Training for a Mini Marathon

Question
I'll try to be as brief as possible.  I am 35 years old and weigh 220 lbs. at 5'11" tall.  I have been lifting weights for the past 20 years since I was a wrestler in high school.  I have ran many 5k and 10k races.  I ran a mini marathon when I was 21 years old.  I have ran races since then, but no mini's.  I never really concerned myself with the nutrition side of the sport, but always figured youth and ability would get me through.  After a couple of surgeries from weightlifting injuries over the last couple of years, which have now healed, I find myself wanting to run again.  I know that in order to have a chance to run my city's mini this year....in May...I'll need all the help I can get.  I'm not fat, but very muscular.  Nevertheless, carrying 220 lbs for 13 miles will kill me.  Any advice for my preparation?  I'm afraid that I am going to diet incorrectly and ultimately damage my chances of a successful training program.   Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Dallas
Indianapolis, Indiana  

Answer
Dear Dallas,

You need to build your endurance by running/walking gradually over the next 5 months. Start with alternate days of the week and pick a time (not a distance) you can sustain with a comfortable jogging pace. Remember, you must be able to run and talk (without ever getting breathless) in order to build your aerobic capacity (endurance). Use the talk test in order to monitoryour pace. You should be ble to run and talk without getting winded. If you find yourself getting winded then walk until you recover and start again. After about 4 weeks of slowly increasing your time you need to pick one day (your long run day) and increase the longest distance you can run then (measure yourself) by one mile @ every week. Go slow as this is not a timed race day. You will build your longest run to about 11-12 miles once before race day (about 3-4 weeks out from the race then you should start your taper to the race). On the other days build your runs over time so you can cover up to an hour comfortably (3-4 days per week). This will take you about 3-4 months to do so go slow and be consistent. Stretch daily and continue the strength training, especially for your knees and hamstrings.

As for diet, choose foods high in complex carbohydrates (fresh fruits, vegetables and wholegrains) while limiting simple sugars, fats and alcohol. Protein intake is moderate since it isn't the source of energy for endurance training.
60-65% of your intake should be from carbohydrates.

Be persistent and consistent and you'll make your goal of finishing the Indianapolis half. Good luck.

I hope I have been of some assistance.

Dr. Christopher Rampacek