half marathon and dieting

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Trentonteacher76
Trentonteacher76 Posts: 4
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm training for a half marathon at the end of April and am trying to lose those last stubborn 10 pounds or so. I have been completely exhausted and am having trouble having stamina to run. I can't really cut back on the runs because the half is so close. Any advice out there?
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  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
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    I am training for my 1st half marathon at the end of April also. I also have about 10lbs to lose, more or less. I do 1200 calories/day and eat all of my exercise calories. I only do a "long run" every few weeks. Otherwise, I do shorter runs and interval training. I am not exhausted, actually feel great! :) I also do strength training twice a week, so my leg strength has improved quite drastically, which I imagine helps.
  • freezerburn2012
    freezerburn2012 Posts: 273 Member
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    Do you want to lose weight or do you want to have a good race? What is your priority here?

    Training for a half marathon or full is not the time to cut calories if you want to be able to do well during the race.
  • Sweet_Pandora
    Sweet_Pandora Posts: 459 Member
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    Do you want to lose weight or do you want to have a good race? What is your priority here?

    Training for a half marathon or full is not the time to cut calories if you want to be able to do well during the race.
    [/quote

    Agreed

    As I was told you can't train for a half marathon on salad.

    Karen
  • ritmeyer
    ritmeyer Posts: 136 Member
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    make sure you are eating enough! That may be your problem. Are you eating more on the days you run?

    It really depends on your goal. Good half marathon, or weight loss.

    Your body needs proper fuel to maintain a long run. I've lost a few lbs during my training and I am also close to my goal weight. I'm much happier to have the stamina to do well in the race. I make sure to fuel and hydrate properly. I don't use any gels, but I do drink a powerade zero (32 oz) before a run and have water or another powerade along the running route. I'm up to 13-15 miles on my long runs.
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Do you want to lose weight or do you want to have a good race? What is your priority here?

    Training for a half marathon or full is not the time to cut calories if you want to be able to do well during the race.

    I agree with this as well.

    However, having said that....if you want to try to SLOWLY lose some weight (I'm talking a couple pounds here, not 10lbs by April) I would suggest figuring out as closely as you can what your TDEE is and eating at an extremely small deficit.

    I'm currently training for my 5th full marathon. I really don't have weight to lose other than a few "vanity" pounds. I wear a BMF which gives me my total daily calorie burn and I'm trying to eat very close (within 200-300 calories) of my daily burn. It has made a huge impact on my energy levels and my running is better than ever. I may only lose 1/2lb every 1-2 weeks though.
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    I can't see your diary, so I have no idea what you're eating but just thought I'd toss this out there - I'm 34 years old, 5'5" and weigh 122lbs and I'm eating 2000-2400 calories a day and still losing (albeit very, very slowly). My guess is that you are not eating nearly enough to fuel yourself for running and if that is the case there is no way those 10lbs are going to drop off because your body is probably holding on to fat for dear life because you are starving it.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    I'm training for one also, but I feel great. I eat all my calories plus my exercise calories. Maybe you're not eating enough, or maybe you're not eating the right things.

    I disagree with most people in that the reason I am doing this is to lose weight. So, I'm not sure what they are talking about. People run to lose weight. That's why I started, and I figure once I hit my long runs, the extra little bit I have will come off. If I lost 10, that would be perfect.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
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    I was really pleased with the Racing Weight book and quick start program. I lost my last 10 lbs race training for a half. I also did P90X2 and lost 2% more body fat during my race training too.
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
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    As someone who has run for 10 years, ran 7 marathons and 25 half marathons, I would agree that you need to have your priorities here. You won't lose a significant amount of weight AND train at a high level. Yes, you can lose some weight during a training cycle but it is super hard and a balancing act for sure. I am trying to lose those last 4-5 lbs and eating 1500 plus eating back my exercise calories and i'm slowly losing a little bit.

