Something I've noticed about training - Why does this happen?

Training Advice/Discussion General

6 years ago 12/07/2017 5:58pm EST

When I am running reasonably high mileage (for me, that is in the 80-85 mpw range), I am generally running every day. But because of my job, I occasionally am forced to take 2-3 days off at a time. This only happens 3-4 times a year, but it sucks when it does.

Now, I would expect that when I resume training, I should feel pretty good from the enforced mini-layoff, but the opposite happens. My first couple runs (first one especially) are terrible. I feel like I raced a marathon the day before (or got hit by a truck, seriously), even though I haven't ran for three days. Totally winded, stiff, sore, and unable to get any sort of rhythm going. It usually takes 2-3 days to resume with feeling normal. Why is this? I'm in my 40s, so that might have something to do with it, but if that is so, then why do I feel fine putting in decent mileage day after day?

Discus.

6 years ago 12/07/2017 6:20pm EST

re: need an answer

I have also noticed this phenomenon. A comparable thing also happens to me when I am tapering for a marathon (dropping the mileage and/or take days off).

Someone else on the forum posted a theory that when you take it easy during your marathon taper, your body works really hard to recover and gets out of preparing you for training. (According to him) you spend a lot of energy rebuilding muscle, blood vessels, etc., and that leaves you with nothing left to train. A couple days back into training and you should feel better again.

This past marathon taper I had a similar feeling. I tapered pretty hard because I thought I had overtrained a bunch. When I felt really, really crappy (like hit by a train) during the taper I was quite sad because I thought it was confirming my overtraining. Then I ran a huge PR and felt amazing during the race, despite feeling terrible the day before.

6 years ago 12/07/2017 6:30pm EST

re: younger_runner_opinion

Your body shuts down as soon as you cut back activity. It NEEDS constant stimulus.

6 years ago 12/07/2017 6:55pm EST

re: need an answer

I have a similar experience, also because of my job I will go through some times where I simply don't have time to run for sometimes up to a week. The weird thing is that during that time off I start getting pains from old injuries, like my tibia/shins will start to hurt even though I'm doing nothing. The best I can describe the feeling is that it feels like running is keeping me from falling apart, and when I stop, I start to fall apart. Because of this I try to never take more than two days off in a row if at all possible.

6 years ago 12/07/2017 7:01pm EST

re: need an answer

Why would you take 2-3 days of work off at a time just because you run so much? Shouldn't you prioritizing your job over running unless you're elite?

6 years ago 12/07/2017 7:24pm EST

re: 2-3 days is privilege

2-3 days is privilege wrote:
Why would you take 2-3 days of work off at a time just because you run so much? Shouldn't you prioritizing your job over running unless you're elite?

You must be really fun at parties.

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Something I've noticed about training - Why does this happen?

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