At least you have the sack to take a challenge like that. Besides, any LBM you lose can be added back later. How many T-peeps can say they ran a marathon? Good job bro
Congratulations on attempting to run a marathon! That would be an excellent achievement to hang on the wall. Sure, you may lose some lbm, but you’ll gain it back once you’re done.
I ran for several weeks last year, working up from nothing to a 5k in a matter of a month or so. I think shorter distance running can be very beneficial. For that six weeks or so, I ate what I wanted, as much as I wanted, and still ended up losing fat mass. I went from 235-240 to 225-230, and I was very happy with my body fat percentage.
Also keep in mind that the marathoners you think of as typical just train for marathons. They don’t lift, and they don’t give a whit about lbm.
As for examples of real endurance athletes with some size, here’s an example:
God knows what he takes or has taken, but that’s still not bad.
Yes, you are going to lose some LBM, but it’s not going to be as bad as you think. On the other hand, training for and running a marathon is not nearly as good for getting really lean as people think. The reason being that you usually will eat plenty to support your training. I’ve known 8-10 people who decided to run a marathon at least in part because they thought they would get ripped. They were glad they did it in the end, but were also surprised that they didn’t get much leaner than they were when they started. Try using Tribex and Mag10 cycles as much as you can leading up to the race. I trained a 3 time Iron Man before his third race. The addition of these two supplements allowed him to train with considerably more volume than in previous years. You probably don’t want to maximize your running volume this way, but it does indicate the enhanced recovery allowed by Tribex/Mag10. In fact, one of the original Tribex studies was actually done on elite distance cyclists.
Well, you can’t fail to be impressed by the diversity in experience, knowledge and opinions on this thread. Good job guys. I’m sure CJ appreciates it. SRS
I ran a half marathon this last November. A year ago right now, I was 34 years old, pretty much out of shape, and had no real structured workout plan…though I was pretty active in general with lots of basketball and some short (5k) running a few times per week.
By July or August, I had worked up to 35 miles per week with two lifting sessions, one upper body and one lower. I had done some lifting in the past, but it had been ten years or so.
Keep in mind that I was coming from a pretty untrained place and that I only ran a half marathon and not a full 26.2 miler, but I did lose about 20 pounds. I also lost a LOT of explosive power and strength. Running all those miles and long runs really took its toll on my lifts. I didn’t use any prohormones or anything like that, but I did eat a lot–and I believe I ate pretty well.
For me, the worst thing was the hoops. I thought I’d be getting in great shape by running and that I’d be able to play basketball all day without getting tired. Instead, I couldn’t sprint up and down the court well because I was used to longer, glycogen-conserving runs. I must have lost easily 6" off my vertical jump just because all of my training was so incredibly slow twitch.
Since the run, I’ve been working hard to get my strength and power back with HIIT and lifting–focusing on compound lifts and explosive lifts. I’ve gained damn near all of that 20 pounds back, but now a lot more of that weight is muscle. Interestingly, my RHR is still in the high 40’s mostly, though it does creep up into the lower 50’s, but running sprints seems to help keep the RHR low.
Long story short…the running worked for me, to a point. It got me leaner and in better shape. I was NOT counting on the loss of power and strength with the heavy lifts, so you might be on the lookout for that. Maybe some power snatches, cleans, and push presses would help counter that…or maybe it would FRY your CNS by confusing the shit out of it!
Whatever you dpo, HAVE FUN!
My suggestion for keeping LBM is a different one:
Don’t get hurt.
That will get you back in the iron game much faster than should you become injured.
Make sure you go to a true runner’s store and have an experienced salesperson fit you for a shoe. They will look at how you run and find the shoe that works with your feet and technique.
The biggest problem with running a marathon after only a couple of months of training is the risk of overuse injuries. You don’t care if you finish in under 3 hours, but that doesn’t mean you don’t care if you can barely walk for three weeks after the race, or worse.
So, listen to your body. If your joints hurt while you’re running, STOP (don’t even finish the current run), give yourself some time to recover and try again.
Good luck.
Remember, the first guy who ran a marathon DIED – or so the tale goes.
CJ;
Now that everybody has razzed you and you’re set on going through with it, I’ll give you my abbreviated workout suggestions.
P.S. My best time was 2:45 at age 22; 150 lbs and a 225 bench. I’m older and bigger now, but it gives you some perspective. (Oh, I also ran a 4:37 mile, but now I’m just bragging).
Let’s begin by figuring you only have to finish, not break any records.
Monday: 10 miles
Tuesday: 6-8 miles
Wednesday: 6-8 miles
Thursday: Speed work. Intervals or repeats; see Christian’s “Running Man” workout article.
Friday: easy 4 miles
Saturday: LSD (Long, slow distance). Work your way up to where you can run continuously for at least 2 hours. Pace is not important; you are conditioning you joints, CNS (and mind) and Type-I muscle fibers for the strain of the contest.
If you are an afternoon lifter, run in the morning. If you are a morning lifter, run in the evening. At my peak, I ran 4 miles before breakfast, 8-10 at lunch and lifted in the evening. I also biked and swam (triathlon training).
Some good news: you can eat more carbs!
Some bad news: you will catabolize some muscle. But, you may get your BF% down to 5-6%!! dcb may have a different story; but I’ve trained some folks who got pretty bony!
Take lots of anti-oxidants and every Biotest supplement that helps preserve muscle mass (Mag10, etc) and be sure to utilize the post-recovery workout drink. Enjoy, let us know how you do, and rub your friends face in it for all of us!!!