[luv2tri]

I have been working out regularly. I have actually been running (well run-walking within my HR zones) approaching my AT. I have logged about 10 miles so far this week. I should be getting more energy, yet I am just plain tired. I took yesterday off. still tired. <img alt="sleepy2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sleepy2.gif"> Am I just not 'to that point' yet where working out is not exhasting? Anybody know? I am going to work out tonight anyway. I am doing 1 hour of cardio a day, running, arc traininer, the likes. I am scared I am gonna die when I add my bike and swim back into the mix in a week or 2. Trainer is adding resistance training on Saturday. Any ideas or advice anyone? giving up is not an option......

 

[teacherjen]

Well, you need to give us a bigger picture. How is your eating? How is your sleeping? How is your stress level? All those things (plus more) will/can affect how tired you are. If you've upped your exercise level, have you also upped your calorie intake to match it? Medications can also affect your tiredness, as well as impending illness.<br><br>
So, to make a long story short....give us some more info!<br>
jen

 

[Thor]

TeacherJen is right... we need more information.<br><br>
What base level do you come into this question with? When did you start exercising? Is 10 miles a week new to you?<br><br>
If you've been doing 10 miles per week for weeks on end, you should not be tired at all. In fact, you'll probably be slowly increasing distance because you're just doing it faster. If you're trying to also lose weight, maybe that's your problem. Your body is an engine. It needs fuel. If you have recently been staying up late or not sleeping well, that could be the problem.<br><br>
But if 10 miles is new to you, then that probably is your problem right there. And if 10 miles is new to you, perhaps doing an hour workout at a time is too much. And if that's the case, maybe you can break it down and workout more frequently.<br><br>
My fiance (the Ironmate) is not consistent with her running at all. She'll go a month or two not running, then decide to start up again. And she'll start with 5 miles right off the bat, and she'll do that three times per week. She goes through a period of being very tired until her body catches up with her ability. Then it gives her more energy. Maybe it's the same for you.

 

[luv2tri]

OK - More info...<br><br><b>Eating</b> - basically Clean. Lots of Fruits & veggies, lean protiens, Multi vit, eating something about every 2 hours, no fast food, all homemade. Little to no highly processed food, limited HFCS.<br><b>Sleeping</b> - could use more but what I get is a relatively good (7.5 on a scale of 10). In bed about 9:30 out by 10-10:15 up at 5:15. 3yo is often up sometime in the night and therefore me too - dang monsters...<br><b>Calories</b> - here is where I may need to adjust - 1500-2100 a day. Higher end on workout days - which right now is 6 days a week. I may need more, but I am hesitant... I need to get some of this weight off to help run effectively, reduce asthma symptoms, help knee, etc. I cannot do all this hard work (and trust me at 218# it is HARD WORK) and not see any results down the line.<br><b>Stress</b> - its there, but no more than usual - not that that excuses it. Scale of 1-10, stress is about a 5-5.5. Heck, I am a working mom.<br><b>Meds</b> - right now the only thing is Claritin 1x a day, besides a multi vitamin.<br><b>Illness</b> - I have been sick, regularly 1x a month. Monster colds starting Dec. 23, Jan 27, and Feb 22. This winter as soon as I kick something I catch something else. Sucks. Being in a school and having kids (each in a different daycare) probably does not help that. The last one has not been as bad - only sinuses, so I have continued to work out.<br><br>
That what you needed Jen?

 

[Thor]

You want to be looking at anything that has *changed* in any of the items you list, but include in that your exercise level. Change is almost always the culprit.<br><br>
It's really rather simple: You will be able to accomplish workouts before your body is truly ready. So ramp up slowly. But as you ramp up, you will likely need more calories in, you will likely need not necessarily more sleep but just make sure you catch up when you lose a half hour here or there, and you will want to eat better for more energy. As you ramp up, you will also want to start varying your workouts to address different aspects (hard, long, easy, recovery). And the list goes on.

 

[luv2tri]

Thor answered while I was typing - so here is his info..<br><br><b>10 miles/week</b> is way new to me(and my week is not over until tomorrows workout is done - will probably be a 14-16 mile week). I had knee surgery last summer and folded. Didn't do squat for months. Long story, dissapointed my coach. Came back to the gym about the beginning of Feb., basic cardio, zone 1-2 stuff. Now I had the V02 test and joined the CardiO2Run program, and hereI am - all tired.<br><br>
I REALLY hope that an hour is not to much for me to handle. I really want to do this. I mean really, really want this. I have tried before to lose weight. I am in the dictionary for an example of Yo-yo dieter. I also really want to RUN a tri. I have done a bunch, 7-8, maybe, sprints & a couple Olys. Never run one. I don't want to do a race ever again with the fear of having the absolute worst time of everyone. I have been close.<br><br>
I almost forgot - Base - I used to have one. Not so much anymore, starting from scratch again.

 

[mmoonptdeux]

Just my guess, but the two main factors I'd see are sleeping and less so calorie intake.<br><br>
Not sure how old you are, but the sleepies have really hit me lately, and I'm only working out a half the rate I was just a few months ago. I have a similar go-to-bed/wake-up time as you do; unlike me, you have a 3 yo that might be interrupting some of that REM sleep that you need. Not sure if you can eke into bed even a half-hour earlier or get in a nap during the day, but that may help you out in that regard.<br><br>
The grazing and the food you're putting into the system sounds good to me (I'm a major grazer myself) but adding 100-200 calories throughout the day might be a good experiment on the short-term scale. Also, I've been adding a little more protein to my diet, but mainly that's due to the increase in strength training I've been doing.

