Does weight really matter?

"I have since ran..."

No, no, no!!!

I have since run, not ran! This is a running message board and we don't know how to modify the verb run?

This drives me crazy!

Yes, weight matters. If you added 20 pounds, you would not be running 16:06. By the way, was the 16:06 on the track or roads? If roads, you may want to measure the course. It may be short. Also, while you are taller, you are not big. I am 6'2" and 190. I was 175 in my prime, so relatively speaking you are not big.

Add 15-20 sec per mile for every 10 extra pounds you lug around. It's really that simple.

On a side note, your college failed you terribly. Comp 1 & 2 did you no favors.

It does matter. Those are very impressive times for that weight, but they would be faster if you were lighter.

I am 6'3" and 200 pounds, even after running 80-100 mpw year-round. My weight stays very stable during breaks and times of less running. I carry a ton of muscle and have lost a pound or two a year over the past 4 years.

I have run in the 2:45 range for the marathon, but I am not sure I can push much further at my current weight. Even with severe dieting, I only get down to 197ish.

I have terrible running genetics, but I still think it's fun to keep pushing.

I hope English isn't your first language. Gadzooks.

Put on a weighted vest, go for a run, come back and you tell me if weight matters.

OP: "... any thoughts?"

Plenty, per a recent thread (beware: vitriol-agenda-troll alerts) :

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=8135299

My two Lincolns: yes-- just look at body shapes and adaptations of those best at the events. If it's worth anything, I'll take your "heft" any day, given my size and results relative to yours (5 ft, 10.5 in, 169-175 lb, glacial recent 10k-half road results).

Yeah... got a B in both of those. Definitely not an english guy but it doesn't matter when you have 1 year left in school as a biomedical engineering major.

As far as the whole "big" topic goes, being big is all relative just like race times are all relative. In comparison to distance runners, heck yeah I am a lot bigger but can run with a majority of them. In doing so, I usually win the Clydesdale group of that race, along with my age group. Like another guy said, I have tried all I can to lose weight but to no avail. Without becoming anorexic, I think I am just going to have to face that 190-200 will be the race weight from here on out.

Thanks for sharing that post. I actually have yet to see that one and I would have to say, it was pretty clutch. This is the definition of a helpful post.

Thank you and happy running good sir.

Hey it is all good! Keep it up and don't let people tell you that you're to big for the sport. With a 2:45 marathon PR, I can say that will win about 95% of the "Clydesdale Group" in a marathon. In some cases, prize money should be headed your way in no time! Happy running!

To the OP, yes, its physics

Weight matters. Lighter is faster, until you get to the point where you are starving yourself and don't have appropriate energy levels; so I generally conclude that body composition is more important than weight. If you are lean, not lifting, making healthy food choices and eating when hungry (and not out of stress or boredom), then you are doing everything that you can and your body is finding its natural equilibrium.

That's where I am at. I eat healthy about 19-20 out of 21 meals in the week. I like pizza so I eat that usually for dinner then leftovers for lunch the next day. But, a majority of my meals consist of veggies and fruits, lean protein and hella carbs like potatoes, oatmeal and pancakes.

BMI is inaccurate, as it shows my body fat % to be 23.1 and is nearing the "overweight" range which is ludicrous. My BAI, which takes in account more important factors like hip circumference (mine in 31 inches) says I am about 10.4% body fat, which is still high I am thinking. I lift a lot. There aren't too many runners out there who can run a 2:41 marathon and bench press 275 pounds. I'll go on a limb and say I am about 9%.

But again, your post was very helpful. Thanks for clearing that up Mr(s). Smoove.

The more weight you can drop without sacrificing health, the better. You are obviously already a stud, but would be amazed at how much your times would drop if you got down to 175-180. Nice mare time BTW. Must be fun to blow by all those skinny spindle sticks on the way to a 2:41.

You could get lighter and faster if you stopped lifting and reduced calorie consumption as a result of the lower calorie burn; but why do that? It seems that you have found a balance that makes you happy and that manages to establish good cardiovascular health while still maintaining a relatively robust physique and good strength. I don't see being a 15:40 guy who doesn't lift being more satisfying to you than your current situation.

I appreciate that. Yeah that was kind of what I was wondering, it is just my body will not let me get down that low. But, a lot of my training group consist of 2:35-2:40 marathoners who are twigs. Anything shorter like 400 repeats to 1000 repeats, I can take them. We start doing the longer repeats, such as mile-2000m-2 mile rp's, they hand it to me.

A guy that I follow on instagram, Patrick Cutter, is the definition of a freak. Big stalky tree trunk-looking guy running at 190lbs and at 5'10" has got a mary pr of 2:37 and a half-mary pr of 1:16. Freak. Absolute freak.

Yeah, I have met him and raced against him a few times.

There are more and more bigger guys out there running at a fairly high level. I coach a 6' 3", 170 pound guy who qualified for the Olympic Trials marathon, and I have raced a 6' 7" who ran about 14:20 for the 5k. I much preferred the times when those guys played basketball and left distance running to us 5' 8" guys.

which clydesdale race allows 190#'ers to claim Clydesdale status?

I too, am 190#, but have never dreamed of claiming 200# or 220# or whatever the category requires for a special award. Who does that?

I guess if I actually was weighing in around 200-202 in a 200# category I'd consider it [on race morning weigh-in, not constipated, water-logged and post dinner binging]

That is crazy. Awesome to hear that! Gives me motivation to keep grinding it out. I am only 21 so I may have a couple years left in the tank to do something a little better than my current state. Thanks for sharing!

Yes weight matters, and matters more the older you get. Once your physical assets for running start declining, the only way to run as fast you did a year or two before (other things being equal) is to lose weight. This really becomes an issue once your over 40 as this is when you really start to notice decreasing muscle strength, cardio efficiency, and recovery time.

You need to train consistently, train smart, and set realistic goals. You also need to decide how badly you want to increase your running performance vs being strong otherwise. Sacrifices have to be made if running is your #1 priority.