To Experienced Marathoners: How Tired is Too Tired??

To properly answer your question, I think we'll need to know how long you've been doing the increased mileage, and what your mileage was before that.

Generally, though, I'd tell you no worries. I only skip a run if I'm so sore and stiff that my gait is significantly changed even after a warmup. It's pretty normal, at least to my experience, to feel sluggish on a daily basis, but, in my opinion, fresh legs are overrated. They're for race day, not daily training.

I'll give you my experience. After a summer of slacking off at around 40-50 miles per week, I upped my mileage to 100-120 (which I had trained at before). This was difficult and I wasn't doing well in tempo workouts, or on the track, though I was doing the workouts to do them anyway. I only got 7 weeks of this quality training in before the race, many of the miles at 7:30-8:00/mile pace. I only got a 3 day taper because I had planned on doing it as a training run and changed my mind at the last minute. Well, I ended up running around 2:44, which isn't great but is better than my training predicted.

So, I'd advise you to tough it out, keep going, and wait till race day after a good taper to feel ready.

Thanks, answer. Coincidentally, I am trying to run in the range of 2:45-2:48 so I liked your response a lot!

Okay, I was doing 50-60 per week pretty consistently and I began increasing mileage in beginning of December. Last week was 87 miles and I am pretty exhausted overall. My easy runs don't feel so easy right now. That kind of tiredness is okay and normal??

Thanks again.

Ok, nerunner, you seem to be headed in the right direction. Yeah, I'd say that kind of tiredness is normal, especially since you're making a pretty good-sized leap in mileage. The main thing to remember is, if you feel just gawd-awful, don't be afraid to ratchet the pace down, way down. Work on getting the miles in first, then work on making them faster--at least, this is what I believe.

I started training for a fall marathon from virtually nothing for a week (due to illness) to 85 miles. Granted, part of this is because my body is acclimating to higher miles as time goes on, but part of it was the acceptance that some runs were going to be pure tedious hell. Some of them had to be at 9:00 pace or even slower. When you feel good, unleash it, when you feel like something the cat drug in, don't be afraid to shuffle like grandma. Hotshot tracksters may laugh but they won't be laughing 4 months from now at the 20 mile mark when you shoot by their sorry asses.

Brendon Foster was to have said;"I wake up tired and go to bed very tired"!But seriously, if you are able to complete your workouts you're O.K. When you rest up for a race you should feel great.

nerunner wrote:

I am curious whether it is normal to feel quite tired, lose some "freshness" while training for a marathon? Is this just a normal result of increasing mileage? Any things I should look out for? I just feel sluggish, am still able to hit times on tempos, etc, but don't feel as fresh or as strong as I did a couple of months ago. I want to make sure I am not overtraining, but at the same time want to do enough to run a good 'thon.

Any words of advice?

Thanks a lot!

I don't think going through a state of perpertual tirdness is necessary or desirable. I would recommend just running dog shit slow on recovery days and on any other easy day just run how you feel. On the workout days work hard but within the moderately conservative range. Give your body atleast a few weeks to fiqure out any increased mileage, etc.

Bottom line, listen to your body and expect to feel somewhat decent on your harder days or you may be overdoing it.

If your not tired, your not training.

I know miles and miles, but there is a difference between good/working hard tired and overtrained/not progressing/point of diminishing returns tired and that is what i am trying to gauge.

As long as you are hitting your times on the hard days, you are ok. If you have a few easy days in a row and you feel sluggish on all of them you may need more rest. Make sure you get a few easy days before a race.

I am also in your general time range (trying to run low 2:40s). Started training in earnest only a few years ago and did my first marathon at only 3:10, so I'd imagine we are in the same boat - always tired but always improving. Have grown my mileage from 40-50 a week to consistently 90 a week.

I hate taking days off. Occasionally, to refresh my legs and attitude, I do a workout that is not marathon specific training.

I'll do something like 4x400 at full speed with full recovery, then take a nice, long cooldown. This winter I raced a few indoor miles, ran really damn slow but I didn't care. These types of workouts are invigorating mentally, and if you are doing high mileage you will be fresh the day after.

NERUNNER, what race are you training for?

it is important to watch your diet to make sure you are getting enough calories/ nutrition. I have run over thirty marathons and seem to learn from each train-up.

Nerunner,

I was sitting in my cubical today, honestly considering trashing tonight's workout because of an all-encompassing feeling of body tiredness. I did 5 miles this morning and planned on 12 tonight. I'm in the midst of my third straight 100-mile week. After reading the various responses I've decided to tough it out and get the run in come hell or high water. Thanks for begging the question and good luck in your race.

Monty

Have a good workout. I don't think I am begging the question b/c I have no idea what the right answer is. I am absolutely exhausted but was just curious if this is normal or means i should back off!

I am running Boston. I definitely need to be better with diet, no question! Thanks.

Monty-

How many times do we feel like crap during the day and then stroke a good run? Too often in my world.

I agree with you, go do your 12 miler.

good luck. sounds like you are willing to put in the work, make sure you rest as you get closer to race day. I generally don't take any days off for about four months until I start my taper in the last three weeks.

I will be running the Lincoln marathon in May(my 11th year in a row there).

thanks! best of luck to you as well!

Maybe after 3 weeks of "higher" mileage (80+ a week) cut back mileage 25% for that fourth week..In my opinion it will help obsorb the previous weeks of hard work and set a person up to feel better physically and mentally...Then continue "higher" mileage for 3 more weeks and just go through the cycle...I have been doing this cycle for over 2 months now and with 100+ mile weeks that fourth week is great and gets rid of any nagging little injuries that a person might have! This can Refresh the body and mind!!