WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME or without a real expert in this arena. I am not qualified as a dietitian nor do I advise that anyone follow my methods for losing weight. This is just a chronology of how my year has gone thus far. It may not be obvious but I did NOT lose weight because of the miles I ran but rather because of the diet (fasting) I did. I've had lots of experience gaining weight with increased mileage. Just sayin'.
NOTE: I do have a wife, Shawn, who does know a lot about proper diet and makes recommendations on what I should and should not eat. I sometimes listen. One should not make her one iota responsible for my bad habits but 100% responsible for the good ones.
DRUGS/VITAMINS: I take the following vitamins: My doctor recommended vitamin D for depression; Shawn started me on a daily multi-cap, a broad spectrum magnesium, and B12. For completeness, I have been taking Fluoxetine for over 20 years for depression and a daily regimen of Advair and Fluticasone (Flonase) for asthma for the past 3 years.
WEIGHT: In my late 20s, I got up to a ridiculous 200lbs. I am about 5'8" with a small bone structure and my weight shows up in my back (back fat) and flabby chest (moobs). For the past 30 years my weight is about 150 lbs.; and in recent years going up to 154-158 lbs. during the Alaskan winters. The lowest my weight has been in recent history was about 140 lbs. This was after completing the 350 mile race from Willow to McGrath Alaska in 2013. That is definitely an outlier but you will see how that is notable by the end.
* races that counted for Marathon Maniacs numbers
** not a real or virtual race but miles worth noting
2020 Be Like
00. Jan 1st - 23M in the snow ~ Knik, This was slow, taking me over 7 hours
*01. Jan 11th - Frosty Bottom marathon + pre race run (47M [super cold run])
*02. Jan 18th - Iditasport 64M [super duper cold (like -40F) but fun run]
204.3 miles January/weight unknown
**03. Feb 2nd, ran 30M with group pulling sleds
**04. DNF mile 62M at Susitna 100M ~ stopped due to severe pain in my right side, below chest. I have had this pain off and on for 4 years (see Cascade Crest report here 8 races report) ~ sonogram a year ago with my doctor showed no issues.
174.4 miles February/weight unknown
-- No races. Job change and COVID-19 has me stressed/depressed. MRI on the liver area showed nothing, thankfully. My doctor recommended muscle relaxers for ultras ~ WHAT? No thanks! Frustrating and definitely made it difficult to get back on the running horse. Will pay more attention to winter hydration as this is the only thing I can attribute to the symptoms.
73.5 miles March/weight unknown but muffin top seems to be an accurate description
Stay home! But wait
One good thing that came out of COVID lock-down was the creation of virtual races. This was exactly the PUSH I needed to get back into things mentally. My end of March weigh-in was an unbelievable 164 lbs. This is the most I've weighed in 30 years. Note: "weigh-in" is my weight after my run for the day, before eating and with no clothes. This keeps the weigh-ins consistent. Shawn calls it cheater weight. I like it! Obviously, water retention/dehydration will affect weigh-ins but this gives me a good benchmark to start with and some measure (versus not weighing in at all) to see some progress.
Off to the races, virtually
05. Apr 4th - Personal Peak Quarantine Backyard Ultra (33.5M~ way more than I thought I could run) massive cramping that evening
06. Apr 11th - KrrBrrr, I cheated and ran on the road (32M~ sore back so I stopped)
07. Apr 18th - Bronze Dragonfly (26.2M) ~ I could only walk [back issue due to tight legs]
08. Apr 25th - 3AM Waterfalls 50K (31.1M) [very slow run at 6:12]
204.3 miles April ~ diet not really working. I determined that I needed to go from 2 meals down to 1 a day. weight = 160 lbs.
09. May 2nd - Treadmill Hero 26.2M (40M, 4:24 marathon plus 14 miles afterwards)
10. May 9th - D3 (33M) ~ 21 trail miles (the trail miles hurt so I only ran 12 mile road afterwards)
11. May 16th - Quarantine 50K (33.75M, 6:10) ~ decided to move from 12 hour to 50K
**12. May 23rd - <no race> (26.2M, 4:24) ~ 13.1M trails on Sunday
13. May 30th - We Belong Virtual Series 50K (31.1M, 5:12)
300.2 miles May ~ 1 a day meals (fasting 23.5 hours a day) working as weight = 153 lbs.
