How to make a fatty faster?

Triathlon Forum
1

I’ll try to make my long story as short as possible here.

I have been an athlete my whole life, but always over weight. I went from “fat” to just a “big guy” and back again a few times.

I hit a tipping point a few years ago right before my daughter was born. I was 330 lbs. I was always interested in being fit and getting fit. 5 years before that I was 265 for my wedding. That’s when I first got into triathlon.

I crash dieted my way to the alter, I was in pretty decent shape, but the way I got to that weight, I couldn’t keep it off.

So now I’m sitting at 280. Down 50 lbs over 3 years and I feel like I’ve done it the right way. Small changes in my life, noticing wasted calories and trying to cut them out here and there. My goal is another 50 lbs over the next couple years.

This brings me to my actual question. What can I do to get faster. The past few years I’ve been basically just training to complete the distance. I started with sprints, then Olympic, and last August I completed my first 70.3. I found it hard to concentrate on my weight loss with the increased training load of the 70.3. I was always hungry.

This season I’m taking a step back and just trying to concentrate on sprints, but getting faster. I feel like a lighter more efficient training load will allow me to make better decisions in my diet.

This isn’t a diet question, it’s a training question though.

I don’t have a power meter and I’ve never really looked at my heart rate. I may have never really trained with perceived exertion either. Its always been just finish the distance.

I just completed my first sprint of the year last weekend. This coming weekend will mark 8 weeks till my next one. But I’m more concerned with my A race which is 13 weeks out.
Last time I did this race I held 17mph on the bike and ran a 29 minute 5k. My swim is what it is. I know my limitations as far as my family and how much time I can get to the gym. Plus it’s a 1/4 mile ocean swim. Sometimes it’s flat, other times it’s a mess out there. I’m not a fast swimmer and really don’t have time to change that.

My goal this year is to beat my bike and run numbers by a fair bit. My current 5k pr is 27:02. My best 5k in a triathlon is 27:30. This race is an out and back sort of. Out you run up the beach. Normally it’s hard packed sand. Then you run back down the boardwalk. Not sure of a goal, but I think 28:00 if a good one.

The bike is flat except for two bridges. I would like to see if I can manage 19-20 mph for that.

For a sprint race, and my goals, I’m considering just adding some weight lifting in. I figure go heavy with deadlift type stuff for 6-8 weeks then taper that off the the 5 weeks leading up to the race. Does that make sense?

Then I just need to figure out some speed workouts to do for my run and bike training. That’s where you guys come in. What are some of your best speed workouts for running and cycling?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

2

Have you considered working with a coach? This sort of thing is hard to really gauge and recommend workouts without really knowing a lot more about your current training. Just throwing in speed workouts can lead to injury really quick, especially on a frame that is carrying a bit of extra weight.

3

I would not start lifting weights

I would put as much time into more biking and keep your run at whatever you are doing
.

4

Hi jonp,

My advice comes from one who has the experience of going from 260 pounds to 175 pounds through triathlon and a healthy diet. I am and 6 foot 2.5 inches if that helps. I spent my adult life from 20 to 35 also bouncing up and down between overweight to borderline obese.

Weight lifting is definitely not the solution and does not make any sense at all to improve your next race.

You asked for some good speed workouts for running and cycling. There is a problem though and that is that you also mentioned that you don’t look at heart rate, power (pace?) or even RPE that much. These metrics are the language of effective workouts. It’s like trying to communicate not knowing the language. HR, Power, Pace and RPE all help to gauge intensity, and training at the correct intensity levels is one of the most important things for someone to improve their performance after they have been in the sport a while. And it sounds like despite being overweight to different levels you have been in the sport a while. So you need to get speaking the language and using the language in your training.

That much being said why don’t you try some interval training. Go out for an 1:15 ride or 00:45 run and after getting warmed up try to do a few minutes at the effort you are targeting for your “A” race. See how it feels. If it’s manageable consider adding 10% more time at that effort level the next week. Go from there. It it’s not sustainable consider reassessing your goals.

Now I am going to be brutally honest with you here. Forget what I said above. You are trying to get Corvette performance out of a Corvette engine, but it is mounted into and H2 Hummer body. It’s just not going to happen. Even if that engine is cranking 600 HP the steering, suspension, transmission and blah blah blah on the H2 just isn’t going to allow it to perform. You gotta match the engine to the car. You are the car.

I know you can get your weight down even more. If I did anyone can. I understand the struggle. If you feel it may be more than just a will power problem but maybe a serious personal psychological issue then bring in the help of a trusted professional dietician or clinician.

You can do it. Good Luck out there and let us know how your race goes. Feel free to PM me if you like.

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Athlete all your life? Powerlifter or football linesman? I was a former fatty (weightlifter) and a weightlifting focus (obviously with diet - low carb) is where I lost most weight while building more muscle. Muscle requires more energy for sustainment, plus there will be less loose skin. I find it strange you won’t post your diet, as that is likely at fault. Less fat weight will lead to more speed

6

Watch these documentaries on Netflix. They might inspire you and give you some idea.

  • Fat, sick and nearly dead
  • Forks over knives
  • Food, Inc
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I highly respect your decision to reach out to your peers. It’s a great step in taking ownership of the root of what’s holding you back from reaching your goals. A lot of us have found this sport by virtue of wanting to make a lifestyle change, getting hooked by the ongoing challenge of trying to master three sports plus two disciplines (transitions and nutrition) within a community of fantastically supportive and knowledgeable people.

