I think one of the biggest things you said was that after getting a good nights sleep you don't feel very rested. Maybe you have sleep apnea. I might try something as simple as breathe right strips while sleeping to see if that makes any difference.
I think one of the biggest things you said was that after getting a good nights sleep you don't feel very rested. Maybe you have sleep apnea. I might try something as simple as breathe right strips while sleeping to see if that makes any difference.
I'm 28 and 5 lbs heavier than I was in college. I didn't think that was so old enough to have much impact on recovery, especially since I haven't been doing any type of speed workouts.
Formerly fast, that sounds like a good idea. How does the faster run feel to you? Do you struggle with the pace or does it just come naturally after you start out that fast?
Having read some of your other threads/posts, do you think you might be depressed or stressed more than you think? The issue with your parents, especially at the holidays, would be a big burden on you, one would think. Combined with the possible lack of sleep or lack of deep REM sleep, would cause your body to be fatigued.
yetanotherchick wrote: I'll try the supplement and see if it helps. I assume they have that kind of thing at the GNC?
The supplement ZMA has zinc and magnesium (and vitamin B5) but no calcium. Its primary noticeable effect for me has been supercharging my sleep: wake up feeling more rested, sometimes on less sleep. Especially when training high volume. Vitamin Shoppe's house brand is inexpensive. I've read that zinc interferes with calcium absorption and vice versa, so some say you shouldn't take 'em together anyway. Not sure how significant that really is though.
Fatigue/poor running performance and unrestful sleep both seem to have a zillion possible causes. As some others have said, it'd probably be a good idea to get some bloodwork done. Worst case, it could rule out a bunch of possibilities, which is still quite useful.
I just got over the same problem (granted I usually run 70-80 mpw). I became really overtrained (ruining my xc season) and took time off and started back around 30-40 mpw. I still felt really fatigued, and I got tested for mono, anemia, thyroid problems, you name it. Anyway, the thing the got me back was just increasing the mileage. At first it didn't seem like a good idea to me, but it worked. Maybe increasing your mileage would do the same thing for you. Before you do it though, I'd make sure you look into the possibility of mono or thyroid problems, or some other possibility.
Usually the first one or two are miserable, but I get back into it fairly quickly. Sometimes, I'll do an unstructured fartlek, where I just run hard until I get too tired, back off for a while, and then go hard again. The nice thing about not being on team is you can really do whatever you feel like :)
the big picture wrote:
Having read some of your other threads/posts, do you think you might be depressed or stressed more than you think? The issue with your parents, especially at the holidays, would be a big burden on you, one would think. Combined with the possible lack of sleep or lack of deep REM sleep, would cause your body to be fatigued.
I suppose it's possible, but I don't feel stressed. The issue with my parents is really the only problem in my life right now. It's more of an issue because I care about their feelings than because I'm worried about myself. I don't live with them or visit for more than a day or 2 at a time, so it isn't a problem I'm having to deal with every day or even every week.
I know this sounds crazy, but when I wake up, I feel like the dream I've been in has tired me out. They aren't stressful dreams. Last night I dreamed that I was waiting for an awards ceremony after a race I'd already run, walking around and talking to other runners. And this morning I felt like that's what I'd been doing all night instead of sleeping.
If you contracted mono several years ago it should have settled by now and for the vast majority of people the symptons should not repeat this time down the line.
This is my recommendation.
i) Get your blood checked
ii) Take three weeks of rest (Providing i) is ok). 8 hrs sleep is fine.
iii) Start running twice a week, one 30 minute jog, one sprint session. Couple this with an effort in the pool or on the bike. Variety will help.
iv) After a couple of weeks build up the running.
My educated guess (may be wrong) is that this sounds psychological. Take a break and come back with some intense efforts in each week.
Good luck.
I used to manage a health food store so, when a runner mentions fatigue and poor sleeping, I suspect a mineral or other nutritional deficiency, which usually relates to a problem with the diet.
A blood test can reveal what your current iron levels are, but would be a lot more useful if you knew what they've been for the past 6 years, which you could analyze for a possible trend. If iron were the problem, it would take at least 8 weeks to fix, assuming regular iron intake and good absorption (for example, don't drink milk with an iron supplement, but DO drink orange juice with it).
I usually buy my mineral supplements at Meijer, Walmart or puritan.com.
If you wake up frequently during the night and don't get that much of the deep sleep that you need, calcium or magnesium (often both) is typically the problem. Stress fractures often indicate a lack of bone-building materials in the diet: Calcium, protein, vitamin D, etc. Look for stress-inducing foods in the diet - caffeinated items, sugary items, etc.