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Author Topic: I'm just a beginner...  (Read 5077 times)
Darren Tintle
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« on: July 24, 2008, 07:17:34 pm »

Hello all, I am brand new to this site.  My wife's uncle and aunt got me started on this site and here I am posting already.  I just wanted to post a quick background of my running and maybe get some advice, motivation, etc. from those of you "so-so" runners. 

I have never been a runner.  I always dreaded running.  I still do sometimes.  A year ago today I had never run more than one mile or so at one time.  I definately don't have running genes.  But what I do have is determination.

Last summer my brother talked me into training for a half marathon.  I had no idea of what I was getting myself into.  Perhaps a life-changing experience/turnaround? 

The training was brutal... BUT, I was more than pleased with the results.  I started around 215 pounds and ended around 190 when I finished my first half-marathon.  I finished in exactly 2:11:00 (exactly 10 minute miles).  I was actually extremely happy just to finish the race.  But almost more than that, I was happy with the way I looked physically and running and being in shape just made me a happier person.

Here I am, a year later, training for my second half-marathon (the Top of Utah Half Marathon) on August 23.  Only this time I peaked at 226 pounds (the most I'ver EVER weighed).  I guess the run last summer really did me in, and I pounded the weight back on.  However, I'm currently at about 205 (about 21 pounds lost) and well on my way to running my second half-marathon.

I have found that for some reason this second time around has been a little harder.  I think the hardest thing for me is eating.  I am running fine just like I did last year.  However, my eating isn't as good.  I almost feel as if after my big runs I "deserve" to eat greasy foods and dessert.  Because of this mentality, I am about 10 pound more than where I was a year ago... which is why this year is a little harder than last.

I will ALWAYS love food.  I know that I have to discipline to lose weight and stay in shape, but to maintain it for a lifetime I know will be a struggle!

Any advice/help/etc. will be of help to me.

Thanks everyone!
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adam
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« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2008, 09:45:10 pm »

Darren, welcome to the blog!

The first step I would take is to write out your goals: daily, weekly, and for longer periods. What do you want to accomplish with your weight, with your run training, and for other things in general? Write it down and post it where you can see it everyday.

 This will force you to look at your day and plan ahead for situations that would normally cause you problems. If you know that on monday you have a long run ahead and you normally feel like you want to eat greasy food after, you can plan on Saturday to get good food for after that specific run and avoid the problem.

Second, in regards to your run training. Make sure you are being consistent. Run 6 days a week. Do not skip days. Even if you only run a mile, that is better than nothing.
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Michelle Lowry
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« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2008, 08:34:06 am »

I hear you on loving foods.  As running has become more important to me, I have limited the portions of bad food I eat (a small candy bar at the movies instead of king-size or even worse-movie size candy) and I don't keep bad stuff in the house (even if I want it, it's not around).  At work instead of eating a candy bar if I get tired/munchy in the afternoon, I grab a grape juice.  Sugary but not as bad.  I just say no to some foods (like fried foods) and try to be more selective about my favorite foods (chocolate).  Example: at my catered work party this Tuesday we had a dessert bar with churros, cookies and brownies.  My husband had a churro and said it wasn't very good so I skipped that one.  I asked a co-worker who's still young and has a high metabolism to have a brownie and tell me if it's worth it, and he said no so I skipped on the brownies.  So I had two chocolate chip cookies.  I really should have just had one, but I guess I am still working on restraint.  There were free krispy cremes at my work on Tuesday in the day too, and I just said NO!  So I'm not perfect, but I think just working on increasing the good food/bad food ratio in your diet is the long term solution to enjoying life and still staying healthy.
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Jeff Linger
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« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2008, 09:41:51 am »

Darren, Welcome to the blog! A couple things I'd like to thrown in about what has already been said.

First, I agree you need to train consistently. I made the move from 4 days a week to 6 days a week after haning out on the blog and being encouraged to do so. 6 days a week forces you into a committment. When you're doing 4 days a week its very easy to find yourself doing only 3 one week, then another, etc. Second, running every day will really do wonders for your metabolism and lean muscle development. Your body will turn into a fat burning machine even when you're not running. HOWEVER, do not make the mistake I made when I jumped from 4 to 6 days/week. I still ran the same number of miles/day at 6 days that I was running at 4. I suddenly went from 40 miles/week to 65 miles/week and after my marathon I started having a foot injury issue that I'm still dealing with 3 months after the marathon. Keep your weekly mileage the same, but divide it up so that you're doing it over 6 days instead of however many days your running currently. Do some research online and find a plan that is right for you (i.e. designed for your goals). The general rule of thumb is not to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% of your current mileage and then hold that new mileage for about 3 weeks before making another jump. This will keep you injury free.

