Getting faster and faster but looking fatter and fatter!

Well that sucks and I completely understand.

If you are 40 and unhappy with your weight, from someone turning 47 tomorrow- I would say do something NOW; it only gets more difficult to keep it under control the older you get (more difficult- NOT impossible!!)

Sounds like you training is going well so it has to be your diet. If you really are unhappy with how you look (and health should be the biggest concern) then start logging what you are eating and make the choice to change things up. Study up on good whole food lifestyle eating not diets. Find what works best for you and your body and plan to eat that way- from now on.

THIS article about giving up nuts rang a bell with what has been going on with my weight. Its too much meat for me personally, but others really seem to do well with Paleo.

I tell my clients that being lean is 90% diet.  

Your training is yielding you more than just speed; there are numerous health benefits to an active race training lifestyle.

But when it comes to physique, if your diet is off, all the training in the world might not get you the results you desire.

Have you applied your obvious hard work and discipline (congrats on the 2nd place) to your eating habits?  If so, maybe your on the wrong track?  Like the wrong training program, the wrong diet can hinder rather than help you reach the goal.

Your weight has only crept up a few lbs in the last decade and you're running a 2min faster 5K than you were in high school and you ran x-country? 

Dude, c'mon.  You're being too hard on yourself. It probably is muscle.

Focus on that speed.  That's awesome.  Race photos don't exactly catch everyone at their most photogenic moment. How do you feel when you get dressed in the morning? How do your clothes hang? Wedding ring and/or watch fit?

If you still decide you want to lose a few lbs, no big deal. Do it.  1lb = 3500cals, spread it out, nothing crazy (too much, too fast), reduce stress, plenty of sleep, limit the booze (if ya do that kinda thing).

My weight actually isn't a problem. I could be lighter, but most guys my age can say that. Everything fits fine - I have the essentially the same waist size as I did at age 21 (weirdly enough, despite 20lbs of extra weight.)

It's the unfortunate skin hanging off my face and the rotund appearance of my face and limbs that's making my race pics look horrendous. =(

Race times are good for me though. Ran a 5k in 18:20 2 weeks ago, and improved my bike split in my AG from 20th to 3rd in last week's HIM. So training and racing is going well. Those darn race pics though!

race pics can be absolutely brutal, definitely know what you're saying!  

I have no sympathy for you.  None;)

If you saw my race pics you would! LOL. (My not so back door brag definitely deserves no such sympathy though - by my own personal criteria, if my 18-21 year old self would have been impressed with my current results, it's a good showing!)

I think the problem here is that you are using race photos to judge how you look. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that despite the fact that these are usually taken by professional photographers, somehow we all look like crap in these pictures. There have been times that I wanted to offer the website money to take my pictures down!

The other issue is that during a race we are usually wearing Spandex or some sort of clingy, aerodynamic fabric. Personally, I don't look great in spandex, maybe if the lighting was perfect and the photographer caught me at the right angle.....nope, I would probably still look chunky.

As I near 40 years old, I am worrying less about defying gravity and more about how I feel. If you feel healthy and are racing well, maybe let the race results rather than the race pics speak for your performance!