How much extra weight have you had while being a runner?

WhatMeRunning

I have one uncle in my family who has been running marathons since he was a teenager, 2 or 3 per year generally. He is in his 60's now and still runs. People ask him all the time how he is holding up and he is fine, perectly mobile. Maybe he is an exception.

However, my wife also has an uncle who has similarly spent his life running marathons. I was recently told by one of her aunts that he just finished his 500th marathon. Next time I see him I wish to confirm that number but regardlesz he has run multiple marathons every year for as long as my wife can remember. He is in his late 60's and obviously still very mobile.

These are the only two people I know who have both done these things for their whole lives basically. It makes me very skeptical about everyone who says that running will destroy you down the road.

ETA - It should be pointed out that neither of these people were ever overweight. That could be an important distinction.

suzu_2

I was 216#, 5'6" female, 61 y/o when I started seriously walking. Began a C25K program when I broke into the 190s. Had never run in my life and fell in love with it. Hit 162# this morning. Run 3-4 days a week and have logged 49 miles so far this month. I'm still heavier than I want to be, but running is much easier in 160s than it was in 180's or 90s. (breathing, joints, general aches...) Targeting mid-140s as my goal weight this year and really want to do my first half marathon in December.

FatMomRun

I started running towards the end of December 2015, currently training for a 10K on June 4th and a half marathon in November. I've lost 46lbs since mid-December. I've gone from 178lbs to 132lbs.

I run 3-4 miles a week (I don't track my off day miles on my elliptical), last month I ran 49.33 miles at an average pace of 11:03/mile.

chassp8pooh

I started seriously getting into running at 220 pounds. . I'm down to right under 167 and planning my first 5k in October.

shenry111

In June, I started running again after a 2 year lay-off. I am roughly 40 lbs too heavy. I can really tell it in my running. I can also feel it in my left knee, and in my left calf/Achilles. That is one key reason that I think that I stopped running in 2014. Turns out, I simply missed running too much. When I quit, I was in half marathon shape. I completely started over. I am back up to 4-5 miles on a long run now, so I'm getting there, but have a long ways to go. Planning on a half in early Spring 2017. Maybe my first full in late 2017? My guess is that if I were 40 pounds lighter, I would shave at least 2 minutes/mile off my time.

Azercord

I started out at 230lbs and I'm down to 165lbs and holding weight so I've dropped 65 lbs total. I do bodyweight workouts everyday and run on the side (training for a long run now so doing more than usual) but still get 20-30 miles in each week. Even at heavier weights I've never had a knee issues and they are both still in great shape. As long as you listen to what your body is telling you I don't think you will ever have issues due to your weight, other factors yes but weight shouldn't be one of them.

sewfrenzie

I started at 178 and am now down to 158. I am still 15-20 pounds overweight depending on which chart you look at and if age is considered. (I'm over 50) I run for about 15 to 20 minutes a day. I don't feel it in my knees, I feel ion the top of my thighs. I was already suffering from morning hip pain when I started, that has not changed, nor has it gotten worse. I just started using Bernard Jensens100% Bovine Gelatin to strengthen my joints and bones. It is also used for weight lose I've heard. The package says I tbsp. is a serving. I am sill trying to figure out what I like it in, and how much liquid is necessary to make it eatable. I agree with "Azercord" listen to your body! I also use weights before I run. Good luck!

momofamadhouse

I started running at 250ish (so 105lbs overweight) and now at 208. I haven't had any injuries unless you count the occasional sore hip which I can usually dispel with pigeon pose.

lissadecker

Several years ago I was running at about 110-120 pounds over my ideal weight. I even completed a half marathon at that weight although I alternated walking and running each mile. At present, I started running again just a while ago and I am currently about 75 over my ideal weight. I am taking it very slowly and seem to be having more soreness in my hips than in my knees at this point. Not bad enough to stop me, but enough to remind me to proceed slowly. I hope to run a full marathon someday, but I think I am at least a year and half or more away from that.

RespectTheKitty

I started running at about 230 pounds. I am currently 185 and still have about 25-30 pounds left to lose. I run 4-5 times per week, 40-60 minutes at a time (3-5 miles with one longer run per week). When I was heavier I did have some stiffness in my knees. Not pain, just stiffness that I noticed when I did things like walking up stairs or squatting. Now that I've dropped some weight, I feel the stiffness less and less. I do notice some soreness in my hamstrings after a particularly long run or walk, but that goes away after a day's rest.

Edit: I just signed up for my first 5k race in November. After that, I am considering training for 10k and half marathon races.

chris_in_cal

pansamanchada wrote: »

So my question for you is How much extra weight have you had while being a runner?

Anyone still on this thread? I have two complimentary simultaneous goals.

Lose 100 lbs
Run a BQ (then actually run Boston)

I dreamed of my "race weight" to BQ and looked at the scale and it was exactly +100 and thus my two pronged plan began.

Losing the 100lbs has precedence of course, (read:food, MFP, consistancy, etc.) Running is a tool, to lose the 100 and keep connected and motivated to stick with the plan.

So to run a BQ my strategy is: don't get injured, lose 100 lbs, stay motivated and carefully work toward Boston.

To start: I set MFP to 2 lbs/week and stick with that. I joined a month long walking challenge (dropped about 8 lbs) then a 8 week C25K thing (16 lbs (24 total)), I am just finishing a 16 week "Garmin Coach" 10k plan, the race is tomorrow. (32 lbs (56 lbs total)).

From here, after a vacation a 15 week Garmin Coach 1/2 plan which should get me to about 80 lbs total loss by end of January 2020. With the goal have having lost the 100 lbs by next Memorial Day, May 2020.

BQ race weight Memorial Day 2020.

There is a 1/2 and full marathon on Memorial Day, this next one I will run the Half Marathon at my race weight.

Thus starts the BQ portion. For a solid year I will maintain the 100 lbs loss, staying at my race weight, and I will train and ultimately attempt to run hard and fast in anticipation of my Memorial Day 2021 assault on the BQ.

March 2022...see you in Boston. 😁

TheMrWobbly

When I started running the Couch to 5k programme in May '19 I was almost 90 lbs over 'healthy' weight. 4 months later I ran my first 5k in 30 years, another month a 10k, and in month 6 my first ever half-marathon by which time I had shed 50 of those excess lbs.

My view is that I can put my joints under strain being significantly overweight or I can put them under strain running and being at a healthier weight so i choose the latter option.