Demotivated and feeling weak
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HealthyFreya
Posts: 41 Member
So I've been training for a half marathon and I'm about 6 weeks or so into my programme but on Sunday I had a run which was as follows: 10 walk, 40min run, 5 min walk, 40 min run and cool down 10 min walk. I managed to complete the first part up to the first 40min but I felt so weak doing it that I had to sit down due to feeling faint. I then had to walk home with quite blurry vision due to the sun being harsh on my eyes and I don't know how I made it home, I thought I was going to collapse. I had a rehydrate when I got in and had to lie down for a while. I feel so awful about this experience and don't know what I did wrong and I did eat before I went out for my run. I feel so demotivated to continue the programme yet I don't want to give up. Today I have a 45 min run but I still feel a bit weak from 2 days ago. Any advice would be great and has anyone experienced anything similar to this during training?
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For any run lasting longer than 60 minutes, drink a sports drink like Gatorade. Drink it during your run. During the summer months I never run without it. I had a similar experience last year.0
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Are you eating in a deficit at the moment?0
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It sounds like you may have been dehydrated or didn't eat enough beforehand (might not just be that morning, may be over the last few days).
That said, I think this is pretty common and just kinda happens... when I was training for my first marathon and I was scheduled to do a sixteen mile run (the longest I'd ever run up to that point) I got out, got only up to 2 miles, and just was feeling completely exhausted, so I turned back and ended up only doing 4 miles. Tried again the week after... same thing, absolutely nothing there in the legs. Tried again the third week... and I did the 16 miler. The body needs time to rest and adapt. Just because you couldn't complete one run doesn't mean you don't have it in you to complete the training program!
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From the little bit of information, it is hard to render an informed decision. Hopefully, there is no underlying medical condition.
Most of us have one of those running days where everything seems to go wrong and you feel awful. Two lessons learned from this: When you have a day like this, cut it short.
Second, if the effects carry over to the next planned run, either let it go as a rest day or really reduce the effort until you do feel better (again, assuming there is no underlying serious medical cause). Missing a single day (or even a single week early in a training cycle) is not critical. Missing a lot of them is.
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Yes most days I am, say 4 out of 7 daysTavistockToad wrote: »Are you eating in a deficit at the moment?0 -
It sounds like you may have been dehydrated or didn't eat enough beforehand (might not just be that morning, may be over the last few days).
That said, I think this is pretty common and just kinda happens... when I was training for my first marathon and I was scheduled to do a sixteen mile run (the longest I'd ever run up to that point) I got out, got only up to 2 miles, and just was feeling completely exhausted, so I turned back and ended up only doing 4 miles. Tried again the week after... same thing, absolutely nothing there in the legs. Tried again the third week... and I did the 16 miler. The body needs time to rest and adapt. Just because you couldn't complete one run doesn't mean you don't have it in you to complete the training program!
Thank you for the post, I will keep going I really want to do that half marathon 0 -
From the little bit of information, it is hard to render an informed decision. Hopefully, there is no underlying medical condition.
Most of us have one of those running days where everything seems to go wrong and you feel awful. Two lessons learned from this: When you have a day like this, cut it short.
Second, if the effects carry over to the next planned run, either let it go as a rest day or really reduce the effort until you do feel better (again, assuming there is no underlying serious medical cause). Missing a single day (or even a single week early in a training cycle) is not critical. Missing a lot of them is.
Thank you for the post, I think that I've not been sleeping well these days too and that can contribute to not being able to finish the run so I've got to fix up that problem. I will keep going. Happy running0 -
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Freya77mfp wrote: »
Yes most days I am, say 4 out of 7 daysTavistockToad wrote: »Are you eating in a deficit at the moment?
Are you eating back any of your exercise calories? When you are training for endurance events you should slow your weight loss. You need to fuel your training. How long before your run did you eat? I have seen suggestions in the past that you should eat a meal two hours before a run and if it has been more than three hours then you should have a snack 15-20 minutes before your run. However you will need to figure out exactly what works best for you.