Second, it sounds to me that while you enjoy running (and the race event, feeling of accomplishment, etc), you're more interested in the results it gives to your body. When you're banging out the miles your body needs sustenance. It needs calories. If you look at some of the serious marathon trainers on the blog you'll find some of them consume insane amounts of calories/day (Superfly claims he's in excess of 5000 cals/day!). Even a modest runner will need to provide fuel for the body. The problem is that when you stop running your body is still sending signals to your brain that it needs those calories. I've put on 5-10 pounds in a month before during a break. You need to be aware of this long term and figure out how to counter it. Each person is a little different, but personally I try to consume a moderate amount of protein after a run, usually in the form of some sort of deli-meat (get some carbs in too if its a long run). I don't snack just for the sake of snacking. I eat only when I'm hungry and I go first to deli-meat, fruits, vegetables and Peanut-butter (this can be a life saver for the serious snacker). If you're a sandwich or toast eater I highly recomment that you look at the ingredients of your bread. Even "Wheat Bread" is not necessarily wheat bread. If enriched flour is one of the first few ingredients, put it back on the shelf! Get the whole grain/whole wheat or something that has more grams of fiber/slice and is actually a multi-grain or whole wheat bread. I'm not that well informed on this aspect, but there are plenty of nutrition books and sites out there. There are also a few nutrition threads on some of the boards, but you may have to search for them. If you read this thread "Food For Thought" on the Running Board (http://fastrunningblog.com/forum/index.php/topic,239.0.html) you'll get an idea of some of the things our bloggers are eating. The bottom line is that while you're working hard, you need to re-orient your thinking away from seeing food as a reward ("I almost feel as if after my big runs I "deserve" to eat greasy foods and dessert") to seeing food as a fuel source. Greasy foods and such will make your body feel sluggish and if you're running 6 days a week your body will be screaming your consumption mistakes at you when you get out there for the run. Check out Sarah's Cooking Recipes http://www.asksasha.com/Healthy-Cooking/ and to see what a serious nutrition advocate did to move from a 2:45 marathon to a sub 2:30 marathon look at Sasha's nutrition notes on this page http://www.asksasha.com/Running/How-do-I-break-2-30-in-a-marathon.html. Good luck to you man, we're all pulling for you!
« Last Edit: July 25, 2008, 09:49:25 am by Jeff Linger » Logged
Sasha Pachev
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« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2008, 02:55:37 pm »

Michelle:

It is a mistake to calculate how bad a food is for you merely by the sugars reading on the label. Grape juice is not bad at all as sugary as it is. In fact, it is a power high quality food. Sugars come in a natural proportion and in proper balance with other nutrients which makes them a blessing rather than a curse when that balance is present. Same goes for honey. The trouble starts when man tries to be a smart alec and begins to arrogantly and ignorantly tamper with what he finds in God-given food sources.

My litmus test for the qualify of the food - if I eat it every day to satiation, will it make me stronger or weaker?
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Michelle Lowry
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« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2008, 04:20:44 pm »

Yeah!  Sasha approves one of my afternoon snacks! (Darren if you hang around long enough you'll find Sasha makes a hobby out of harassing me for not eating healthy 24-7-365).
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Mark Olson
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« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2008, 10:20:06 pm »

My wife's uncle and aunt got me started on this site and here I am posting already.  ...
I will ALWAYS love food.  I know that I have to discipline to lose weight and stay in shape, but to maintain it for a lifetime I know will be a struggle!

Any advice/help/etc. will be of help to me.

Hey Darren, we'll have to discuss it next time you are over.  I might have some ideas, although I still struggle at times to eat right.

Mark
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Neil Price
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« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2008, 03:45:44 pm »

Darren,

I've been there and done that just like you.  I was at 246 last Halloween.  I've now levelled off at 172.  My eating habits still leave a LOT to be desired but I continue to lose inches even if I'm not getting lighter per se.  I can tell you that one thing that worked for me is to find some "compromise" food and eat the hell out of it.   Smiley  What I mean by that is, find a snack that is less than a couple hundred calories and you wouldn't mind eating every day if the mood strikes for a serious sugar or salt fix.  My two standby's are, in order of preference: 1) Skinny Cow ice cream samwiches and 2) Sweet and Salty granola bars, Nature Valley I think??  I'm starting to transition over to Newton's Fruit Crisps though.  Mmmmmmmm!   

Keep at it man, and don't give in to the excuse that "you'll always love food."  Who the hell doesn't???  Just find you a life preserver lower calorie alternative and have it nearby at all times.   Wink  Best of luck at TOU.  Regards, Neil
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