Confused about my next goal!

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jcastillejos
jcastillejos Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone,

Not sure what my next goal should be since I'm preparing for a 10 mile race, but I've lost my muscularity. Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated!

Basically, I've already lost a lot of weight, so I'm happy about that. At my heaviest, I was 240. Yesterday, I weighed in around 192-193, so I've lost close to 50 pounds. (woohoo!)

The majority of my transformation occurred during the winter months when I concentrated more on lifting weights instead of running/cardio while keeping my calories under control. Since I have my first "long" race (10 miler) coming up at the end of May (7-8 weeks from now), I chose to shift my exercise focus to running about a 5 or 6 weeks ago.

Since then, my weight has only dropped a few pounds. However, I do feel like I actually looked better when I was around 200 (well before I started focusing on running) because I had more muscle back then and have since lost the majority of it since I've been mainly running.

To summarize:
- shifting to more cardio based exercise has still allowed me to lose weight, but not nearly as much
- I've lost muscle because I'm concentrating on running with my 10 miler coming up in less than 2 months
- I actually liked the way I looked when I was lifting compared to now (when I'm a 7-8 pounds lighter)
- I don't know if losing more weight is the goal since I feel pretty skinny (except for my midsection, something I'd love to lose!)

So how do I go about these next 7-8 weeks leading up to the race? I don't feel the need to get skinnier, except in my midsection. I wish I had some of my upperbody bulk back that I lost. And I'm not sure what kind of weight training is appropriate for getting ready for this 10 miler. I'm not sure if there's a doable way of weight training AND running such that I'm not killing myself everyday day/week.

Thoughts? Advice?

Replies

  • nguk123
    nguk123 Posts: 223
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    Whats the furthest you've jogged so far?
    Perhaps you should deemphasise the race in terms of your raceday performance, and just plan to finish the race regardless of time. Then it seems feasible you could keep a weight training focus, and run often.

    My focus is weight training (full body 3x a week). I run mostly 5-7k distances in between weight days. , with occasional 12-14k long runs every other weekend.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    You've got the race coming up and it sounds like you have that set as a significant goal. So keep training for it. But now that you have a particular body type in mind for yourself you'll know what to do after the race is over. Cut your cardio activity back significantly (1-2x per week) and focus on your lifting and your diet.
  • jcastillejos
    jcastillejos Posts: 3
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    Whats the furthest you've jogged so far?
    Perhaps you should deemphasise the race in terms of your raceday performance, and just plan to finish the race regardless of time. Then it seems feasible you could keep a weight training focus, and run often.

    My focus is weight training (full body 3x a week). I run mostly 5-7k distances in between weight days. , with occasional 12-14k long runs every other weekend.

    A couple weeks ago, 5 miles was a milestone. Right now, it's the norm. I'm hoping to hit 6 miles as my "long run" sometime this week. (Sidenote: I get a pain at the top of my right foot after my long runs. Usually lasts a couple days. My doctor friend said it could be my shoes or possibly a stress fracture. Praying it isn't!)

    Yes, you make a good point. I'm only worried about finishing the 10 miler, not how fast. Any weight training exercises you suggest that could also complement running? I'm guessing things like chest and arms aren't as important core, back. Just guessing though.

    You've got the race coming up and it sounds like you have that set as a significant goal. So keep training for it. But now that you have a particular body type in mind for yourself you'll know what to do after the race is over. Cut your cardio activity back significantly (1-2x per week) and focus on your lifting and your diet.

    Yeah, I was afraid that this is the case - "putting off" weight training until after the race. I guess on the bright side, this could be my "cutting" phase before I start to bulk. Now if only I could figure out how to lose the fat around my midsection since I'm satisfied with my body fat everywhere else.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Oh no no no. I wasn't saying to put the lifting on hold. Keep doing your lifting routine while you train for your run. Depending on what level you're at you may find that you as strong on some of the lifts while you are doing a high volume of running. That's ok. Just reduce the weight to the amount where you can get the required reps in.

    I did a Tough Mudder event in Feb and had to do a lot of running to build up my endurance for it. Lifted all the while while running, just not as heavy. Now that the Mudder is behind me I've decreased running to 1x per week or less and up my weights on all my major lifts.

    Getting and staying in shape is a lifetime thing. A few months a year with lifting on the back burner while running takes precedence will ultimately be a good thing. Variety keeps both your mind and body fresh.

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