Runners (and other fitness addicts) - how has your body shape changed since you started running / training?

[Eshermummy]

Pre-kids I was reasonably fit but had completely stopped doing any exercise. Last year my youngest turned 4 and I thought enough was enough and I was determined to get fit again. I used to be a complete gym bunny but this time I thought I would also try running.

One year on and I have stuck with it, when I started out I was only managing 18 minutes of running, I'm now up to 6o minutes.

I wasn't really overweight to start with, just unfit and untoned. I'm 160cm/ 5 3" and currently weigh 52kg or 8 stone 3-4 lbs. I do quite a mix of stuff in with my running, my weekly exercise routine includes:

3-4 runs, 1-2 on treadmill of 5-7km, 2 outside (trail running) of 50-60 mins including a couple of hill sprints.

1-2 spinning classes at gym (depends if I've done 3 or 4 runs that week)

1 hour with personal trainer doing strength and resistance work with weights, mainly arms/back/core, not much legs.

1 hour pilates (intensive reformer bed based)

1 hour body balance class (kind of dynamic yoga/pilates set to music)

The thing is though, although I can definitely see that my body has gained more muscle I'm not really getting that lean runner's physique I so admire! Before I started I was a bit of a scrawny size 8 (albeit with a bit of a lumpy arse) now I think I've increased my dress size - my thighs in particular have really bulked out.

Whenever I point out a woman runner with the type of body I want to my DH he laughs and says what I really want is to be tall! I'm only short so maybe it's like pregnancy bumps on short people - there's only so much space for the muscle to go on a short frame which is why I look like a parsnip legged pit pony or am I missing something?

If you run regularly would you say that you are leaner or bulkier as a result? I'm not particularly fast (and don't really seem able to get much faster tbh despite adding the spin classes for interval style training), I run about 10 mins/mile but I am steady/consistent. Is it my plodding that is the issue or do I just have to face the fact that certain bodyshapes/types/genetic will always prevail?

I had my body fat and BMI analysed and I have a BMI of 20 and am 24% bodyfat. I am really enjoying my training and I'm not going to stop but I am a bit miffed at being the only person getting bigger through copious amounts of exercise.....can anyone see any obvious errors in my training plan or is it all going to come good and I just need to stick with it for a bit longer and I'll see the results I want.....?

The "lean runner body" you want is heavily genetically dependant I'm afraid, if you have tendency to build muscle, you wont have a hope of getting it. You can have that physique at 5'2" although its unlikely in people of northern european descent - more common in east african descent which is why they are all the best long distance runners. And as someone at all tempted by the gym previously suggests you won't get it - as runner types just get no return from the gym, so tend to stop quickly.

That said, you can make some differences over time, but to get any sort of running change will require huge volume of running I'm afraid, long runs are what drive the change, but without the running physique that can be tough in itself as you're much more likely to get overuse injuries. And you'd certainly need to drop the weights and probably even the Pilates.

Please don't though, the weights and pilates and the good all round fitness is more important to your health,

do you mean that you want more muscle or less body fat, or both?
If more muscle then resistance training more often than once per week may help.

Making some adjustments to your diet may help if you want to drop body fat.

loves - I think I would like to do both - add more muscle and lower my body fat. I suppose what I am keen to do though is make my muscles grow in a way that elongates them rather than just bulking them - would that mean focussing on smaller muscles rather than large ones? You are right that I need to look at diet - I am a bit head in sand about how much rubbish I allow to sneak in at the end of the day/ evenings.

FFG - It's very interesting that you say runner types don't get much out of the gym as my weights/ strength/ resistance work is probably what I enjoy most out of all the stuff I do. I do enjoy the "high" and feeling I get after running but I find it pretty hard going, especially the first 10 minutes!

I have been reading the thread about weights, kettle bells and TRX and I'm thinking maybe I should focus more on that side of things rather than trying to force my body into doing something it's maybe not genetically suited to. I'm not really into the idea of running long distances, I'd like to get to 10k (think I am very nearly there tbh) but marathons etc don't really interest me.

Off to read the weights thread in full I think!

Eshermummy, I dont think you can really change the shape of your muscles all that much :)

www.runnersworld.co.uk/weight-loss/the-busy-runners-guide-to-losing-weight/6955.html

I have runners world magazine delivered every month,this was in a recent one but am sure that in febs there was an article relating to just this issue,you need a combination of lsr and tempo/fartlek runs amongst other things.Wi lsee if I can find article and link later on.

I am rubbish at running, I find it very demanding and I mostly do run /walk intervals, but I have improved a bit and I find it very good for keeping body fat down, but I am a little obsessive about keeping my diet 'clean'

I run a lot and have definitely noticed a difference. I haven't lost weight but people think I have because my bum and thighs have been trimmed. But I've always had 'child-bearing hips' as a nurse so wonderfully put it, and they ain't going anywhere. Funnily enough, I've made my peace with them - feel like if I eat healthily and run a lot and they don't go down, then they must be 'me' rather than shameful evidence of too much chocolate! DP calls me 'my little pit pony'

have you been running for long indie?
I'm still finding it pretty hard going..managing 4-5km 3 or 4 times a week on the treadmill

Esher
I do a similar schedule to you and struggle to keep the weight on. My runs tend to be a little longer thou with the shortest being 1 hour and the longest 2 hours, 3 times per week. 2-3 spining classes, 1 circuits class, 1 swiss ball tone and one body balance class.
Long slow runs will enable your body to burn fat instead of the interval training although the interval training will increase your speed.
Working with a heart rate monitor may help.
Also I remember somewhere reading that runners can over compensate for calories expended and over eat after their run. What would you normally eat/drink after exercise?