Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Fitness loss? Or something more?
Quote | Reply
I'll try to condense this as much as possible. First disclaimer - I'm not fast. At all. But as long as I can remember I've been able to run under 30 minutes for the 5k. Stand alone or during a sprint. 28:30 on a good day, 29:30 on a less good day, but literally for over 10 years I've never gone over 30 minutes.

This season: did several tris, leading up to a HIM in August. Also did a swim/run race series (750m/5K)

My HIM was on Aug 8. I went into it fairly undertrained & didn't do so great, but eh.
The next week 8/19, did the swim/run race. 5k was 29:15.

Then slacked off on training for the remainder of August (9 days) & had a women's only sprint to finish my tri season on 8/28. Ran a 31:30 on the exact same course. I've run that same course in another sprint this year as well as 5 of the swim/run series (again, on the exact same course) always under 30:00.

Not a huge deal in itself, but because of that 'wakeup call', since then I've really picked up my run training. I've lost 5 pounds (more to go, but that's another story) and my running still SUCKS! My average pace on training runs is SO MUCH slower than it was mid season this year, or any other year for that matter. (There's absolutely no way I overtrained during the season.)

I simply don't understand how I lost so much fitness so fast, and haven't been able to get it back with 5 weeks of good solid training ?! I seriously doubt I could run a sub 30 min 5K today. My training runs are so slow, even for me. And it seemed to come out of nowhere. Earlier this season I was running half marathons at a 9:30 pace!! Now I can barely muster 1 10 minute mile :( Something just isn't right.

Looking for any other possibilities that could cause a rapid decline in performance, without being able to gain it back????? Iron? Anything else? I feel normal (but really slow)

Thx
Quote Reply
Re: Fitness loss? Or something more? [Elsa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
How's everything *besides* the running? sleep? stress? fatigue? diet?

More info pls! ;-)

Ap

------------------------
"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS
Quote Reply
Re: Fitness loss? Or something more? [Elsa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
how do your bike splits on that course compare for your under 30 time and your over 30 time?

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
Quote Reply
Re: Fitness loss? Or something more? [Elsa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Were you putting a lot of focus and time into your HIM training, to the exclusion of shorter faster runs? I've been doing exclusively long course stuff for the last few years and have noticed my time at short runs is much slower than it used to be. I've been trying to get some speed back as of late, but it's not coming back so fast. Also as Tigerchick asked, what were your bike times at your sprints. maybe you were going out harder on the bike which affected your run times.
Quote Reply
Re: Fitness loss? Or something more? [Elsa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Thanks for the ideas ladies!

Overall I've been feeling normal - sleeping fine, normal energy level. Since the last sprint (the slow time), I realized that I had gained weight over the season & had really let my diet slide so I've cleaned it up a lot & lost 5 pounds. But I'm eating lots of healthy carbs now in addition to plenty of protein. I did away with stuff like way too much candy, chips & diet sodas. I think I'm eating healthier than ever now. I am prediabetic & have started measuring my blood sugar in the morning and it's been reading a little high (112 yesterday)

Actually biked a little slower in that race where I ran slowly. I think that I just lost some fitness in general over the season by not training very hard (or nearly enough)

One race alone wouldn't bother me, it was the fact that my training run pace has increased by 2 min/mile! In the span of just about a month. And not a month of no running, a month of doing a HIM, an Xterra, a stroke & stride & a sprint.

I figured, okay had a bad race, pick the training back up and it'll come back, but that hasn't been the case. I've been increasing my mileage now and am running about 40 miles/ week now, with a mix of speed & long runs, and my avg training pace is still so unbelievably slow. I'm struggling with 6 mile runs, and having to take walk breaks. This isn't normal for me, especially at the end of a race season, where I *should* have a decent fitness base.

One only other clue I can think of is that I am drinking way more during workouts than ever. I finished two and a half water bottles yesterday during a 9 mile treadmill run !!
Last edited by: Elsa: Oct 6, 10 7:58
Quote Reply
Re: Fitness loss? