[ncuneo]

So I'm likely going to change my maintenance range to 145-150 for several reasons. One being that I'm pretty happy here, two I'd really like to keep "the girls" and I'm pretty sure if I go below 145 I'm going to be smaller than I'd (and my DH) would like and three, I'm noticing a ton of changes from strength training and I feel that my body is going to go through a lot of changes and I want to see what happen between 145-150. If it's not where I want to be after a few months I'll lose a little more, but at this point I'm willing to accept the little bit of belly that's left to save the boobies

So anyway, not sure why I felt the need to explain all that, but my main question is that I'm going to start training for a half marathon on Monday. My training schedule isn't too intense, my goal is only to finish the half marathon, but I will be continuing to strength train 2xs a week and I'll be running 4xs a week. So how do I transition into maintenace while I'm training? For right now I'm not going to change my cals, I'd like to get as close to 145 as possible, but when it comes time to start adding, how can I add so that I'm not "artifically" high because of training. I mean it's probably not possible, I guess I just need to be careful when I stop training (or cut back on the long runs) to adjust my cals down as necessary. I know it's probably not too smart to plan to train for a half marathon the same time as hitting maintenance, but I need a new goal NOW, so I figured why not. Anyone have any experience with this?

[SarahinBalance]

That's AWESOME you're training for a half! Crossing the finish line is the BEST feeling! How many calories are you eating now and how much exercise are you doing? I would just consume as much as you're burning - So if you naturally burn around 1700/day + exercise then I would consume that - If you continue losing add more and if you gain then scale back? It's a delicate balance trying to eat enough to sustain training, but I've found that I run better with more fuel.

[ncuneo]

It hard to say exactly what I'm burning, right now I run 2-3 miles with some walking 4xs a week and I'm probably burning 300-500 on those days. I strength train 2xs a week and burn maybe 200 then. I'm eating about 1750 cals/day average and still losing. So I'll hang here for a bit tip 145. The beginning of my training is a lot like my current routine so things should just move along as normal. I figure about when I hit 145 is when my training will start kicking into gear, so that's where I'm not sure what to do. I had kind of picked my current calorie level to mimicked maintenance but still allowed some loss, that's why it's pretty high. I figured when I hit goal I'd only need to add 50-100 cals or maybe nothing and just allow for little extra on the weekends. I think I might still able to do this because my training is pretty conservative and my long runs are on the weekends so if I just keep my cals then same but add a little on the weekends if needed I should t get into a situation when my cals are artificially high...does that seem like an ok plan?

[SarahinBalance]

I think that all sounds good - maybe just bump it up to 2000 at some point every day (thought I like to do a little less during the week, little more on the weekends) - I'm like you though, trying to find the balance of maintenance - Also it's funny cause I've found in the past that when I bumped my calories up a little bit (2000 instead of 1700 during the week) I actually end up losing a few. I think the most important thing is making sure you're getting ENOUGH calories to fuel your workouts (especially those long runs). 1750 sounds like a good amount to stick with for now, and like you said, add a few more when you start to increase intensity.

Good luck! Which half are you training for?

[thesame7lbs]

Ncuneo, I've been reading a lot of your posts here and there about entering maintenance, about 1/2 marathons, etc... it wasn't until this morning that I realized I'm in the same boat! I just started aiming for maintenance calories this week, and I'm 8-1/2 weeks out from a 1/2 marathon on Sept 12. When's yours?

I think this next week is the first week of the training program that is more mileage than I'd been running anyway, and the increase is gradual -- just a couple miles a week. So if you figure 100 calories per mile, over the course of a week it's really not many more calories.

I realized this morning I have to focus more on making sure I'm getting really good nutrition. The first few days of increasing my calories, I ate basically the exact same stuff I'd been eating, and then had some extra snacks after dinner b/c I had "leftover" calories (the maintenance ones). I need to learn how to work those in as healthy snacks during the day to help keep me fueled, or a few extra bites of good stuff at mealtime. How strange to think about eating more after spending so much time (20 years) thinking about eating less!

[Shannon in ATL]

I didn't really change my maintenance calories while training for my half marathon. I probably didn't eat enough, but I didn't feel bad or anything. I was around 1850-1900, on run days I would let myself eat closer to 2050 sometimes. I tend to eat a pb&j before a run, but don't eat much else. I'm a creature of habit, once it worked the first time I stuck with it.

[ncuneo]

I'll be training for the Coronado Island Half Marathon on November 14th. I was going to do the one in Pasadena in September, but aparently that one is hilly and has some trail running - probably not a good match for a first timer. So I picked Coronado instead. I'll have 18 weeks to train starting next week, probably too many, but the begining of my training is basically just to continue what I've been doing and then 12 weeks out it starts increasing. It's also good that I switched because it's dreadfully hot where I live (like it's 115 today) and by doing one in November instead it puts those really long runs when it starts to cool off a little instead of in the dead of summer.

I have a back maintenace calorie plan if I'm still losing when I hit 145 and then another back if when I get into the longer runs I start losing again. I'm hoping I'm prepared. I just don't want to get too attached to a high maintenance level that I can't maintain after training.

[thesame7lbs]

Oh, Coronado! We lived in San Diego for four years, and Coronado is just a little piece of heaven to me. I will have to put that half marathon on my calendar for 2011 (we're hoping to move back).

The one I'm doing is pretty flat -- in fact, it's a net downhill.

I don't want to lose more than another pound or two, but it's hard to say, "Oh, I'm going to eat 2500 calories today!" which is what mydailyplate is telling me. I'm going to work up to that slowly!