... I'm 30 lbs over fighting weight... it finally stopped increasing once I started um... jogging (so, I can't call it running) and started eating better. However, I too get sick or injured with any bump in intensity.

I've got the HR Monitor on during most runs to ensure I stay under 160 BPM. Seems to help, but running slow as hell (11:00). I got to the point this fall that I could put in 2 hours at that pace, but had trouble going faster.

I'm thinking this spring/summer stick with 45-75 min and try to raise intensity.

I'd say 7 min shape is 12 months away if I can stay healthy.

Same scenario, different stats.

Fighting weight of 125 on a 5'8" frame in the 70's.

Work, family and fondness for food took that to 160 in the year 2002.

After a few male first cousins dropped in their tracks with massive coronaries at young ages ,it became evident it was time to get take the whole issue more seriously.

So I'm in year 6 of a comeback. Still 11 lbs. over the old fighting weight, but fit enough to get in 6-8 hours of aerobic activity each week. That includes 25mpw running avg, with peaks to 75 prior to marathons.

My first comeback marathon was 2:04 slower than my PR, in 1981. Have subsequently whittled that to a 45 Minute lag, but WAVA tables indicate better things should be in the offing by 18 Minutes or so. The durabilty issue leaves me resorting to a lot of cross-training to stay healthy enough to run. Most training is at 9:30 to 10 minute pace.

I try to work in some striders at least twice a week, and enjoy a weekly race as my tempo run.

Consistency is critical. The rate at which condition can be lost is stunning.

May your journey be productive and enjoyable.

Lift. Once you build your strength, it only takes one all body session a week to maintain. You could've had basically the same body had you lifted once a week during that period. Well, that's been my experience at least. I lift hard and run decently these days.

[quote]Uncle Pervy wrote:

I'm thinking this spring/summer stick with 45-75 min and try to raise intensity.

quote]

I was wondering about that. Starting a comeback just now and was going to focus on getting the time/distance of runs back up to 10 - 12 miles per day.

Not sure whether sticking at 7 - 8 miles but dropping the speed of runs would be the better thing to do.

Thanks for the responses & encouragement! Having some soreness in my knees so having to take it slower than I'd like but so far getting about 12 miles (4 days) in a week.