14. Jun 13th - Cinderalla - Virtual Run 50K (31.1M, 5:15)
15. Jun 27th - Rise Up 12 hour (62.3M, 11:44)
304.9 miles June ~ weight = 145.2 lbs. Also, getting serious about core. using roller for legs knots
*16. Jul 11th - Double HPM (53M) * real race Hatcher Pass Marathon, after running a marathon to the start
17. Jul 25th - QuaRUNtine 50K (31.1M) ~ 4:54, getting stronger/faster
305.4 miles July ~ weight = 142.5 lbs. Need to add 2nd meal back as I am sometimes running low on energy on my daily runs
*18. Aug 1st - Archangel marathon (3:44) [speed work] * real race (felt strong a week out of running a 50K)
*19. Aug 15th - Anchored marathon (3:46) [speed work] * real race. Also, reached 333 marathons/ultras for Marathon Maniacs (does not include virtual races per their rules)
321.0 miles August ~ weight = 138.9 lbs. Core and light weights helping. roller for knots in my quads
No more virtual races (well maybe)
**20. Sep 4th - 60M solo run (11:15) [10:15 moving pace] ~ no walking but I did sit between each 12 mile loop and stopped to pick up water that I planted at mile 6 of the loop. I had originally wanted to run 100M to make up for missing the ResPass 100M in August but I had no real interest in running in the dark.
**21. Sep 19th - 50K solo run (4:54) ~ took it easy and still ran well
365 miles September ~ weight = 136.2 lbs. Continued to add core exercises.
It's my party and I'll run if I want to! My 60th Birthday so 60 miles
22. Oct 1st - 60M solo birthday run (10:02) / I signed up for the Carkeek 12 hour virtual to make sure I get in 60 miles.
weight = 136 lbs. this week; down to 134 lbs. the following week (10/07) after a 4 day lay off while visiting AZ. Adding food (more protein) to lunch.
Oct 21st update: Weight = 134.5 lbs. I'm hoping for good results of my blood tests. Also took the flu shot and scheduled my colonoscopy.
What now?
I have no race plans for the rest of the year and a big part of me feels like this is "wasted" build up of miles. That said, mentally I'm stoked that I averaged 70 miles per week (MPW) for 3 months, then up to 80mpw in August, and 90mpw in September. I haven't run miles like this for over ten years. I've also not been under 145 lbs. since the early 2000s. Back then I was lifting with a friend who also recommended I stop eating so many carbs; I did reduce my carbs for a while and that adversely affected my ultra performance, so I added them back. Now I am listening, trying to listen, to my wife about how to eat properly and without the carbs. I still take in some carbs (pretzels mostly) as one of my weaknesses. I also eat sweets from time to time. But I eat those way less than I did say 5 years ago.
My "new normal" day and long run diet
Weekdays
- sleep until I wake up. Generally at around 6am
- start work from home at 6:30am
- coffee and water in the morning. Lots of peeing
- run 10-12 miles at 1pm. Light weights and core workout after
- lunch (literally break-fast) at 3pm while working
- finishing working at 4:30pm
- dinner at 5:30pm or so
- bed by 9:30pm
Weekend long run: One of the following
- Run of up to about 25 miles. I will usually not drink much water until 18 miles or so; then it's Tailwind and water. Maybe a GU.
- Run of over 30 miles. Same as above. Maybe 2 GUs
- Run 50 miles or more. I will start eating after 10-15 miles. Food includes meat (Salami) and cheese with Tailwind and water. I will then eat ever 10-12 miles with a GU here and there as feels right. Water only in the middle of long loops of 10-12 mile.
What happens this winter?
I don't know. My fear is that I won't be able to get in the same miles; I'll have to take time to drive somewhere to be able to run safely, because snow and ice on the roads, versus just taking off out of my front door. I can still run long on the weekend so that's good. But the number of miles probably doesn't matte
I am concerned that I will start to gain weight quickly as I sometimes do from being cold, so I will pay more attention to that.
**** Jan 24,2021 update ****
We've actually had a mild winter; unfortunately. That actually makes it tougher to run with all the ice
(from rain) and slushy snow.
"My 300 miles per month," streak is still in tact, running 329-Oct, 321-Nov, 302-Dec, and 252 so far in
January. My weight dipped down below 130lbs for a couple of days after a fast-ish 37 miler Jan 16th. I'd been
hovering around the 132 mark for a while. Still eating two meals a day; the first at around 2:30pm (after
my daily run); then at around 6pm for dinner. So I am still at a 20-hour fast.
I'm feeling more confident about being able to maintain my weigh over this winter. Good eating habits prevail!!
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