Getting sick, and weight loss - maybe

Well it had to happen at some point - I got sick! A bit of a tickle in the throat last Sunday, but nothing too serious, then started to feel pretty average Tuesday, and knew what was coming! I am pretty much resigned to the fact that I will get sick 2-3 times every year. I am probably just a little more susceptible to catching bugs, as it does not matter that much if I am training hard or not, being healthy or not. Probably genetic, so I can blame the parents, but I also got a half reasonable VO2 max, so wont be too harsh on them either! I have ended up taking Wednesday to Sunday off, with a bit of a run Friday morning and Saturday - taking the squad session. I just made sure these were easy. Actually felt much better than expected, so will bit the pool in the morning (very easy) and see how things go. There is no point in trying to "train through it", as the bugs will just be around longer. So plenty of liquids, Vitamin C, sleep, and all those things that we "should do".

I did manage to get a couple of days in before the bugs hit, and did have a bit of a conversation with a part time swimming buddy over weight. We were in agreement over many of the issues, and what it take to be lean, especially as an athlete. Anna is a very good swimmer - and was exceptional (with NZ records), but just swims a couple of times a week if she can, has two young kids and still keeps herself trim, by just being sensible. That is all it takes really - bit of common sense and nothing drastic.

When I talk with athletes about goals, target and all those things, at some point weight comes up. Sometimes more often than it needs to, and sometimes it carries far more emphasis (I wont say "weight") than it should. When it comes down to it, it is not the total weight that is the issue, it is the amount of fat you are carrying that is the issue. The scales are not that good at picking this up! When people say they want to lose weight, they usually want to lose fat - which is quite different. Fat is stored energy, but excess fat is "dead weight" and does hinder performance in any weight bearing activity. So in general terms, the loss of excess fat is a good thing! The main problem is most people focus on total weight, and if that goes down, things are good - but that does not tell you if you lost fat, muscle, or are just dehydrated.

I am currently around 76-77kg's, and I am happy with that at the moment. For the last few years I have been around 78, and went into a mild panic when I was sick last time and came out the other side at 83kgs (normally bugs are good for losing 2-3kgs!!). The lightest I have been at race weight is 67kg, and most of my good races were around 71-73 kgs and around 8% body fat (maybe slightly less). At the moment I am probably 12-15% body fat (depending on the measurement method), although I am planning on getting a few skin folds taken in the near future as a baseline for the body fat. Now if I assume I am 14% body fat, that gives mean a lean body weight of around 66kg, and if I was 8% body fat then I would be a pinch under 72kgs. Which all sounds good. But I am planning on increasing my lean body mass, as a result of the increased training, particularly with a bit more emphasis on the strength training. So if my lean body mass gets to around 68kgs, and I get down to 10% body fat (which I think is realistic) then the scales should show around 75kgs. This is really not much difference, but a lot of changes will have taken place!

Realistically I am not going to get my running back to a level it was, in one year. It has taken 7-8 years of stuff all proper run training to get to the position I am in, and it ain't going to turn around quickly! I think I can make relatively more gains in training on the bike and swim - which will yield better performances at a slightly higher weight. The key here is that when you do loose weight, that it is fat that you drop, and not lean muscle mass. The problem that typically arises when athletes decide that they need to shed a few kg's is that it is too quick, and lean muscle mass is what is lost, and so to is performance potential. There have been a couple of studies floating around on this, and what I believe is that there is a balance between power output on the bike and run speed at certain weights. If you get too light/lean you loose more on the bike than you gain in the run. Possibly for some very skinny athletes actually getting a little bigger may enhance their cycling more than it detracts from their running. The other big factor if you have a long build-up is that strength is developed far better at higher body fats than when you are lean (how many very lean power lifters have you seen?). So carrying a few extra kgs through winter is not a bad thing - it will probably give you better response to strength training, a little better immunity, and you will have a little more to come and go on (fuel store wise) with a steady volume of training.

Shedding the fat is a slow process. If you do a 4 hour bike, you might use up 2500-3000kcal's, and 30-40% of that might be using fat (more if it is easy and/or you are fit, less if it is a solid ride and/or you are unfit). Taking the half way point And rounding a bit, you would have burnt just under 1000 kcal in fat. there are 9000kcal in 1 kg of fat, so to burn off 1 kg of fat will take over 9 longer easy rides of 4 hours plus! I could obviously go on a fair bit further, but I think that is enough for now... :-)

Hopefully we are back on track next week...