The continual emphasis on pounds for runners..this should stop

Wait are you saying trying to do what the elites do is a good or bad thing?

What I am saying is that the elites are (rightfully so) focused on their training programs and usually the ones doing 100 mpw. As a result, they do not care what someone else weighs or what body shape they present themselves in. Trying to race at their best on a particular day is what they do. Trying to be in the best fitness for their race is what they do. Training for improvement is what they do. These are the lessons we should take from the elites.But, what we should not do in trying to be like the elites is to ostracize anyone that does not look like them.Nobody should ever tell anyone, especially here, that they need to lose weight. They just don't. See the original premise...it needs to stop.

Tomato Tomato wrote:

Wait are you saying trying to do what the elites do is a good or bad thing?

I think you should tell someone to lose weight if their weight is causing them health problems. You wouldn't want them to get a heart attack or diabetes and die if they could avoid it, would you?

Oh, wait. That's the SJW way. You don't accept these causes like "fat acceptance" because you believe it. You do it so you can show your SJW friends that you're more SJW-esque than they are. It's a pissing contest, just like religion.

Maybe you should advocate what's good for people's physical, mental, and emotional health. If someone with 25%bf and bmi 29 runs a 35min 5k, good for them. But if they went to 12%bf and 23bmi (more muscle) by eating a wholesome diet and increasing their training, they would be healthier and they would run faster. That is a plus for physical health (bf and bmi), mental health (no eating disorders), and emotional health (faster times make people satisfied with themselves).

Welll..

Looking at some of the "Elite" men on USATF

6'1" - 145

5'11" - 135

5'11" - 138

5'11" - 130

5'10" - 130

5'8" - 117

5'9" - 125

Maybe they don't care about weight because they are all under a 20 BMI. You're acting like we're afraid of a fatty beating us or something. I'm consistently one of the bigger guys in the top 3 at 5k's. And I know if I lost weight I'd be faster. But damnit I love beer and Jelly beans. But the idea that I should be offended if someone suggests that if I want to get faster I need to lose weight is stupid because they're right. Maybe you should not look at any training threads because they may upset you.

But, should that not be their choice, exclusively?

Nope. Address training for each individual regarding the times and goals they are looking for. Do not attack or put pressure on their weight.It's simple.Work with each person and their body matrix and composition, not with what you wish it would be.

Tomato Tomato wrote:

Welll..

Looking at some of the "Elite" men on USATF

6'1" - 145

5'11" - 135

5'11" - 138

5'11" - 130

5'10" - 130

5'8" - 117

5'9" - 125

Maybe they don't care about weight because they are all under a 20 BMI. You're acting like we're afraid of a fatty beating us or something. I'm consistently one of the bigger guys in the top 3 at 5k's. And I know if I lost weight I'd be faster. But damnit I love beer and Jelly beans. But the idea that I should be offended if someone suggests that if I want to get faster I need to lose weight is stupid because they're right. Maybe you should not look at any training threads because they may upset you.

I really find no fault with anything that you have said on this thread, except for one thing. Jelly beans? Come on, man.

Holy carpet, this THREAD should stop.

To sum up: a really very average narcissistic runner takes a whopping 25 years to knock off 2-3 minutes off his 20+ minute 5k time, who can be forgiven for providing a good overall message of "don't obsess about the weight, good training makes the main difference", but then lets his narcissism take over the thread and obsessively replies to all comments to blow out what is actually a ridiculously boring thread.

Why are the most narcissistic runners always the mid packers? SMH.

--- END OF F KING THREAD ---

I guess I agree with your overall premise, OP.

In regards to running, non-elites probably shouldn't stress about their weight. That is because running a certain time shouldn't be all that inportant. However, weighing less certainly makes you faster. There is no denying that. In fact, it is usually the easiest thing a person can do to drop significant time.

Doesn't mean it's a good idea though. Or mentally healthy.

You're a beta.

Tomato Tomato wrote:

Welll..

Looking at some of the "Elite" men on USATF

6'1" - 145

5'11" - 135

5'11" - 138

5'11" - 130

5'10" - 130

5'8" - 117

5'9" - 125

Maybe they don't care about weight because they are all under a 20 BMI. You're acting like we're afraid of a fatty beating us or something. I'm consistently one of the bigger guys in the top 3 at 5k's. And I know if I lost weight I'd be faster. But damnit I love beer and Jelly beans. But the idea that I should be offended if someone suggests that if I want to get faster I need to lose weight is stupid because they're right. Maybe you should not look at any training threads because they may upset you.

