2006 - February

[Sweder]

Worth the wait, as usual, more so for the quality of the piece; a real gem. I nearly didn’t make it past the kitchen floor bit, I was laughing so hard.

You may not be a pessimist but I suspect that like many of us in the ‘hopeful plodder’ category you have serious masochistic tendencies. We seem to revel in the sheer toughness of a difficult run, though to be fair there wasn’t much post-run revelling in the Home Counties last Sunday. We certainly line up for more soon enough.

I thought for one moment the audio clip ‘Lovely day’ might be that infamous butt of the oldest joke in the world:

How d’you change a duck into a soul singer?
Put him in a microwave and wait ‘til his Bill Withers.
I said it was old, not good.

[Seafront Plodder]

Oh dear. "equally as" is a bête noire of mine. One or t'other but not both, they say.

I must interject here to document that the phrase "bête noire", is a particular Voulez-vous cesser de me cracher dessus pendant que vous parlez, of mine.

But I try not to let it get to me.

[stillwaddler]

Picture looks like bleak moor land in the distance, are you sure you entered the right race? Did you spot any large white bouncing balls ? What happened to the old guy in the purple lycra? Maybe he’s still running?

Well done Andy just for getting out there and completing it. Your photo belies your feelings of plumpness before the start, you look positively svelt.

[El Gordo]

Your photo belies your feelings of plumpness before the start, you look positively svelt.

Thanks SW. On a serious note, I've lost about 15 pounds in the last 6 weeks or so. This is obviously good news, but I have wondered if I'm overdoing it a bit. My calorie intake has dropped quite drastically -- I've got used to restricting myself to about 1500 a day. Maybe this explains why I'm finding it hard to sustain energy levels?

I'm off work this week, and may find myself grabbing a few illicit calories here and there. I'm supposed to have a 20 mile race on Sunday.

Ha ha ha!

[marathondan]

Andy, well done on finishing Wokingham, a thoughtful write-up and a positive note to end on.

But your weight loss sounds dramatic. A few years ago I did 1500 cals for a month or so and lost about 8 pounds. I was permanently hungry, and got through cubic metres of rice cakes between meals. But I put it back on within six months, it just wasn't sustainable.

And that was before I took up running. You must be burning around 150 cals/mile; I don't know your weekly mileage but you must be seeing off 3000 cals a week through running. We large-framed chaps should require over 2000 cals/day to maintain a stable weight. Hmm, let's see, (1500-2000)*7-3000 = -6500 cals/wk. They say 3000 cals = 1lb of fat (I think), so that gives around 2.2lb/week weight loss, 15lb in 6 weeks = 2.5 lb/wk. There you go!

Well, what I was going to say before I went stat-crazy, was that I can't imagine being able to do any running when I felt as hungry as I did on 1500 cals/day. I am completely inexpert, but it sounds to me like you should adjust your calorie intake upwards towards a more sustainable long-term weight loss target (e.g. 0.5-1lb/wk). Especially now that you are on the run-in to Zurich. I don't think you should be aiming for significant weight loss now.

Feel free to ignore. But you ain't gonna get those glycogen levels up on 1500 cals/day. Start taking on some more licit calories so you don't need to resort to the illicit ones.

[Sweder]

I've lost about 6 lbs over the same period, Andy. I'm still eating like a horse at meal times but . . . and here's the rub . . . not between them. And Almería aside I've given my beloved beer a fairly wide berth, too. As I've run the equivalent of a half marathon every Sunday since Christmas (sounds good, eh?) I've started 'eating for my run' from Friday night onwards, to include bagels and lots of toasted fruitbread (for breakfast and pudding).

Start that mini-load-up program this week. It should help the 20 this weekend.

[El Gordo]

Sigh. Oh alright then....



But it is a dilemma. I need to lose weight to run more comfortably, but yes, I can see that too much loss can cause problems.

Dan - I was actually including running in my calculations. The 1500 figure is a net figure, i.e. taking running into consideration.

Funnily enough I haven't suffered too much from hunger. I've been eating very little processed food, which I find can be quite addictive. If I stick with fruit and veg, I seem to feel pretty satisfied. I've been eating fruit for breakfast and the odd snack, something like a baked potato or salad for lunch, then a pile of veg in the evening. Perhaps stir-fried or roasted. Very tasty and filling.

But OK, I'll try to load up with some more carbs, starting with a few beers in the pub this evening for the Liverpool-Arsenal game.

