More training, less eating , more weight for M55

[Freefall]

Every 5 years the oldies get a chance to go into a new age group, usually full of optiminism and the expectation that this will be "the" year one can do better in the results. With this in mind I had a weigh in before Christmas (82.5 kg and 5'10") and decided that by exercising more and eating less I would soon be down to a more acceptable orienteering weight so I can be up and running at Gold standard again. For some reason my weight has actually gone up but I am feeling better. Does muscle really weigh more than fat? Will I ever get down to the 75 kg when I was in my prime? It is a question probably being asked by lots of people who decided to join a gym. My gym is running outdoors, climbing wall on Wednesday, hill walks and the odd bike ride which all sounds like good stuff.

[Ed]

I can't speak for M55, but I know that whenever I have a period of not training much, and possibly eating and drinking more, then my weight usually falls. When I start training again then my weight initially falls a bit further and then goes up.

I reckon it's probably because I actually start eating less as my body doesn't need quite so much fuel and so end up not eating as much as I should. Once I've been training a couple of weeks I'm really hungry and so start eating 'properly' again...

Since for me then the range is only about 7kg from 'lightweight' to 'heavyweight' then I don't worry about it too much. On the other hand, my best orienteering fitness was probably somewhere about 1-2kg below my "heavyweight".

Must eat more!

[deebee]

Another conundrum thrown up by the new fixtures scheme. As all Short Course runners know, it was compulsory to weigh more when you left an age class than when you entered it.
Are we now set free from this burden of overeating and can we actually join the Long Course heroes or even the Running Up a Class superstars by running between Orienteering races (I think it's called trayning, named after the receptacles chips are served in) ?

[Mrs H]

I'm pretty sure that is cheating anyway the new single ranking list will take account of BMI - it's called Weighting

[madmike]

I'm pretty sure that is cheating anyway the new single ranking list will take account of BMI - it's called Weighting

Now BMI handicapping that's a thought

[HOCOLITE]

Isn't your BMI a handicap

My better half was told by an obsessive medic that he was Clinically obese.
It did stir him into getting fitter but he didn't lose weight.

I have stayed at the same level of 'overweightness' for the last two years when I have been exercising. I have changed my body shape and people have commented that I've lost weight, but no such luck.

Never mind I feel better for my two Badminton sessions a week and my 50 lengths swimming. Never quite sure if I feel better after the gym session or not

[EddieH]

Ed writes "On the other hand, my best orienteering fitness was probably somewhere about 1-2kg below my "heavyweight"."

That really suprises me. I seem to have a genuine inverse correlation between weight and performance. 9 stone is a sort of threshhold for me. I have often been 4 or 5 pounds over this through the winter, getting below it when I perform best through July and August.

Last spring, after 18 months of poor performance I rapidly reduced my weight to 8 stone 12 lb for the day of the British, and boy did I feel good.

I am suprised how closely my feeling, aside from asthma, relates to my weight on a Sunday morning. Over 9;2 and I just feel heavy and slow!

Do you remember the scrawny tennis player Ivan Lendl. He went to a nutritionist who told him to lose half a stone. He did and became the World's no 1 immediately.

Our own Martin Dean had major colon surgery which caused him to lose a hell of a lot. That was coincident with a massive performance improvement.

[graeme]

Muscle weighs more than fat...

http://answers.google.com/answers/threa ... 76481.html

In fact, muscle weights more than water, and fat weighs less. So when fit, I can sink and lie on the bottom of a swimming pool. When unfit, I cannot do this.

However, I do have a strong correlation between weight and performance, and I'm faster when lighter (anything under 12 .5 st ). Simply put, I need to train to keep the weight off!

...and according to the New York Times BMI, I'm overweight!

[Freefall]

Useful info on muscle v fat. I decided to calculate my BMI on the BBC healthy living site and was surprised to see at 26.11 I was overweight. I knew I was a bit heavier than I wanted to me but this is a surprise. I will use this as the basis for my handicap system.

[SeanC]

I guess the muscle type matters (ie fast twitch for explosive strength, slow twitch for endurance) - sprinters being heavier and larger than marathon runners for example. Maybe that climbing is giving you heavy slow twitch muscle?

My wife thinks I would run faster, get injured less and be more human after an orienteering event if I did some strength training - but I find weights totally boring. What's the best/most interesting way of getting the right amount of strength for orienteering?

[Freefall]

I've just bought a cateye 600 rear light so I feel less vulnerable going out on the road on my mountain bike in the evening - I am hoping this cycling lark may be the key when the thought of running doesn't appeal.

[Ed]

What's the best/most interesting way of getting the right amount of strength for orienteering?

orienteering

[Mrs H]

26.11

I was 23.38 and Neville 19.8 does that mean we have to run faster that you in the handicap Freefall?

Mr H was also over weight - but even if he was at what he would call his ideal weight he would still be classed as over weight - given that he does a great deal of physical work in his job and is immensely strong - I seriously doubt he could get down to a "healthy" weight and still function effectively on a day to day basis (although i'm sure his orienteering would improve but then that doesn't put bread on the table does it?)

[graeme]

What's the best/most interesting way of getting the right amount of strength for orienteering?

Careful choice of parents.


Your BMI result is: 25.42 You are in the overweight range.

[madmike]

Isn't your BMI a handicap

well yes but that's a bit personal and i'm going on a diet

29.1 I must be going to get a good start over all you slim people when we introduce the BMI handicap?