Gaining weight and Getting Faster--Stories/Advice?

Also, food suggestions would be appreciated. I'm planning on just adding basic whey protein shakes (whey+water/milk) throughout the day/before going to sleep, because besides that I already eat a bunch.

I got too light and wasn't recovering well, thus I wasn't racing well. I added 10lbs and got much faster.

Core work, compound lifts like squats, step ups, deadlifts/RDL's, and lunges(BW or maybe holding lighter dumbbells. Alittle bit of upper body just to stabilize arm movements not too much. Lots of plyometrics, maybe two good sessons a week, in addition to the short sprtints and strides. I can't stress plyometrics enough it allows you to use all that extra muscle efficently. Alot of people will lift all winter get strong but not any faster because they can't utilize that strenght to produce running specific power. Do this but don't let it get in the way of your running. If its taking away and inhibiting your ability to run your mileage/workouts your doing to much.

It will be more possible if you change your focus events to the 800 and 1500. You'll need to cut miles. Do aerobic capacity (3k-5k) intervals instead. Lift heavy weights. The swimming and sprinters are a good idea.

could you specify what plyometrics?

No, you're right. I gained 10 or 15 lbs from freshman year to now (junior year) and I'm significantly faster now. (from worst on my collegiate team to 2nd best, and we're a serious national program...). I also run high milage, peaking at 110 in the late summer.

I'd say my most eaten food is Peanut Butter and Steaks.

Gaining weight is largely a function of the food you eat rather than the workouts your do. The workouts will, at best, alter the partitioning ratio so you gain muscle rather than fat.

So make sure you eat at a caloric surplus. And try to limit the fat while bulking. This will mean finding calorie-dense low-fat foods. Not easy. Try bagels, cereal with skim milk, pasta with marina sauce, and pretzels. Don't go completely overboard, just find a reasonable way to eat more that is reasonably low-fat.

I agree with the poster suggesting a focus on shorter stuff & less miles while you do this.

I got too light in college due to some eating issues (5"10 and below 130) and lost all my power...I could run 5:00 miles forever but couldn't break 30 for 200m if you put a gun to my head. This was frustrating as in HS I was a football/basketball guy and could run 50.X splits in the 4X4 at 165.

for 2-3 years after college I got the eating under control, got in the weightroom and got some strength & weight back, revisited some plyos I learned as HS multi-sport athlete, and played other sports (IM bball & fb, i'm a grad student) to get some explosiveness back, all on top of running 30-40 mpw to maintain some endurance.

finally put the focus back on running for a fall/spring and got into sub-14:30 5K shape at 145 lbs. felt soooooo much better running 70-80mpw during racing season, had some power and could actually kick some guys down for the first time since my freshman year of college before I lost all the weight.

it's going to take time & patience. this type of change is not going to happen in a season, it will take a couple years (all while avoiding the BIG miles) to really make progress. i like the short sprints to develop explosiveness and get your CNS firing. learn how to lift (big lifts, squats and deadlifts for increasing your limit strength & building muscle mass, hang cleans & power press for explosiveness and learning to apply that strength quickly)and develop a plyometrics routine.

Doctor wrote:

Lots of plyometrics, maybe two good sessons a week, in addition to the short [sprints] and strides. I can't stress plyometrics enough[--]it allows you to use all that extra muscle efficently. [A lot] of people will lift all winter [and] get strong but not any faster because they can't utilize that [strength] to produce running-specific power. Do this but don't let it get in the way of your running. If [it's] taking away and inhibiting your ability to run your mileage/workouts [you're] doing [too] much.

I agree with both points here: plyometrics ARE helpful, IF you're able to maintain your mileage and quality sessions.

I'd add two other caveats:

*Add stressors gradually. Build strength gradually, through bodyweight exercises and lifting, before adding in the plyo.

*Do such neuromuscular work--particularly when *learning* new skills--early in a training session. A brief warmup is okay (and recommended), but things like skill-learning and explosive work should *not* follow extensive running.

If, for instance, you plan to lift on an easy-run day, warm up first--doesn't have to be running, you could do elliptical or exercise bike or whatever, till you break a sweat--then lift, THEN go for your run. Any tightness from the lifting will fade after a few minutes' easy run.

Thanks for all the replies so far. I know some good plyos/can probably find some good stuff online.

TO the person who said to avoid fats while trying to gain weight--this was not what I was expecting to hear. I eat lots of almonds and peanut butter now, so I don't think I would cut those out.

skinny runner dude... wrote:

TO the person who said to avoid fats while trying to gain weight--this was not what I was expecting to hear. I eat lots of almonds and peanut butter now, so I don't think I would cut those out.

Yeah, "calorie-dense low-fat foods" is kind of a contradiction in terms: fats have by far the most calories per gram--more than twice as many, compared to proteins and carbohydrates.

You need some fats in your diet anyway; trying to gain weight while cutting fats might be tough.

skinny runner dude... wrote:

Thanks for all the replies so far. I know some good plyos/can probably find some good stuff online.

TO the person who said to avoid fats while trying to gain weight--this was not what I was expecting to hear. I eat lots of almonds and peanut butter now, so I don't think I would cut those out.

I'm not asking you to be a monk. But do some googling on "fat and partitioning ratio". You'll hit a lot of bodybuilding websites. The gist is that lots of dietary fat is generally a no-no on a bulk.