    Last year, I took the first 6 months of the year and concentrated on losing weight. Yes, I ran but and I did about 50 mpw or so but I wasn't aggressively training for anything. I was able to therefore restrict my calories more so that I would during a good quality training cycle. During those 6 months, I lost the majority of the weight I was going for (about 30 lbs). THEN I started to train and over the next 6 months, another 8 - 9 came off.
  • Trentonteacher76
    Trentonteacher76 Posts: 4
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    Finishing the race with my twin sister and losing some of the weight is my goal. I eat 1200 calories plus my exercise calories each day, but I'm not always strict about that. I eat when I'm hungry, drink plenty of fluids, and take a vitamin and iron every day. I'm trying to follow a plan I found on runnersworld.com to get ready for the half and input my food on mfp to make sure i don't overeat. I just noticed the fatigue in the last week or so and just wanted some feedback. Thanks to all who replied. All comments were helpful.
  • Cowenlaw1
    Cowenlaw1 Posts: 106 Member
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    I ran my first half last month.

    Despite a lot of running, I didn't lost much weight in the month before the half. But now that my training is down to a slightly less insane level the weight is quickly melting off.
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
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    Finishing the race with my twin sister and losing some of the weight is my goal. I eat 1200 calories plus my exercise calories each day, but I'm not always strict about that. I eat when I'm hungry, drink plenty of fluids, and take a vitamin and iron every day. I'm trying to follow a plan I found on runnersworld.com to get ready for the half and input my food on mfp to make sure i don't overeat. I just noticed the fatigue in the last week or so and just wanted some feedback. Thanks to all who replied. All comments were helpful.

    if the fatigue persists, still get your iron level checked.

    Also, where were you in your training cycle when the fatigue started? Have you had a recovery week lately?
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    My first thought was that it was a food issue too. Not enough in general. Or maybe not enough carbs.

    Now that you mention about the runners world program, I'm having an AHA! moment.

    The long runs on the half marathon training program (especially at the end) are a little intense.

    You may need to take a rest.

    Just a thought.

    But I also think that 1200 calories a day is not enough to sustain a half marathon training program. (Even if you aren't strict about it.)
  • Trentonteacher76
    Trentonteacher76 Posts: 4
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    I get my iron checked at my yearly checkup and it's always low, not sure what else to do about that. I have not had a week off, but I run 4 - 5 days a week and either do weight training or take a day off if I need to. I really try to listen to my body and not expect too much weight wise. I'm just frustrated that with all this running I haven't lost as much as I'd like. Maybe I just need to quit whining and go running. :smile:
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
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    Yesterday I had a rough morning when I was running. My legs felt heavy and I was tired even though I was really ready to run. I thought about it and realized that I really did push myself too hard last week. I took an extra spin class, hot yoga, a long run on Saturday and an 8k on Sunday. My body was telling me that I did one too many things. This morning I felt better, but still not as great as I really wanted to be. I have a half on Saturday and I am taking Thursday and Friday off to give myself a rest. You might be over exercising. Rest days are there for a reason.

    I also had to look at my diet and see what was going on there. I realize that I do need to add more fruits and veggies and less junk which has also helped. Eating better always helps my body lose the weight. Supplements are okay, but you might want to look at your daily diet and see if you can't incorporate more foods to give you a boost.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    Whatever the cause, the only cure for the fatigue you describe is some rest. Training through it will only make it worse and will stagnate your improvement. (speaking from experience) Take two or three days off completely to recover and then keep your next run easy. If the intense fatigue is still there then rest some more.

    It will not help your race to train through this. Your running will not improve because your body is not absorbing the training. It will help your race if you dig yourself out of the fatigue hole. The good news is that if the fatigue has only been there for a week or two then you should recover from it quickly if you take rest now. The bad news is that if you do not recover now it will only continue to get worse and eventually force you stop running for an extended time.

    The cause is probably that you ramped up your training faster than your body was prepared to adapt. Nearly every serious runner has done this at least once. Next training cycle you will be stronger and be able to train at this or a higher level without the fatigue problem.
  • AmyEm3
    AmyEm3 Posts: 784 Member
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    I'm trying to train for a half marathon, do P90X, and lose weight--the last 10-15lbs. I'm still trying to find the right balance b/c I'm not losing any weight at all. The scale is going in the opposite direction. I have a feeling I'm eating too much to lose but then I don't have any energy to run (or do anything else). So, I'm going to keep at it until I finish what I've started and occasionally whine that I'm not losing any weight right now. ;) Although I haven't lost anything in the past couple of months, I am getting faster with my running and I ran 10 miles for the first time in my life recently. :)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Whatever the cause, the only cure for the fatigue you describe is some rest. Training through it will only make it worse and will stagnate your improvement. (speaking from experience) Take two or three days off completely to recover and then keep your next run easy. If the intense fatigue is still there then rest some more.

