Questions concerning Marathon Training

[cinephile]

I have decided that I want to run in the Houston Martathon in January. The problem I have is the training schedule. From what I have read, you are expected to train 6 days a week. You run five miles, 5 days, and run 10 miles on the sixth day. Every week you increase the length of the sixth day run until you are up to around 20 miles or so. i don't have a problem running. I already run 7 miles 3 times a week, so I'm pretty sure I can handle the schedule.

My concern is that I am afraid I am going to loose way to much weight. I only weigh 170 right now and it would seem like I could loose 20+ pounds by doing this. Does anyone have any recomendation or experience in running a marathon?

 

[Melvin]

If you're going to start training the amount of miles that are necessary per week for marathon training and you are concerned about losing weight I'd do 2 things:

1. Write out an average daily food log and calculate the calories and multiply the totally calorie intake by at least 2. That's where you need to be at AT LEAST.

2. Do NOT be nitpicky about what you eat. The "no fast food" rules do not apply when you put the amount of time in exercising that it's going to require.

With your weight I'd recommend you get up to at least 4,000 calories per day and you will still lose weight I guarantee it. You ever see how thin marathon runners are? They look like Somolians and those runners lay the smackdown on food. Good luck man, not losing weight is not going to be an easy task, but you can definately limit the amount of weight you lose if you work at it. This is the very reason why I refuse to train for anything over a 5k. You get way too thin.

 

[thefonz]

A week before the race (7 days) you need to change your diet to loading up on protiens and fats with very LITTLE carb intake. This means lots of meats. When I say little I mean like 10 g of carbs for breakfast and thats it! You're going this to condition the body to train hard for the next few days. The purpose of raising protien and fat with lowering carbs is to help the body perform with more endurance when the body's glycogen stores run out. During this time you want to train HARD and to near exhaustion to build aerobic energy, drink lots of water.....

Around the 3 or 4th day before the race you're going to need to change the diet and your intensity. Now you want to boast carbs and and lower protien and fat and train with a light intensity. High protien during a race is bad because it takes up water and makes you urinate more. Load up on Anti-Oxidants. White bread is good almost soley for running marathons along with pasta and white rice. You've now been able to maximize the glycogen stores so you can preserve your energy better. A little creatine couldn't hurt but I don't think it will make much difference here as it may be good for the first 500 yards or so. But spread out your water intake while running and don't drink until you're full........pace.

The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself. - Baz Luhrman