Fitness Evaluation April 18, 2009 Change Age (Years) 37 Body Age (Years) 30 Height (in.) 62 Weight (lbs.) 104 -2 Body Mass Index (BMI) 19.0 -0.4 Direct Value (Max VO2) 44.8 +0.8 Biceps Strength (lbs.) 54 +2.0 Flexibility: Sit & Reach (in.) 9.0 -1.3 Body Composition Body Fat Percentage 15.2% -0.4% Lean Body Mass 88 lbs. -1lb. Sum of Skinfolds 37mm -1.0mm

Three More Weeks to Go On My 100 Mile Diet

I went into my 6th fitness evaluation with high expectations. I was hoping there would be more dramatic changes in my results, but that is not exactly what I got. I was happy to learn that my body fat percentage went down from 15.6% to 15.2% and that my cardiovascular capacity has consistently improved since I started running. On the other hand my flexibility has been declining ever since.

Our fitness coach (William Black) explained that my body was adapting to the new goal that I have set for myself, running a marathon. My body was losing fat at a slower rate than I had expected, because my body was holding onto its energy stores in anticipation of the new demands introduced by endurance running. Another key factor was the introduction of starchy carbohydrates at every meal. Even though eating carbohydrates was helping me during my runs, it also resulted in more water retention, getting in the way of the muscular definition that I was after.

Regarding my flexibility, he recommended some stretching exercises to help loosen the muscles, but he said not to overly worry about it, “It comes with the territory.”

After going through all the results we discussed priorities and goals. He knew that training for the marathon was the most important thing for me right now, but that I also put a high priority on lowering my body fat percentage even further. With these things in mind we talked about how I can make adjustments to my diet without sabotaging my training goals. I would have to study my food journal, and see where I could cut down on carbs and/or moving the starchy carbohydrates for the first part of the day when I would need them the most.

We both hope that by slightly modifying my diet, I will be able to see more significant results without sacrificing muscle and energy.

Really interesting read. Connected with you on Twitter, and enjoyed learning about your journey. 100 Harvest; going to post the link on my FB page for my Portland peeps. It’s a lot to wrap my brain around. We eat very healthy and natural but, honestly, haven’t done a great job of eating locally (although I am growing my own veggies and herbs in the burbs this yr). What is your marathon training nutrition? That seems like the hardest component.

My husband (Ironman competitor) and I (marathoner) have made significant changes in our diet related to increasing fitness level and keeping cholesterol levels in check (what can I say, my husband has bad genes!). We get a lot of our protein from tofu and edamame, and really limit high starch carbs (he eats white race morning of +4 hr training days). Reducing starch carbs from our diet hasn’t impact his training (I’m injured now)—I think it just took time for our bodies to adjust and understand what type of food was coming and when.

Ok, rambling now. Good luck with your training and inspirational 100 mi harvest!

Thank you for your comment. Regarding your question about nutrition, I’m following mostly a plant based diet. At the moment I’m consuming a wide range of vegetables, greens and sprouts. On top of that I’m also eating eggs in the morning (scrambled or in brown rice pancake batter) and meat 2 times a week.

The only starch that I have available within 100 miles of where I live is organic brown rice which I mill at home to have flour for muffins, pancakes and tortillas. We’ve had to be creative with our recipes, testing and experimenting when we want to try something new.

When we train, we hydrate with water or a homemade electrolyte drink (lemon, salt, honey and water - tastes just like lemon flavored Gatorade without the artificial ingredients). The day before our long workouts we eat beans and organic rice with lots of veggies, sprouts and salads (see a sample spring menu. After our workout we replenish our glycogen stores with homemade strawberry pancakes.

It’s our first marathon, so I’ve tried to read everything I can about nutrition for endurance athletes and adapted it to our local diet. I listen to my body for clues on how the nutrition is working for me.

Some days I’ve felt exhausted at the end of the day, and I’ve learned to increase my carbohydrates when I feel that way. That’s when a blueberry muffin comes in handy.

I think a lot of runners overestimate the amount of carbs needed for sustained energy for endurance, and the amount of calories burned vs. consumed. I gained weight when I first started running; over compensated on calories. It’s a balancing act—trying to figure our your individual needs is part of the allure.

I hope you intend to write a book about your journey. I suspect the idea really resonates with people but seems like an overwhelming concept. Personally, I could do a much better job of using local products, but can’t imagine how to extend that to marathon or Ironman nutritional needs. Look forward to reading about your solution.