I'm on week 2 of a GC coached HM plan with Amy. On Monday I had a long run - just under 13 KM. That was all fine and dandy. Rest day on Tuesday, all good.
Wednesday was a "tired" run - best effort on tired legs over 7 K. That went ok apart from me setting off too fast and not being able to sustain the pace.
This is the weird bit...yesterday afternoon (Wed) I started to feel really quite tired, and this mornings (Thurs) easy 3 K was anything but easy, my legs felt like planks of wood...
Anyone else feel like this? OK for a couple of days after a long run, then weariness sets in 3 or 4 days later? Or am I just weird?
Written by
Curlygurly2
Half Marathon
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I went out this morning and it’s very humid and “sticky” and I find this sort of weather draining to run in. Perhaps it’s that CG or a combination of factors you’re not even aware of.
You’re an experienced runner so I’m sure you’ve checked all the usual possibilities like food, sleep, hydration etc… I know any of these factors can have a big negative impact on how I feel.
Apart from that I don't really have an explanation but I hope it all settles down for you 😍
Yes, you're right of course, it could be any or all of those things. I haven't done long runs for ages, but I seem to remember fatigue kicking in 3 or 4 days after last year. I wonder if its food? Longer runs tend to kill my appetite, maybe I'm just plain hungry!
I’m not that hungry after long runs either but always have a chocolate milk immediately afterwards (home made 🙂) as it’s easy to digest and apparently is really good for post-exercise.
Are you eating enough protein? Maybe check out your diet on MyFitnessPal and see if you’re missing anything vital. I did that and was surprised at what it threw up.
I’m no doctor but FWIW, I’ve read that longer exhaustive runs actually push appetite down as your body has reprioritized efforts to the running and cooling (in hot summer months) vs digestive functions, but you should always try and get some calories back into you within an hour or so after the run even if you don't feel like it in order to recover well. I would imagine stacking a not eating habit could lead to issues within a few days or weeks. I remember running the marathon race in 2020 and not being hungry at all. Very thirsty but not hungry. Could not finish my dinner that day. I always try to get some simple carbs back in me right after long runs, especially this time of year.
Oh I do eat Decker! Just not all at once with a big meal but little and often 🙂 I’m normally a “grazer” anyway but especially after long runs I eat every hour or so. The chocolate milk immediately I come in, then shower and food, then stretches, more food, tea/coffee, relax, more food……. 😋
But overall, I rarely feel hungry that whole day and it’s only the next day when I get my full appetite back.
That's interesting Decker , thank you. I follow a mainly Keto-type diet, so limited carbs. I'm not strict, but I rarely eat anything processed or made of grains or sugar. I'm trying eating much more protein at the moment, and that's working well for me. I eat lots of veg, so get an amount of carb that way.
I follow various Keto groups including Keto runners, most of them run very long distances completely fasted. That's not doing it for me, I try to have something, like coffee and a boiled egg before a run. Afterwards? Tea, buckets of tea, I might eat something a couple of hours later...everyone always says to listen to your body, I just can't eat if I'm not hungry.
On the heat subject, I'm in UK at the moment, and for me it's not even remotely warm. I'm used to French temps of 30C and above, I ran at over 40C a couple of years ago. The high teens we have here is just nice and cool for me, but that's not to say it has no effect I suppose!
Of course, I am still dealing with the rather random after effects of the radiotherapy, I was told to expect fatigue for three months but I'm three and a half years out for treatment and never really got my energy or any semblance of speed back, and sometimes I get tired for no reason at all...but this is different....who knew there were so many different tirednesses?
next long run I'll try getting a bit more food in and see how it goes.
Yes your circumstances are definitely unique Curly. There are just so many possible factors. I hope you can get to the bottom of it. My legs were so heavy on todays long run but I know its likely because the holiday this week pulled me into a 3 day back to back pattern that I’m not used to. And we are digging out our back garden sod to lay patio stones, which I’m also not used to 🙂
Sorry IP. I did not mean to imply you don’t t eat! I remember you mentioned you were a grazer. I think I am similar to you. I don’t feel hungry right after a run. But if I know it was a big effort then I try to get something in. I get quite hungry a few hours later so often have 2 lunches like I did today I do like the chocolate milk idea but I suspect my teens may finish it off on a late night fridge raid before I even get to it.
