Many runners including myself have the erroneous belief that if they increase their weekly mileage and train harder without proper recovery can get that new PB are looking for. I have to admit, I was in that position and sometimes we change things that makes the situation worst and ignore some simple facts like achieving your ideal marathon weight.
📅 A Transformative Summer in Thasos
So let’s go back couple of years, back in summer of 2018 and I will explain you how i manage with logging the same mileage doing the same training to cut off more than 30 minutes from my previous marathon best time,
In summer of 2018 we spent our holidays with my wife to the beautiful island of Thasos in Greece. Every time we are planning our summer holidays, I do my research about the running routes I can safely run there alone and of course I do my research to find a good running book to enjoy while lying on the beach.
Back then, I knew I was carrying a few extra pounds — at 5.34 feet and about 152 pounds, I wasn’t exactly in “marathon weight” territory. But honestly? I didn’t care. I felt healthy, I was clocking serious weekly mileage, and I was happily “fueling” with a little extra pizza, beer, and post-run treats. Life was good.
Then, during one of my summer holiday Amazon book hunts, I stumbled upon two titles by Matt Fitzgerald: Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance and Racing Weight Quick Start Guide: A 4-Week Weight-Loss Plan for Endurance Athletes. Little did I know these two books would quietly tiptoe into my Kindle and completely change my running game.
I remember thinking, “Perfect timing!” — picturing myself on a Greek island, basking in the sunshine, sipping a cold local beer, crunching on salty snacks, and reading about… how to lose weight for marathon performance. Yep, nothing says vacation mode quite like chasing a leaner racing weight while demolishing a plate of feta and olives. Talk about a delicious oxymoron.
losing some pounds while you are training for a marathon sometimes can be tricky
But here’s the catch — chasing a lower number on the scale without fueling properly is like running a marathon in flip-flops: you might finish, but it’s going to hurt… a lot. Training will suffer, recovery will stall, and injuries may sneak in if you’re not hitting the right protein-to-carb ratio after workouts.
To help you find your own sweet spot, I’ve included a link to the Racing Weight Calculator I created so you can figure out your ideal marathon weight: Download it here.
A quick note — racing weight isn’t the same as healthy weight. Your racing weight is like a race-day outfit: you put it on for a short period to get peak performance, then return to your everyday, comfortable, healthy weight for the rest of the year. And, as always, get advice from a qualified professional before making changes to your diet or training.
From Matt’s book, I learned how to calculate exactly how many calories I needed to eat per day to trim a few pounds without sabotaging my training. So, like any slightly obsessed runner on a mission, I downloaded a calorie-tracking app and logged every single thing I ate. If a crumb crossed my lips, it was in the app before it even hit my stomach.
I kept this up for two weeks before realizing something magical had happened: I could now calculate my day’s calories in my head without even opening the app. By simply replaying what I ate — breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner — I could sum it up like a human calculator (without the awkward beeping).
Next came the big step — figuring out my current body fat so I could calculate my racing weight. I treated myself to a RENPHO Bluetooth Body Fat Smart Scale, which gave me all the juicy stats: body fat percentage, muscle mass, water weight, and more. One quick tip here — you only need to weigh yourself once a week, ideally at the same time of day. Your sanity will thank you, and you won’t end up obsessing over daily fluctuations that mean absolutely nothing.
Fast forward a few months, and I hit my 12% body fat target. By November, I’d even dipped to 10.5% and 137 pounds. I had never felt so light, so fit… and yes, I finally discovered abs are a real thing and not just a Photoshop myth.
Here’s the takeaway — reaching your optimal racing weight can absolutely help you run faster, reduce your injury risk (less weight means less pounding on your joints), and make every mile feel a little easier. And here’s a fun fact: your body weight is directly linked to your VO₂ max. That means with the same training load, simply dropping excess pounds allows your body to use oxygen more efficiently. Translation: you get faster without adding a single extra workout.
So, whether you’re chasing a new personal best or just want to feel like you’re gliding instead of grinding, remember — your racing weight is a powerful tool, not a permanent state. Treat it like a season-specific race kit: wear it when you need to, then happily return to your comfy, healthy weight for the rest of the year.
Now lace up, run light, and maybe — just maybe — check if those abs have been hiding under there all along.
