Top London marathon contender: "Weighing 40kg (88 lbs) is the best way to carry me to the tape in good time and position”

nakatomisour wrote:

Its not a secret that some elites try to lose weight over a short period of time (1-2wks) prior to their marathon. I remember reading an article where Ritz openly acknowledged it.

what about carbo loading?

I agree what's come off as the focus is bad but it's probably got that journalistic charm that even the Brojos are guilty of.

Someone probably asked her if she's prepared and she probably responded yes and somewhere it came out that she's as light as she can be.

Then sensationalism was brought in and someone was paid by the word to take a sentence or a word into an article. All context thrown out the window.

mathematics wrote:

Having commentators scared to comment on weight is a fool's errand. Sure it's noble enough to try not to trigger people into anorexia. but with more than 60% of the US overweight/obese maybe we should reconsider. It's absolutely silly to watch a professional marathon and decide that being light is not one of the top 10 most important determinants of success.

I used to be overweight and topped out at an obese BMI of 32 (healthy range 18.5-25). I wasn't happy or healthy that way and my running was terrible.

I finally started running again and limiting my portions. I got my BMI down to 20-21 where I've held it steady. I'm much happier, healthier and even was able to come off blood pressure medicine. My running has never been better.

Guess when I got all kinds of negative comments about my weight, like "You look unhealthy!" "I'm worried about you!" "What you're doing isn't healthy!"

I got those comments, not when I was unhappy, at an unhealthy, obese BMI of 32. I get those comments now that I'm at a healthy, steady BMI of 20-21, when I'm happier and my running has never been better.

It's been very telling.

We need height categories for basketball because a 6’7 player dunking isn’t nearly as impressive as a 5’11 player. It’s called genetics and the best of the best get to be that way because of good genes.

Female here and I can relate. I'm a very petite 5'2" person and used to be very skinny as a kid and stayed that way all the way through college and shortly after before I had to take time off from running for a surgery and then got out of shape and have gradually gained weight since then due to the effects of that injury limiting my ability to workout. Before the weight gain, I was 107-112 lbs (lower range during xc, upper range during track due to muscle) and people would often comment on how skinny I was or if we had to give clothing sizes or something, more regular sized women would make snide remarks about me needing an xs size. Now that I've at a less healthy slightly overweight BMI, I don't get comments like that anymore and have even been told I look better now. Although, my family and those who knew me as super skinny will acknowledge I gained weight if I bring it up first.

One other factor killing the curve is that a lot of these East Africans grew up poor in famine conditions. Of course they're underweight. There's not a ton of food to go around in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Westerners see them dominate races and mistakenly assume their emaciated frame is part of why they succeed. They'd probably run just as well with an extra 10-20 pounds, if their frame would allow them to add it after a childhood of malnourishment has altered their metabolism.

Breakfast In Bed wrote:

One other factor killing the curve is that a lot of these East Africans grew up poor in famine conditions. Of course they're underweight. There's not a ton of food to go around in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Westerners see them dominate races and mistakenly assume their emaciated frame is part of why they succeed. They'd probably run just as well with an extra 10-20 pounds, if their frame would allow them to add it after a childhood of malnourishment has altered their metabolism.

They would have to lug that extra weight for 26.2 miles, and strength does not increase in proportion to increased weight - see any weightlifting records and note that the lighter classes have the stronger strength to weight ratio - so even added muscle will not make them fast(er) enough to justify the added weight. Plus, the ratio of surface area to mass would be less, meaning their body's ability to cool itself would be decreased. There is a reason distance runners are so light. It doesn't mean the lightest person is the fastest, but the same person at an increased weight is not likely to be as fast as at a lighter weight. Assuming they are well nourished at the lighter weight.

It's a case of 'how far do you want to push it' - many many elite female runners and cyclists have such low body fat %ages that their periods stop for years. That might be convenient for training but in the long-term can lead to some very real health issues. Reducing weight is healthy to a point, and then there's a steep dropoff to very unhealthy shortly after that point.

