Here's my finish line photo from the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, ALA on February 13th!!
This was my first marathon. I'm hooked now and am planning to run 2 or 3 next season. LOL.
So I guess no bulking plans for me anytime soon, although I have to say that Book of Muscle Intermediate has been tremendously helpful for maintaining my upper body strength through all of the marathon training!
Thanks!!! LOL. Yeah, I knew I was out of it at the finish, but when I saw this picture, I couldn't stop laughing.
The big Bama hills helped me tremendously with my training and finishing time.
Cracking 3 hours is my long-term goal. I think I could knock off several minutes just with better pacing. I maintained ~7:15 pace out through 13-15 miles and then began to decline. I ran the last 6 miles at an average pace of 8:00 (but that did include some nasty uphill segments). So if I had gone out a little slower, I might have finished under 3:15 this time.
No more marathons until December, but I am planning to run a 10 mile race next month and then a 15K in Birmingham in April, which covers a difficult hilly course from what everyone says.
Dave,
Congrats on a fantastic showing. Wow! I am truly impressed by your time. That long term goal doesn't seem so long term, as far as I am concerned.
Way to go.
Mahler
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jcwiseesq, I never lost feeling in my legs, but I started having spasms in one hamstring and both calves around mile 21-22. Fortunately, I was able to shake them off!!
[img]smile.gif[/img] Dave, that is truly awesome, and very inspiring. Gee, maybe someday I can be a buff marathoner. That's pretty much a major oxymoron,isn't it?
Excellent Job Man!! I hate any cardio, the bad thing about being in the Army is I have to take PT test twice a year and we have to run 2 miles. I always tell my boss that my daddy taught me not to run to stand my ground and fight (lol)
Chris, my max training run was just under 20 miles, which I did 3 weeks prior to the marathon. Because I live in a very hilly area with a variety of inclines (some very steep, some less steep but very lengthy - 1 to 1.5 miles), that training run actually was worse for me than the marathon (by far). Plus the weather was much worse for that run - temps. at freezing, very windy, etc. I did a total of 5 runs at ~15 miles or more prior to the race. I was running 4 days per week prior to the marathon, with my highest weekly mileage in the low 40's. Next season, I may go to a 5-day per week running schedule, which will probably mean only doing weights twice per week.
I didn't think I would get this hooked on the long distance running, but I really enjoy the competitive aspects of the races. Hopefully if I keep up my weight training and don't buy into the idea that I need to drop to 155 lbs. to knock a few minutes off my race times, I won't get too emaciated!!
Originally posted by BamaDave: Thanks!
Next season, I may go to a 5-day per week running schedule, which will probably mean only doing weights twice per week.
I'm doing 4 days running, 2 days weights. Time is the major factor else I'd try a 4-3 or a 5-2 split.
Quote:
I didn't think I would get this hooked on the long distance running, but I really enjoy the competitive aspects of the races. Hopefully if I keep up my weight training and don't buy into the idea that I need to drop to 155 lbs. to knock a few minutes off my race times, I won't get too emaciated!!
Competitiveness is a huge reason why I race. Nothing like going from "general participant" to one of the seeded areas! And I'm having trouble staying at 150 lbs.... I guess I'm past emaciated.
Originally posted by kmwest: I'm doing 4 days running, 2 days weights. Time is the major factor else I'd try a 4-3 or a 5-2 split.
Are you doing full-body weight workouts on those two days?? I think that's what I'll do if and when I switch to only 2 days working with weights.
Quote:
Competitiveness is a huge reason why I race. Nothing like going from "general participant" to one of the seeded areas! And I'm having trouble staying at 150 lbs.... I guess I'm past emaciated.
Maybe 150 isn't emaciated for you. It likely would be for me. My morning weight right now is 175, so 150's for me would be very low (I'm 5'11").
I wish I had started entering races sooner. While I am not ever going to win a race, I have a shot at age-group placing in some of these races. Of course it helps when you live in the bullseye of the obesity epidemic. Birmingham, Alabama isn't exactly overflowing with competitive runners. So I might place here but would be more of a middle of the pack runner in a healthier, more exercise-conscious community.
Congratulations man, thats an awesome accomplishment. I would love to run a marathon some day, I just would be too afraid of losing what muscle mass I have.
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quote:Originally posted by kmwest: I'm doing 4 days running, 2 days weights. Time is the major factor else I'd try a 4-3 or a 5-2 split.
Are you doing full-body weight workouts on those two days?? I think that's what I'll do if and when I switch to only 2 days working with weights.
Quote:
Competitiveness is a huge reason why I race. Nothing like going from "general participant" to one of the seeded areas! And I'm having trouble staying at 150 lbs.... I guess I'm past emaciated.
Maybe 150 isn't emaciated for you. It likely would be for me. My morning weight right now is 175, so 150's for me would be very low (I'm 5'11").
I wish I had started entering races sooner. While I am not ever going to win a race, I have a shot at age-group placing in some of these races. Of course it helps when you live in the bullseye of the obesity epidemic. Birmingham, Alabama isn't exactly overflowing with competitive runners. So I might place here but would be more of a middle of the pack runner in a healthier, more exercise-conscious community. [/quote]Yes, I'm doing a 5x5 push/pull routine. PUSH: Box squats, bench, CG bench, shoulder press. PULL: RDL, BO Row, weighted chinups, curls (it feels so weird to do these - it's been a long time).
I'm 5'10", so yes, 150 is pretty low...
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Originally posted by nbjjku: Congratulations man, thats an awesome accomplishment. I would love to run a marathon some day, I just would be too afraid of losing what muscle mass I have.
I don't believe I lost any mass during training. But I kept my calories up and also did weight training 3 days per week. Also, I did not do the classic marathon training of 6-7 days per week running with 50+ miles of running per week. Most of my weeks were in the 25-35 mile range, with only two near 40 miles.
It probably depends on your goals. If your goal is to finish and do respectably, you can likely do that without sacrificing muscle mass. But if you plan to get into competitive marathoning, reducing weight is probably essential. If you read the Runner's World forums, some of the threads on weight and nutrition are almost completely opposite from here. LOL. "How do I lose mass?" etc. Some things surprised me from reading the RW forums - such as the number of runners who go on extreme diets within weeks of a race to drop a lot of weight fast. To me it seems like the detrimental effects of rapid weightloss would outweigh any pace gains from dropping 10 lbs.
Originally posted by kmwest:
Yes, I'm doing a 5x5 push/pull routine. PUSH: Box squats, bench, CG bench, shoulder press. PULL: RDL, BO Row, weighted chinups, curls (it feels so weird to do these - it's been a long time).
I'm 5'10", so yes, 150 is pretty low...
That sounds like a good split routine. I know what you mean about curls - I have been doing pre-planned programs (Homegrown Muscle and Book of Muscle) for about 18 months, and there hasn't been a lot of curling in those plans!
Weight is certainly dependent on frame. My upper body is medium-frame, I suppose, but my lower body has always seemed large-framed (I've always had large legs). I definitely don't have the classic marathoner's height, weight, and shape. I may allow my weight to drop back to the upper 160's before my next marathon to see if that helps my finishing time.
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