Ran a half marathon yesterday (Surf City in Huntington Beach, CA - great race).
I am about 10 pounds heavier than when I ran last year (180 pre-race vs 170 last year).
I am 38 years old - 5’10".
Last year, I ran a 1:34. Yesterday was 1:40.
The difference is not all weight related, but also training related (which is weight related, which is training related - Kind of a catch-22).
I do “think” that If I was closer to 170, that with my current training, I would have been closer to last year’s time.
I felt it in my hips more than anything.
Time to start focusing on training and put down the bag of doritos.
Yes weight is pretty big for run time. I have lost about 160lbs. in the last 3+ years. Specifically I lost 40lbs between 2010-2011 half-marathon I did. I shaved 30mins which I would say it is mostly weight and of course training. Unfortunately with the runs that much gain cannot be seen in a short time unless there is a major weight loss. Now that I am getting close to my ideal race weight, it is getting hard to see that type of gain.
It should be easy for you to lose that 10lbs I am sure.
Good luck!
The rule of thumb is 1 minute per pound on your marathon time. It has correlated for me over time…
For a 1/2 - I would guess less than that (less than 30 sec /pound) because the pounding doesn’t take the
toll the way it does the last hour of a mary.
.
Time to start focusing on training and put down the bag of doritos.
Dude triathlons are fun, but let’s not go overboard. Silly talk like ditching Dorito’s will do nothing but get you punched in the neck!
Incidentally, I did the 5 year Red Shield. I had a very lengthy discussion with the manager of the 6 store Trek Store umbrella regarding what it did/didn’t cover. Had I not been so head in the sand towards new bike purchases I would have been on a Trek long b/f this week. With my mileage I will blow up at least 2-3 wheelsets, a rear shifter and a rear derailleur in a 5 year stretch.
Ran a half marathon yesterday (Surf City in Huntington Beach, CA - great race).
I am about 10 pounds heavier than when I ran last year (180 pre-race vs 170 last year).
I am 38 years old - 5’10".
Last year, I ran a 1:34. Yesterday was 1:40.
The difference is not all weight related, but also training related (which is weight related, which is training related - Kind of a catch-22). .
10lb/170lb= 5.88% weight gain 6 min / 194 min = 6.38% slower pace
I’d say the weight difference caused the vast majority of the difference.
Hugh
Correct, but what I am saying is that I gained weight because I was not training enough. If I had been training better, I would have been lighter.
too many variables to make it much of anything. Yea, weigh makes a difference, but there are also so many other factors at play that you really just can’t pin it all on any one thing with much weight. Hell, I have been scratching my head the last several months trying to figure out why my run times are so much slower than last year at this time. I’m running “slightly” less, but not all that much less. Pretty much the same weight…just couldn’t figure it out. Then during one of my recent runs I noticed I was running a bit back on my heals, kind of more upright which made me feel like I was fighting my run a bit - I think I was just running a bit “lazy”. Next run I concentrated on what I consider a better form…a bit more of a forward lean which I think put me at more of a midfoot strike - immediately found the 20-30 sec/mile I lost - go figure. I wish someone could show me another form change to gain me an extra 20/30 sec/min and I’d be all set!
Michael
Yes, I think the rule is about 3 seconds per mile per pound, so 30 seconds per mile for 10 lbs. which is the 6 minutes you see there.
Dude triathlons are fun, but let’s not go overboard. Silly talk like ditching Dorito’s will do nothing but get you punched in the neck!
That’s just an existence I’m not willing to accept.
Dude triathlons are fun, but let’s not go overboard. Silly talk like ditching Dorito’s will do nothing but get you punched in the neck!
That’s just an existence I’m not willing to accept.
A world without Dorito’s is like being a dentist in a toothless world. It just ain’t right.
i have a weight vest if you would care to test this math theory out.
(currently i’m wearing natures weight vest…)
Tim
I had a buddy that trained with one of the parachutes that you pull behind you as you run. He was a strong guy but that was probably because of the hours he put in, not the parachute. But hey, the placebo effect is HUGE and if dropping even 5lbs gives you more confidence, go for it.
I had a buddy that trained with one of the parachutes that you pull behind you as you run. He was a strong guy but that was probably because of the hours he put in, not the parachute. But hey, the placebo effect is HUGE and if dropping even 5lbs gives you more confidence, go for it.
Did he ever wear it on group runs?
Jack Daniels, the exercise phys guy/coach (not the drink) has said 20s per mile for every 10 pounds. It adds up. Few ever get to a low enough body fat to where their run times are actually negatively impacted by weight loss.
See, there is the problem. I was following the wrong Jack Daniels.
i have a weight vest if you would care to test this math theory out.
(currently i’m wearing natures weight vest…)
Tim
I would be more inclined to believe this test, done with some mile repeats, or a couple shorter races in a relatively short period of time (so fitness stays the same). A year apart isn’t exactly a “back to back” comparison.
At 8lbs heavier than last year, in the same 1/2M race I was 5min faster this year, than last. Considering I usually get my ass kicked by people who are much heavier than I am (and I beat plenty of people that are much lighter), I tend to go with the fitness theory, over the weight theory. Within reason of course.
Yes, weight = slow. I know.
I actually gave up potato chips 2 years ago and don’t miss them. If I could quit soda though… I’m not talking that high fructose crap but real sugar cane soda too.
there’s not that many factors. Just run 5 miles holding 10lbs of weights in your hands. And then run 5 miles without the weights on another day and see the difference. It’s the same thing as running with 10 lbs of extra body weight.
there’s not that many factors. Just run 5 miles holding 10lbs of weights in your hands. And then run 5 miles without the weights on another day and see the difference. It’s the same thing as running with 10 lbs of extra body weight.
That would not be a good test as having extra weight in your hands will alter your running form. The weight is not distributed evenly through out your body.