Running whilst tired

 

My Music Monday offering is from the great Dr Feelgood  appropiate band when today I am talking about running when feeling tired!

After a long run on a Sunday I always feel a little tired when I do a seven miler on  a Monday.
I started well today but quickly felt tired after a mile or so. I think my training programme is built this way so that I get used to running on tired legs. There is a fine line between over doing the mileage to the point of feeling exhausted and risking injury and a to be expected feeling of being tired because you have run a quality long run session on a Sunday. As a result the Monday easy run requires mental strength to get out the door.

Running whilst tired is said to build mental strength and to replicate the later stages of a long race. That is what you get whilst running slightly tired a feeling that you are running the last 3 miles in the half marathon and as long as you keep going you build your confidence.



Eating and drinking between sessions becomes more important as you build up your mileageSometimes I am guilty of not drinking quite enough water I aim to have about 8 glasses a day and with regular running the dehydration can leave you a little tired and effect performance. I find I need plenty of carbohydrates and iron from pasta,rice,potatoes and bread, bananas,beans,porridge,broccoli,peanut butter,yougart and marmite - too name a few plus a reward or two which for me is a beer or some wine.

Other distractions to get through a run wehen feeling tired are to listen to music or a podcast.

Finding new routes to run will overcome some tiredness as you explore but too often I follow the same routes.

I find my form can also suffer whilst running tired and instead of running upright and landing on the mid sole and rolling onto the front foot I tend to start landing on the back of the heel and start looking downwards in front of my feet. What tends to happen then is your breathing suffers as with a poor posture and looking downwards you don't get the maximum amount of oxygen into your lungs.

It is said that as you become fitter and more committed to your training, you begin to accept higher mileage and higher levels of intensity. You also begin to accept the discomfort factor as 'par for the course'.

I think you can also watch for a sign of over training which may result in restless sleep or a cold sore neither of which I am experiencing I am sleeping very well!


Having said all of this my time for the 7 miles today was 1hr 1min and 30 seconds which was my best this year for the Fornham Suffolk Circular run, though a lot slower than my last 7 on Wednesday, the difference being that that run followed a rest day and todays run followed a 12 miler.