Help with running calories

First of all CONGRATULATIONS on your accomplishment! I'm an athlete - will be doing my fifth Ironman in 2014 and my first 50K (hopefully!) in March.

From my years of experience - I've been competing since '94, I truly believe we're all an "experiment of one". It's part science and art. Are you keeping a log of how you feel along with your mileage and calories? I've been focusing on mindful eating - eating when I'm hungry and stopping when full. Listening to my body when it says,"hey, I'm hungry. Feed me." You definitely want to balance the carbs and protein and fats out and experiment with different ratios to see what keeps you properly fueled. You can also use your HR monitor to check your resting HR in the a.m. Keep it by your bed, don't get up. Just reach for it, put it on while you're still lying down. And see where it's at. If you're sick or over training, it will be higher in the a.m. Sometimes I go for a run and I can't get my HR up into the zones and that's a sign that I'm tired and need a break. This is probably TMI! With the calories, I'd check and see if you're always hungry, then fuel. If you're dropping weight, then you need to up the calories. Just make sure they're quality calories- not sodas, candy, etc., but fruits, almonds, turkey or protein. Does that answer your question?
Lisa
Ninjawarrior!

Also thank you to the replies, they definitely help, what I am trying to do though is have a more regular number than jumping up and down and having huge differences on days I train/don't train, which is I don't like just eating back the calories based on one day....does that make sense?

Then you want to use a TDEE method, where you look at what you do in a week, average it back out to a daily basis, and eat the same amount daily.

If you miss a planned workout, you skip 100 cal that day, if you make it up, you eat 100 extra, if you add an unplanned workout, you eat those calories back like MFP style.

If running is the only exercise you do, you will see performance improvements by eating enough for it. Now, doing endurance running like that, you should also increase weight as your body stores more glucose, with required water, for longer runs, but that will top off at perhaps 2-3 lbs.

Use this.
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs.html

Literally put in your weekly time spent running, normal average amount. If you know how many miles you hit in a week for that amount of time, math will get you that speed then, if outside with hills, use 3 % incline as average, and select the NET option, not gross. Gross would be what MFP or a HRM reports back, but that includes calories you were going to burn anyway.
There is your weekly calorie burn for running.
Divide by 7 for daily average.

Then set MFP profile to whatever activity level is correct for your daily non-exercise routine. If 40 hr desk job, no kids, long commute, on your rear except for running, computer on weekends or movies - sedentary.
Otherwise lightly active or more depending on job.
Set to maintain weight.

Then go to Goals and custom setup. Take the Net eating goal shown there, add that daily average for running you calculated, and change the figure to that. Adjust macros to what you want (suggest 0.82 grams protein per lb of weight, fat at 0.35 grams per lb, the rest carbs).
Save.

Now eat that daily. Ignore the MFP math - they are not aware you just set an eating goal that includes exercise.

If you decide to log your running in the exercise diary - be aware that MFP will increase the eating goal - ignore it, eat the same amount daily.
May want to log 1 calorie, or log the exercise after you meet your daily goal.

Thank you, I do prefer the idea of TDEE than just eating sporadically, makes it a bit easier to plan ahead. Turns out I was undereating by a little bit so thank you everyone for your advice, I guess now is just a waiting game to see how my body reacts.

Sounds good! :flowerforyou: