I'm a Female high school cross country runner, entering senior year. Ran a 3 mile PR last year weighing 104-105 18:57, and a 2:22 800 last track season. Gained 6 pounds from last season at 111, and I'm 5'1. I'm guessing that 3 poiunds of it is muscle and the other 3 is fat.
Had a time trial on a slightly hilly (but with downhills) 20:02, a little over a whole minute slower than last year. Three girls who I beat all last year and all track season were ahead of me by more than 15-20 seconds. My friend who lost 8 pounds since last year was ahead of me by more than 45 seconds and told me she felt like she had even more to give that race. I felt so heavy. Weighed down.
I definitely feel like I need to drop 6-8 pounds. It's so difficult as a petite senior girl to lose this weight compared to the guys and young girls who scarf down 3000 calories a day of refined shit. I have been focusing on a Whole Foods and plant-centered diet. I'm petite at 5'1 and 111 at 17 years old, and I am injury-prone. I get tight and muscle knots/soreness very easily especially in my lower leg (calves and long muscle beneath calves) because my legs are extremely muscular and defined. However, I really don't think that as a distance runner I need this much muscle. My friends tell me "it's all muscle!" But really, does a distance runner need this much muscle? Maybe I would if I ran the 100m. But I don't, I run 5000m and literally, physically feel weighed down by my weight. Sure I've gained muscle,but I definitely gained body fat considering I'm muscular but not super super cut. Im on lower mileage compared to other elders on the team and average around 45-48 miles a week due to my sensitivities.
After today's time trial, I feel just about done with my weight. Mentally I was there, but physically, I gave it my all, unable to stand up and barely breathing, running a 20 minute 3mile which is just pitiful. I was already extremely fatigued after the first mile, running a 6:30--- usually I go out 5:55-6:05 feeling tired but never breathing so heavy! I should be in the 18s. Sure, it does have to do with the fact that all of our training has been long tempos and hill runs which only provides an aerobic base w/o real pacing. But I still should not be THIS slow and THIS out of shape considering that I have been training consistently running 4 mile tempos and 7-8.5 a day at pretty good paces. And I'm planning to lose 3 pounds on an extreme cut by the 31st for our first tri 2 mile meet, and 6 by Sept 8 for the first invitational.
I'm not asking for advice, because I'm already restricting to 1450 a day following a 50-60% carb, 15-20% fat and 20-25% protein diet with purely Whole Foods and plants. However, I do need some people who do have experience with weight loss and weight gain issues being a runner. And maybe experiences and how much you improved, etc. And maybe some information on female weight gain with distance runners, the pattern of performance decline as they get older and bigger, etc. My body image is so flawed and I just want to be a quicker and more efficient runner for my last season.