Fat Loss for Runners: Why You Gain Weight During Marathon Training

When Alanis Morissette wrote that song in the 90s about irony, I feel like there should have been a verse in there about gaining weight while training for a marathon. Sing along with me...

It's like training for your marathon day
But the more you ran the more you weighed
It wasn't supposed to be this way
And isn't it ironic, don't you think?
 

But just like the rest of the song, it's actually not ironic at all. When you are training for a marathon there is no guarantee of weight loss. Isn't that a jagged little pill to swallow? (You see what I did there?) In fact, it is quite common for runners to gain weight during marathon training. Runners of all shapes and sizes are kicking-ass across finish lines all over the world. So what gives? Running obviously burns a lot of calories, shouldn't we all be losing weight when training to run 26.2 miles?

The first thing to consider is that there is a difference between running for performance and running for weight loss. When training for a marathon you are running for performance. You are training your body to have the capacity to run 26.2 miles and that is a pretty amazing feat (but you "earn" less amazing-looking feet.) To lose weight you have to be in a calorie deficit, taking in less calories than you burn, but that is not ideal for running performance and recovery.

WHY YOU GAIN WEIGHT DURING MARATHON TRAINING (IT'S NOT ALWAYS NEGATIVE)

YOU GAIN MUSCLE

One reason the scale may seem to be moving in the wrong direction is a positive thing. You are building muscle mass that wasn't there before. Muscle is more dense than fat, so when you lose fat and gain muscle your body fat percentage goes down (yay!) while your weight goes up or stays the same. The number on the scale may have gone up but you improved your body composition. 

YOU INCREASED CARBOHYDRATES (GLYCOGEN) STORES

When you run long distances you are training your body to increase carbohydrate (glycogen) storage in your muscles and liver, which also increases water storage. This is a necessity when you are training to run a marathon. The more glycogen you store the farther you can run without hitting "the wall", but it can add numbers to the scale. It's important to note that this is not fat gain.

YOUR BODY ADAPTS TO THE STRESSES YOU PLACE UPON IT

This is the whole point of marathon training. You train your body to be able to run long distances. You are able to run longer and farther month after month during training. Your body becomes more efficient over time. That means it feels easier to run and you are not expending as much energy. When you first start running your body is less efficient at running, so it burns more calories. Over time your body adapts, becomes more efficient and you burn less calories during the same activity. For marathon training this is a good thing. For weight loss, a double edge sword. 

YOU EAT MORE BEFORE YOU RUN

We've all heard of carb-loading before a big race, but when it's used as an excuse to eat junk foods in large quantities, it can be a factor in weight gain. Fueling for your long runs should include a slow increase of calories from carbohydrates from a variety of mostly whole foods. It doesn't mean three servings of pasta and four servings of garlic bread the night before your long run. Dangit, I wish it meant that. 

YOU EAT MORE DURING YOUR RUN

On average we burn about 100 calories per mile, obviously this varies from runner to runner. After about 90 minutes of running we usually start needing to fuel during our runs. It's necessary, but another reason that weight loss and creating a calorie deficit while marathon training can be so challenging. 

YOU EAT MORE AFTER YOU RUN

Are you seeing a trend here? You just ran 10 miles and your are hungry (or hangry, amiright?). You gulp down a protein shake, take a shower, then meet some friends to treat yourself to an indulgence meal. You can easily put down 1000 calories of burgers, fries and beer. While there is nothing wrong with an indulgence meal, try not to get into the habit of rewarding your hard work with junk food. After all, during marathon training you will be running a lot. If you reward every run with indulgence foods, you can easily out-eat your calorie expenditure. 

YOU MOVE LESS THE REST OF THE DAY

After running 14 miles you crash on the couch with your compression socks snuggling your calves while watching a NetFlix marathon. When hubby asks if you want to go to the mall, you grunt out a no-way Jose (even though his name is Russell). The house isn't getting cleaned, the dog isn't getting walked (by you) and you're not moving until you hear the doorbell ring with your dinner delivery.

The calories you burn while walking around doing everyday activities add up. So while you increased your calorie expenditure during your run, you decreased it the rest of the day. With the added food intake, the decreased activity outside of running, you can easily put yourself into a calorie surplus, which can cause weight gain.

