Trying to Lose Weight? - Don’t Overdo It!
If you are trying to lose weight or maintain your weight while training for a marathon, you need to be careful not to overdo it and compromise the quality of your training.
If you are attempting to do runs lasting longer than 90 minutes, you need to make sure that your glycogen levels are sufficient to keep you going at a decent pace for that long. To do this, you need to be consume at least 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight in the 24 hours before your long run. For someone weighing 150 pounds, this would be 450 grams or about 1800 calories worth of carbohydrates.
If you don’t do this, there is a high probability that you will run low on glycogen and “bonk”. You won’t be able to maintain a fast pace during the run and you may have to stop completely.
If you have a long run where you “run out of gas”, examine your diet and determine whether you have been eating enough carbohydrates.
If you must diet, reduce your calorie intake on your easy days or on days when you are running shorter distances.
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