any way to avoid being so tired after longer runs?

Run slower

How much are you eating after?

I often feel shitty after a long run if I don’t eat enough. Sometimes even sickish, I’ll drink a can of tonic water and gorge on food and then feel back to normal

I don't run my long runs that fast. It would feel hard to run them that much slower, I think.

Today, I ran 11 miles and ate pancakes which according to the box's serving sizes was about 600 calories + olive oil. Had many potato chips and then a shake that could've been another 400. So, if I had about 1100-1300 calories in the hours following the run, that seems sufficient?

I notice sometimes is that I'll feel hungry but it feels difficult to physically down the amount of calories that I might need. So, I eat X amount of food, still feel "hungry" but almost like my body won't accept any more food at that time.

There's no getting around that more exertion means more fatigue. To mitigate this:

Make sure to get hydration and calories in as soon as you can after running

Try to eat a decent sized meal within 1 hour of finishing your run

Don't be afraid to have a nap after, on veg on the couch for an hour.

I go through the same thing. If I run 13 miles or more, I will pretty much spend the rest of the day sleeping or laying around (and eating). I’ve started trying to drink chocolate milk as soon as I’m done but I can’t tell if it helps.

You will always feel tired after the run that's twice your normal daily distance. You can slowly build up to 20 miles and then 10 miles will feel like a piece of cake, but once you get back to running 10s, you will lose that endurance adaptation, and return to the same state in a few weeks (after 20, the story is a bit different as it's about the limit of glycogen you normally store in your body).

You can try to play with nutrition during runs, it might help to some extent. But I would just embrace the feeling, knowing it's making you a better runner.

Just to echo the previously replies, some level of fatigue is inevitable when you're running longer than usual - that's a good thing.

For me, I really need to force myself to hydrate and eat right away (well within an hour) of getting home - I often feel like crap (especially during the lovely hot/humid summer months) but know if I don't refuel right away, it's tough to dig myself out of that hole the rest of the day. Makes the difference between just a good level of tired and still able to act normal enough vs being grumpy and laying on the couch all afternoon.

This is what I have found has been helpful after a taxing long run.

Echoing what some other have noted I would make sure to get some food within a reasonably time.

Sometimes my stomach isn't settled right after so I wait a little but still eat something within a half hour - forty-five minutes or so after finishing. Goes without saying that during a long run you sweat a lot so making sure to get some water in as well.

I have also found that it helps the fight the urge of sitting around in your running clothes for too long after. Even when your tired just getting in the shower and going through the motions of getting ready for the rest of the day (Assuming you have run in the morning or afternoon) is helpful in starting to mentally get going with the day.

Other things I would note from my own experience is that while I thought they were gimmicky at first I am big fan of recovery sandals post long run or workout (oofos, Hoka which ever brand).

Also if you are still very tired don't feel bad taking a mid day nap (this is what the pros do). I just would maybe set an alarm for a half hour or so. You don't want to end up sleeping a couple hours in the afternoon.

Lastly on a long run day I usually find myself getting a mid afternoon coffee (I am big coffee drinker so this might not be the thing for everyone). But after that caffeine hit's (around 1 or 2 P.M) I usually find myself pretty good to do the normal things I would do for my day.

For me, the hardest part of a long run is always the rest of the day which involves taking the kids to do things and running errands and doing chores. And pretending like I’m not wiped out so my wife doesn’t give me a hard time for running too much.

I agree with cb. It's the hidden shortcutting of the kids cuz I just gave it my all at 6am. But, that's only one day a week.

To op, it's more than tired - body is really discombobulated.

The other six days a week, I'm a much better person.

Drink more water.

I got a camelback for long mountain bike rides that can hold 3 liters of water. With all that water on my back i started drinking more. i realized that I had previously experienced as tiredness on long workouts was just dehydration. If it is hot especially, try to drink more. A long workout can really dehydrate you. Slam 0.5 L of water when you get home. Make sure you are peeing within one hour of finishing your long run.

Run slower. (Try using a heart rate monitor to track your effort)

The hardest workout in running is the long tempo run. Most people run their "easy" days only slightly below their threshold effort. If you try and extend that intermediate effort for 2X your "easy" run you are going to die. There is a time and a place for long hard runs but only if you are already super fit (think sub 2:30 marathoner) and are doing them smart within a hard training cycle.

I have a tip that works for me. Run in the evenings. The idea is that you are most fatigued the 12 subsequent hours after your run, so it’s a good thing if that time can be spent in bed, sleeping.

Being a bit tired after a big effort is normal, particularly if it’s hot out. However, I’m still strongly suspicious that some folks on this thread might be running their LR too fast. My experience is that it’s one of the biggest reasons why people feel exhausted after a LR. You burn through all your blood sugar and have a glycogen crash. This isn’t an issue if you are running slow and staying properly aerobic.

Also, the response “I don’t see how I could run much slower” is a bit of a red flag. Unless you are doing 15-minute miles, you can run slower.

Do the long run at the end of the day so that you don't loose your whole Sunday.

Take a recovery drink if normal food does not seem enougj. It is more concentrate in nutrients than normal food so less work for the stomach.

Perhaps you should limit your long run to 150% of a regular easy run. This is what Magill recommends for runners who focus on the 5k.

This is a good thread. I agree with most of the posts so you have some good advice. I just want to add a couple of points that haven't been mentioned yet.

When you finish a long run, your blood sugar will most likely be a little low. This can lead to tiredness and sleepiness. However, when you eat a big meal, some blood is shunted to the stomach for digestion, which can make you sleepy as well. Also, a high carb meal... pancakes, chips, etc... are high glycemic foods, which can result in a spike in blood sugar followed by a crash a couple of hours later.

So, what to do?

One solution is to have a liquid meal of a recovery drink... not a mostly sugar drink. It's easier to digest liquids than solid food.

Another option would be caffeine, either as coffee, iced coffee, or a sugar free energy drink. In winter, I'll have coffee. In summer, I drink a Monster Energy no carb energy drink.

Naps are fine. Set your alarm for 20-30 minutes. For me, a 10 minute nap can do wonders for the rest of my day. Another trick is to drink coffee immediately before your nap. The coffee won't fully kick in for 20 minutes or so and by then. you'll wake up feeling great after your nap.

Let me repeat. Naps are fine. Keep them short. Set an alarm... 30 minutes max. Even a 10 minute nap can do wonders.

I'm surprised to read all these posts about being tired -- I've always found that after a good long run I'm jazzed and feel great, and that extends through the rest of the day.

I never eat before I run, and don't eat much until a few hours after. In the summer months though I go straight to a cold watermelon, wow just awesome.

+1

I run with a Camelback Delaney bottle carrier and make sure that I take a drink every 2-3 miles. It makes a huge difference in performance on the run and with recovery/energy afterwards.

Of course it makes a difference. Save that drinking every 2 miles for race day. Train without.