A word to the wise....

Mr Slow

You know when you're racing and it's really hard, so much so that you feel like just falling to the side and letting all the work go but no, you dig in, you find strength from somewhere to push on for the final lap/mile/whatever?
You know when you're suffering from some kind of cold/flu/virus but you think you're a runner (hardcore) and you'll just 'run it off'?

I was that soldier, and spent most of the next week after DCM patting myself on the back for 'digging in' and 'pushing through', I made my B target which in hindsight is a miracle but I've run about a week's worth of mileage in the last two months and I'd trade that race and all the training to be able to train right now:(.

Here's what happened, I was training for DCM directly after running Cork, I decided even though I had a respiratory virus I'd train through and 'run it off' I even decided to mess with the program and included a 20 miler with 14 at goal MP. Everything after that was hard, every run was much more difficult, I put it down to just being tired from marathon training but I was suffering from 'Stress Fatigue', short quick runs were painful and long ones a relative nightmare because fat burning gets switched off when you have 'Stress Fatigue' meaning I was running on Glycogen stores alone and every run depleted me further (training without gels didn't help). I had a reprieve during taper and thought I'd be fine but from mile 2 in the race I was suffering, I'm still not well and under doctor's orders not to exert myself so just consider this the next time you feel like sh1te and are determined to do that 10 miler with 5 @ LT on the back of a 20 mile run @ MP while beating yourself with a big stick that this may be the run that pushes pause on your running career!

BrokenMan

Followed your log all year and was gutted for you after Dublin.
Its always hard to know when you are being lazy (like happens to me way too often) or genuinely on the brink like you were. Such a fine line that we all tread.
Do you use a Heart rate monitor at all in training, apparently it can help you to see if there is a genuine problem based on your Heart Rate compared to pace. I use one but more to try and keep me honest than actually knowing what the hell I'm doing.
Anyway recover well, get strong and beat the hell out of your times this year.

RacoonQueen

Sometimes theres a fine line between making excuses not to train and when you genuinely shouldn't train. Learnt that lesson myself, the hard way in 2010.

Was just thinking yesterday (while I was out running, haha I can run) that yours seems similar to what I had pre-Barca 2010. I could run and would feel ok running but it would hit hours or a day later and I'd be wiped. To everyone else you seem fine, but you feel like crap and no amount of rest (two days of no training seems like a fortnight), fresh fruit and veg or supplements and pills will help.

HRM is a great tool for knowing when somethings not looking right, when you get used to your heart rate zones. I've a pulse oximeter aswell that I used regularly to get a more accurate resting heart rate. You might feel fine but when your resting heart rate is 30 bpm higher than normal you should probably rest.

Oryx

I think everyone who trains hard is on that edge. You tire, so you train harder, but maybe you then just tire more and get slower, and you think this isn't right so you train more. Until fatigue becomes normal and maybe you simply blow up like you did. Its only by the grace of god that I didn't end up like you have, I have made all the same mistakes. Ive had weeks when I felt burned out but still slogged on. I think I'm learning from that but I trained through illness last week so maybe not.

The log I use has a part where you put in your own assessment (on a scale of one to seven) of how you feel in four areas: sleep, fatigue, stress and soreness. Its actually handy because looking back over it you can see if you have a trend of feeling worse in those areas, a sign of overtraining. Other things I know, and try not to ignore:
You don't train through a respiratory illness.
Sore throats are a warning.
If you feel physically tired, train at lower intensity.
If you feel mentally tired, don't train at all.

Were all very driven, we believe in htfu. I think all we can do is try to get this right and learn all the time about our limits, which you got to come right up to to find. Sorry that in your case Mr Slow that the wheels came off. Thanks for your post, its an important reminder. Hope youre well soon.

Mr Slow

BrokenMan wrote: »

Do you use a Heart rate monitor at all in training, apparently it can help you to see if there is a genuine problem based on your Heart Rate compared to pace.

I bought one directly after DCM for that reason alone.;)

average_runner

Looking at the symptons you got, you got it bad.
Hope you recover soon and the facial numness is scary.