For your longer runs you could try using a gel around 45 -60 minutes in, which will give you around 100 calories. Also Gatorade or another sports drink would be a good idea on long runs since it will provide calories, hydration, and electrolytes.
You should also try to stay hydrated all the time. You want to avoid loading up on fluids shortly before a run. If I load up on too much water, it seems to go straight through me.
The most important thing is to make sure you get enough rest to recover. If your training plan says it is a rest day then take it easy and rest. Don't decide to squeeze in an extra run, a bike ride, or an aerobics class.0 -
Freya77mfp wrote: »
Yes most days I am, say 4 out of 7 daysTavistockToad wrote: »Are you eating in a deficit at the moment?
Are you eating back any of your exercise calories? When you are training for endurance events you should slow your weight loss. You need to fuel your training. How long before your run did you eat? I have seen suggestions in the past that you should eat a meal two hours before a run and if it has been more than three hours then you should have a snack 15-20 minutes before your run. However you will need to figure out exactly what works best for you.
For your longer runs you could try using a gel around 45 -60 minutes in, which will give you around 100 calories. Also Gatorade or another sports drink would be a good idea on long runs since it will provide calories, hydration, and electrolytes.
You should also try to stay hydrated all the time. You want to avoid loading up on fluids shortly before a run. If I load up on too much water, it seems to go straight through me.
The most important thing is to make sure you get enough rest to recover. If your training plan says it is a rest day then take it easy and rest. Don't decide to squeeze in an extra run, a bike ride, or an aerobics class.
I ate about 2 hours before my run and I have chicken and some ice cream. Also with rest days if I go to the gym and do the elipticsl for say 30 min is that okay? Or do you mean completely rest like no walking even? Thanks for the help
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Freya77mfp wrote: »Freya77mfp wrote: »
Yes most days I am, say 4 out of 7 daysTavistockToad wrote: »Are you eating in a deficit at the moment?
Are you eating back any of your exercise calories? When you are training for endurance events you should slow your weight loss. You need to fuel your training. How long before your run did you eat? I have seen suggestions in the past that you should eat a meal two hours before a run and if it has been more than three hours then you should have a snack 15-20 minutes before your run. However you will need to figure out exactly what works best for you.
For your longer runs you could try using a gel around 45 -60 minutes in, which will give you around 100 calories. Also Gatorade or another sports drink would be a good idea on long runs since it will provide calories, hydration, and electrolytes.
You should also try to stay hydrated all the time. You want to avoid loading up on fluids shortly before a run. If I load up on too much water, it seems to go straight through me.
The most important thing is to make sure you get enough rest to recover. If your training plan says it is a rest day then take it easy and rest. Don't decide to squeeze in an extra run, a bike ride, or an aerobics class.
I ate about 2 hours before my run and I have chicken and some ice cream. Also with rest days if I go to the gym and do the elipticsl for say 30 min is that okay? Or do you mean completely rest like no walking even? Thanks for the help
how many miles per week are you running?
for me a rest day is nothing more than walking or a bit of yoga.0 -
Freya77mfp wrote: »Freya77mfp wrote: »
Yes most days I am, say 4 out of 7 daysTavistockToad wrote: »Are you eating in a deficit at the moment?
Are you eating back any of your exercise calories? When you are training for endurance events you should slow your weight loss. You need to fuel your training. How long before your run did you eat? I have seen suggestions in the past that you should eat a meal two hours before a run and if it has been more than three hours then you should have a snack 15-20 minutes before your run. However you will need to figure out exactly what works best for you.
For your longer runs you could try using a gel around 45 -60 minutes in, which will give you around 100 calories. Also Gatorade or another sports drink would be a good idea on long runs since it will provide calories, hydration, and electrolytes.
You should also try to stay hydrated all the time. You want to avoid loading up on fluids shortly before a run. If I load up on too much water, it seems to go straight through me.
The most important thing is to make sure you get enough rest to recover. If your training plan says it is a rest day then take it easy and rest. Don't decide to squeeze in an extra run, a bike ride, or an aerobics class.
