Feel weak and tired on easy runs, what is the likely cause?

Injury/Nutrition Other

5 days ago 07/03/2024 2:40pm EDT

I'm 36, run 30-35 mpw with 80% of it easy... like 8-9 min/miles. I regularly run parkrun around 17:50-18. Workouts aren't any faster than threshold.

Today I had another terrible run and I am losing enthusiasm to run at all anymore. I even had 2 days off beforehand. I averaged 9:00 pace over 8 miles, mainly on trail, and felt very fatigued going up hills. It was a slog. Weather was cool.

I sleep usually 11pm-6am, and thinking I might need at least 8 hours? I sometimes struggle to fall asleep.

I hate my job and am generally stressed / miserable about my life. Could my hormones be fried, making me more tired?

I am skinny as hell but always have been. I haven't weighed myself in a while but I was around 135lbs at 5'10. I eat a lot at dinner time, but maybe its not enough. I would appreciate any ideas for cheap meals which have a lot of calories.

I don't drink alcohol. I don't do drugs. I wish I could solve this problem as I have tired for years.

5 days ago 07/03/2024 3:33pm EDT

re: so tired

Sounds a bit familiar. For a few years, my running felt harder and harder, most noticeably in my easy pace - at age 38 my easy pace was in the 7:30 to 8 minute range, but by age 41, 9-9:30 pace was feeling like a struggle. Despite this, I could mostly handle the same workouts (though I needed more recovery), and my race performances hadn't changed much.

Turned out that I had partial tears on both Achilles. As my tendons got worse over time, general running got harder and less enjoyable. Unfortunately I didn't this find out until I had a full rupture on one side. My podiatrist said he hadn't seen anyone with *both* tendons in worse shape in his 20 some years in the business.

Anyway, my advice would be to talk to your doctor. While you may not necessarily be carrying an injury, there's a good chance there is a medical explanation. They should have you get a blood test, and maybe refer you to a specialist. Good luck, I know the feeling and it really sucks.

4 days ago 07/03/2024 4:42pm EDT

re: so tired

You take any iron supplements?

4 days ago 07/03/2024 5:25pm EDT

re: so tired

You could ask your Dr. this as they might have some info for you.

4 days ago 07/03/2024 6:53pm EDT

re: so tired

so tired wrote:
I'm 36, run 30-35 mpw with 80% of it easy... like 8-9 min/miles. I regularly run parkrun around 17:50-18. Workouts aren't any faster than threshold.
Today I had another terrible run and I am losing enthusiasm to run at all anymore. I even had 2 days off beforehand. I averaged 9:00 pace over 8 miles, mainly on trail, and felt very fatigued going up hills. It was a slog. Weather was cool.
I sleep usually 11pm-6am, and thinking I might need at least 8 hours? I sometimes struggle to fall asleep.
I hate my job and am generally stressed / miserable about my life. Could my hormones be fried, making me more tired?
I am skinny as hell but always have been. I haven't weighed myself in a while but I was around 135lbs at 5'10. I eat a lot at dinner time, but maybe its not enough. I would appreciate any ideas for cheap meals which have a lot of calories.
I don't drink alcohol. I don't do drugs. I wish I could solve this problem as I have tired for years.

Get screened for depression. It's a likely culprit and it's treatable. Your job is probably hard and/or comes with little reward. You are doing well by yourself by not self-medicating, and I hope you are able to find some happiness, at least, in the amount of self-control and discipline that you have mastered.

Here is a list of cheap, high-calorie foods:

unfoldtoday.com

45 Cheap High-Calorie Foods for Affordable Weight Gain - Unfold Today

Claude Pop, MA, CPT, NC

Eating enough food to gain weight can be such a nuisance, but with cheap high-calorie foods you can make bulking up a breeze.

Link:unfoldtoday.com/45-cheap-high-calorie-...

Some people simply don't have much of an appetite for food. You might be one of those people, and it's normal.

4 days ago 07/03/2024 6:59pm EDT

re: so tired

i'd be a dollar you have pretty low testosterone, both relative to the general population but also to your own potential

i'll put another dollar up saying your ferritin levels are not ideal

i don't think this is a sleep issue at all

get your t and ferritin checked. prob sounds like a monumental ask to do that since your vitality is really low right now and it's not a guaranteed fix, but you got to pick that low hanging fruit first right

4 days ago 07/03/2024 7:14pm EDT

re: so tired

so tired wrote:
I'm 36, run 30-35 mpw with 80% of it easy... like 8-9 min/miles. I regularly run parkrun around 17:50-18. Workouts aren't any faster than threshold.
Today I had another terrible run and I am losing enthusiasm to run at all anymore. I even had 2 days off beforehand. I averaged 9:00 pace over 8 miles, mainly on trail, and felt very fatigued going up hills. It was a slog. Weather was cool.
I sleep usually 11pm-6am, and thinking I might need at least 8 hours? I sometimes struggle to fall asleep.
I hate my job and am generally stressed / miserable about my life. Could my hormones be fried, making me more tired?
I am skinny as hell but always have been. I haven't weighed myself in a while but I was around 135lbs at 5'10. I eat a lot at dinner time, but maybe its not enough. I would appreciate any ideas for cheap meals which have a lot of calories.
I don't drink alcohol. I don't do drugs. I wish I could solve this problem as I have tired for years.

Oatmeal, potatoes, chicken drumsticks, eggs (prices are a bit high now for some reason).

4 days ago 07/03/2024 7:46pm EDT

re: so tired

I used to struggle with this in college. The fix was consitent meals, 3 times a day with snacks in between. Underfueled training can sneak up on you, it happens to almost everybody. Dont load up on dinner, instead try to eat bigger breakfast and lunch and a proportionately sized dinner.

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