This Dad Shaved 1:22 Off His Marathon Time by Running 6 Days a Week and Meal Prepping
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Name: Sharif Aboelnaga
Age: 48
Hometown: Belleville, New Jersey
Occupation: Sales Manager
Start Weight: 187 pounds
End Weight: 153 pounds
Time Running: I have been running consistently since January 2016 (5 years and 8 months), although I have run sporadically off and on for years before that.
I grew up loving sports—I wrestled, played baseball, and played football through high school. I stayed active in college, but after graduating and starting a job, I slowly began gaining weight. I spent the first 6.5 years of my career working in the field on oil rigs, so I stayed somewhat active. But once I left the field for an office-based job, that changed. I also began smoking, which did not help either.
I still ran the occasional 5K, and even ran a half marathon with my high school friends. My work had taken me all over the world, from Philadelphia—where I went to college—to Louisiana, Colombia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Wyoming, Oklahoma—where I met my wife Heidi after a 5K race in 2011—Texas, and now the United Arab Emirates.
Heidi was not pleased that I smoked—as a naturopathic doctor, she knew the importance of living a healthy, balanced life. She convinced me to get off the “Chevron Diet,” as she called it (gas station sandwiches, chips, and soda for lunch and dinner), and I began making much healthier eating choices. I had quit smoking, was eating better, and had cut out all soda by the time we married in September 2013, but my weight had still hit its highest of 190 pounds. After moving to Houston in late 2014, we were blessed to have a beautiful daughter, Isabel, nine months later.
But after an annual physical in January 2016, I still received my usual bad results: I was overweight by more than 30 pounds, my cholesterol was high, and I needed to be in much better shape. At the time, my daughter was about 6 months old, and I realized I needed to do something about my health. I wanted to grow old with Heidi and hang out with Isabel and see her grow and develop. I was 42 years old at the time, and I wanted to make sure I would be around when she was older. I knew I had to make a change.
Running consistently was a New Year’s resolution. For 10 years, I had told myself I needed to run more consistently, but never really managed to do it. This time, I was more determined to stay committed to running beyond three months into the new year—so I really began running in January 2016. I had run previously, and I liked the simplicity of it, since all I needed was a pair of shoes. When I first started running, my lungs would burn, but I could feel the progress as I stayed consistent.
I began running five or six days a week back then, and I had a few simple goals: lose some weight and get my cholesterol down. I began running about four miles a day, then slowly built up to five miles, and then to six miles. I had a Garmin watch, so I used Garmin Connect to monitor my progression. I also used MyFitnessPal to monitor my weight, and I used AllRecipes for healthy food planning.
As I was gaining traction, I decided on one more goal: I had done a few half marathons, but nothing longer. I had toyed with the idea before, but I finally decided I should try the marathon distance. So, if I was going to do a marathon, what better race to run than New York City? I trained for and ran the marathon, and I was immediately hooked on the distance.
I run religiously six days a week. I do my long run of 14 to 24 miles on my first working day of the week (Monday in the U.S., but Sunday in Abu Dhabi where I now live), which knocks out the hardest run of the week first. I then do a few easy runs and a few workouts to round out my running week, which are usually about nine to 10 miles per day. I also consistently do a bodyweight resistance routine four days a week to keep me healthy and maintain my strength.
Since my first marathon in November 2016 where I ran a time of 4:22, I have run times of 3:20 (January 2018), 3:16 (January 2019), 3:25 (April 2019), 3:08 (January 2020), 2:59 (January 2021), and I just completed the 2021 Boston Marathon in 3:11 (October 2021). I have also dipped my toes into the world of ultramarathons, and ran my first 50K in November 2020.
Sharif’s Must-Have Running Gear
→ ActInput Knee-High Compression Socks: You won’t see me out running without them.
→ Hoka Clifton 7 Running Shoes: I love the cushioning of Hokas, and the Clifton 7’s really work for me.
→ Brooks Sherpa Running Shorts: They are super lightweight, and they don’t chafe. I have about eight pairs of running shorts, but these are my favorite—I always try new shorts but go back to these.
These three tips helped make my running journey a success.
1. Make the time to run
Everyone is always busy, and there are always excuses with work, family, kids, etc. When I first started my journey, I used to run at lunch at work, but found my planned runs were always getting ruined because a meeting went long or other responsibilities would come up. After a month or so, I began running early in the morning so that I could get my running done and still have time for my work and family. For me, it means getting up between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. (sometimes at 2:30 a.m. for my really long runs or early meetings), but it works. I can count on one hand the number of times I have missed a run in the last few years.
2. Stay consistent
I run six days a week like clockwork. My workouts don’t change much, but I am still seeing great results in my running performance. I am struggling a bit running in 90°F heat and 80-percent humidity at 4 a.m. in Abu Dhabi, but I am hoping it pays off for future races.
3. Prep, prep, prep
At the end of the weekend, I prep salads for part of the next weeks’ lunch. I prep a few breakfast shakes (oatmeal, protein powder, flax seed, hemp seed, cacao nibs, almond butter, iced coffee cubes, and half a frozen banana) for my breakfast during my workout days. Every night I get my next day’s running gear set up so I don’t make a bunch of noise when I get up.
In total, I have lost about 35 pounds.
Running has completely energized me. It helps me sleep better and gives me a massive boost of adrenaline. My cholesterol is back to a healthy range, and I feel great. I am the same weight I was back when I graduated high school, and probably in as good shape now at 48 years old.
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