FAT LOSS FOR RUNNERS: WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

It can be counter-intuitive to have marathon goals and weight loss goals at the same time, but if you want to keep the weight off while marathon training I recommend always focusing on fat loss, not weight loss. Our goal should be to build or maintain muscle while losing fat.

VARY INTENSITY

Your long runs should be long and slow, but after a month or two of building your milage base you can play with the intensity of at least one other run in the week to help with fat loss. Long interval runs (1/2 mile or 1 mile intervals of hard effort repeats) can help with fat loss while improving your marathon pace. Here is a post I wrote about different types of interval runs. For injury prevention be careful never to increase intensity and mileage in the same week. That means if you are adding miles to your long run, don't also add in a new interval workout or increase the intensity/pace of an existing workout. Only introduce new intensity on weeks you aren't adding mileage. This is important. Got it? Good.

FUEL RESPONSIBLY

Yes, when you are marathon training you need to fuel, which means that you will probably need to eat more than usual. However, don't use marathon training as an excuse to binge eat. Increase calories with a variety of nutrient-dense foods from nature and save the treats for occasional indulgences in moderation. I wrote more about nutrition for athletes (yes, that's you) over in this blog post.

STRENGTH TRAIN

Runners who strength train are stronger, faster and less prone to injury. When you are marathon training, running should absolutely be your first priority, but don't neglect strength training. Short and focused runner-specific strength training sessions just twice a week can help you meet your running and fat loss goals. Muscle tissue uses more energy at rest than fat, so when you build lean muscle you burn more calories during your daily activities, like recovering on the couch. 

Running a marathon is a fantastic goal. I recommend training and fueling for your marathon with performance as your main focus, even if your personal definition of performance is crossing the finish line without dying. Once you achieve that goal, you can adjust your training and nutrition to focus on fat loss for a period of time before you inevitability start your marathon training all over again. 

Any questions about fat loss or weight gain during marathon training? I'd love to help. 

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Coach Lea

BUILD A TRAINING PLAN LIKE A RUNNING COACH

Welcome to the latest edition of workout Wednesday! Each week I share a new running or runner-specific strength training workout. Last week I shared my 60 day Fit to Run: strength training for runners program as a free PDF download. If you've ever struggled to fit in strength training into your running program then this program is for you. You really can fit it all in without overtraining or driving yourself crazy.

This week I want to take some time to step back and talk about building your own running training plan for maximum results and to reduce chance of injury. One mistake runners make is not having a training plan at all. You will get the best results by building up your training in phases. Another mistake runners make is that they do too much too soon. They run more miles than their body can handle, they don't rest enough, get excited about interval training, hill training, tempo runs and put too much stress on their body which can lead to overtraining, burnout and injury. YUCK!  

A running coach can evaluate your current fitness level, your goals and your lifestyle and develop a custom training plan to help you reach your goals in a safe manner. If you want to create your own running plan, follow a few basic guidelines to stay on the right track (pun intended). 

General Guidelines for Run Training

• Never increase mileage more than 10% from week to week. This means if you run 10 miles in one week, next week plan 11. 
• Never increase mileage and intensity in the same week. This means don't add interval training, speed work or hills in the same week you add additional mileage.
• It generally takes about three weeks for your body to adapt. Work on three week cycles of similar workouts before a recovery or step down week and then progress to the next level. 
• Make time for runner-specific strength training, it will make a huge difference in your running performance. Fit in 15-30 minutes of runner-specific strength training during all phases. 
• Always schedule rest and recovery days into your training schedule. It is an important and often overlooked part of training. Remember that adaptation (getting stronger and faster) happens during rest, not during the workout. That means you must allow your body that times it needs to recover and grow stronger. If you don't allow rest, you won't see the results you desire. 

BASE TRAINING PHASE

Every runner should start with base training phase. This is for new runners and experienced runners beginning a new training cycle alike. All base training miles should be run at a conversational pace. Conversational pace is exactly what it sounds like, when you run at this pace, you should be able to hold a conversation. It is a 4-6 on the RPE chart. (Learn more about the Rate of Perceived Exertion chart in this post.)

