I'm a freshman at a D1 school (redshirted) and last week I woke up feeling kind of sick, sore throat etc. but not terrible. I thought I was just tired and went and did my run anyway but only did 45 minutes instead of the usual 60. Well that whole day I felt awful and slept a lot, etc. The next day I was a lot better, just coughing and sniffling and mucus. I ran the next day but ran less again (only 45 minutes) and easy, and kept the effort easy for a few days. I was running 50-60 miles a week for the month before that (and the month before that was more consistently around 60 miles a week). That week was only 46 miles.
Anyway, it's been a bit more than a week since then, and since then I've just been sniffling a lot, blowing my nose a lot, mucus etc. BUT the thing is that my running is sucking a LOT right now. My coach gave us a schedule to follow and I've been trying to follow it... but my runs have been REALLY slow. I mean that my normal distance runs are going over 9+ minute pace, and my tempo runs have been really slow too.
Today was the last straw. I was supposed to do 8-10 miles with a 4 mile tempo in between. I warmed up and started my tempo on the track and it felt like a decently hard pace and my legs started aching, breathing hard, etc... I glance at my watch through the mile: 7:45!!!! I haven't run that slow on a tempo since freshman year of high school! I went for another half mile then just called it off because I was feeling bad and was angry and disappointed, and just jogged back home.
I don't know what it is... on the 9+ minute runs, I feel okay... but when I start going faster, say under 8 minute pace (which was what my EASY runs used to be at just weeks ago) my legs start aching and feel dead and it's hard to move them and I start breathing hard... but it isn't that fast! I've also been taking an iron supplement a day with a Vitamin C supplement so I don't think that's the problem but I'll be more diligent about it. Here's the catch. Our first track meet is in 3 weeks and if I don't run under 10:45 for 3k, I'll probably be cut from the team... and I am really scared now if I can't even maintain 7:45 pace. What's wrong with me?! I should have recovered by now, all I have now is sniffling, some phlegm, etc... should I just keep doing 60 mile weeks but not do the workouts my coach wants me to do, rather just run easy? I think I lose fitness very quickly which is why I'm always hesitant to take days off, run less, etc... Any suggestions? Anyone been in a similar situation?