Welcome back to All Things Running with Sonja & Jen. Today Jen is going to take us through the idea of balancing your training and why it is important. If you are always feeling tired during training then this article might just be for you. If you are working really hard and you are not reaching attainable goals then this might be for you.
In running, what are deposits & withdrawals? Why is it important?
When I returned to competitive running at age 38, I gave myself a ton of grace. I had two very small children at home and my life revolved around them & my home. I got in training when I could and I was still quite successful. I viewed any workout as a success. I also ran many of my masters PR’s during this time. As they became more independent and their needs changed, I had more time to train. The funny thing about parenting is that when we have more physical time there's still an emotional component as they get older that is just as time consuming. I had more time to train but I wasn’t giving myself enough grace. I started to feel tired every day. One time our home was under construction, my dog broke his back & he was paralyzed and I was just diagnosed with my first of 3 skin cancers. I was determined to run full throttle instead of backing off because I was stubborn and said, no you can’t take my running too. I ended up with 2 stress fractures in my feet over the next year. You can’t train through emotional stress. It has repercussions.
Fatigue is cumulative. We have to balance emotional stress and physical stress. The result is that your body produces too much cortisol and your testosterone or estrogen are no longer being produced. These two hormones are needed to repair the body from steady training.
No pain, no gain is not true. Why recovery matters.
You can not run your fastest if you are always tired. It is just not possible. The body has a limit and will slow you down to protect itself. If you are feeling tired & sore every single day then you are training too hard.
Chronic Fatigue & Central Nervous Fatigue
Ignore these signs, stay in a level of high cortisol for too long and you will end up with chronic fatigue or CNS fatigue and neither of those are fun. It can take 6 months to a year to correct this problem with absolutely no activity during that time.
What are some examples of Deposits
Extra sleep
Extra food
Extra hydration
Rest days
Yoga
Stretching
Recovery tools like massage
What are some examples of Withdrawals
Staying up too late (hour of the day)
Not getting enough sleep in terms of hours
Alcohol consumption
Double runs (less time to recovery for the next session)
Exams
Stress of any type
Injury
Increase in mileage
Increase in weight in lift
Missing meals or snacks
It is important to remember that athletes are a whole person that need care. It is also important to protect them from hurting themself. If you want to make any withdrawals make sure you can offset it with a deposit. How can you be kinder to yourself and get more out of your training instead of trying to alway do more?
Sonja and Jennifer are sharing their personal experiences. This is being provided for informational purposes only. We are not giving medical advice and you should always consult your own doctor for advice related to your own health.