Exercise exhaustion

[VeraDeara]

I wouldn't say I do a lot of exercise but I'm exhausted. Every workout/run, I'm pushing myself through. It helps hugely with my mental health though and, as I say, it's not even that I over-train so I shouldn't need a break.

Those that exercise regularly, how do you know the 'right' amount?

I would love it if my exercise gave me energy rather than sapping it!

Looking again at your weekly plan, you do a lot of long-ish runs, too. I consider myself really active but I do about 3 x 5-6 k per week, and the other 4 days either weights or swimming or rest. I think you're just running too many kilometres for your body type and not resting enough, probably.

Rest and recuperation are vital in a well balanced exercise programme, you are out of balance no wonder you are tired.

Your activity level is just way too high. Obsessive I'd say. It's just mad.

Why don't you just have a day doing weights, or hiit - why add the 4 mile walk too? In fact the 3 runs would be enough.

How do you feel if you take a couple of days off? (I mean emotionally not physically).

@Hermione101

I don’t think you’re doing too much, the Sunday walk and yoga are active rest and recovery. Do you sleep well? Maybe switch up one of your runs for boxing, swimming, rowing or other exercise that isn’t so leg focused.

Do you regularly increase your weights? Do you squat enough (build enough muscle to be an efficient runner)?

I do sleep well luckily, and I generally add a little weight fairly regularly, although I've found a comfort zone with a few exercises weight wise.

@MsMartini I definitely focus on my quads, glutes and hamstrings - I worked with a PT for form and ideas for routines and knowing when to increase weights etc which was invaluable. For my deadlifts though my max is my bodyweight, I can't seem to break that yet! (Too bloody knackered!!)

I hate that it could be too much as I think I'd struggle reducing, worrying that it'll negatively affect my mental health but maybe you're all right.

Need to reassure myself I won't suddenly put 6 stone on because I went for a 5k instead of a 10k or took a few days off.

I'm going through a lot supporting family members at the moment too, everything feels so hard going.

Are you running as fast as you can on all your runs? All the training plans have most runs at an easy "conversational" pace with a few harder efforts. I'd not try to run "flat out" more than once a month for a 5k, less frequently for a 10k and serious marathon runners will target 2 a year as a race to peak for.

My best running times have been when I've followed a plan where most of the runs are slow - I need my Garmin to remind me to slow down to the planned pace. If left to my own devices I'd go too fast unless I've got someone to chat with at a slower pace. My favourite runs are with a friend - we chat the whole way around the parkrun then we race the last bit flat out which gives the energy buzz without the impact/heavy leg feeling.

@VeraDeara

I'd never considered that, as I'm not underweight at all

You do realise that you can have a dysfunctional relationship with food and still be either over or underweight?

From your later posts it really does sound to me like you need to 'unclench' a bit - you aren't suddenly going to pile 6 stones back on if you do a shorter run one day!

You do sound a little obsessed with your weight (which is totally understandable given your previous size) but how does this manifest itself on a day-to-day basis? You say your diet is '90% healthy' but what does this actually mean? What are you eating? Are you calorie counting? How many calories a day? What are your macro nutrient proportions?

The important question isn't whether other runners do it but whether you are used to it and giving your body enough fuel and rest. Listening to your body is vital - yours sounds like it is saying this is too much! I'd try cutting back to about 60% and see if you feel better, then build from there. Scheduling much lighter weeks every 4-6 weeks can really help too.

Generally I'd suggest doing your strength work and runs on the same days - it makes those days tougher but gives you rest days in between which is where your body gets stronger. Dialing back the intensity of runs is really important too - I aim for 80% of my running to be easy pace (i.e. I could hold a conversation). Over time I've built up to a week that looks something like this:

Monday, 45 mins bouldering, 10 mins light conditioning, 20 mins yoga,
Tuesday, 10k tempo run, 10 mins light conditioning, 20 mins yoga
Wednesday, 20 mins conditioning, 20 mins yoga,
Thursday, 10k run with intervals, 30 mins HIIT, 20 mins yoga
Friday, 20 mins gentle yoga
Saturday, 5k easy run, 20 mins yoga,
Sunday, 15k easy run, 30 min weights, 20 mins yoga

Err that is extreme surely, & you likely aren't eating enough calories. Your poor knees!

fellrunlikeagirl.wordpress.com/2021/02/21/overtraining-or-overliving/?fbclid=IwAR2UWV4D3fjaJujaku8JOllBZ7YDHrtSVpDcm8bL5s4yY-GMTvQZC2Hu2IQ

It seems like this blog aligns with what you’ve said. Go easy on yourself and build in some more rest!

Total is no more than 6 hours a week

how can you do a 40mins class & 4 mile walk in a hour?

That's a lot of exercise, no wonder you're exhausted. You need at least a day off doing no exercise to recover.