I ate about 2 hours before my run and I have chicken and some ice cream. Also with rest days if I go to the gym and do the elipticsl for say 30 min is that okay? Or do you mean completely rest like no walking even? Thanks for the help
The purpose of rest days is to allow the body to recover, so activities that aid in recovery are fine. Walking, yoga, and stretching are all acceptable rest day activities, as long as you don't over do it (ex. speed walking 5 miles). You definitely want to avoid anything that is truly a cardio workout or taxing on your body (ex. hot yoga).
Some people would probably debate whether it is OK to do weight training on a rest day. However since you are already had some issues with completing a run workout it would probably be best to avoid lifting on your rest day.
Is this your first HM and how much of a running background do you have? I get the feeling that you may not have been running for very long or that this is the first time that you have ventured beyond 5Ks. If that is the case then you should make sure that you are following a novice training plan for your HM. All the plans I have ever seen for a Half have been based on distance. I have not seen any running plans beyond maybe a 10K plan that was based on time, so I can't really tell whether you are using a novice or a more advanced plan. Personally I have always used Hal Higdon's plans when training for HMs and FMs.
If you were running based on distance instead of time then you could more easily add a walking break in any time you felt like you needed it, without feeling like you have degraded the workout. There are several running coaches that actually advocate using run/walk cycles; either a structured run/walk approach (run 9 min/walk 1 min), running a set distance then walking for 1 minute, or walking when you feel you need it.
One additional thing, most of your runs, especially the long runs, should be at an easy pace. At an easy pace you should be able to hold a conversation or sing a song.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Freya77mfp wrote: »Freya77mfp wrote: »
Yes most days I am, say 4 out of 7 daysTavistockToad wrote: »Are you eating in a deficit at the moment?
Are you eating back any of your exercise calories? When you are training for endurance events you should slow your weight loss. You need to fuel your training. How long before your run did you eat? I have seen suggestions in the past that you should eat a meal two hours before a run and if it has been more than three hours then you should have a snack 15-20 minutes before your run. However you will need to figure out exactly what works best for you.
For your longer runs you could try using a gel around 45 -60 minutes in, which will give you around 100 calories. Also Gatorade or another sports drink would be a good idea on long runs since it will provide calories, hydration, and electrolytes.
You should also try to stay hydrated all the time. You want to avoid loading up on fluids shortly before a run. If I load up on too much water, it seems to go straight through me.
The most important thing is to make sure you get enough rest to recover. If your training plan says it is a rest day then take it easy and rest. Don't decide to squeeze in an extra run, a bike ride, or an aerobics class.
I ate about 2 hours before my run and I have chicken and some ice cream. Also with rest days if I go to the gym and do the elipticsl for say 30 min is that okay? Or do you mean completely rest like no walking even? Thanks for the help
how many miles per week are you running?
for me a rest day is nothing more than walking or a bit of yoga.
I'm do maybe 28kms or so if I can
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Freya77mfp wrote: »Freya77mfp wrote: »
Yes most days I am, say 4 out of 7 daysTavistockToad wrote: »Are you eating in a deficit at the moment?
Are you eating back any of your exercise calories? When you are training for endurance events you should slow your weight loss. You need to fuel your training. How long before your run did you eat? I have seen suggestions in the past that you should eat a meal two hours before a run and if it has been more than three hours then you should have a snack 15-20 minutes before your run. However you will need to figure out exactly what works best for you.
For your longer runs you could try using a gel around 45 -60 minutes in, which will give you around 100 calories. Also Gatorade or another sports drink would be a good idea on long runs since it will provide calories, hydration, and electrolytes.
You should also try to stay hydrated all the time. You want to avoid loading up on fluids shortly before a run. If I load up on too much water, it seems to go straight through me.
The most important thing is to make sure you get enough rest to recover. If your training plan says it is a rest day then take it easy and rest. Don't decide to squeeze in an extra run, a bike ride, or an aerobics class.