Pace on foot is generally governed by power moving you forward and weight holding you back. Of course there are other factors involved too, but this is the main thing. On the bike, the moment there is vertical involved, power and weight will be factors. Simply put, if you optimize your power to weight ratio, you’ll get quick. That ratio is far easier to optimize by shedding non-contributing weight than generating more power.

If you have to choose between one or another, I’d recommend you invest in a nutritionist rather than a coach at this juncture. Once you have made that lifestyle change a habit you cannot fathom changing and can do it without outside help, then spend the money on a coach to find your ultimate potential.

Do it!
Dave

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Weight is a difficult thing to mention… I’m currently 9kg overweight as I was ill during the winter and couldn’t train. After a few months of just bike training I managed a power pb up my test hill. 5 extra watts 25sec slower than my pb time.
PS for a guy your size a 27 min 5km is fast so you have a good engine and are not scared of hard work.

9

Be careful pushing/increasing run speed depending on how old you are. You can do some damage to your knees pretty easily. I’ve torn meniscus and it is no fun.

10

Start tracking calorie consumption on the My Fitness Pal App (free). You really need to cut out the junk and get serious about your performance. Losing more weight will make your goals easily attainable. You will surpass those goals. So it comes down to what you want more junk food or performance?

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This isn’t a diet question, it’s a training question though.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Great progress with your diet/exercise. Congratulations. I thought adding in weight training was a good idea. Curious as to why you just limited it to deadlifts though. Other whole body exercises ie squats, bench press, rows with free weights will also help you both loose weight and stabilise your knee joints. You’ll get faster as the weight comes off. 80% of weight loss is diet 20% exercise.

Cheers

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Thank you all for the I put. The majority of the sentiment(sp?) seems to be to focus more on my weight loss. Also it seems like trying to go into much running speed work might not be the safest route.

I signed up for weight watchers in the past and had good results. Maybe I’ll look in that direction to make a serious effort toward my weight loss.

As far as my training , if I can really work on my bike training it should be default help my running too, without all the extra impact.

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Significant weight loss will leverage your performance more than any training program ever will.
So stick with the training and have fun with it- But pay attention to the eating side of the equation.

14

I started my journey at 280 several years back. I now race at 195.

You probably don’t need any more advice, but…

Load the myfitnesspal app, track you calories in and out.

You can do it. But only you can.

And it will make you faster.

I still struggle with it. Raced earlier this year at 198 ish, but injury and time off and back to 205. I just today started tracking my food again, good and bad.

Assuming there is no medical issue involved, if you want it you can do it. But no workout in the word is going to be able to overcome the excess weight

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Quick questions…

  1. How old are you?
  2. Any complications associated with obesity at the moment? (diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol etc)
  3. How tall are you?
16

Quick questions…

  1. How old are you?
  2. Any complications associated with obesity at the moment? (diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol etc)
  3. How tall are you?
    I’m 35
    6”
    No issues. I get my annual checkup and blood work done. Levels are all ok.
17

I would put as much time into more biking and keep your run at whatever you are doing

I’m with MrTri123. Your 5k is pretty damn fast for 280. Running is the most punishing on the body; I wouldn’t want to push much harder with the training there until you got closer to your goal weight. Keep doing what you’re doing with the run and go for the lowest hanging fruit here which, to me, looks like the bike. Also happens to be the longest leg, time-wise, so a 1% improvement saves you ~35% more time than a 1% improvement on the run.

Some say you should get a coach and it’s not bad advice, but I’d say you can probably make the next step without one and use the money you would have spent on a coach to buy some of the tools that will really help you with focusing your training, whether you continue to self coach or eventually get professional guidance. Specifically, I’m talking about a power meter and a turbo trainer. Basic power meters are getting pretty inexpensive; I’ve seen the 4iiii and some Stages models on sale for low $300’s, assuming you have a compatible crankset. The $1000 direct drive, computer-controlled-resistance trainers are nifty but, assuming you have a proper power meter, a basic wheel-on trainer will get the job done. I got one of these, used maybe two times, off craigslist for $50. https://www.performancebike.com/...yEAQYASABEgL0X_D_BwE

So, what do you do with your power meter and your trainer? Get a subscription to TrainerRoad. I promise you, if you go from a foundation of no real structured training and do TrainerRoad’s Low Volume Sweet Spot Base I & II programs, you’ll improve your threshold power considerably in 12 weeks. How much is “considerably?” I’d be shocked if you didn’t improve at least 10% , and wouldn’t be surprised to see 15%.

As for weights, I would be looking at a much more modest program; something that focuses on core strength and joint stability over brute power. A couple times a week is enough. The purpose is to supplement your event specific training, not be a key element of your training. In general, the best way to be a better biker is to bike, not lift. You lift only to be strong enough to train hader on the bike without injury. Lift too much, and your bike training will actually suffer. That’s counterproductive.

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As for weights, I would be looking at a much more modest program; something that focuses on core strength and joint stability over brute power. A couple times a week is enough. The purpose is to supplement your event specific training, not be a key element of your training. In general, the best way to be a better biker is to bike, not lift. You lift only to be strong enough to train hader on the bike without injury. Lift too much, and your bike training will actually suffer. That’s counterproductive.

And then let me show you an olympic gold medal cyclist who lifts heavy weights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNDdTtjD2Zg

As to OP do not do weight watchers. It allows heavily processed food that once people go off that diet they usually go back to where they started. What ever diet you choose… keto - vegan - low carb … make sure its more whole food based .

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And then let me show you an olympic gold medal cyclist who lifts heavy weights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNDdTtjD2Zg

Now show me a triathlete who can run and swim, or even ride 20km, with legs like that…

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Just gotta add, a 27:xx 5k at 280 lbs is pretty legit!