Same as you i messed with the program in the last 3 weeks before tapering, with a 20 miler, 15 miler with 10 at MP and another 20miler which we sprinted the last 2 miles as felt great. Real tough session with the club then and fell apart then from there in.



I had the soreness, the throat and Chronic Fatigue/Need to Sleep constantly and genuine lack of interest to run due to the tireness.

And a load of other stuff that i explain to you somewhere down the line!!


How do you work out the HR monitor stuff as I have one for my watch but never used it.

Mr Slow

Thanks dude, this may help.

menoscemo

average_runner wrote: »

How do you work out the HR monitor stuff as I have one for my watch but never used it.

The most imortant way you can use your HR monitor to guage illness/overtraining is to take your HR first thing in the morning before getting up (resting HR). Once you establish a normal RHR, you will notice if it is really elevated over a few mornings in a row. This can be a sign of illness/fatigue.

Younganne

Thanks for the post Mr Slow...it is good for novices(ie me) & less experienced runners to know that the experienced runner goes through this too... I was even contemplating going out for a short run today even though I have respiratory problems at the moment...now reading your post i will wait until I am fully recovered before heading out again...i haven't run since last wed and am missing it,:eek: so think a walk might be just as good.

I hope your recovery is swift and the symptoms go soon..i was reading them on another post and they don't sound nice.

Take care and mind yourself and you'll be back on the roads soon!!

Thanks
Anne

average_runner

Another link:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267--1039-1-2X5-3,00.html

ThisRegard

I fell into the same trap, had a sore throat and a little bit of the sniffles coming up to the IMRA Powerscourt Ridge race but went ahead thinking it was something mild and I'd be fine. I haven't ran since.

I got a bad flu the following week which knocked me for six for about 4 weeks, never really felt normal once it cleared and Christmas week it came back again, went to the doctor who found it had gone into one side of my chect, gave me antibiotics with instructions for lots of rest and good food and only now do I feel like I can try going for a little jog sometime this week. That's basically 2 months I've been off the road.

TheRoadRunner

Good advice but will probably fall on deaf ears. In my experience the only way runners become more sensible with training when sick, is through a bad personal experience.

In the past I've literally trained until I've shat myself, gave myself pneumonia twice, bronchitis once and then then there are a multitude of muscular injuries I've made worse. I've more sense now and won't risk injury like before but am probably still too stubborn to take sound advice.

Mr Slow

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Good advice but will probably fall on deaf ears. In my experience the only way runners become more sensible with training when sick, is through a bad personal experience.

In the past I've literally trained until I've shat myself, gave myself pneumonia twice, bronchitis once and then then there are a multitude of muscular injuries I've made worse. I've more sense now and won't risk injury like before but am probably still too stubborn to take sound advice.

Do as I say and not as I do!

TJC

Rite so....just finishing a bout of antibiotics, one day left after today. Was contemplating doin a short easy run today....think i'll give it a miss after reading theses stories!!!

RacoonQueen

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Good advice but will probably fall on deaf ears. In my experience the only way runners become more sensible with training when sick, is through a bad personal experience.

It's the only way you can really figure out what you should and shouldn't train through though isn't it? Trial and error and all that.

Mr Slow

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Trial and error and all that.

Error sucks!

rom

Like everything in life "True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing." - Took me a while and lots of miles to figure this out on the running front. Only hit home in the last few weeks.

kit3

Hi Mr Slow. Hope you are back in form very soon again. I followed your log with interest last year and appreciated your advice in the marathon Novice thread (where I lurked !). Hopefully your enforced rest will see you back stronger than ever again soon. C

metamagical

I think the big mistake we all make is not so much that we overdo it - cos sometimes doing a run with a headcold _does_ help to burn off those germs, and you do feel better afterwards - but that we don't take our rest as seriously as we do our sessions. I remember being at La Santa in Lanzarote years ago when there were some pretty serious athletes training there, and being amazed by how easy the pros took everything when they weren't training - everything they did seemed in slow motion (except when they were whizzing by me on the track of course).

So you forget that the other half of putting in a 15 mile run is that you need a couple of extra hours' kip to help your body recover. It's difficult to fit in the extra rest with work and kids and all the other demands of life, but without it, you plateau more quickly and eventually risk burnout.