Correct running weight?

Smoove wrote:

Also, I’ve seen Ward, Ritz and Shaddy in person. None of them were carrying less muscle than me. I’d say all carried proportionately more muscle, but just had narrower frames and thus carry less weight.

Yea, they have normal size heads with little short and narrow bodies.. thought it was strange.

No offense meant. I agree 100%.

Daniels is saying that if you lose "effective" muscle, his calculation does not apply.

I think a lot of people have a misconception of what their ideal running weight actually is and think it's higher than it is. When I dropped my weight to a little under 140 in college I had a breakthrough and thought that was my ideal weight.

Post-college when I started marathon training and dropped to 130-132ish I feel like that helped me reach another level. I'm 5'9" and I while I was skinny late in college nowhere near what I am at peak shape now. The extra unnecessary weight even muscle does not help.

The 1-2 lbs is not a perfect rule. Being 1lb heavy on race day doesn't matter. But it's actually not a terrible indicator. For every runner who has a weight issue as far as anorexia, there's a lot more of who could stand to lose some weight. We're so sensitive about saying anyone needs to lose weight while obesity becomes a major health epidemic for tens of millions.

Come On... wrote:

The fact that this thread exists is disgraceful. Every person and body is different, and given the prevalence of eating disorders and body dysmorphia in our sport, it doesn't do any justice. Find something else to argue about.

Prevalence of eating disorders? How many people die by trying to lose weight? How many people die by heart disease or diabetes cause by being impulsive with their food and eating too much?

Oh hey, look—its like 40,000% higher. People like you trying to make the topic taboo are the ones killing.

I'm very similar size. Now 5' 8" and 148-150 range. Have been very similar for whole adult life (I'm 62, so was maybe a 1/2 inch or so taller at some point). I ran my best 800m at about 148, about 35 years ago, and never have got down to significantly lighter, even training for a marathon.

I'm sure I would have run better with a lighter build, but I doubt I could have got more than another couple of lbs off, and keep up energy to train. At 135 with my build, I'd be more likely to head to hospital than out to train...

Not much point comparing with elite marathon runners who are in part elite because they are very lightly-built. More a question of finding a stable weight which is low body fat, but not so stripped down that energy starts wane and the immune system is compromised.

Primero just curious what you saw in your times?

140 in college versus 130 post college is getting after it. That’s pretty impressive when most people go the opposite direction. I always saw very positive results in my cycling when I dropped kilos. It was always automatic but it definitely didn’t hurt my power.

Otq dreamer wrote:

I’m with Smoove if I could throw a switch and drop 15 pounds on race day I would do it. I’m pretty disciplined, but it would take a few years living in a hut in Kenya with the Robertson Twins for me to get that gaunt.

I was at the Peach Tree 10K warming up last week, and the elites were jogging around near the start. They were freaking tiny. I’m guessing 110-120lbs at the most. They ran 27:04? 59,800 people were more than 10 minutes behind them.

I did wonder if you took 60,000 random Kenyans and had them run a local 10k how fast the times would be?

I think it would be very difficult to grow up in the US with our available resources and be that lean. They looked like human missiles.

I can relate to that. In my mid-50s, I was first grandmaster in a fairly bit 10k (actually got a state age record that's lasted nearly 10 years). At the awards they had out the first six - all African, the first three 40+, and me. At 5' 8" and 148lbs. I looked like a middle-weight boxer compared to the others, particularly the Africans, but regular people think of me as small and quite skinny.

Racing Weight. Read it cover to cover.

The OP asked what is the correct running weight?

Correct...I think really depends on your goals.

It might not be healthy or fun but if performance is all that matters it probably is crazy lean.

It’s like saying how much money do you need to retire? That depends if you want a jet and a private island or retire to South America and surf.

Here are my personal results:

155+lbs 3:20 marathon

150lbs: 2:57-2:59marathon

145lbs: 2:36-53 marathon

140lbs: 2:32-2:33

137-138lbs: 2:26-2:28

Like Really Bro wrote:

Come On... wrote:

The fact that this thread exists is disgraceful. Every person and body is different, and given the prevalence of eating disorders and body dysmorphia in our sport, it doesn't do any justice. Find something else to argue about.

Prevalence of eating disorders? How many people die by trying to lose weight? How many people die by heart disease or diabetes cause by being impulsive with their food and eating too much?

Oh hey, look—its like 40,000% higher. People like you trying to make the topic taboo are the ones killing.

Apples and oranges. The OP isn't a fat American. He runs a sub 3-hour marathon so he's already healthy. Cutting weight further has little health benefit and real risks.

What risks?

I suspect OP is in more danger from getting hit by a car while running than any serious health issues from dropping several kilos.

Risks? Name em wrote:

What risks?

I suspect OP is in more danger from getting hit by a car while running than any serious health issues from dropping several kilos.

eating disorder

Female Mile record-

4:12

Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)

Weight 49 kg (108 lb)

I certainly think that weight loss contributed to much of your success, but I think the fact that your running mileage and your shift from an all around athlete to someone who was focused on running also needs to be acknowledged. I think it would be interesting to see what your average weekly mileage was for each of those results, and to hear how your workouts changed over time.

I definitely think that "lighter is better" as a starting point; I just don't think that is the end of the analysis. I think at some point, when people are not doing weight training, are eating healthy and well balanced meals, and are at low body fat percentages, the cost of losing more weight (as measured by not only performance in any one race, but in energy levels, injury frequency, etc.) often exceeds the added benefit that comes from being light. And for every person that will be different and will depend on their frames, their genetics, etc.

Smoove, I totally agree my training and mileage increases with each PR.

My highest training tends to mirror a low body weight. The more focused I am the leaner I get.

All of my improvements have come from increasing training load first. The weight is part of the story but not the biggest part.

The “OP” wanted to know what’s the correct running weight and I would say it morphs with your personal goals and timeline. My guess is he wants to get faster.....this will probably require some extra training and discipline. Which is why me make goals. At some point in life it simply isn’t worth the sacrifice. If you want to run faster I would suggest train more and hire a coach. Like a previous poster said he should run twice a day for 1 year and get on a scale.