Quitting running at 42 and putting weight on

I'd suggest taking up powerlifting, it's a lot of fun once you get the technique down.

Expect some stretch marks, you'd be surprised at how quickly you can gain weight with a little resistance training.

I quit running a lot younger than you so can't really speak about day to day changes you'll notice. Personally, lifting and occasionally running is a lot less stressful than chasing fast times.

Logan Decker wrote:

I'd suggest taking up powerlifting, it's a lot of fun once you get the technique down.

Expect some stretch marks, you'd be surprised at how quickly you can gain weight with a little resistance training.

I quit running a lot younger than you so can't really speak about day to day changes you'll notice. Personally, lifting and occasionally running is a lot less stressful than chasing fast times.

'Stressful'. Yes, that's the problem I think. A few weeks ago I was all fired up about breaking 16 again and doing more training... but it's a constant stress trying to fit it in around family and work. 80% of the time it's fine, but some of the time I feel like I'm making sacrifices and for what? To run a few seconds faster as a middle aged guy with my best years behind me?

It doesn't help that I got my ass handed to me recently by a 14.30 guy who's over 40. Now if I could do that I might carry on...

And yes, I'm fed up of being the skinniest guy in the room. Some more muscle would be good.

boomheadshot wrote:

... focusing more on weightlifting then I would recommend getting on a program and sticking with it to the T...

Good luck.

nudge nudge, wink wink, ya know what I mean, know what I mean Governor?

One Life wrote: my immediate aim is to put on about 25 pounds.

Why? Am assuming you won't become sedentary like most office lab rats and will continue to run once or twice a week, as well as other activities, just without the racing.

Seriously doubt you will put on 25 lbs. Same racing weight as you and same height. I stopped racing for about 20 years, remained very active, and only gained 15lbs. Got back into racing shape at age 40 and dropped the 15 pretty quickly. Hung them up again in my mid 40s and have put about 10 lbs back on while remaining active. Could not imagine gaining 25.

Your shirts and clothes will fit better and you may like the way you look a bit more. I don't seem to have as much energy now than when I was training and racing a lot, but that could simply be a product of getting older. No other real noticeable changes for me. I am and likely always will be in decent shape, just not low 16 5k or sub 4:40 mile shape. Running will always be a part of my life and my guess is your's as well. And who knows when/if you will want to make a comeback. Cheers.

25 lbs isn't that much for a distance runner....it won't happen in a month, and will take some time, but if you lift heavy and eat it's not that difficult to do. Especially given his starting point.

I'd also recommend not making this change with the contingency that you may eventually make a comeback. Otherwise you'll never truly be free to enjoy the new mindset and activities. Embrace your goal without wondering if at some point down the road you'll want to come back to running. You may, you may not. Don't let that uncertainty negatively impact your current goal.

It is hard to see others training and racing and not get that urge to jump back in....

But if you do stick with your plan and put on muscle, you will look and feel much better. You can expect many people to compliment your new physique, you will feel more energetic, and you will have fewer nagging injuries.

Keep at the weights, go for some runs every now and then, get a bike and ride that some, and just enjoy yourself. Eat healthy.

Contrary to popular belief it is not by tapping some miles now and then that you can keep your weight under control when you turn 40. It's that high intensity stuff that you are letting go that does the trick. This from somebody who ran middle distance "decently "in his 20/30's, let go for 10 years due to whatever-life-throws-at-you (raised two kids, single best thing ever done), and then managed to get back into it at age of 45. Now i am 48 and i am back at 135 lbs and i am (relatively speaking) in a great shape for my age group. Slower than my prime? Of course... but not falling off a cliff.

I am sure you would not get overboard when you stop running competively but why do you want to get 25 lbs? You will get some .... Maybe you should reassess in two/three years...

I stopped running due to injury at 46 and switched to strength training in the gym while I try to recover. Getting stronger is a good thing and is a necessity for anyone pushing 50. Working around the house or playing sports with my kids is easier. But it is very hard to keep the flabber off. I went from 135 to 155. I would speculate that it is 5 lbs of muscle and 15 lbs of flabber. I work hard in the gym 5-6 days a week for about an hour to an hour and a half each session. This does nothing to keep the flabber off.

You can't outrun or outlift a bad diet. Look into LCHF, if you can eliminate sugars and restrict your carbs, the weight will only be lean gains. A good site to achieve the right balance is ketogains. Many other benefits will ensue, including better mental clarity, better blood results and consistent energy levels. Intermittent fasting is a great adjunct as well.

Also, don't just lift in the gym. Use movement and lifting throughout the day, and get outdoors as much as possible.

BTW I quit marathons at 22, put on 20 pounds of muscle (took up climbing and lifting), and have stayed that weight since. Had a great masters career in shorter distances. Now age 60+ and still have the 29-inch waist of my youth, and have strength-to-weight ratio that is world class for my age. LCHF the last two years and never going back to the gassy old high-carb rollercoaster.