My Mum didn't trust my brothers friends, thought they would steal her purse, so hid her handbag in the washing machine when they came to visit, Yes, you've guessed it - she forgot it was there and put the laundry on.....
I find it hard to predict whether a run is going to feel easy or not, whether I'm going to feel fresh or not. I guess as IP says, there are so many factors at play. My expectations always have a lot to do with it too ... it's rarely as hard or as easy as I expect.
This is true, I expected Thursday to be easy-peasy and added in a hill, or what passes for a hill here in uber-flat cambridge, to add a bit of spice! I was starving after too, and craving bread, I rarely eat carbs. As I've said to IP, long runs tend to kill my appetite, maybe I'm just hungry!
I'm not sure that this is an absolute truth...I know many Keto runners who would not agree...a bit like "breakfast is the most important meal of the day"
The problem with carbs is they raise your blood sugar for a short time, then that falls leaving you more hungry than before. My husband had toast, I smelled it, wanted some....then I was on the carb rollercoaster, had another 3 or 4 slices during the day, I would never normally eat like that...
I think that on a long run of over 90 minutes I'll be starting to burn fats as well as carbs.
This is probably why my weight started to drop again dramatically when I increased run durations beyond that point (back in March/April), even though my appetite went up significantly for several days after each run.
I take sugary snacks (eg. jelly babies) on long runs, but I suspect they contribute little to my overall energy needs during the run. The chippy tea on a Friday evening (with a bottle of ale to wash it down) probably has more of a contribution.
Sounds very similar to what happened me just in the last week. I had two absolutely crap runs, one after the other. I only got two and a half miles on one, had to really brutally push for 3.1 on next.
Very disheartening, to say the least.
Happened to mention it to a friend who is a Trapeze Artist. While her occupation is much more about strenght and flexibility than aerobic and stamina, she supplied the solution.
Turns out, in an effort to improve my nutrition I wasn't taking in enough calories. I was eating "healthy" - but just not enough.
Ate heartily the next day, a good breakfast morning after that - and had a truly enjoyable run Same today - just back from another very satisfactory run around the Compound
So, pretty much now going to focus on higher calorie meals to fuel my runs rather than focus too much on "healthy" at the expense of burning out on Run Days.
Hope this might help - it was a miserable experience those two runs.
This is certainly a possibility John, there have been a couple of times recently I just haven't been able to eat my evening meal and had terrible runs the next day, even if I don't feel hungry. It's hard though, I can't force myself to eat if I don't want to. I've found a couple of protein smoothie recipes, they're easy to get in, so I'll try those more often.
OK, here we go... long run today, 10 KM, not so far as last week but long enough to make an impact....I'm going to try and eat a bit more and see if that helps...
Test things out, see what works for you. Sugary snacks are useless to me for any longer runs. Oaty, or wheat based snacks give me more energy without a come down.
Definitely sounds like just eating a bit more may help. I could never skip a meal. If I don't finish a meal I know I'm very unwell.
Good sized breakfast at 5ish, second breakfast around 10:30/11ish, lots of fruit in that one, lunch 2ish and dinner. I have a pretty big appetite. Given the choice I could probably eat all day long 🤣👍🏻
Ahh, it's probably the sugar in the fruit tripping your blood sugar. If I ate fruit I would be hungry all day. I eat berries but no other fruit. Oats and other cereals make me wheeze. I eat lots of veg, and some pulses, but no other carbs if I can help it.
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I do like the chocolate milk idea but I suspect my teens may finish it off on a late night fridge raid before I even get to it.
Heavy legs 
First energy gels ordered
A nice easy recovery 5K run this evening and some lovely sunshine and birdsong! 
London marathon training update
