Losing weight while training for half marathon

Hi,

I'm 16, 5'3.5 and weigh about 125-126. I know that this is a completely healthy weight but I'd like to lose 5-10 pounds. I'm training for a half marathon in October and I'm training three days a week. Tuesday easy run  of 4 miles, Thursday, speedwork 4 miles and Sunday long run. My miles per week increases by 10% every week. My longest distance yet is 7 miles. On the other days, I do NROLFW. I'm in stage 3 and I do that three days a week, usually lasting around 35-40 minutes. So I have one rest day a week.  It used to be very hard for me to lose weight. I used to eat between 1500-1600 calories a day and the scale did not budge. But I did some research and found that it's important to eat more to up your metabolism. So instead of following what CC says as a target calorie goal(which was a crazy low number of 1200, ugh) I used this calculator http://www.runnersworld.com/tools/daily-calories-calculator. It says that I burn about 2400 calories a day. So in order for me to lose a pound a week I should eat 1900 calories. Does this sound accurate for me? Should I be eating more or less? 

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The Morning Scoop: All the Deets on the MTV Movie Awards, Your Boston Marathon Viewing Guide and More!

Last night's MTV Movie Awards packed the house full of celebs, laughs and tunes. (We love you Emma Watson!) Check out the best of the red carpet and great show moments, plus the much-awaited full trailer for Hunger Games: Catching Fire. [HuffPost; MTV; Gawker]

Today's Boston Marathon is the one of the most heralded races in the world. Here's your complete guide to watching runners like Kara Goucher, Shalane Flanagan and more. [Bleacher Report]

We know sea salt is trendy. But is it healthier than regular table salt? A scientist weighs in. [YouBeauty]

Beyonce's new tour shoes are fierce -- they read "Mrs. Carter" on the soles. [People]

Getting all stressed out already? C'mon, it's only Monday, so try one of these instant stress busters on the spot. [Lifehacker]

Image Credit: FilmMagic

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Beginner's Marathon Training Schedule, Tips for Full or Half Marathons

Planning to run your first marathon or half marathon? Knowing the secrets of training can help you run your first race.

First, clear the idea with your doctor at a physical exam. Then, do this:

This makes you accountable. Tell everyone who will listen, says Joe Donovan, a Milwaukee runner who wrote the Essential Guide to Training for Your First Marathon.

"Only when you tell other people is it real," he says. "Certainly, some people will think you are nuts."

Some did, he recalls, when Donovan announced his decision to run his first marathon while he was a graduate student, working for a U.S. senator. "At first there was disbelief," he says of the people he told. Next? "There was this kind of 'Wow, this is amazing.'"

It became a topic of conversation and support among his fiancée (now his wife) and co-workers, which helped him stick to his training.

It's not as simple as saying your goal is to finish 13.1 miles (a half marathon) or 26.2 (a full marathon), says Cathy Fieseler, MD, a veteran marathoner and ultra-distance runner.

Ask yourself why you are running the race, she says. "Do you have a time goal? Are you trying to qualify for [the Boston marathon]? Are you doing it in memory of someone? Because you are turning 40?"

Figuring that out, she says, will guide your training plan. For instance, if you're running in memory of someone, you may not care about how long it takes you, but if you want to finish within four hours, you might need a different plan.  

You need a nuts-and-bolts training plan. You can get that online, from a running coach if you happen to be in a running club, or from running publications.

If you're easily running 3 or 4 miles at a shot now, plan to train for about three months before a half marathon and about five months before a full marathon, says Todd Galati, an American Council on Exercise spokesman.

Your plan should be realistic. "I don't think you need to run every single day," Fieseler says. "Figure out what works for your life."

Don't add miles too quickly, Galati says. The established rule is not to boost your miles by more than 10% per week.

Doing speed work can improve your times. For instance, run faster than usual for an interval of time, then drop back to your slower pace, and repeat. But don't increase mileage, do speed work, and tackle hills all at once, he says. That's too much.

Speed work can make you faster, ''but it also ups the risk of injury," Fiessler says, especially as you age. Be aware of the tradeoff, she says.

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Publix Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon 2012 – Race Recap

Race Finish!

I chose to participate in the Publix Georgia Half Marathon for one main reason.

It is close to my house.

My friend Amy and I were trying to decide between either this one or the Nashville half.  We chose this one primarily because we could drive there and would not have to stay overnight or make a whole weekend out of it.

Registration for this race was super easy using Active.com.  It walked you through the whole process and I even found a coupon code online to save a few dollars.  Registration was a breeze.

In order to pick up your race number, you had to attend the Georgia Marathon Health & Fitness Expo which was held in Downtown Atlanta at the World Congress Center.  This was a negative against the race.  Not the actual expo, which was awesome, but that they MADE you go and pick it up.  I do think there should be an option to pay a few extra dollars and have the number mailed to you.

We headed downtown to pick up the race number and attended the Runner’s Expo.  This was great due to the amount of people there to show you their goods.  There were lots of free samples and new products to check out.  My favorite booths were the GU Energy Gels because they were selling them at a discount, the Larabar company because they gave out mini samples to try, and the Chobani company because I got to try the new Apple Cinnamon flavor.

Now that the numbers are picked up, it is time for the race itself.

We arrived downtown bright and early around 6:15 for a 7:00 am race start.  Parking was a breeze and since we had been there the day before, we knew just where to go.  We once again parked in the Red Deck of the World Congress Center.  The good thing about parking here is the World Congress Center is open so runners can go inside and use the nice clean bathrooms vs the porta potties!

After using the restroom, we headed over to our Corral.  The atmosphere was awesome.  They had music playing loudly, lots of porta potties close to the start of the race, photographers there to take photos and it was all very organized.

Let's Get this Party Started!

We got in our corral and waited for the official start of the race.  They let the wheel chair racers go first and then the corrals went.  It only took us about 9 minutes of waiting until we were ready to go!

The course itself was VERY hilly!  The first few miles you don’t really notice the hills because of all the people but after it thins out, the hills really start to show themselves!  The views of downtown Atlanta were stunning.  It was nice to run through the city and see the sites.  Overall, the race course was very tough.  Looking back on it, I should have done more hills in my training.

The water stations were awesome.  They started at mile 2 and then there was a water station right before EVERY mile marker after that.  The water stations were good anchors letting us know we had almost made it another mile.  They had both Gatorade and water so there was a choice which was nice.

The cheering crowds were not phenomenal.  I know that the race offered incentives for cheering sections and those were good but we could have used more supporters throughout the race.  Even at the end, people weren’t really cheering that much.  However, I am used to the cheering for the Peachtree Road Race which is amazing.

The ending of the race was very well thought out and planned.  They knew what they were doing and moved you right along after finishing.  You got the medal, and a chocolate milk and headed toward the picture station.  They had professional pictures taken in front of the half-marathon sign and then you head over to Centennial Olympic Park where they gave out pre-rationed snacks from Publix and where runners and families can relax and chill.

Jen Crossing the Finish Line!

The t-shirts were great, technical shirts.  Another great thing about the shirts are if you got it home on Saturday and tried it on and found you needed an alternate size, you could bring it to the park on race day and they had a whole tent where you could exchange it for a new size.

Overall, the Publix Georgia Half Marathon was a huge success.  The race was very well organized, thought out, and planned.  The race itself is on the hilly side but it is a good challenge with beautiful views of downtown Atlanta.  If you live in the Atlanta area or close by, I would recommend this race!

Half-Marathon Training – {Update}2011 Gobble Jog – Race RecapHalf Marathon Training ScheduleFirst Half Marathon – RegisteredI am a Half-Marathoner

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