One Life wrote:

I'm nearly 42. PRs ranging from 1.54 to 71 in the half. It's been a blast but I think I'm out. Kids, work, getting older... this is the right time. I can still run about 16.30 but I'm not sure it's worth the effort anymore.

Anyway, I've always weighed about 150 pounds, and I'm 5" 10. I can put muscle on quite quickly and my immediate aim is to put on about 25 pounds.

What changes will I notice in life doing this?

25 pounds? Complete a will as you will not live as long as you may think.

25lbs leads to 35, then 40 then 50, you get ok with your new shape.

Walk , bike , swim, do something beyond lifting and adding bulk.

I'm just a hobbyjogger, but why does it have to be all or nothing? You can still do 20-30mpw of easy miles to stay fit, blow off steam, get some time away from it all, etc. On that mileage, you can manage to bulk up a bit if you get your diet dialed in right and you arrange time for resistance training (calisthenics or weights or some combination).

nearly 42 as well. running for 13 years. 5'10", 160 for the bulk of the first 9 years. then year 10 i got injured and had to take some extended time off.

weight went up to 178. appetite took quite some time to quiet down after averaging 60-80 miles....

big mistakes i made:

1. not hitting the weights

2. cycling (hard to find the same kind of intensity as you get with running... takes a long time, wife/kids suffer, cyclists are awful, by and large)

3. eating like i used to eat

clothes basically fit the same, though i needed to get new jeans (waist line expansion).

i spent the next couple years running sporadically because i was injured on and off, never fully recovering because i was too eager to come back.

this past year, i started lifting 3 times a week. mileage has been very consistent, but weight hasn't dropped like it used to. much bulkier, shirts not fitting quite right (lots of pull ups, flies, etc... have had a big impact on shoulders). not that its important to you, but running better than i have in the past 5 years.... weight is around 168.

i'd be cautious about your diet... its not as easy as you think to just stop running and maintain weight. get yourself to the gym and work on the weights.

i'd bet before long you're running more than you thought you would... s'ok just to ditch the watch and the intervals and just get out for a jog... and after a while away, i'd bet you'll be craving it!

ExpertKipWatcher wrote:

I will stick with my original answer, everyone thinks they will keep fit.

I take it you are speaking from personal experience? You seem bitter.

Follow these steps and you will keep your weight under control:

1) lift weights hard 2 x week

2) clean up your diet. Follow the paleo/zone diet model.

sesame tahini thong patrol wrote:

gut will expand, c*ck will shrink

I had the exact opposite experience in my mid 20's. After and endless string of injuries and years of high mileage I decided to take a full year off and just strength train. Didn't want to put on weight, just get strong to hopefully end injuries. I got pretty into the lifting heavy and doing Olympic lifts. Long story short (haha), my penis got bigger - very noticeably bigger (and not just noticed by me but also my then girlfriend and now wife was the one who kept talking about it).

I did also generally fill out all over, broader shoulders etc. so I don't know if I'd been suppressing my T levels for years or what, my wife thinks maybe it was GH release, I can't say. I'm sure it's an atypical response, but, anyway, makes it hard (haha) for me to not recommend lifting weights.

I'm going to take the advice of a previous poster - I need to go cold turkey I think. If I'm around other runners or if I just reduce my mileage a bit I'll eventually just get sucked back in. I know because I've done this before.

My initial plan is to commute to work on the bike (about 40 mins round trip) and then hit the gym hard three times a week. No running. I might reintroduce the odd run later on.

I've always been quite muscular, and to be honest I think the running has repressed my 'natural' body shape. My body fat is low, always has been.

Some of you are talking about 175 pounds as though getting to this weight will be awful for my health. I appreciate some of the gain will be fat, but I'm really gaunt at the moment, hollowed cheeks etc. People say I look ill. 175 is still within a 'healthy' BMI. As long as I don't put it all on as fat (I won't) then surely this is better for me than being a skinny, low sex drive, always sore but still relatively fast middle-aged dude?

My kids are 3 and 6 by the way. I need to make good decisions going forward - this is an important time. Flogging myself to run a 16m 5k has lost its appeal.

But I will miss that feeling of running strong and effortlessly. That takes some beating.

Realistically most of it will be fat. Putting 10+lbs of muscle on as a 42 year old isn't remotely easy for most people. It isn't like you are super skinny today (i.e. 5'10/150 isn't some extreme like if you said you were like 135lbs).

It doesn't sound like you really want to do the gym time to pack on pounds either. Switch to some fitness thing (lift 2 days/week for an hour, run for 30-45 mins 3 other days of the week) gain 10-15lbs and get on with life. Nobody really cares. After spending 20+ years doing something, there is no need to continue down that path. Do something new.

Kit-Kat wrote:

I take it you are speaking from personal experience? You seem bitter.

6'3", 175 pounds, 9% BF, run 6 days a week, am in my 50s - bitter about what? There was another reply above from someone who seems to have me mixed up with the OP, I assume you do too.