If you are a brand new runner and you can not hold a conversation at any pace (I hear you, stick with it. I promise it will get better.) Then you should stay in base training phase until you can hold a conversation while running at a slow relaxed pace. Start with two to three days a week and build from there. There is no rush in this phase. Stay here as long as you need to in order to develop your running fitness. If you put in the time, stay consistent and get adequate rest, you will improve and get stronger. Plan for up to twelve weeks for new runners.

For more experienced runners that are beginning a new training cycle, this phase may last about four to ten weeks depending on your goals. In this phase you can slowly start to build milage over time, adding additional mileage to your daily runs as well as additional days during the week. It may be tempting to skip over the boring slow runs, but these runs are the foundation of your training. 

RUNNING STRENGTH PHASE

Strength running refers to running workouts that will make you a stronger runner, not to be confused with strength training, which can be done in all phases of running. Running workouts in the strength running phase include tempo runs (comfortably-hard pace for up to 60 minutes), hill workouts and fartleks (fartlek is Swedish for speed play, meaning unstructured bouts of faster running).

Remember that in the weeks you add in running strength workouts, you should not increase your overall weekly miles. If you were building additional miles in your base phase then don't increase weekly mileage any further while you increase your intensity with running strength workouts.

Depending on your experience level, training goals and/or race date, the running strength phase can last from three to nine weeks. Start by adding one just running strength workout to your schedule per week and always allow adequate time for recovery after hard workouts. After several weeks you can add a second strength running workout. Only the most experienced and well-conditioned athletes should do more than three strength running workouts a week. It creates more stress on your body and the reward is not always worth the risk. Better safe than sorry and sidelined with a running injury. 

LONG INTERVALS

After several weeks in the strength running phase the next phase is the long interval phase. Long intervals are great for long distance runners who want to increase their race pace with faster times. A long interval is anywhere between 1/2 mile and 1 - 1/2 mile intervals between recovery periods. Long intervals are most effective at increasing race pace for longer distances like the half marathon or marathon. 

RECOVERY/REST/DOWNTIME PHASE

If you haven't figured it out yet or learned the hard way, like I did, your body doesn't like it when you just go-go-go all the time. In addition to the rest days built into your training weeks, it is a good idea to take a week or three of recovery after a long training cycle. You can do low-impact cross training activities during this time, but recovery should be a priority. This may come after a big race or after 12-20 weeks of training, before you start it all over again. Rest weeks after a demanding training cycle will go a long way in maintaining physical and mental health. Ramp up your training, rest, rinse, repeat. 

Have questions? I'd love to help. 

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7 Habits of Highly Effective Runners

If you want to be a better runner then it makes sense that you should focus on running more, but there is more to being successful than just running. Highly effective (aka fast and injury-free) runners don't just run, they follow these seven habits.

1. Run Consistently

The most successful runners run consistently, week after week, year after year. In order to improve you have to lace up those shoes on a regular basis. Work to build up fitness slowly over time and get in the habit of hitting the pavement on a regular basis. This doesn't mean you need to go from zero to 30 miles per week (that's a recipe for injury). Work towards a consistent running schedule over the long term.

2. Eat well

Athletes fuel properly for performance by consuming a variety of nutrient-dense whole foods. Aim for a mix of healthy carbohydrates, fats and protein in your diet.

Eating too little for your activity level can affect performance in a negative way, just as over consuming can leave you feeling bloated and sluggish. Finding the balance of healthy foods you enjoy in proper portions is the key to success. I wrote more about nutrition for athletes in this post.

3. Recover Well

Great runners recover well. For proper recovery from those workouts aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Don't underestimate the importance of sleep as it relates to running success. Most of our body's recovery processes happens during sleep. If you are not improving over time despite your best efforts, sleep (or lack thereof) may be to blame.

We always seem to be looking for the magic bullet to achieve our goals, new supplements, intense workout routines, macro manipulation and meal timing. While these things can be helpful as we work to meet our goals, we shouldn't be attempting advanced strategies until the basics are covered. Sleep is an important basic. Are you getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep?

Speaking of recovery, rest days are an important part of any successful runner's training cycle. For best results allow at least 48 hours in between intense workouts. Adaptations (getting faster and stronger) happen during rest, not during the workout, so be sure you give your body the time it needs to recover and rebuild. Alternate between high intensity workouts with low intensity workouts and rest days.

