Name: Scott Studham
Age: 47
Hometown: Minneapolis Minnesota
Occupation: Business Owner
Start Weight: 270 pounds
End Weight: 215 pounds
Time Running: 4 years, 2 months
On September 26, 2013, I weighed 280 pounds and struggled to walk 100 yards on the beach. I was 39 years old, and my wife and two kids wanted to walk on Catalina Island in California to get ice cream. I couldn’t walk that far, so I sat down and asked them to bring me some back. Sitting alone while my family walked the boardwalk, I decided I would become an Ironman.
From September 2013 to March 2014, I completely focused on weight loss. I logged every calorie in the LoseIt app. By March 2014, I was 235 pounds and purchased a commuter bicycle. I rode to work during the summer of 2014, and by August was taking weekly 100- mile rides.
I wanted to run, but I had a problem: 17 years ago, I shattered my knee in a motocross accident—I was told I could never run and that I would need a knee replacement when I turned 40. I went to the doctor again and asked for an MRI, and the doctor said that I didn’t need a knee replacement yet, but that I couldn’t run on that knee. But in my mind, I heard “You will need a knee replacement at some point, so you might as well get as much wear out of this knee as possible.” So I started running.
I completed my goal of finishing an Ironman in October 2015. But after that, I stopped working out completely. My weight shot back up. By fall 2019, I was 270 pounds again. So I gave myself a new goal: I wanted to finish an Ironman, stay in that same shape (be fit enough to do an Ironman any month) for one year, and then do another Ironman a year later. I again used the LoseIt app to drop the weight. When I finished Ironman Waco in October 2021, I was 215 pounds.
To get there, this time I drastically changed my diet. I am a certified BBQ judge—I compete in BBQ competitions—and a certified beer judge. Those were my hobbies. But last year, I moved to a 100-percent plant-based diet. I found this really hard to maintain in the months leading up to the first Ironman. When I’m focused on weight loss or hitting my macros, I find LoseIt to be the easiest way to track things.
I’m currently in Cozumel, Mexico, training for Ironman Portugal in October 2022, and am doing a half Ironman in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before that. If the Portugal race is canceled due to COVID-19, I plan to participate in the Florida Ironman.
I train a lot—usually more than 10 hours per week. I track everything in TrainingPeaks using a Stryd Power Meter, aiming to stay mostly 80 percent in Zone 2. I love utilizing tools to track my runs and get data, including my Garmin Fenix and TrainingPeaks.
Scott’s Must-Have Running Gear
→ Garmin Fenix: Any fitness watch can help you maintain your pace and zones and track your runs. This Garmin watch lasts long enough for me to finish an Ironman with, and it can give me extra metrics about my running form.
→ Stryd Power Meter: Watt meters have been around on bikes for a while. This is a magical device that does the same for running. Running with power allows me to adjust pace for wind/hills and stay on target for training.
→ TrainingPeaks: This platform helps track the load of all the various sports I do—for instance, if I do a 100-mile bike ride one day, running 15 miles the next day is not a good idea. I can plan out my entire season and help ensure I’m prime on race day.
→ Born to Run Audiobook: Long runs can get boring. This is one of the best audio books on running I’ve listened to.
These three tips helped make my running journey a success:
1. No fad diets
Diets are full of fads (Paleo, Atkins, etc.). The only one I’ve found that works is “calories in” vs. “calories out.”
2. Start slow
Don’t increase your mileage by more than 10 percent per week. Your goals have to be viewed in the longer term.
3. Run with friends
Don’t be shy about asking the “fast friend” that would have to slow down for you to run with you. Running can be boring at times. We all love to run with other people, and we all started at the exact same spot.
I’ve lost the same 50-60 pounds, twice. Both times took about a year.
My friends and family call me an athlete. It is hard sometimes to really own that now, but I’m learning to wear that badge. I love to help others who are older, overweight, have broken bones, etc., learn about distance sports. Most importantly, my energy level and relationships have changed for the better. Before the weight loss and fitness journey, I was pretty sedentary. Now, I’m much more at peace and balanced.
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