[bagpuddycat]

Not literally, of course - that would just be daft (and somewhat dangerous on a treadmill )

After a really enjoyable run on Easter Sunday, I had a much less good run last Tuesday in the gym and then on Friday, I had to give up after 25 mins (have been doing 36 mins) because I was so tired and so hot, I was really feeling quite ill. I managed to drag myself out on Saturday morning (and it was an effort, despite it being a glorious morning) and did finish my run, but it was hard work every step of the way and I was so tired I was stumbling at the end. It's really getting me down now - one bad run now and then I can deal with, but three in a row is starting to feel like a trend. If it weren't for the fact that I'm signed up for Race for Life in just 7 weeks I think I'd probably be giving up, accepting that running just isn't for me, despite that great run on Easter day.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom to help me through this?

 

[richardsimkiss]

Well the thing to remember is that ultimately, running does your body good and improves your fitness. You haven't suddlenly forgotten how to run, or lost all your fitness (despite how it may feel). So the bad runs are only going to be short term, we just need to figure out what's causing them!

Initially I was thinking it may be something to do with the boredom of running on the treadmill so much, though I then noticed you struggled on your Saturday outdoors run? So I'm guessing that's not it - though if you're having a bad run, I can only imagine the mundane treadmill run would magnify the discomfort.

3 bad runs in a row that were really hard work sounds to me like your body is struggling and could possibly do with a rest. Maybe miss your next run and just do 20mins of stretches instead which should give your body a bit of a chance to recover. It may feel like a waste of time, and that you'd be much better off getting out there and running - but if fatigue is the cause of your running woes at the moment, it'll do your fitness more good than a run would. If fatigue isn't the problem, then rest assured you won't have lost any fitness through taking the day off.

The only other thing I could think of that may be a contributing factor is diet... If you're dieting, or rather restricting calorie intake, you may find that your body is struggling for fuel and therefore making the runs hard work. If that's the case... get some nice complex carbs down ya (wholegrains etc)

Hope that helps a little

 

[Trinity]

There could be a number of reasons for you feeling like this... your body could be fighting something so you're not quite up to par, you might be doing a little too much and just need a rest for a while... taking a week off won't hurt at all at this stage, and might even do you good.
How about your diet? Are you getting all the nutrition you need... how about iron, B vits?

Or there could be another health issue... thyroid conditions can cause that kind of feeling, but not just when your running. So if you're otherwise ok, then it wouldn't be that.

Hope that helps in some way

 

[Trinity]

Sorry Rich... when I started posting you wasn't there, but at least we appear to agree

 

[Steve]

We all feel like this sometimes...I know I do right now and I've a marathon coming up!

It'll pass I'm sure...just take things easy and don't pressurise yourself.

 

[richardsimkiss]

No probs Trin, certainly along the same line of thought!

Let us know how you get on BPC!

 

[LEECE]

I have too felt this but i have just been doctors because of getting headaches for the past three weeks (everyday) i got really worried as its affecting my day, night and also running, been told i am suffering with cluster heaches and it will go but could last as long as three months.

I have decided to take things easier but still run but i wont be bothered about taking a day off here and there IF i need it.

Your body is giving you a sign that something is not right, think over is there anything that could be affecting why you feel this way.

Diet is a HUGE factor as i dealt with that side myself

 

[JBBury]

This just happens, for no apparent reason and you just have to deal with it and wait for your body to get back to it's natural pace and energy. Just over a week ago I ran a half marathon in 1 hour 25 mins and felt good the whole way. Since then I have ran a few slow and very difficult 6 and 8 milers. I don't know why this suddenly happens, but I just accept it. Taking a rest can be good. The last week I have only ran 26 miles (I usually run 30-40 miles a week when I'm feeling good). I'm just going to build up slowly again. For me, I think I find it difficult and slow when my body is fighting some virus or something. I never get full blown colds etc, but I do think running is difficult when the body is fighting something.

 

[bagpuddycat]

Thanks everyone. I don't think it's a diet thing - although I am losing weight, I'm doing it more by eating healthily and letting the running do the rest, so I'm not starving myself - and I'm making sure I've had enough to eat before a run. Besides, last week I ate rather more than I'd been eating recently, thanks to the coincidence of family celebrations, my birthday and Easter. I don't think it's down to me fighting off any bugs either - I can usually feel when that's the case.

There's a possibly that it's related to the old time of the month thing, in which case, things should be better this week (sorry boys ). In any case, I'll give myself a bit of a break - I might do something different in the gym tomorrow, partly as a mental break and partly to give my legs a change, if not a rest. If nothing else, it'll make a change from the treadmill tedium.

I do need to get off the treadmill and outside for more of my runs, because it really is insanely dull and that was definitely a factor in not finishing my run on Friday. I just wish I worked somewhere where I could get outside for a run at lunchtime without having to cope with crowded pavements and hideous traffic.

Anyway, it sounds like it's not anything out of the ordinary and I shouldn't despair just yet, so thank you for giving me that much needed morale boost, if nothing else

 

[bagpuddycat]

Sorry, I meant to say, Leece - I hope your headaches disappear soon - I just can't imagine how difficult it must be to cope with having one every single day for so long.

