Fitness going backwards

[Zaphodsotherhead]

I mean, my fitness taking a downturn, not 'how to get fit by only running in reverse...'

In April I ran my first half-marathon. I'm not fast, and I'm old, I wanted to run my first 13 miler before my sixtieth birthday and that's in November. After the half marathon I went back to my 'normal' running, which is 4/5 miles a day with one 7/8 mile run during a week.

I was doing all right through May and suddenly we've hit June and my legs have turned to lead, I am running 4 miles on a good day, sweating and puffing and having to stop and walk. I've been healthy, eating normally, not gained any weight... and I am perfectly used to running in all weathers; sun and wind and rain, so it's not weather based.

So why is it happening? It's making me dread going out...

I originally posted this in Exercise and Fitness, but got no replies, so I'm trying here!

Did you followa training plan that involves "rest" weeks, tapering and recovery? You are most likely to be over trained and need to cut back temporarily to allow recovery.

The other factor is that it's gone very himid since June, especially on the hot days. Make sure you're well hydrated and have enough salts.

I run a few HMs a year under normal circumstances and it took a few not to feel trashed afterwards.

The weird thing was that I wasn't trashed after the HM, I was fine. Took a few days off and then back running, building distance back up slowly.

I don't do 'rest weeks'. At my age, anything more than a couple of days off and my fitness is badly impacted - I just don't keep fitness like I used to.

You could be on to something with the humidity though. I love running in high humidity, it suits me better, but maybe my body doesn't like it as much as ther rest of me?

Have you had your bloods checked, could be anaemia, thyroid problems, something else?

No because I'd feel a bit daft rocking up to the GP in the current state of affairs asking to have my bloods done because I didn't feel like running eight miles. If the state of affairs continues I will, of course, but I'm hoping that it's just as BogRoll says, a combination of the hot muggy weather and overtraining.

Everything else seems fine and I'm not showing any other symptoms of anything, so fingers crossed...