Run to Get fit? No! Get Fit to Run!!!

In this blog article we are going to follow Sue Ellen who wants to lose body fat so she’s decided to sign up for a Half Marathon.  Is running the key to dropping body fat and keeping it off?

Many times when people want to lose bodyfat, they immediately think “In order to lose body fat, I must run.”  So they sign up for a half marathon or if they are really audacious, they sign up for a marathon.  Many are soon shocked that after the initial dropping weight stage, they stop losing body fat and sometimes they even gain it.  More often than not what people gain from doing these races: aches and pains.

This won’t be an article that bashes running and racing because I’ve completed 3 Half Marathons and I’ve done my fair share of 10K and 12K races.  I really enjoyed those races because it is a lot of fun to cross the finish line with people cheering you on.  It’s also great to have an actual training goal.

Since taking up bodybuilding, I haven’t done a race in about 3 years.  I also don’t run very much anymore.  During my contest preparation, I have started running again but mainly HIIT sprints and sometimes I will alternate jogging on the treadmill with incline walking.

I was 20 lbs heavier than I am now when I was running 3x a week and doing a whole bunch of other stuff.  My story is not unique because if you look at the starting line of a race after the elite runners take off, you will see a lot of heavier runners.  If running is the secret to losing body fat, what gives?

During my time away from racing and training others to get ready to run, I have come to a consensus that one should not run to get in shape, but get in shape to run.

When one hears about injured runners, how many times do we hear about cardiovascular injuries?  Rarely!  We always hear about messed up joints and muscles.  I believe this happens because people did not have the proper training to run safely and effectively.  In order to run safely and effectively, I believe that training should occur in the following areas

• fascia tissue
• Range of Motion (Flexibility)
• Muscle Strength (To support the joints and power through the run)
• Conditioning
• Power
• Core Strength

In addition, most people who are running to lose body fat are not eating correctly.  In one of my last races, I cracked up at the post race line for the busses.  The entire discussion revolved around where people were going for the post race meal.  The worst was that one group was going to Hometown Buffet.  *Facepalm*

Just because you run 10 miles doesn’t give you the license to go eat chicken fingers and fries.  It’s even MORE important to watch your nutritional intake during training for a race.

I will even go so far as to make the statement that you should not run to lose weight.

Stay tuned as Sue Ellen learns why it’s important that you get fit to run!I