Tired on 20-30 mpw

Just buy an altitude tent. You will automatically be able to handle 100-110 mpw and will run 2:20 or better.

You're pregnant. Either that or your hormones are telling you that it's time to settle down and find yourself a man.

Good luck with that since so other threads here indicate that it will turn out badly for you. But on a more positive note, your running may improve!

I'd work with a registered dietitian who can help determine if you have any ongoing dietary nutritional deficiencies, and work with you to correct them.

The part about feeling unrested when waking up makes me think you're lacking in dietary calcium and/or magnesium, or not absorbing it properly. Try a Calcium-Magnesium-Zinc supplement for a week (3 per day with 1000-400-15 grams per 3), and see if that helps at all.

If nutrition is sound, I'd get a checkup and start looking for other energy-related pathway issues.

Do you have thyroid issues in your family? You have a few symptoms that sound like hypothryoidism. Look it up on the net, there are a few tests you can do yourself (temperature check when you wake up). Also have you been gaining weight, or having a hard time loosing it?

Anyway, you should probably get to a doc to have some tests done, there really shouldn't be a reason why your body is adapting.

Have a candy bar

Ive been through something similar a couple of summers ago. I got up to about 1/3 of my goal mileage and for some reason my legs were just dragging every run. I just pushed trough and it turned out fine. your body just has to get used to doing that work load again. Just keep it going and if it doesn't get any better in like 5 weeks then i would seek some help b/c something is wrong.

...simple solution, you NEED TO GET LAID!

Next....

Is getting a dietitian coverable under insurance? I'll try the supplement and see if it helps. I assume they have that kind of thing at the GNC?

I looked up symptoms of hypothyroidism, and the only one that seemed to fit me was fatigue. I've always been close to the weight I am now- no large gains or losses.

I am certainly not pregnant, and I certainly have no problem getting laid, but I really appreciate your concern.

Mono???

umm ..... wrote:

Mono???

Can you get it multiple times? I already had it once.

You shouldn't be able to get mono twice. Once you have it you technically always have it.

Not sure. I missed that on your first post. I actually have the same symptoms but I think my cause is old age.

Good luck. I enjoy your input on Letsrun and hope you can get back to full strength.

Are you a vegetarian by chance?

Your iron levels...check them more thoroughly. Unless you have something totally out of order like Chronic Fatigue this does sound a lot like anemia.

Get your iron tests for these panels:

Serum Ferritin level

Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC)

RBC Panel (red blood cell)

Erythrocyte panel workup

One of these categories might help determine the source of a hidden iron level depletion or malabsorption. There might be another test or two as well.

The first solution to this problem is sleep.

Are you getting approx. 9 hrs a night and going to bed at a regular, fixed time each day? Hold yourself to strict sleep schedule for 1 week and see if you don't feel better.

Water. Are you drinking 1 cup of water for every hour of the day? Dehydration is a major cause of fatigue. Carry a water bottle with you.

Vitamins. I would recommend simply for your immune system that you take a 1000mg supplement of Vitamin C each day. Reduce your chances of getting mono, colds, fevers, etc

You answered your question in your second sentence.

You didn't run for a few months.

Were you ever running higher than 30 miles a week for an extended period of time? Were you sure it was accurately measured?

In can take time for your body to adjust, there's no set amount of time before you move up in mileage. Just got to keep working at it. Maybe try taking a 1-2 runs very slow?

I'm not a vegetarian. Is there a certain kind of doctor I should go to for bloodwork? I used to get my iron checked by my general practitioner every now and then, but he didn't do that many tests.

I'll definitely start drinking more water. I do get 7.5-8 hrs sleep a night (which worked before when I was running well), but lately haven't felt rested when I wake up. I don't know that an extra hour would help but I can try.

Maybe this is normal adjustment after not running for a few months, but it doesn't feel like it. I see on here people who haven't run for 10 years making better comebacks than this (and normal people, not just Henry Rono). When I was running inconsistently before, I was still running 4-8 miles at a time, but I only ran when I felt like it, 3-4 times/week. Before that I was running 50-60 mpw consistently with workouts, etc. and felt great. I knew I'd have lost fitness, but thought it was reasonable that getting to 40 mpw on jogging pace would be easy. After 2 months at 30 mpw, it really shouldn't be a struggle to run 10 min/mile pace. I don't mind going that slow if that's what it takes to build mileage, but I'm pretty sure that it shouldn't be a hard effort.

How old are you? Could it just be the normal aging process? It is much harder to come back at a later age after hammering your body for many of the younger years.

I've had the same experience every time I've tried to get back in shape. Usually I have to gut through it for several months before it goes away completely. One thing I have found is that training is actually much more difficult if I'm running slow every day. Although I wouldn't suggest throwing in hardcore workouts, you might want to reduce the mileage on one or two runs a week, and do them faster. Then tack on the extra mileage to one of the 10 minute mile days. Doing one 3 miler a week in the low-7:00's helps me feel better on all my runs for some reason. Plus, it makes it easier to transition to the faster pace when you actually do get back in shape.

It could also be depression or anxiety.

Check your hematacrit levels on your last blood test.