Getting slower, feeling dead during runs

Could be overtraining.

What mileage were you running prior to this base phase? How quick did you raise that mileage?

Ok, you bumped up your mileage, from what? Any increase will draw fatigue.

Being more active means needing more food, mainly carbohydrates. You have to be eating until you are really full. But eating carbohydrate based meals like focusing meals mainly around boiled brown rice, sweet potatoes, corn pasta, etc

It will be uncomfortable at first, maybe at every meal, but eat until you can feel it and when food does not taste good anymore. Then stop.

Get to bed early, make sure you are drinking enough water (being a runner, 3-4L at least per day), and EAT!

Prior to my increase, I was probably averaging 40 or 45 mpw. My PR's are 4:50 for the mile, 10:20 for the 3200, and 16:50 for the 5k. I got to around 60 mpw in about 2 or 3 weeks.

getting slower wrote:

Prior to my increase, I was probably averaging 40 or 45 mpw. My PR's are 4:50 for the mile, 10:20 for the 3200, and 16:50 for the 5k. I got to around 60 mpw in about 2 or 3 weeks.

Thats not even a huge increase. Sure it is technically about 50% more than what you have been doing but that is still "low mileage" (

getting slower wrote:

Prior to my increase, I was probably averaging 40 or 45 mpw. My PR's are 4:50 for the mile, 10:20 for the 3200, and 16:50 for the 5k. I got to around 60 mpw in about 2 or 3 weeks.

Thats not even a huge increase. Sure it is technically about 50% more than what you have been doing but that is still "low mileage" (

Posts arent going through.

"low mileage" (

getting slower wrote:

...I normally run an easy 8 miles at about 6:45 pace and finish pretty fast, with a nice long run on the weekends...

Slow down the easy portion of your run by 45-60 seconds.

Have you done any regression weeks?

Take a cut back week back to 45 and then resume the 60 or so. Your body needs time to adjust to the higher mileage. You'll bounce right back. That's how you improve.

Decrease your mileage a little bit each week and see if that helps. Also, you shouldn't be increasing mileage and intensity at the same time, if you are.

I'm going to be a jr next year too and I'm a 10:00 2-miler and we - try - to get out a bit slower in our longer runs and try to bring it in hard.

in my time wrote:

Take a cut back week back to 45 and then resume the 60 or so. Your body needs time to adjust to the higher mileage. You'll bounce right back. That's how you improve.

Agree, if you haven't done regression weeks, this is why you feel tired. Cut back on mileage by 20-25% every 3 weeks. Also, you should do this if you feel overfatigued.

Yeah, I guess I'll cut back the mileage for a week and see if that helps.

You're running your base miles WAY too fast.

There is no point to that, and it's wearing you out.

Unless you're doing a fast distance run, 7:30 to 8 minute pace at the fastest is fine for your distance runs, and not picking it up at the ends of them. Anything you're pushing and picking up at the end is not a base or recovery run.

J.R. wrote:

You're running your base miles WAY too fast.

There is no point to that, and it's wearing you out.

Unless you're doing a fast distance run, 7:30 to 8 minute pace at the fastest is fine for your distance runs, and not picking it up at the ends of them. Anything you're pushing and picking up at the end is not a base or recovery run.

this^^ when you consider humidity, heat, and other factors, you should simply disregard your pace on your easy days. Seriously. Map out a few routes and forget your watch. Instead, go slow, and pay attention to your pace enough to make yourself go slow for awhile. It sounds like you're over training because you are running your miles too fast everyday. Read Wejo's article on why he "sucked in college"