I ate about 2 hours before my run and I have chicken and some ice cream. Also with rest days if I go to the gym and do the elipticsl for say 30 min is that okay? Or do you mean completely rest like no walking even? Thanks for the help
The purpose of rest days is to allow the body to recover, so activities that aid in recovery are fine. Walking, yoga, and stretching are all acceptable rest day activities, as long as you don't over do it (ex. speed walking 5 miles). You definitely want to avoid anything that is truly a cardio workout or taxing on your body (ex. hot yoga).
Some people would probably debate whether it is OK to do weight training on a rest day. However since you are already had some issues with completing a run workout it would probably be best to avoid lifting on your rest day.
Is this your first HM and how much of a running background do you have? I get the feeling that you may not have been running for very long or that this is the first time that you have ventured beyond 5Ks. If that is the case then you should make sure that you are following a novice training plan for your HM. All the plans I have ever seen for a Half have been based on distance. I have not seen any running plans beyond maybe a 10K plan that was based on time, so I can't really tell whether you are using a novice or a more advanced plan. Personally I have always used Hal Higdon's plans when training for HMs and FMs.
If you were running based on distance instead of time then you could more easily add a walking break in any time you felt like you needed it, without feeling like you have degraded the workout. There are several running coaches that actually advocate using run/walk cycles; either a structured run/walk approach (run 9 min/walk 1 min), running a set distance then walking for 1 minute, or walking when you feel you need it.
One additional thing, most of your runs, especially the long runs, should be at an easy pace. At an easy pace you should be able to hold a conversation or sing a song.
This is my first HM that I've taken seriously. The furthest I've done is about 16.50km, my average distance I run is 10km though so I am quite experienced, I've been running for about 5 or so years now. I need to look into easy pace that you mentioned because I know my heart rate is always higher than it should be. Thanks for taking the time to give me advice 0 -
@Freya77mfp - The game changes between the 10K distance and the half marathon distance. Your peak distance of 16.50km is right around the point where the changed game becomes critical. Running the long runs easy becomes very important, and easy running seems ridiculously slow to runners who have been focusing on 5K and 10K distances.
There are various systems for calculating what your easy pace should be. One of the simplest rules of thumb is that an easy pace for long runs should be 1:30 to 2:00 per mile slower than your 5K race pace. You seem to think in terms of kilometers rather than miles, so make that 0:55 to 1:15 per kilometer slower than your 5K race pace.
It will seem so ridiculously slow at first that you can't keep it up without accelerating. But it's worth the effort to learn to run that slow. Running slow is how you train your body to put up with running for a long time, without running yourself into injury. Running slow can seem very frustrating, particularly at first when it feels totally un-natural; but it beats the heck out of sitting on the couch because you got a repetitive motion injury from running too much at too fast a pace.
Hydration is important. Mid-run fueling for long runs is important. Replacing lost electrolytes is important. But keeping the long runs slow enough is more important. About the only part of training I'd rate as more important than keeping the easy runs at easy pace is getting enough sleep.0 -
You were on your feet for almost 2 hours.Freya77mfp wrote: »So I've been training for a half marathon and I'm about 6 weeks or so into my programme but on Sunday I had a run which was as follows: 10 walk, 40min run, 5 min walk, 40 min run and cool down 10 min walk. I managed to complete the first part up to the first 40min but I felt so weak doing it that I had to sit down due to feeling faint. I then had to walk home with quite blurry vision due to the sun being harsh on my eyes and I don't know how I made it home, I thought I was going to collapse. I had a rehydrate when I got in and had to lie down for a while. I feel so awful about this experience and don't know what I did wrong and I did eat before I went out for my run. I feel so demotivated to continue the programme yet I don't want to give up. Today I have a 45 min run but I still feel a bit weak from 2 days ago. Any advice would be great and has anyone experienced anything similar to this during training?
Do you normally train that long?
Note - it has nothing to do with "dehydration" and the food that you ate 2 hours prior was not an issue. And, unless you've made a deliberate decision to incorporate refueling as part of your training plan, don't. It sounds like you're a new runner so the pros and cons of when and how much incorporate fuel to use while training and racing is months away.
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