Distance Runers - Q for you....

mtaydelott
mtaydelott Posts: 5 Member
edited October 7 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi!
I run half marathons (going to Phoenix this weekend:) -- Here is my q.... On a day I don't workout mfp tells me my calorie goal is only 1235 calories .... not a lot for me (5 ft. 8) but I am doing ok on it. Saturday I ran 10 miles and earned about that many calories (I run with a garmin so I use my calories on that - not mfp). Here is the deal, I didn't want to eat that many extra calories on Saturday, I truly wasn't hungry..... Sunday came however and I just felt hungry all day -- does anyone else eat a little over the day after a long run like that with the mindset that I still technically had calories left from Saturday??

Replies

  • efranz12
    efranz12 Posts: 46 Member
    I Do. I generally think of my calories in one week chunks not day by day. Sometimes i'm just not that hungry even on days when I work out hard and others I'm hungry all day. Gives me some flexibility and makes maintaining the "lifestyle" a lot easier. The scale says it's working so who am I to argue.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    When I started running, I stopped looking at nutrition on a strictly daily basis and started to look at it from a weekly perspective. As runners, the calorie demands on our body vary significantly — on a a 10 mile run I burn 1500+ cals. There's no way I can eat that much additional food on any given day so I try to eat more on the days before a long run.

    Funny, though, I don't get hungry very often so much so that I have to force myself to eat. And I usually end up short on calories. :-(
  • PBmaria
    PBmaria Posts: 854 Member
    My long runs are on Sundays and I eat all my calories then.
    But I have absolutely no problem eating them so it works for me :D

    I know some runners go on a weekly basis instead and I may have to join them and spill calories over to Monday. For now, though, I'm up to 18 miles on Sunday and I still eat them all. I'm sure I'll hit a wall at some point and will have to adjust accordingly :)
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    I net mine by the week now with my training changing so much from day to day. My 3-4 mile recovery runs barely gain me anything, yet my run yesterday earned me 1,154 calories. NO WAY I was eating those back.

    Also, I'm 5'7" and a couple pounds from my goal, and get about 300 more cals than you per day? Are you sure you're eating enough???
  • zookeepersuzy
    zookeepersuzy Posts: 111
    I do it by the week also.. unless I go to a destination race & then I occasionally end up drinking my calories back in "celebration". :)
  • PBmaria
    PBmaria Posts: 854 Member
    Oh man! You guys are making me feel fat!
    I had no problem at all eating my 1541 extra calories yesterday and I'm only 5'0 and 113lbs!
  • whoosh1
    whoosh1 Posts: 30 Member
    .
  • whoosh1
    whoosh1 Posts: 30 Member
    I earned 1125 calories running 16km (10mi) yesterday. I eat most of them back the day of, usually by having a few extra 'treats' - chocolate milk, bagel, beer. If I run too big of a deficit that day I will be conscious to eat more the next day and go over my daily limit. When I do 30-35km runs I am earning over 2000 extra calories ... no way I eat them all that day.

    I agree with the previous posters who look at the weekly net calorie intake instead of the daily. Especially when doing a big long run on the weekend.
  • twinmom_112002
    twinmom_112002 Posts: 739 Member
    At the peak of my running over the summer I stopped counting calories. I was able to maintain my weight by distance alone. That being said, I almost always have a running talley in my brain that keeps me from going to far over.

    Now that I am running shorter distances I am counting again (at least until my April vacation) and I tend to plan big family dinners/ dinner out on LSR days. Allows me to indulge.
  • mlachance9
    mlachance9 Posts: 49 Member
    I run half marathons too and am a couple weeks into another training plan. I found that on Saturday (my long run) that I could not eat all my calories. I had never thought to carry some of them over to the next day. I may have to try that as I'm normally more hungry the next day after a long run.
  • triciaj66
    triciaj66 Posts: 253 Member
    I only run 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 miles right now.. I hope to get up to 5 or 8 miles someday !! I would love to have 1500 cals to get my eat on!!!! But I think I would slip it up and not eat it all that day ... You guys rock to run that long !!!
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    I run half marathons too and am a couple weeks into another training plan. I found that on Saturday (my long run) that I could not eat all my calories. I had never thought to carry some of them over to the next day. I may have to try that as I'm normally more hungry the next day after a long run.

    Yes - I was about 1100 under yesterday, and am STARVING today! :)
  • mtaydelott
    mtaydelott Posts: 5 Member
    I net mine by the week now with my training changing so much from day to day. My 3-4 mile recovery runs barely gain me anything, yet my run yesterday earned me 1,154 calories. NO WAY I was eating those back.

    Also, I'm 5'7" and a couple pounds from my goal, and get about 300 more cals than you per day? Are you sure you're eating enough???
    [/quote

    to be honest I ]don't what I have it set for in terms of weight loss..... I usually am around 158 but crept up to 164 on new years day.....as long as I run I usually can stay at 158 pretty easily but when you look at how much faster you can be if you lose 5 pounds for a half....it is a good chunk of time off! I hit a pr in October for a half and think if I get to like 153 it will help me pr again.....

    thanks everyone for the suggestions and advice!
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