    It will not help your race to train through this. Your running will not improve because your body is not absorbing the training. It will help your race if you dig yourself out of the fatigue hole. The good news is that if the fatigue has only been there for a week or two then you should recover from it quickly if you take rest now. The bad news is that if you do not recover now it will only continue to get worse and eventually force you stop running for an extended time.

    The cause is probably that you ramped up your training faster than your body was prepared to adapt. Nearly every serious runner has done this at least once. Next training cycle you will be stronger and be able to train at this or a higher level without the fatigue problem.

    ^^^^ This.

    And I'd say take a whole week off, with nothing but gentle walking in the time you would have run. You can keep the cal's at 1200 that week.

    But when you start it back up again, get the cal's up to 1400 at least, plus eatback.
    You'll probably find yourself faster and stronger, I always did when I took the 6th week off of training, always an improvement.

    I also would not be surprised at all if you are burning off muscle in other areas of your body to provide the glucose you are using up with many long efforts and reduced cal diet.
    Now perhaps you want to be an elite marathoner when at goal weight, and at that point want less muscle in areas unused for running - but right now not a good way to lose weight.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I'm trying to train for a half marathon, do P90X, and lose weight--the last 10-15lbs. I'm still trying to find the right balance b/c I'm not losing any weight at all. The scale is going in the opposite direction. I have a feeling I'm eating too much to lose but then I don't have any energy to run (or do anything else). So, I'm going to keep at it until I finish what I've started and occasionally whine that I'm not losing any weight right now. ;) Although I haven't lost anything in the past couple of months, I am getting faster with my running and I ran 10 miles for the first time in my life recently. :)

    Eat more. Simple.

    Your body is getting jacked up without enough resources to repair, rebuild, make stronger, metabolism, ect.

    Diet is for weight loss, exercise is for body shaping and heart health.
    Feed the exercise.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    Whatever the cause, the only cure for the fatigue you describe is some rest. Training through it will only make it worse and will stagnate your improvement. (speaking from experience) Take two or three days off completely to recover and then keep your next run easy. If the intense fatigue is still there then rest some more.

    It will not help your race to train through this. Your running will not improve because your body is not absorbing the training. It will help your race if you dig yourself out of the fatigue hole. The good news is that if the fatigue has only been there for a week or two then you should recover from it quickly if you take rest now. The bad news is that if you do not recover now it will only continue to get worse and eventually force you stop running for an extended time.

    The cause is probably that you ramped up your training faster than your body was prepared to adapt. Nearly every serious runner has done this at least once. Next training cycle you will be stronger and be able to train at this or a higher level without the fatigue problem.

    ^^^^ This.

    And I'd say take a whole week off, with nothing but gentle walking in the time you would have run. You can keep the cal's at 1200 that week.

    But when you start it back up again, get the cal's up to 1400 at least, plus eatback.
    You'll probably find yourself faster and stronger, I always did when I took the 6th week off of training, always an improvement.

    I also would not be surprised at all if you are burning off muscle in other areas of your body to provide the glucose you are using up with many long efforts and reduced cal diet.
    Now perhaps you want to be an elite marathoner when at goal weight, and at that point want less muscle in areas unused for running - but right now not a good way to lose weight.

    I don't know about running, but with strength training, I did notice that I would get really tired sometimes. Like, beat up. I used to lift pretty hard. One time, I went on vacation for a week, and when I came back and hit the gym, I was like twice as strong. It was unbelievable. So, I started scheduling a week off every 6 weeks and it made all the difference to me. I don't see why running would be much different. Anytime your tearing your body up, you gotta give it a rest once in a while. And, it's not doing nothing, it's repairing and building. You're not losing any ground by doing that.

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