I think your training plan looks good as there's plenty rest and active recovery built in - so intensity may be the problem here, esp if you're eating well. Wondering if, as a pp said, you're going too hard on all your runs.

In terms of volume you're not doing very much compared to most runners (ok, it's all relative, but less than 20 miles of running a week, plus some weights, yoga, and walking, is on the low side for semi-serious runners), which is why I'm wondering if you're going too hard.

I run roughly double what you do each week, but the reason I'm not broken is that some of those runs are recovery runs, some are speed sessions, some are long and steady. I only go all-out when I'm racing, which is 4/5 times a year max (say two marathons and then a few shorter races peppered in between).

If you think of your top running pace, most of your runs should be much slower than that. So, for example, my half marathon pace when I'm racing is roughly 7 min miles. But when it's just me on a Sunday morning, I'm going at 9 min mile pace for my long runs, and only get up to anything like race pace for shorter bursts on speed sessions.
Try slowing down and see if that helps?

See your comment that you'd put on 6 stone by reducing your run to 5km suggests a very dysfunctional relationship with food. it's common for people with eating disorders to exercise obsessively to burn calories as well as restrict food.

(I do exercise a lot, but don't feel at all guilty if I miss a session, or if I take it easy during a session).

I think:

Run 3 times a week, but two runs can be 5km
do 3 days weights
1 hiit
have 2 days off - one can be an active rest day (yoga)

The long walks will be exhausting you ime and imo and aren't necessary if you're running and doing everything else. If I hit 25000 steps in one day, I can feel it (although I'm older than you).

You don't mention what you're eating, but if you're restricting calories or doing some restrictive diet, then that will add to your lack of energy. I suspect you know how many cals you're eating and how many you're burning off.

@VeraDeara

So it's a general, everyday knackered I'd say. Every run my legs are heavy, I'm getting slower, never feel strong, and I just get through the workouts via stubbornness. A typical week would be:

Mon: 10k run
Tues: 40 min weights & 4 mile walk
Weds: 8k run
Thurs: 40 min HIIT & 4 mile walk
Fri: 12k run & 15 min abs workout
Sat: 30 min weights & 4 mile walk
Sun: 6 mile walk/hike & 20 mins gentle yoga/stretching

Total is no more than 6 hours a week and the walking is gentle pace, which doesn't seem like it would take a toll.

Maybe my physical limits aren't what I'd like?

You're kidding yourself that that lot is 6 hours a week surely?? You're also covering 36 miles a week - that's a fuck ton of mileage. The walking counts too you know. I don't know any runners who do that much... I run and most of the serious runners I know do more like 20 - 25 miles.

I also agree with the comment about making sure most of your runs are slow. There are websites that will work out your pace for you.

I reckon your runs and walks alone must total 8 hoursish surely? Then you've got almost another 2 hours of weights...

I don't know any runners who do that much... I run and most of the serious runners I know do more like 20 - 25 miles

The OP is running less than 20 miles a week and doing some walking as well. That's not a "fuckton" of mileage. It's more of a starting point for most half or full marathon training plans.

I'm in no way saying the OP doesn't do enough- not at all - but pretending the mileage is high will mask the real problem, which I suspect is one of intensity or fuelling.

@VeraDeara

Take a week off, halve the amounts you train and increase to what your doing over say 2 months but add in a full day of rest per week.

When you return to full training, take an easier week every 4 or 5 weeks.

You sound like in the early stages of Over reaching which can turn to over training and that will completely wreck you.

Get decent sleep and a good diet but i'm sure you do already.

I'm not a runner but my DD is and competes at a high level, i used to race bicycles and train a lot.

How do you find time to do all of this?

@Fellrunner85 Its 40k per week, 25miles - then 8miles of walking plus Gym.

Would need to know background and how she built up to this amount but regardless, she needs rest first.

Walking 18 miles a week on top of running 18 miles a week is a lot. Just because they're walking miles it doesn't mean they have no impact on your body - that's a lot of time on your feet. 36 miles in total EVERY WEEK is a hell of a lot to cover, even if half of it is walking.

Why not try having a sports massage on your legs, it’ll help if you’re not quite properly stretching them enough and may relieve that ‘heavy’ feeling. I know what you’re saying about not wanting to drop a day, I’m the same but if the walk isn’t elevating your hr too much then I don’t really see that as ‘exercise’.

The OP is running less than 20 miles a week and doing some walking as well. That's not a "fuckton" of mileage. It's more of a starting point for most half or full marathon training plans.

I disagree 30k runs & 18m walking is a lot. And marathon training plans are generally for a short period of time eg 5 months.

And does it all fit into 6 hours?!

How often do you have an exercise holiday, e.g. a weekend or a week off? At times, I've had a programme almost as intense as yours, but then I'll always take a week off every few months, and regular weekends off too. Perhaps you just need an exercise holiday and a few more rest days.