 

[LEECE]

Thanks Bag it is awful especially because it was so out of the blue, the doctor said it could be a body clock thing or brought on by infection, well the only infection i have had lately is a ear infection.

I have to go back to the docs in two weeks just hope its gone by then

Keep up the good work Bag anyways least you are looking after yourself

 

[madaboutbuns]

I'm just beginning to start running after 7 years, and when I did do lots of running I did personally find the week before my period hard work - but maybe what you should do is do a so many minutes walking, then so many minutes running - that is how I did it - still managed to cover the distance, just for those few days didn't push myself with the running.... plus I felt better for doing something, even if it was just walking...., then when I was feeling more myself I'd just get straight back into the running again....

"Time of the month" affects us ladies so very differently! I can get verbally snappy at that time of the month, not meaning too of course :d - so now have started to take evening primrose oil which have helped with the mood swings! :d

Christine

There's a possibly that it's related to the old time of the month thing, in which case, things should be better this week (sorry boys ). In any case, I'll give myself a bit of a break - I might do something different in the gym tomorrow, partly as a mental break and partly to give my legs a change, if not a rest. If nothing else, it'll make a change from the treadmill tedium.

 

[bagpuddycat]

Hi Christine

I'm already doing a run/walk thing - that's what makes it so depressing that I can't even manage that

For me it's the week of rather than the week before that seems difficult. Maybe I should eat more red meat...

 

[Trinity]

Hi Christine

Maybe I should eat more red meat...

Not necessarily... I'm vegetarian and you can get your iron from other sources

 

[Karen Edmunds]

Hi Bagpuddycat, I think you are slightly ahead of me on your run/walk program. I am on week 9 as my friend and I decided to repeat week 8 last week as we were finding it hard, but since the tip from Cheriton telling me to hold my head up I have found that I am not finding the running quite so hard. Have you tried that? it makes such a difference. Thanks Cheriton for that great tip!! What amazed me is that we normally run outside three times a week, and yesterday I decided to go to the gym and do a session on the treadmill just to see the difference. I must admit it was very boring, and I much prefer running outside but I was amazed that I managed to run for 30 minutes without a walk break. Why is it so much easier on the treadmill, than outside? Can anyone tell me? it felt great to run for that long, and I got a real buzz, just wish I could do that outside too. :d

 

[bagpuddycat]

Not necessarily... I'm vegetarian and you can get your iron from other sources

Oh, I know - it was just a throwaway comment. I do actually eat quite a lot of the kinds of veg which are stuffed full of iron (mmmm.....spinach - just call me Popeye :d)).

Karen - it's funny. I found it much easier to run on the treadmill to start with, but now I actually find it easier to run outside. It's possibly because I've managed to get my pace right when I'm free to adjust it more easily than on the treadmill, but am still focussing more on the numbers on the treadmill. I do run with my head up - as per Cheriton. I'd already worked that out for myself, though I hadn't really got to the stage of understanding consciously how/why it made a difference.

Anyway, I've decided that I'm going to the gym today (with a colleague which should make it a bit less dull) and just try to run for as long as I can without a walk break. Then I'm going to do some cycling for the rest of the time, to add some variety. It'll be interesting just to see how long I can keep going for without a break.

 

[Karen Edmunds]

Good luck in the gym today BPC. I did that, just got on the treadmill and thought I would see how long I could run for, it was 28 minutes before I felt that I needed a walk break, so thought may as well carry on and do another 2 minutes and make it 30. I can feel it in my calf muscles today, but no pain no gain. Let us know how you get on today :d

 

[richardsimkiss]

If you can overcome the tedium of the treadmill then it should be easier to run for longer, two main reason contribute to this in my opinion...

One - The treadmill running surface is perfectly flat and more forgiving (softer) than the pavement/road. So there's less shock on the legs, and (assuming you don't adjust it yourself) there's no incline. When you run outside there may be a tiny incline that you barely even notice, but it will make a difference to your times/efforts.

Two - The motion of running on a treadmill is slightly different to running on the road; the difference being that outdoors, you have to propel yourself along, if you stop putting the effort in you slow down and stop. On a treadmill the ground is being pulled along underneath you so you just need to keep moving your legs enough to stay put, which I would imagine takes slightly less energy than propelling yourself. Also there's the fact that you can't stop. If you slow down, you fall off!

That said though, Karen, it just proves that your body is able to do it! Were you running at the same pace or slower than you do outside? If you can replicate the pace you were doing on the treadmill, you should be able to push yourself to do the 30mins. It may seem a bit harder, but if you can do it on the treadmill, you can do it outside!

 

[bagpuddycat]

Oh no, I was all happy that I'd managed 10 minutes non stop and then I saw that you'd managed 30 :embarrassed:

I could have done a few more minutes after a couple of minutes walk, but I decided to leave it there and just do 10 minutes on the bike and some stretching.

There's no way I could have managed 10 minutes non stop last Friday, though, so something's definitely got better since then

 

[richardsimkiss]

Lol, don't go getting competitive So many things play into each of your runs including so many seemingly minor things such as fatigue from last training session, amount of sleep last night, what you had for dinner, what you ate before your run etc etc... not to mention the obvious things like what speed the treadmill was set at

Keep on runnin' :d