Am I fat? 5’11 and 172lbs; 40 years old; 70 mpw

All of the responses calling the OP fat or obese are missing the point. One could be 10 pounds heavier with mid single digit body fat and be vascular with 8 abs showing. This is not fat. But this is not optimal for running .

To the OP...do you have noticeable body fat? Then lose it.

Are you very muscular? If so, this also hinders your running, as it is excess weight...but does not make you fat.

The real question from the OP is two fold:

- do I need to lose weight for optimal running. The answer to this question is yes, it would help

- am I fat ? The answer....we cannot tell without understanding your body composition

I'm about your age (39) and same height. I weigh about 162 and run 40-50 miles per week. Last year I ran the marathon in 2:53.

I keep an anal, healthy, mediterranean diet. For a runner I have a bigger build, I suspect similar to yours. I don't think that I could gain 10 pounds with my current regimen if I tried, and with 70mpw I'd probably be 5 pounds lighter. I suspect that your diet is sub-optimal. If that is the case, try cutting the junk food and beer. The weight should melt off and your times will improve. Your joints will also take less of a beating.

Yea probably wrote:

I keep an anal, healthy, mediterranean diet.

I am afraid to Google this.

That's on the heavy side for 5'11" unless you have a lot of muscle. although light by general population standards. You would run much better if you were in the 140s or 50s. It would probably also be easier on your body.

If you have run that much for that long and way that much you must be eating a lot or downing to many cold ones.

If you are running 70mpw and still weigh 172 lbs, you really should ask seriously if your diet is healthy. We can easily eat more than we can run off. At your age you are at a risk of a clogged artery waiting to happen. At the worse, you are putting a lot of weight on your knees. If you were running much less, it's probably an ok weight.

I’m 43 5’11 and 140lbs. 70mpw.

I’m currently running 2:26 for the marathon.

I eat a typical healthy American diet. I eat about everything people say you shouldn’t.

If I weighed 170lbs I couldn’t break 3 hours no way. So I’m impressed with the heavier guys running 3 hours. If you can get to 150lbs you will be way faster.

Runningart2004 wrote:

I was 5'6" 140lbs running 100+ miles a week, upwards of 120-140, weekly 20-22mi long runs, upwards of 26mi long runs, even went on a limited protein diet for a while. I was lean as could be at 140lbs and tested at 8% body fat so wasn't really getting any lower.

Ran a 2:32 marathon. Easily bigger than any other runner of my height and beat most of them.

Just train hard and eat healthy and accept your genetic limitations.

Alan

...and on top of that you were a bodybuilder? Decide what kind of a dream you want to share over here: being a pretty good runner or bodybuilder? You're a joke anyways.

To be blunt, YES. I am 45 and 5’11 and 155. Up until last year I spent a lot of time in the 170-175 range. I started watching what I eat, lost weight and now feel soooo much better on a daily basis. It’s all about a healthy diet and not about running. The whole “ furnace hot enough” is a crock of $h:t if you’re over 40.

Listen, when your friends call you tubby just smile and keep stuffing your face.

Ernest wrote:

Yea probably wrote:

I keep an anal, healthy, mediterranean diet.

I am afraid to Google this.

The hummus enemas are awesome, but make sure the chickpeas are well ground up.

liarliarliar wrote:

Runningart2004 wrote:

I was 5'6" 140lbs running 100+ miles a week, upwards of 120-140, weekly 20-22mi long runs, upwards of 26mi long runs, even went on a limited protein diet for a while. I was lean as could be at 140lbs and tested at 8% body fat so wasn't really getting any lower.

Ran a 2:32 marathon. Easily bigger than any other runner of my height and beat most of them.

Just train hard and eat healthy and accept your genetic limitations.

Alan

...and on top of that you were a bodybuilder? Decide what kind of a dream you want to share over here: being a pretty good runner or bodybuilder? You're a joke anyways.

Well that's random. I competed in 1 bodybuilding show after I quit running competitively.