Well said. All of the weights mentioned have a BMI of about 19, which is at the lower end of normal. The only exception that I can think of is Chris Solinski who is listed as 6'1" and 165 lbs. Still, this gives him a BMI of 21.8. When he ran his sub 27 10k, he was looking really fit, so his weight may have been down more.

I've found in my own training that when I get my BMI to the upper end of normal ( 26.5 (overweight), I've run 3:40 or slower.

Thus, if the OP likes it or not, lower weight is a good predictor of running speed. On the otherhand, I think it's better to be overweight and run, than being overweight and not running. So, the OP should keep running, even if he thinks people think that he's fat. But let's not kid ourselves, faster runners tend to be lighter.

I meant to say:

I've found in my own training that when I get my BMI to the upper end of normal (

Thank you. In addition, honestly, weight really should be a private thing. If you want to worry about it, that is fine, most of us can do that in a healthy way for ourselves in which case it can make us faster and be productive.But when others do it for us, it makes it weird.If someone wants to think they are overweight and wants to switch, that is fine, but nobody needs to be a part of that decision especially if the person is working hard and sweating plenty on the same streets, trails and sidewalks as those that call them fat.I like your point.

MiddleRoad wrote:

I guess I agree with your overall premise, OP.

In regards to running, non-elites probably shouldn't stress about their weight. That is because running a certain time shouldn't be all that inportant. However, weighing less certainly makes you faster. There is no denying that. In fact, it is usually the easiest thing a person can do to drop significant time.

Doesn't mean it's a good idea though. Or mentally healthy.

End the thread why? Should I not respond to comments? Is this not a dialogue about an issue?Or is this simply about what you like to read.If that is the case, please feel free to pick up Hemingway, Faulkner, Camus, Steinbeck or any other deceased author whose prose is captivating but cannot take your points and render a counter-point to them.This is a point about which I am passionate within a sport about which I am passionate. Furthermore, I would not be doing anyone any service by dropping this issue until board moderators stop it, or until someone makes a post to disqualify it.You're not going to make people lose weight, nor are you going to force this thread to lose weight.Don't like it? Do your own thing and move on.

HobsJog wrote:

Holy carpet, this THREAD should stop.

To sum up: a really very average narcissistic runner takes a whopping 25 years to knock off 2-3 minutes off his 20+ minute 5k time, who can be forgiven for providing a good overall message of "don't obsess about the weight, good training makes the main difference", but then lets his narcissism take over the thread and obsessively replies to all comments to blow out what is actually a ridiculously boring thread.

Why are the most narcissistic runners always the mid packers? SMH.

--- END OF F KING THREAD ---

gregmacd wrote:

Thus, if the OP likes it or not, lower weight is a good predictor of running speed. On the otherhand, I think it's better to be overweight and run, than being overweight and not running. So, the OP should keep running, even if he thinks people think that he's fat. But let's not kid ourselves, faster runners tend to be lighter.

I think this kind of thread will be more prevalent here in the future. Faster running takes a back seat to positive thoughts about body image.

Whether you like it or not, the obese/overweight is the norm for body weight now. Thin, athletic, and lean are outliers. In many cases, the obese/overweight view these people with eating disorders ("Oh my, they eat salad. They must starve themselves!").

This is the future of LetsRun. Accept it.

I meant to say:

I've found in my own training that when my BMI is less than 25 (the upper end of normal), I can run a marathon in less than 3:15. However, when my BMI is greater than 26.5 (overweight), I've run 3:40 or slower.

Let's put this in perspective even farther:at 173 pounds and my 19:35, I was at a BMI of about 27.1 at my 5'8" height.Now, I take no shame in the knowledge that I was only about a mile from the fastest Kenyan time on that course for that day.Crunching the numbers, I would be less than half a mile from the 16 minute 5K runner, who would still be about .58 behind the best Kenyan. Furthermore, there are people who are bigger than I am that may have also been quicker.Is the .46 miles of distance really worth the anguish some of the people give people here about how big they are?Probably not.

[quote]Stoppit Jones wrote:

In addition, honestly, weight really should be a private thing.

[quote]

I think this argument held more water before we had partially communally funded health care.