UKH

Just wondered what people's views are on the above? I have always subscribed to the view that, within reason, the lower my body weight, the better for running. I am doing more fell running than road now however and doing squats etc to strengthen my legs as I think this really helps on the uphills. I have been doing this for a while now and presumably my leg muscles are getting a bit stronger and more toned, but as my weight is staying the same, they are not getting bigger and I cannot see any major gains happening from now on.

Is it worth do you think  slowly allowing myself to gain, say, half a stone, hopefully all in leg muscle! or am I better off keeping my weight low?

any thoughts?

Power to weight ratio.  If you can increase your power more than your weight it's probably good.  Difficult to quantify that.

Light, look at all the good runners.

Bike to get stronger legs but don't try to gain weight.

I found a sweet spot, too light and I didn't have the same recovery or energy but too heavy and I was shit and slow but I was always large for a decent runner.  

I think you're probably right. when I was doing a lot more road running, I was a stone lighter than i am now - every little niggle or illness that came along floored me as i had no reserves, and i was permanently hungry and grumpy. too fat though and everything feels bl**dy hard work and awful

I am probably about right now but I was just looking for an excuse to eat more cos I like cake!

Cake does not appeal to me much.  I'm at minimum weight and too weak to get up hills.  Eating won't help. I need to train more.  But can't be doing with bad weather.  I'll join the running club 6 miles route tonight as it's dry.

Interestingly my cycling buddy who is a ferociously fit 64 year-old, has just gone back to running after only road cycling for about 10 years. He is about 180 cms but since restarting running his weight has dropped from an already respectable 74 kgs to 72 kgs. He is now really annoyingly fit and even faster up hills and is sometimes bollocked by the ride leader for shooting off the front during club rides. He reckons that the gain is thanks to running giving you no respite whereas on a bike you can rest on the downhill bits.

Back in my road running days I was very lean, due to running and a heavy manual job, in retrospect too lean as I suffered continual illnesses due to immune system under pressure and measles did me no favours for several years following. We cant simply try to achieve the body form of a pro distance runner as we have different lives and stresses to them, for a pro life may be eat, run, sleep and repeat twice a day whilst having everything monitored for you. A couple of pounds extra helped a bit. I started fell running and quickly put on a few pounds, but it was pretty obvious by looking at my legs where those pounds came from - I bulked up from the hill work.

Not sure everyone reacts the same as we are all different shapes and sizes, some top fell runners appear very lean in the leg (though well muscled), whereas I am quite short and stocky at 5ft6 and have very short legs  which seem to bulk up rather than the long and lean option.

Horses for courses I suppose and everyone has to find their best. But like all things in life - If I could go back 30 years knowing what I know now...........

I guess look at Kilian Jornet - big powerful legs and v skinny upper half so lots of power to carry a light frame.