I'm now over 40, lift 3 days a week, run 3 days a week weigh about 180lbs with abs and can put up a 1000lb total. Which means I was mediocre at two disciplines on opposite sides of the physical spectrum.

I'm also a "real man" according to someone's made up list of requirements.

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

liarliarliar wrote:

...and on top of that you were a bodybuilder? Decide what kind of a dream you want to share over here: being a pretty good runner or bodybuilder? You're a joke anyways.

Well that's random. I competed in 1 bodybuilding show after I quit running competitively.

I'm now over 40, lift 3 days a week, run 3 days a week weigh about 180lbs with abs and can put up a 1000lb total. Which means I was mediocre at two disciplines on opposite sides of the physical spectrum.

I'm also a "real man" according to someone's made up list of requirements.

Alan

Wow...you're 5-6 weighing 180 now? (what made you quit competitive running with an impressive 2:32 and the ability to do 100+ mpw?). Since you're still running a few times a week - what is your mileage? Any racing or speed work at that weight? If so, what's some of your times?

Otq dreamer wrote:

I’m 43 5’11 and 140lbs. 70mpw.

I’m currently running 2:26 for the marathon.

I eat a typical healthy American diet. I eat about everything people say you shouldn’t.

If I weighed 170lbs I couldn’t break 3 hours no way. So I’m impressed with the heavier guys running 3 hours. If you can get to 150lbs you will be way faster.

How about Graham Green of GBR? Super muscular over 50 competitor who clocked a 2:36 @ London (2018) and has a 16:06 to his name!

This guy is huge; big biceps, pecs, traps, quads - definitely not the build of a high-level, middle aged marathon runner (he must spend an eternity in the weight room).

I've been running for several decades now and I have never seen a guy this muscular who runs that fast at that age.

Inquiring minds want to know wrote:

Runningart2004 wrote:

Well that's random. I competed in 1 bodybuilding show after I quit running competitively.

I'm now over 40, lift 3 days a week, run 3 days a week weigh about 180lbs with abs and can put up a 1000lb total. Which means I was mediocre at two disciplines on opposite sides of the physical spectrum.

I'm also a "real man" according to someone's made up list of requirements.

Alan

Wow...you're 5-6 weighing 180 now? (what made you quit competitive running with an impressive 2:32 and the ability to do 100+ mpw?). Since you're still running a few times a week - what is your mileage? Any racing or speed work at that weight? If so, what's some of your times?

You see Alan? Kids believe it and want to know!

The Green dude turned out a 2:32 marathon at 54. Lost over 20 pounds doing high mileage.

“My build up started over 6 months ago in October 2018.

Since then I have run over 2270 miles, including my 10 mile run this morning.

That averages 377 miles per month for 6 months, or over 94 miles per week for 26 consecutive weeks.

Some workouts have been incredibly hard, some runs have been quite steady... but the majority have been easy recovery miles of around 7.15 mile pace.

During that time I have tightened up my calorie consumption and lost almost 10kg in weight.”

Just go to Doc Brown and get that script for Cytomel. Drop 30 pounds with no effort and get back on the train.

No you're absolutely fine. Remember most of these posters are a bunch of virgins posting from their air conditioned bedrooms at their parents house in the suburbs.

You're not fat by "normal standards", you're just leaving a lot of time on the race course. 155-160 may be a nice middle ground for you.

When I ran my first marathon at 39 I was about 158 and 6' and was running about 55-65 miles a week. (2:52)

Since I hovered in the 162 range for most of the rest. I always felt weaker trying to get below 160 and stronger at 162.

I was a speed skater/bike racer so I had muscular legs and am more fast twitch which tends to make it hard for me to get super slim. I know a couple of slow twitch guys that are 6' tall and weigh in the low 140's. Just the nature of the beast.

I do believe diet is where it's at and that adding more and more miles to lose weight is ludicrous.

So could the OP get to 160 and perhaps race a bit faster, sure. Must be done through smarter eating and NOT more miles.

I am now 55 and hover around 162-165 and work to keep my weight in check. I run three days a week and cycle three days with one full day off. Haven't felt this good in years but wouldn't want to step on the line to race...