I *think* that I’m feeling better. My throat isn’t as sore and my nose isn’t as stuffed up as it was this morning, but I definitely don’t feel 100% quite yet. It seems like I’m moving in the right direction though! 
Lunch
Even though I’m not feeling well, I still have an appetite. That’s good news, right?!
I made myself a bowl of (canned) chicken noodle soup with crackers on the side.
There was some leftover feta-walnut “stuffing” from the Feta-Walnut Stuffed Cucumbers that I made last week, so I ate the rest with my crackers.
After lunch, I ate two Sandwich Thins with peanut butter and chocolate + peanut butter chips on top. I love this treat and it made me feel a little bit better! 
Marathon Training & Body Changes
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve received a number of questions about how marathon training has changed my body and appetite. Just this morning, I received the question below:
just wanted to see if you’ve noticed any improvements in your body/weight since marathon training, like new muscles, skinnier, higher weight on the scale? just curious. i hear a lot of people “gain” some scale weight while marathon training but thats probably just new and improved muscles. maybe you can give an update to the blog world about this, plus your appetite, how you’ve been fuleing etc?
And here’s my response!
Yep, I have gained weight since I started marathon training, but I think it’s mostly muscle mass (??). I don’t own a scale, but my jeans are definitely tighter in the thighs– and I am completely fine with this. I mean, how else am I going to run 26.2 miles!?! I need big, strong legs to take me the whole way! Plus, last week, a few of my marathoning (Twitter) buddies joked with me about their growing quads, so it seems like it’s fairly common.
I’m not sure what Murphy’s face says about my new and improved thighs? He must be intimidated by them!
On the flip side, I’ve noticed that my arms and abs are not nearly as tone as they used to be– probably because I don’t strength train as often as I did before marathon training. I used to attend Body Pump classes 2-3 times a week, but now I only go once a week (since running takes up so much of my time). After the marathon, I will definitely go back to my usual Body Pump schedule. I miss my bulging biceps!
As far as my appetite, I’m hungrier overall, especially after my long runs on Saturday mornings, and I find that I crave “heartier” foods. For instance, a big salad with beans for lunch would typically fill me up, but now I crave something more, like a hard-boiled egg or a piece of whole grain toast with melted cheese. Even still, my appetite seems pretty “normal.” I just want to eat more “quality” sources of food (fuel).
Another change that both Mal and I noticed is how tired we are. During the work week, the two of us are typically passed out by 9:30 PM and sometimes just as early on the weekends! Ok, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised since I’m exercising 6 days a week and running 20+ miles, but, man, am I exhausted. I can’t believe how much energy marathon training requires– a lot more than I ever expected! (Recently, I’ve started taking more rest days for just this reason.)
Has training for a marathon (or similar event) changed your body? Did your appetite change?
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I hope you didn’t end up getting sick. I’m finally getting over a nasty cold. It was not fun. Although I got to catch up on a lot of tv shows!
I’m cheating a bit (I’ve only done a half!) I found I had more energy during the day, but crashed pretty early at night – but then found it very easy to get up at 5.30am for a run!
I didn’t really notice any change in appetite at all, which I thought was weird. Similar to you though, I appreciated hearty meals a lot more.
And P.S, since it seems to be a popular topic – I also lost no weight while training, noticed bigger bum and legs (although they felt solid, not jiggly), and actually had a big decrease in my waist.
Congrats on training for your second marathon! What an accomplishment. I recently ran my first 1/2 marathon, and I must say, I noticed the same changes you did. Bigger thighs, smaller/weaker arms and abs, and a bit of a weigh gain. I was totally okay with it, because like you said, you need those legs to keep you runnin’! Good luck on your next race, can’t wait to read your post about how you did.
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