Losing Weight for Race Day

Should you try to lose weight prior to race day? It depends. Generally-speaking, the less you weigh, the more efficient you become. If you're at a healthy body weight, I would not recommend losing more. If you are overweight, trying to drop a few pounds might help you get to the finish line.

Due to my love of food and beer, I regularly pack on anywhere from 15 to 25 extra pounds. As my goal races approach, I usually try to cut that down a bit. I've found my ideal race weight to be around 175-180 pounds (I'm six feet tall).

I find the natural process of training usually takes care of the added weight. As my weekly running and crosstraining increases, my caloric expenditure surpasses my caloric intake.

If that doesn't work, I fall back on the greatest weight loss secret in the world: I deliberately eat less and move more.  But I don't give up candy.  Or beer.

Should you lose weight? I'd recommend a few simple tests:

For the guys: Strip down naked. Reach your arms above your head. Look down. Can you see your penis? If you can, you're good. If you can't, you might consider losing a few lbs. prior to the race.

For the ladies [from Shelly]: Designate a pair of your “A” pants. You know, the pants that you know make your ass look great. If they fit, you're right where you want to be. If they're tight, lose a few pounds.

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