 

[LeftRightRepeat]

There's your problem. You need a Twinkie or something.<br><br>
You know the <a href="http://www.hostesscakes.com/twinkies.asp" target="_blank">Twinkie</a> theory, right? See... Every year the average life expectancy increases a bit. You know why? It's 'cuz we eat more and more preservatives and they keep our bodies from rotting. You can take advantage of this in a personal way by maximizing the preservatives that you eat. You know what the shelf-life of a Twinkie is? Right. Twinkie a day keeps the doctor away. Try it.

 

[luv2tri]

Thor - Change? most of what I wrote is a change. The way things were 6 weeks ago I was going to end up like my mom needing knee replacements and being morbidly overweight. I turned 40, I felt old for the first time ever, and decided I'd had it. My kids affectionatly saying someone on biggest loser looked like me , also helped.

 

[Thor]

Perfect. Now we have something to work with.<br><br>
Keep doing what you're doing, and never, ever be discouraged, because a race is only a race; what you're doing is improving your life.<br><br>
But because you have several goals (lose weight and run in a Tri), you need to set out a plan you can feel good about. What I'd love for you to do is not focus on the weight; instead, think about running in a Tri, the entire way, and feeling good. And now go out there and do it. There's nothing stopping you but yourself, your fears of failure, and your comfort in past behaviors. That's it.<br><br>
If your workouts in their current form are taking you down (ie tiredness), if you don't think it is too much for you, hang in their a few weeks at the same current level. Stop increasing duration of the workouts and instead take a few weeks to allow your body to catch up. That right there will be a semblence of base. Then move up. But do it all with a focus on running in that Tri. If you do that, and if you make smart food choices rather than counting calories like beans, you will feel great about yourself, people will look up to you for your newfound spring of life, and hey, look here, the weight will start coming off back to your more natural level.<br><br>
Focus on the goal, set a plan, then get out there and Make it Happen!

 

[Kate60]

I have no expertise so this is purely anecdotal. I find it takes me about 4 weeks to get used to an increase in training and I can be very tired during that time.<br><br>
Try to get extra sleep, eat and hydrate well. Once your body goes through this initial adjustment you may feel better. If you are steadily increasing your workouts you may feel this tiredness every few weeks.

 

[Stitcher]

CS has me doing more stuff than I'd been doing, and I'm still pretty tired during it, but it's slowly getting better.<br><br>
I find that it's a ton easier to sabotage myself by burning the candle at both ends, so I <i>try</i> to be good about getting into bed at a decent hour.<br><br>
BUT, I also find that sometimes, I just need that extra 45 - 60 min in bed in the mornings. So far, it hasn't been a big deal, because I was getting up with plenty of time to spare, and the demands of the workouts are such that I can still fit them (timewise) into the mornings.<br><br>
As the volume increases over time, though, I'll have to be even more dilligent about getting sleep, as I'll run out of morning if I don't.

 

[wyrillco]

Are you pregnant?? <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[luv2tri]

EEEEE! <img alt="confused2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/confused2.gif"> NO! If I am, DH has had a miraculous recovery from a little snip snip procedure. I love my kids dearly but do not do the pregnancy thing well. with DS3 I had at least 17 kidney stones (I actually lost count and only counted the 'big' ones) I am very happy for everyone I know who is or wants to be preggos, but even when I hold a wee little one - no baby pangs here. That 'phase' of my life is over thank goodness!

 

[wyrillco]

<img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>
That's what people ask me when I start to tell them about any weird thing. Apparently being pregnant gives you all sorts of symptoms.<br><br>
No kids for me, by choice, so I can relate to the EEEE!!! <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[pcsronbo]

Dude(tte), you are loosing weight right.... that = lower energy. You need to watch WHAT you are eating. 2.4lbs you said. For me, 1/wk is the max without noticable energy drain.<br><br>
Plus if 10 is way-new right now, you probably need to back off. Do other stuff, but running is haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard. Scale way back on the run and start into swimming and/or running in their place so you can continue the calorie burn without so much body-abuse.<br><br>
Also, consider hormonal levels.

 

[3chilipeppers]

It sounds like you may need to cut back slightly, or just cross-train some to work different muscles. You may also just be adjusting. It is hard to know for sure. Being sick every month could be a sure sign of overtraining, though. If you are overtrained, then your immune system will be suppressed. So, just keep that in mind. Also realize that when you are sick, you just can't be doing what you were doing when you weren't sick. Hopefully, you are over all the sickness and can focus on training. I agree with Thor -- the goal should be the tri, not the weight. I'm currently coaching a friend who also wants to lose weight, but she wants to run a 5K. So, we are focusing on the latter goal.

 

[TriAndStopMe]

What's your typical body temperature when you're not sick? (Ideally taken orally, not too close to a workout.)

 

[luv2tri]

97.6 - lower than the normal peep.

 

[SpartyGirl]

J9-My .02 is that you will have to be patient. Your mind remembers what you did before surgery in terms of time and distance and your body is telling you what it is capable of right now. View each workout as a stepping stone and listen to what your body tells you-it's often smarter than we think<img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">