Ideal Race Weight

My longtime readers may recall that last year I devoted quite a bit of time to monitoring my weight. This wasn't for any specific reason other than to understand what my ideal race weight really was. I had suspected that my race weight should be around 155 lbs. This meant just making a few better diet decisions and I would be there. Well I am back on that boat again.

I have been avoiding the scale for most of the off season. I knew I was eating liberally. Well I am back on the scale and well....I am fat. I use that term a bit facetiously. But the other day, I weighed in nearly 10 pounds heavier than I was this time last year. Here is my last weight challenge post from 2008. The week before Powerman I was 158 pounds with under 7% body fat. Imagine my astonishment when I stepped on the scale for three straight days and had 167-168 readings. Time to put down the ice cream.

I spent a copious amount of time this week wondering what the cause of this weight gain might be. I feel like I am making better food choices this year. I know I am eating more fruits and vegetables. I am working out plenty. I have less snacks around the house. So what gives? Well, a number of things...

1. More upper body muscle. Over the past month I have noticed that my arms and chest have gotten much bigger. The funny thing is that I haven't set foot in a weight room this off-season. I have been focusing on push-ups, pull-ups, core strengthening and some high intensity interval training. Apparently I am seeing the results.

2. Cycling bulk. Last year I spent Dec-March running. This time last year I had amassed nearly 270 miles versus 200 this year. My cycling mileage is nearly the same but I have focused on intensity this year. I can see the muscular difference in my legs. So my legs are a bit bulkier than last season's long and lean muscle.

3. Protein power. My diet is getting 25-50g more of protein each and every day. This is likely the cause of the increased muscle bulk. I have debated going off the protein powder for a while. However, I am nearly 100% certain that my body doesn't get enough so I know it is a good thing.

4. Snacking in the office. Supervising people has encouraged me to adopt some bad eating habits...namely candy. I set it up as encouragement for co-workers to visit my office. Instead, I probably use it more as stress relief.

5. Cooler weather. I am certainly not sweating off the pounds early this season. Maybe the extra baggage is from my hibernation.

Again, I am not getting worked up about my weight...just yet. I still think my ideal weight is probably 158-162. I know I can get leaner. I am happy with the 8.1% body fat. My clothes are fitting me just fine so I know the weight isn't in the bad areas. It just isn't comforting to know that I am nearly 10 pounds heavier.

Part of my goal this season is to experiment with my body a bit more. The diet needs tweaking. I know that. I need to start counting calories. Not from an obsessive perspective but from and informative one. That way I can really determine my ideal race weight. I will never be one who measures out 1 1/4 cup of whatever. But I can practice moderation better.

So I am re-launching my weight challenge. Again, I am going to photograph my body and record my weight each and every Monday morning. Since I feel like I am carrying muscle bulk, it will be interesting to see if there are any changes over the next few months as I change up my routine.