Cary Main wrote:

IM CALLIN THE POLICE

I like Cary-ing the weight

Sh1tty clickbait (must need $$$) thread

Weight in isolation from BMI, Fat measurements, height, body type, wingspan and so on is pretty much useless. For all we know she has a 20 BMI.

It's just incredibly irresponsible to start this thread about a top runner at 40kg, as if that were some kind of model of behavior for women seeking to get to the elite level. We have enough trouble convincing our daughter (who is thin by any sane standard) that she's at the right weight for her when there are all these enormously destructive images promoting the idea that women should weigh 100 lbs. This is the first I've seen promoting sub 90 lbs as a proper weight. You aren't getting to London by fasting. You're getting there by running hard and eating healthily.

The whole point is that they are not nourished at the lighter weight because it's an unhealthy weight.

zxcvzxvc wrote:

It's just incredibly irresponsible to start this thread about a top runner at 40kg, as if that were some kind of model of behavior for women seeking to get to the elite level. We have enough trouble convincing our daughter (who is thin by any sane standard) that she's at the right weight for her when there are all these enormously destructive images promoting the idea that women should weigh 100 lbs. This is the first I've seen promoting sub 90 lbs as a proper weight. You aren't getting to London by fasting. You're getting there by running hard and eating healthily.

THIS.

To me, weight is such a personal issue. Even guys struggle with it--my cousin was one of them and I've sometimes wondered if I'm overweight but I try to see where I can fix it, yet I know that if I undereat I'll lose nutrition and strength.

zxcvzxvc wrote:

The whole point is that they are not nourished at the lighter weight because it's an unhealthy weight.

Not if they’re 4 foot nothing

I agree with this here, too. I should probably educate myself on the athlete’s height, but if it’s somewhere below 5 feet… then yeah.

A woman here as well. As someone who battled anorexia in the past - years ago, I can see how weight numbers can be triggering. But thank God im more of the mindset now, wherever someone feels good and is healthy (doesn’t restrict, you get what I mean), then that’s their weight. That probably sounds too simplistic. Im sorry for offending anyone. Though it can be interesting to see what others way and how that composition can help them - whether they’re smaller or larger, provided the athletes fuel themselves well. Probably better to keep #s outta publication, though.

Like what another woman posted on this thread, I also relate to the “you look unhealthy” comments. For me, these came when I was probably 120/125# as a HS senior & I was curling 45# (for short sets… I was foolish how I used to lift). Certain ppl close to me were offended that veins popped out of my arms & would get offended if I didn’t eat cake at birthday parties & would accuse me of “excluding myself” for not eating sweets (I ate them, but ate them when I craved them). The nutritional denigration happened so often those taunts triggered long binge eating disorder in college because I never felt good enough for those ppl, never felt like I could fit in with them. So I’ve been BMI-obese, too. So grateful to be 2.5-years free from binge eating & slowly back to running. Hope is out there.

Some of the lighter marathon elites are barely any heavier than a very large bird and could possibly flap away if you strapped wings to their arms.

rojo wrote:

https://www.the-star.co.ke/sports/athletics/2021-09-29-aiyabei-banks-on-weight-advantage-to-win-london-marathon/

1) If you are a runner, please realize that you should focus on training properly, earing properly adn getting in shape, not your weight. Your weight generally comes off when you train properly and are fit - not the other way around.

2) I think this is proof positive that commentators should not be forbidden from talking about weight or body characteristics as some have suggested just because some people struggle with issues related to that.

I don't love the way the article is written or headlines as it implies teh weight is the key. No, the key is her being fit which is reflected by her weight.

Meanwhile Salazar is BANNED by safesport for saying Cain needed to lose weight. What a farce.

Why so touchy about reducing weight? At what point is a person going to take personal responsibility and stop blaming “society” or “culture” for their poor choices?

88 lbs/ 2.2 lbs/kilo / 1.50^2 m =17.7 BMI

It’s fine. Gracile frame, feather weight