The sadness of the grind

Add an extra race at an odd distance. Too much training not enough racing

i get this towards the end of of xc season, I find it really hard to get up for races. that's when need jeezy to tell me to go get it!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxhPYLPcZTU

Perhaps is carb-depletion? That could change the chemistry of your brain. I feel a little down after long runs where I have totally bonked and I don't think it's because I'm upset about the run. I think physical tiredness can bring a weariness in the head.

Sometimes it is necessary to get to that point so you recover and come back stronger, but I would watch. The best running for your body is also the best for your mind (I believe) so if running does not make you feel invigorated and joyous, maybe time to take it a little easier.

solexa sequencing wrote:

i get this towards the end of of xc season, I find it really hard to get up for races. that's when need jeezy to tell me to go get it!!!

Me too. Jeezy always gets me pumped for the big races. I remember when The Real is Back came out, that was my offical xc soundtrack.

I went to youtube to listen to this...one of the worst songs I've ever heard. Sorry.

+1.

Fearful dust wrote:

Does anyone else get really sad when they are in the dog days of training? Whenever I am at or above 80mpw for a few months there is just a strange gloom that sets in. I am not talking about being unstable or dramatic, just a deep deep sadness that seems to come from the deepest roots of life. It is strange because there is nothing I love more than training and racing, but there is something that is just so...sad about this whole thing.

Does anyone else get this? Is there some chemicals released in your brain when you work this hard or what?

You are not alone, my friend. I feel this way whenever I climb above 70mpw. When you run this many miles a week, you have to worry about your next run, recovery, eating right, etc. It totally consumes your day - and you become very conscious about what you are doing. You don't feel like you have much control over your life...and you are sort of slave to training.

I often find myself fatigued and tired, listening to depressing music (I always do when I'm down). The culmination of all of these things wears on you.

Fearful dust wrote:

Does anyone else get really sad when they are in the dog days of training? Whenever I am at or above 80mpw for a few months there is just a strange gloom that sets in. I am not talking about being unstable or dramatic, just a deep deep sadness that seems to come from the deepest roots of life. It is strange because there is nothing I love more than training and racing, but there is something that is just so...sad about this whole thing.

Does anyone else get this? Is there some chemicals released in your brain when you work this hard or what?

Trials of Miles...

When the time to race draws near, be smart enough to back it off, get the battery packed fully charged and trust it will be there when you need it to be there. Staying drained for too long is not normal, nor productive.

When on the hunt, the hunter needs to see the fox once in a while...if you lose sight of the fox for long periods of time, you get sad?

Schedule a race maybe?