Race weight - how do you do yours?

Peckham

Have been keeping an eye on my weight for the past while in order to get it towards my "natural 11 stone", which is where I'm at now (was getting uncomfortably close to 12 stone last September!).

However, in now looking towards Boston I'm trying to decide what I should be looking at in terms of target weight. Is there a reliable way to calculate this, or is it just based on experience in terms of previous performances?

If it's the latter, how do you strip out weight versus other factors (e.g. training, injury etc.). For example, the race where I was my lightest was London where I was a tiny bit over 10.5 stone (ran 3:03 but had injury issues which curtailed the training a little), but ran 4 minutes quicker in Berlin 5 months later and half a stone heavier.

TFBubendorfer

It took me a few years to work out what works for me. I never thought dieting as such is a good idea when you're in full training, and it's a very fine balance. If you get it wrong, you might lose weight but be in lousy shape.

Anyway, what works for me is a decent breakfast, but a very light lunch. Just a little cup of soup or maybe a yoghurt, nothing else. No snacks, not even "healthy" ones. It means going hungry in the afternoon. A decent dinner solves that, and gives me enough energy for the next day's run.

That works for me (10 stone 3 at the moment, down from 11 stone a year ago), but it's individual and I'm pretty sure it would not work if I were running in the evening.

tunguska

I think it is down to trial and error in finding out what works best for you. Personally I hate the emaciated look and will never allow myself to get that thin. I find that if I get very thin I can feel weak and definitely not perform to my best. I think theres a middle ground between being stick thin and looking like you're a GAA player. I was watching the cross country from endinburgh a few weeks ago and the british and american athletes looked very healthy, none were ultra thin but still put in great performances.
But thats a bit of topic, you just gotta experiment with it Peckham. Plus you gotta be happy with how you look aswell. No point looking like a bag of bones if you're not happy with that, ditto for carrying too much body fat.

--amadeus--

How tall are you lot? I'm 6 foot and aiming at 68kgs for Rotterdam and I'm 69-70 now (70 being pretty much 11st) and if I went much lower I'd look like a famine victim...

El Director

I have come around to thinking that it's body composition that is important, lower body fat and higher lean muscle mass. Before Christmas I was determined to get the weight down and sub consciously I stopped eating crabs and then wondering why I was fading in longer workouts. I dropped some lean muscle too but I am fixing that now.

Regarding ideal racing weight, I don't know yet as I've never been at it, I to this year. 6ft and 76.7kg currently (90kg Jan 2011 )

claralara

El Director wrote: »

I stopped eating crabs and then wondering why I was fading in longer workouts.

No question about it - crabs are the secret weapon in the nutritional plans of any successful athlete; cut them out and you might as well throw away the gold medal...:D *

*Sorry for being cheeky, couldn't resist! It's a dull Tuesday morning!

shotgunmcos

El Director wrote: »

I have come around to thinking that it's body composition that is important, lower body fat and higher lean muscle mass. Before Christmas I was determined to get the weight down and sub consciously I stopped eating crabs and then wondering why I was fading in longer workouts. I dropped some lean muscle too but I am fixing that now.

Regarding ideal racing weight, I don't know yet as I've never been at it, I to this year. 6ft and 76.7kg currently (90kg Jan 2011 )

Ah yes but lean muscle mass is denser and heavier. If you drop BF but gain lean mass you may look slimmer but not weigh less.

... and since when is sea food good for longer workouts :pac:

edit: claralara beat me to it

shels4ever

claralara wrote: »

No question about it - crabs are the secret weapon in the nutritional plans of any successful athlete; cut them out and you might as well throw away the gold medal...:D *

*Sorry for being cheeky, couldn't resist! It's a dull Tuesday morning!

Very true but volume of carbs is a big thing, Was actualyl flicking through racing weight last night, and you would be shocked at how must the likes of Ryan hall takes in.

TFBubendorfer

I'm 178 cm/5 ft 10, and 143 lbs/65 kg at the moment.

The weight as such doesn't mean much, but I had a rather spectacular year running wise in 2011, and being a few pounds lighter than before was definitely a factor in that.

And no, I don't look famished.

lgk

Matt Fitzgerald's Racing Weight is a decent guide.

El Director

Lol funny guys, real funny!

I was thinking about this again and what Tunguska was saying. I am the opposite, I now never, or try not to, let myself get to a stage where I am starving. So a typical day:

Half banana
Train
Substantial breakie,
fruit and nuts at 11am,
salad with a bagel at 1,
fruit and nuts and 200ml unflavoured protein at 3,
Train
dinner at 6:30-7.

If I allow myself to starve then I run the risk of eating any crap!

couerdelion

lgk wrote: »

Matt Fitzgerald's Racing Weight is a decent guide.

Does anyone on here follow this and stick to the concepts more or less strictly?

Or has anyone tried the Racing Weight Quick Start Guide?

El Director

couerdelion wrote: »

Does anyone on here follow this and stick to the concepts more or less strictly?

Or has anyone tried the Racing Weight Quick Start Guide?

I must say couerdelion that this book has completely changed my habits and the way I think when it comes to racing weight and food. To me it isn't about following it strictly it's more about a complete change in attitude and the way I think. So I guess I have followed it pretty well and this season I will be racing about 10/11kg lighter and my BF% will be below 10%, so that should make a massive difference imo. I don't ever feel weakened by the weight loss either so long as I remember to get in the carbs :rolleyes: Like I said before if someone told me that I am nearly 10kg over (racing) weight last june when I was 84/85kg I just would not have believed it.

I have not read the Quick Start though.

couerdelion

Thanks El D.

I've just started reading it and it's very well written and backed up by science. It's particular disheartening to read I'm in the top 1 percentile of body fat though.

I've ordered the 4 week start-up too and I might give that a bash.

El Director

Don't be too disheartened couerdelion. Think of it this way, think big picture. You are involved in a sport that is really a way of life, it is life changing and will over a period of time change your shape and the way you look. It will take time but step by step you'll get there...all it takes is the right steps ie smart training and smart eating and patience