Batch 170

"There will be days you don't think you can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime of knowing you have." ~Unknown

In 2015, there were a total of 509,000 marathon finishers in the U.S. Although this marked a decrease from 2014, this much is true: a lot of people are making the conscious decision to train for and run a   26.2 mile race.

Now into week 3, I find myself still trying to wrap my head around the idea of running 26 miles and 385 yards at 7:04 pace. The process of getting yourself to the starting line is a tremendous physical, mental, and emotional effort. I have never doubted that.

But this is still my first marathon. I'm in completely uncharted waters and that is a bit unsettling. I've run hundreds of 5Ks. I prepare, train, and show up to the race ready to go, confident of whatever challenge comes up in front of me. It's only 3.1 miles - not much can go wrong - physically or mentally.

So, I find myself reading and analyzing the writings of some of those half million annual marathon participants, and the millions from years and decades before. While I am in full control of following my training plan, one day at a time, there are so many other variables and factors involved with preparing for the big day that I had not even considered.

I will cover a lot of these in future blogs (the importance of maintaining a strong core, selecting the right race day energy gel, etc.). But for now, I want to focus on one singular topic that may be as big a key dependency to my race day performance as any, outside of training: weight.

Generally, by losing 10 pounds, your maximum aerobic capacity will allow you to run at a faster pace per mile. Studies differ on the amount of speed gained and time saved. To be conservative, I will estimate that for me, a 10 pound healthy weight loss will lead to a 4 minute reduction in my marathon potential. When I say healthy weight loss, I mean by eating properly... not by losing weight through dehydration and starvation (note: NEVER DO THIS).

As my marathon goal is 3:05, this leaves me with a maximum possible buffer of five minutes to qualify for Boston (not sure if I mentioned this previously, but the 35 - 39 year old male BQ time is 3:10). So I need to take full advantage of any opportunity to increase my overall potential on race day.

I am 5'11"+ and currently weigh ~182. To give some perspective; during my Maryland Cross Country days, I was down to ~135 by running 100+ miles per week.

As recent as 2014, I was up to a very unhealthy ~230. Zero miles per week.

I've lost approximately 50 pounds in the last 20 months. And I don't mean to shy away from that accomplishment, because it feels great. But I'm not yet where I want to be. To get down to my target weight of 170 would be yuuuuuuuuge.

My weight loss from 230 down to 180 actually occurred last November, meaning I have plateaued for basically the last 8 months. So by no means am I currently on a trajectory to 170.

Through my research, I have read how incredibly normal and easy it is to gain weight during marathon training. This didn't make sense at first; but simply stated; people generally eat more because they think they can due to running the amount of miles it takes to train for 26.2. I don't want this to be me.

Getting to 180, I've cut out a lot of unhealthy habits that have aided in the weight loss. Sure, running has been a big driver. But removing soda, unhealthy sugars, and fast food during road trips from my life have provided a boost as well. Further, understanding that there is good fat (organic peanut butter, almonds) has helped as well. By far though, my achilles heel (and second love) is craft beer.

On a regular basis, I will probably drink 2 beers after work during the week, and several (dozen? just kidding, mom) more during the weekend. Many think of beer as empty calories that does not contribute to weigh gain or hinder one's overall fitness. Surprise! It's not.

Drinking a few (delicious) TreeHouse Julius brews will net approximately 500 calories for a given evening. Multiply that by 5 or 6 times during the week. Per month. Per year. That's a lot.

And for me, unnecessary (...at least for the next 11 weeks).

I want to look at these remaining two months of training this way: anything that goes into my body, I want to think of it as an investment. I'm not saying I won't have a district donut here or there, or a TreeHouse Haze on the weekend. But if my single goal is to qualify for Boston, why not attempt everything in my power to stack the deck and ensure I am at my healthiest come race day.

- J