An example week might look like this:
Monday: High intensity interval workout
Tuesday: Rest day (or active recovery, like walking or gentle Yoga)
Wednesday: Low intensity workout
Thursday: High intensity or low intensity workout
Friday: Low intensity workout or rest day
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Rest day

Try to avoid back-to-back intense or long workouts in order to properly recover. It's not about hammering yourself into the ground for results. Your body will thank you and you will reap the benefits in your performance.

4. Log Workouts

Great runners track their workouts and progress in training logs. In order to reach your goals, it is helpful to know where you are and where you came from. When you keep track of weekly mileage, average pace, as well as heart-rate and intensity you can make outcome-based decisions on what comes next in your training.

Maybe you'll notice that you always feel drained with heavy legs on early morning runs, but feel fast and efficient in the afternoon. Tracking may reveal that too many speed work sessions in one week leaves you feeling drained and overworked. Maybe you find that adding an extra tempo run in a week improves your half marathon pace. It's hard to know what is working or not working until you track and monitor it. 

I noticed that if I ran more than two days in a row, I would experience some hip pain. I backed off running on that third day for rest and the hip pain went away. The journal helped me see that pattern and I adjusted my training plan to fit my needs. 

When you document your runs you can follow the trends and make adjustments as needed. Keeping track of your runs, how you feel and your recovery can help you make decisions that will set you up for success in the future. 

5. Strength Train

In order to be a great runner, it pays to take some time for strength training. Runners can develop muscle imbalances and overuse injuries. Performing full body workouts while focusing on strong hips, hamstrings and core with a supplemental strength training program can help you become a faster, stronger and less injury prone runner. This blog is devoted to strength training for runners, so click around for a lot of strength training workout ideas. 

6. Stretch and Foam Roll

Most of us mere mortals have both overactive and underactive muscles. This means that some muscles are working too hard and are tight, shortened/overactive, while other muscles are underactive and not pulling their weight (so to speak), so they need to be strengthened. 

Stretching and foam rolling can help with those overactive, tight muscles. Runners can improve overall flexibility and work to correct muscle imbalances by foam rolling before runs and stretching after every run. I wrote a post about foam rolling that may be helpful. 

7. Build Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is learning the difference between physical pain and mental pain. Never attempt to push through physical pain in the muscles or joints during runs. Physical pain is the body's way of notifying you that something is wrong. However, often the pain we feel is mental anguish. When we work to keep going when our minds tell us to quit or we push through another tough mile, lap or rep, it builds the mental toughness that is necessary to be a highly effective runner. We almost always can do more than we think we can. Test that theory to watch your results skyrocket. 

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Fit to Run: Run for the Hills

Welcome to the latest edition of Workout Wednesday, when each week I share a new running or strength training workout. This week we are doing hills! Every runner's favorite workout is a hill workout, right? (Crickets). OK, so maybe they are not the favorite, but I assure you hill repeats are some of the most effective interval workouts for runners looking to improve running strength and increase speed. What's not to love about that?

I put together this hill workout that you can try on a treadmill. It is only 19 minutes long, but you'll get in a great workout during a short period of time. 

THE WORKOUT

Always warm-up before beginning any workout. 

Start by running for two minutes at 0% incline
Increase the incline to 2% and run for one minute at a hard effort (RPE 7-8)
Recover by jogging at an easy pace for one minute at 0% incline
Increase the incline to 4% and run for one minute at a hard effort
Recover by jogging at an easy pace for one minute at 0% incline
Increase the incline to 6% and run for one minute at a hard effort
Recover by jogging at an easy pace for one minute at 0% incline
Increase the incline to 8% and run for one minute at a hard effort
Recover by jogging at an easy pace for one minute at 0% incline
Decrease the incline back down to 8%, 6%, 4%, 2% with one-minute easy jog recovery between reps at 0% incline.
Cool down for two to five minutes

WORD TO THE WISE

This is a short but challenging workout. Allow your body adequate time after this workout to properly recover. Most athletes will need two to five rest and/or recovery days between hard workouts. You can do easy runs or lower impact activities during this time. Adaptation (getting faster and stronger) happens during rest, not during the actual workout. Be sure to allow your body the proper time for recovery from intense workouts in order to reap the benefits of your hard work. 