Hurrah!

[Bierzo Baggie]

Instead of treating it as a bad race, look at it as a good training run. You had the guts to keep going and that'll help in the long run. 10 minute miles, that's about 4:20 marathon pace isn't it? Now that sounds better....well done for getting through it and I'll be rooting for you all the way to Zurich!!

[marathondan]

Dan - I was actually including running in my calculations. The 1500 figure is a net figure, i.e. taking running into consideration.

Aha, it did seem a bit improbable. So much for my maths. But the fact remains, 15lb in 6 weeks is a fantastic achievement, but will be hard to sustain for much longer. Now might be a good time to relax to 1750 cals or something in order to continue at a more gentle pace.

Having said that, perhaps the runner's mantra of "listen to your body" applies?

Sweder, I like your idea of "something for the weekend"!

[suzieq]

I agree with the others - you need to start getting more carbs into you if you're running as much as you are. No wonder you feel tired part way through. I'd probably collapse with what you've been eating. I usually eat about 2000 calories a day (or more) - and you know what size I am! I eat lots, but as Sweder says, no snacking - or at least, no bad snacking. Fruit and veg. snacking is just fine (and wine of course).

Continue on eating healthy and eating lots of carbs and worry about the weight after your marathon. You'll probably find it you still lose a little along the way.

(and great race report - I laughed as well picturing you!)

Suzie

[El Gordo]

I laughed as well picturing you!

Come on guys, you're not supposed to be laughing at me. I'm after sympathy here.

Looks like I'll have to change tack....

Anyway, good to hear from you Suzie. How's your London training going?

Let us know what your schedule is for your trip and we'll arrange a get-together.

[El Gordo]

I got round the Bramley 20 , but it was tough .

Report later.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Well done Andy, a big effort. Sub 5 mara is next. Don't keep us waiting too long for your report!

[El Gordo]

Thanks MLCM, but if you want the truth, I have little hope of a sub-5 marathon. I'm beginning to think that marathons are just too much for me. But I need to sleep on this one - just as soon as I've enjoyed a glass or two of this Brown Bros Sparkling Pinot Noir/ Chardonnay. I'm in a post-race fizzy groove, so you'll have to judge carefully the nonsense quotient of anything I say.

As ever.

[Sweder]

Thanks MLCM, but if you want the truth, I have little hope of a sub-5 marathon.

I know the feeling Andy - it always hits hardest after a gruelling run.
The problem is we spend rather too much time thinking. I remember finishing my first Brighton Half in 2003 and thinking 'there's no way I could do that again', as in, twice on the same day to finish a marathon. And then I did. And I thought after that, 'there's no way I could do that again' . . . and so it goes on.

As you say, it's perhaps not the best time to reflect too deeply.
If you did want to tackle that sub-5 issue I've got some ideas that might help in the long term. For now enjoy an easy week - I'm looking at a couple of very lazy hilltop fives before flying to Houston on Friday. Lord knows if I'll get any decent distance covered over there . . .

I owe an awful lot of people rather a lot of beer in that town

[El Gordo]

Thanks for the thoughts. You're right about not rushing into hasty conclusions.

I've got a 10K race next Sunday, which will be a delight in terms of distance.

I need to have a solid, constructive week with some sprightly 5 milers, though I might be in Germany one or two days, so I'll have to see how that goes.

Cheers

Andy

[El Gordo]

The Bramley report will have to wait a day or two. I find myself in Dusseldorf with a busy day or two ahead of me.

It won't be an epic.

[Sweder]

Heading west on Friday myself, though hopefully not in the Biggles sense.
Look forward to reading the Terrible Tales of Bramley over a top shelf margarita at Cafe Adobe.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Yeah give up Andy - face facts, you'll never break 5 hours.



God, what absolute tosh. You do 20 miles at 11:27 pace in atrocious conditions, and on a less than favourable course and you still don't believe you can do it!?

Man, you are on track - from what I can see thus far, if you just keep at it 4 hours something is yours for the taking in Zurich. You'll have a great course, better weather (can't be worse?), a screaming crowd and umpteen thousand other runners to put the final gloss on your training and get you over the line before the clock ticks over to 5 hours.

If I believe it, it must be true

But I bet everyone else here believes it too.

[Bierzo Baggie]

I reckon you're right on track. Keep going mate...this is getting exciting!