Once A Runner, Now A Depressed Pathetic Manic...LR Help ME Get Back Into Running

What reason could you possibly have to work 80 hours a week??

Dr. Harry Palms, MD wrote:

Pretty simple dude. Start running more.

Agreed.

I work a shift schedule of 24hrs, 9 days a month. I work 2 other part time jobs on my off days that equates to 80-100hrs a week. My wife stays home with the kids. Child care is too expensive to be worth her working. So financially I cannot work less at the moment. My schedule is flexible with part time work and I can run before my shift, I have no excuse not to run. Only thing that could hold me back is sleep deprevation and fatigue.

Are you in a load of debt?Do you have a giant mortgage?Is your family excessively spending?Do you make minimum wage across all jobs?There has to be a reason why you are working insane hours and literally killing yourself?? Rather than work 80 hours a week you should figure out how to be more frugal - save better etc. No reason why you should be working that much unless you have an 85 IQ and are getting minimum wage across the board.

Lostman wrote:

I work a shift schedule of 24hrs, 9 days a month. I work 2 other part time jobs on my off days that equates to 80-100hrs a week. My wife stays home with the kids. Child care is too expensive to be worth her working. So financially I cannot work less at the moment. My schedule is flexible with part time work and I can run before my shift, I have no excuse not to run. Only thing that could hold me back is sleep deprevation and fatigue.

Is this Karl Keska?

Easy mate! Depression is serious.

I suggest you run 10 miles in the morning and another 10 miles before dinner. Don't worry about work. Money really doesn't matter much anyway.

So this is THE Karl Keska?

Get tight with your money. Stop smoking because it costs too much.

Don't make any more kids.

Figure out how to cut a few more costs (beer, cable, eating out, even fast food). Take your lunch, etc to work.

Try to improve your diet.

Be kind to your family.

Besides cutting your expenses, this stuff will start to work on your discipline.

Now start getting in little workouts. I'm thinking of 15 minute workouts that you can do in the hallway without equipment in your pajamas, possibly with your kids crawling all over you.

Start figuring out your budgets for your activities and see how you spend your time.

Make your goal to improve your discipline, improve your health and free up time to be with your family.

I'll be checking for updates Lostman; Good luck!

Stop smoking. Doesn't matter how much you run. If a heart attack doesn't kill you, you'll live long enough to get lung cancer.

I wouldn't worry about running at the moment. You need to figure out how save dough, move to a smaller house, etc. You need to work less to (1) be there for your wife, (2) be there for kids, and (3) be there for yourself. Once you scale it back a bit, you can think about running. I ran a 100 miler working 60-70 hours a week, so it's possible. You are going to die very young working those hours, smoking, and trying to run.

The kid thing is brutal. I get it. Our son doesn't like to sleep. Nothing like waking up at o'dark 30 for a tempo run after 4-5 hours of sleep.

Sorry my man.

It would be a good idea to stop smoking.

In March of 2000, I had a minor heart attack and spent three and a half days in intermediate intensive care at Delray Beach (FL) Medical Center. Angiogram, angioplasty. A great deal of soul searching. I'd smoked four Dunhills in an hour, then got up on stage and made some music with a friend. Came down off stage with a big pain in my chest. Rested in his van until he came off stage, then asked him to drive me to the emergency room.

It wasn't a good time. It cost me $25K, that little episode.

It's hard to quit smoking. I wasn't much of a smoker--half a pack a day at most--but it's hard. You go without for a day or two and then your mind and body say, "Man, one cigarette would be SOOOOOO nice." And it would.

But once I quit, I never looked back. And running, and racing, were most of what did it. I started to race, even while I was occasionally smoking a cig. Then, at a certain point, the manifest insanity of having even one cigarette while trying to train well and bring down my times got to me. So I really did stop. I just stopped. I pushed through the hard part--and then suddenly the thunderstorm was over and I didn't need them.

I had my last cigarette in November of 2003. I haven't had one since. It's been remarkably easy not to have one. I've only rarely felt tempted. And then, in those moments, it was easy to say, "No." Because the truth is, I knew back then, when I was smoking, that I was killing myself, one cigarette at a time. Now I don't do that. I just run. And I'm happier. And I don't miss them.

Lots of people get over-extended with career and life choices that they don't see ahead of time. Often people get promoted at jobs that require more hours with slightly more pay, and then they find their personal life takes a hit (to put it simply). Some people make peace with being less active as the cost of having families, careers, homes, etc. You and your wife need to do some long term planning about everything going on in your lives with jobs, family, home and identify where you can realistically make some changes that will get things more in balance for you. It may take some time. Good luck.