Never blindly follow a workout on the internet. Listen to your body. If you need more recovery time between reps, then take two minutes (or three). If an 8% incline is too hard, then only go to 6% or 4% and work to increase it in the future as you get stronger and fitter. If one-minute intervals are too much, start at 30 seconds. Always work according to your own fitness ability. Pushing beyond your limits will only lead to frustration, burnout, and injury. Start small when necessary and allow yourself the space to grow. Need help? Have questions? I'd love to help. 

Interested in hill workouts that you can try outdoors? I wrote a post last year about running hills that you may find helpful.

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10 Essential Safety Tips for Runners

Running safety has been on my mind a lot lately since I started the Runner's World summer run streak and I've been running outdoors a lot more. It's the kind of thing we tend not to think too much about until something happens to us or someone we love (or we see those scary news stories).

I had a long stretch of time when I did not run outdoors alone at all, because out of nowhere I had a weird feeling about it. I think it's important to trust our intuition. These days I run with hubby when possible and take precautions to run as safely as possible. If I feel unusually uneasy one day, I'll run on the treadmill or take a rest day. We don't need to be afraid to run, just be aware of the risks and take safety measures.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link in this post and make a purchase, I make a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. No one is getting rich here, it just helps with the running (pun intended) of this blog. 

RUN WITH A PARTNER WHEN POSSIBLE

There is safety in numbers. If possible, run with a partner, even if that partner is your dog (hi, Ollie!). I run with my husband a lot which makes me feel safer out on the streets. When he runs faster than me, I yell at him from behind to slow down or else I might get murdered back here. All joking aside, team up for safety.

IF RUNNING ALONE LET OTHERS KNOW

Let someone know when you are going on a run alone. Advise them the route you intend to run, when you are leaving and when you return. If could be someone you live with or just a text to a friend. If nothing else it gives you a legitimate reason to #runbrag. 

AVOID RUNNING WITH HEADPHONES

I love running to music, especially my beloved White Stripes, but running with headphones can be dangerous. It's important to stay present and aware of our surroundings. If you can't hear that barking dog, distracted driver or possible predator approaching, you're less likely to be prepared to defend yourself. Save the headphones for the treadmill or track.

WEAR LIGHTS AND REFLECTIVE GEAR AT NIGHT

It's probably best to limit runs to daylight hours, but I know that's not always possible, especially during the winter months. When running in the dark, wear a headlamp or shoe lights and reflective gear. You may look dorky with a headlamp, but safety first, right? Right.

ALWAYS CARRY YOUR CELL PHONE

Always carry your cell phone so you can make a phone call in case of emergency or get too tired and need a ride home (wink). I use a FlipBelt that holds my personal items close to by body while I run. 

CHANGE UP YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

We are creatures of habit and it can be easy to fall into a regular running route at the same time every day. It's a good idea to change up your route or the time of day. Run an hour earlier or an hour later, or on a different day than usual to change it up. Try running your regular route backwards or on different streets. 

ALWAYS CARRY ID

It's an easy thing to overlook. You think that you'll be back in 30 minutes, you don't really need your ID, but if something happens, having identification and/or emergency contact information on you is crucial. You can slide your driver's license in your running belt or wear a shoe ID. 

RUN ON LOW TRAFFIC STREETS AGAINST TRAFFIC

Run on low traffic streets facing oncoming traffic. It may sound counterintuitive, but when you run against traffic, you can see the traffic coming towards you and will be able to react quicker than if it was coming from behind you. 

AVOID UNFAMILIAR AREAS

When running alone, avoid isolated and unfamiliar areas. You can could easily make a wrong turn and end up in an unsafe part of town. When you are out of town, ask for route recommendations from hotel staff, running stores and local runners. Know in advance who to contact in case of emergency. 

CONSIDER PEPPER SPRAY OR SELF-DEFENSE CLASSES

Consider carrying pepper spray or a personal alarm with you on your run or taking self-defense classes. 

Do you take these safety measures on your run? Any other safety tips you'd like to share? Trust your intuition, take safety precautions and run safe!

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Coach Lea