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July 12, 2007
124
This is how much I weigh. I'm 5'5". I'm shocked. Are you? I won't be offended if you are. I used to hover at just under 120 pounds, and others found that weight to be surprisingly high, given what I looked like in person.
This isn't a mistake, or a normal fluctuation. I've been holding steady at this weight for several weeks. I have not weighed 124 pounds since several years ago when I took a 2 month hiatus from running due to a shin injury, and acquired a few extra pounds of off-season pudge.
After racing The Coastal Challenge in February, I returned home an apalling 4-5 pounds under my normal weight. I had lost all of my fat stores, and some muscle as well. I felt disgusting; I looked gaunt; and my clothes hung off me in ridiculous form.
It's hard to believe that I've gained close to 10 pounds in 5 months. That's a lot of weight! However, I feel confident that I have more muscle (and probably an equal amount of fat) than I did at my "normal" 119-120 pounds. I've been working diligently to gain muscle mass, and the results are showing. I've got (albeit, little) guns now, so watch out!
FOOT UPDATE: It's still improving, but I'm still not running on it. At first I thought it would only take a couple days to heal. Then I realized that there was a bothered nerve in there as well, so I thought perhaps a week off would do it. This is the 7th day of not running, and it's close to being healed (Can you tell that I'm counting?). I can tell that if I ran on it today, I would have to run all daintily and carefully. I just really want to, you know, run. So, I'll wait until it feels great to get out there.
(NOT MY OWN) RACING UPDATE: My sweetie will be running the Devil's Backbone 50 Miler this weekend in Bozeman. The course spends about 35 miles tracing the high points (spine/backbone) of the Gallatin Mountains, south of Bozeman. I hope the weather is good because, if thunderstorms roll in, there is literally nowhere for the runners to hide up that high.
Posted by Meghan at July 12, 2007 12:27 PM
Comments
hi. that's so interesting. i've got exactly the same stats as you-and i was at 120 as well for the past 3 months-until this week. my stomach has been bothering me less (you might remember my blogging posts about said stomach) so i've been able to eat more. so for me, i'm back to my normal running weight (125)-except my clothes fit loser than in the past so i think i have more muscle as well. you're like my body dopelganger out west :)
Posted by: Audrey at July 12, 2007 12:24 PM
Don't worry about your weight. Muscle mass is heavier than fat. From following your workouts, it appears that's the case. Just don't 'bulk' up. Keep doing tons of repeats with very light weight. You want to be 'cut' not 'big.' You want your guns to be Derringers, not .50 Desert Eagles.
Posted by: duncan at July 12, 2007 12:25 PM
Duncan,
Your post made me chuckle, and think of the song "Choctaw Bingo" by James McMurtry (Probably not your style of music, but the man's lyrics are dark and hilarious and agitating and a reflection that he is the son of Larry McMurtry.).
I don't think I'll ever have to worry about carrying around the big guns. I'm afraid I'm just not built like that. Thanks for the tips, keepin' it light!
Audrey,
Happy to hear your stomach is doing better! Did you ever figure out the problem, or did things just settle down on their own? Are you tri training? Racing? What's up with you (Can't keep track of you without your blog.)?
Posted by: Meghan at July 12, 2007 12:43 PM
I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to be shocked because 124 lbs was high or low, so I guess I wasn't shocked at all. I understand that runners are "supposed" to be lighter than the average person (and you are, by a lot), but I think the workouts you're capable of doing (like 70 mile bike rides up and down mountains) are a much better indicator of your fitness than your weight. I think it's funny when people warn us of bulking up with weight lifting, because while it might be possible for certain people (most of whom are male), most female distance runners aren't going to bulk up no matter what they do. And many of the skinny distance runners I know are actually lifting very heavy weights and doing a low # of reps.
I'm glad to hear that your foot is getting better!
Posted by: Alison at July 12, 2007 2:13 PM
hi! i completely change my diet and that helped. it does totally suck-but not as much as feeling badly!
i've been tri training and racing and then i ran in a running race and realized i missed it SO MUCH so i've been trying to schedule a couple more of those in.
i had a triathlete boyfriend for like 3 weeks but am single again.
that's it! thx for letting me hijack your blog to share! also, sometimes i post here since I am joining their team for a relay in August in the midwest:
http://insertwittyteamnamehere.blogspot.com/
There is a kind of race report I wrote a few days ago where I basically ranted about coming in 4th in my age group in a tri b/c I was too lazy to put my tieless shoelaces in my current running shoes (i missed 3rd by 11 seconds after racing for two hours). there is also a post I wrote about my tri boy totally not respecting me as a triathlete!
again, story i took over your blog w/ my comment! take care of that foot!
Posted by: Audrey at July 12, 2007 2:41 PM
I almost posted about my weight this week, since I went to the MD on Wednesday. I didn't take off my shoes when the nurse weighed me, and I came in at almost 3 pounds over what I "weigh." I almost never weigh myself, but I have a set number in my head that I "weigh". And the 3# didn't bother me at first, but then I started down that mental path of, "maybe this is a 'getting older' creep that'll never end ... oh no." Since then I've just been thinking "I should have taken off my shoes!!!!"
It's bothered me so much that this morning I did NOT EVEN HAVE bacon with my eggs and buttered toast at breakfast. How's that for Ninja-like self control?
Posted by: Anonymous at July 14, 2007 9:35 AM
How does 134 sound? With the same 5.5? In fact, 124 is like my dream goal, haven't been there in 4 years, and don't think ever will. It's ok to have a dream number:) but not dread over it.
Posted by: olga at July 15, 2007 2:35 PM
Wow, 70 mile bike rides in lieu of running sounds like just the ticket. And now your foot is thanking you: bonus! Hope the Backbone was fun to spectate at (and fun for sweetie boy to run)... the weather held, I take it - it did in Mizzou. It's been over a 100 degrees for weeks now, and "yeah but it's a dry heat" is not cooling me off. The park sounds so beautiful. Thanks for all the descriptions. See you soon eventually somewhere soon hopefully for sure, Ms. 124 guns.
Posted by: Kendra Bodeedum at July 15, 2007 9:05 PM