Carl Spackler wrote:

Lots of people get over-extended with career and life choices that they don't see ahead of time. Often people get promoted at jobs that require more hours with slightly more pay, and then they find their personal life takes a hit (to put it simply). Some people make peace with being less active as the cost of having families, careers, homes, etc. You and your wife need to do some long term planning about everything going on in your lives with jobs, family, home and identify where you can realistically make some changes that will get things more in balance for you. It may take some time. Good luck.

Good insight here.

Now allow me to wax on about myself. It relates to you and gives me a MAJOR humblebrag opportunity,

In 2010, I was 184 lbs, smoking regularly, drinking heavily, and borderline depressed. My 4:40/16:30 high school bests were long behind me and I hadn't run a step since '06. Work was fine, but I was only a so-so employee because I didn't care. When my wife told me we were having a baby, we decided to change our lifestyle to a healthier one (she had to... that meant I had to as well).

I started running. It was the worst. I've never hated anything quite so much. I went 10 minutes out and back (20 total) 3x per week with my wife for about a month. We usually made it around 2 miles. One day, I decided to time trial on my own and got to 1.08 miles before the turnaround (according to the 5 lb Garmin I had strapped to my forearm at that time).

I started getting solo runs in a couple of times per week Determined to make it 1.25 before I made the turn (8:00 pace). It took my about 10 more tries and I remember puking more than once from the effort. You see where this is going.

I next set my sights on trying to break 40 minutes for 5 miles. Then, I wanted sub-18 in the local 5k. By 2012, I hit my oh-so-covered BQ. Now, I can claim 15:20/2:30 PRs. Despite the fact that I have had another child and have been promoted at work multiple times (I do admittedly work less than you - 65 some weeks, but usually high 50s), I still make time to get 100 mpw into my schedule. I have quit smoking and drink only when the setting calls for it. I am a very happy, healthy guy.

I understand that our stories have some differences. You are very busy now and are trying to start. I didn't get super busy until I had already caught "the bug". I would still urge you to get back into running though. You can manage 35-50 mpw no matter what you are telling yourself. The time is there if you want it to be. And it's worth it, man. It really is.

listen to me. I went through the exact same as you not long ago.iv missed all of 2017 and the end of 2016 because of depression but iv started to rebuild.i used to run 70 miles a week then started struggling to do 20.

I think it could potentially be related to overtraining on top of your work load. my best bet for you would try what I do and follow a low mileage base plan to help you manage and get you back into it and to your old self.

this is straight from brad Hudson's training.

M - 3m easy

t-rest or x train

w-3 mile easy

th- rest or x train

fri- rest

sun 4 miles.

now if you did something like that for a couple of weeks like I did you'll start to get strong and be able to add mileage on.for instance you Sunday 4 could become 6. I did a lot of spinning classes to when I was to depressed to run but don't let it get the better of you.you'll be back mark my words.

I've been through it, too. My job leaves me thoroughly exhausted, even working half the hours you do. I don't smoke, but I drink too much. I finally turned the corner when my first kid hit middle school and I started running with him. Makes all the difference to have a running partner you love being with. And it helps when it's someone who runs at a comfortable pace.

Thanks for the encouragment everyone! This morning my alarm went off at 4, and I woke up; I made coffee, put on my shorts and shoes, then drove to work. By 5:30 I had my 2mile run done. I know I feel better having done it, I just need to form a habit.

I don't make minimum wage, but it is a blue collar job. This reemergence into running is coinciding with trying to get out of debt. Another reason I'm working a good bit. I'm 28 years old and just now figuring out financial independence. Once out of debt, I can cut back on part time work, or once my Wife can get a job.

You don't really need to run. I think you have to n1 invest time in breathing correctly and relaxing your muscles (even your head and face ones). Stress is usually when you get anxious or angry, so you start contracting muscles and cutting your normal breathing pattern for no reason.If you wanna make your running more enjoyable, read and watch the balanced runner content.

Lostman wrote:

Thanks for the encouragment everyone! This morning my alarm went off at 4, and I woke up; I made coffee, put on my shorts and shoes, then drove to work. By 5:30 I had my 2mile run done. I know I feel better having done it, I just need to form a habit.

I don't make minimum wage, but it is a blue collar job. This reemergence into running is coinciding with trying to get out of debt. Another reason I'm working a good bit. I'm 28 years old and just now figuring out financial independence. Once out of debt, I can cut back on part time work, or once my Wife can get a job.

Lostman wrote:

Thanks for the encouragment everyone! This morning my alarm went off at 4, and I woke up; I made coffee, put on my shorts and shoes, then drove to work. By 5:30 I had my 2mile run done. I know I feel better having done it, I just need to form a habit.

I don't make minimum wage, but it is a blue collar job. This reemergence into running is coinciding with trying to get out of debt. Another reason I'm working a good bit. I'm 28 years old and just now figuring out financial independence. Once out of debt, I can cut back on part time work, or once my Wife can get a job.

This is the way to get back to it.. Just get out the door every day; it doesn't matter how far you run.