Let's Talk About Running

[BringBackJoeT]

I can understand your concern about not getting too skinny, and I can tell you, from my own experience, that it's not that difficult to maintain weight as a runner.

I'm a little shorter than you--5' 10"--and have always been pretty thin. However, while in my mid-20s I began thinking I was a little invincible on the weight front, and was eating without any concern for weight, but the pounds ultimately caught up with me and I was reaching 175+. So, I decided to go on a diet and start running, and within about four months, I was down to about 160. I was happy about it, but by that point, I was addicted to running. Fast forward about 13 years, and I've completed five marathons, a few half marathons, clocked 1,000 miles a year almost every single year since, and pretty much have adopted running as my religion. While it is true that the running has ultimately made it a little bit of a challenge to maintain a certain weight, it hasn't really been that hard. I've made 160 my floor, so when the scale marker in the morning is slightly to the left of that number, I just eat a tiny bit more--Big Macs or other junk are not necessary to help me stay there or above. And this is at 25+ miles a week. So, unless you're thinking that you're going to get into that range, I think you won't have any trouble. And even if you do, as I said, it's ultimately not that hard to stay above a set floor.

Overall, I think it's great that you're focusing on cardio, especially running. Neither the importance or benefits of cardiovascular exercise can be exaggerated.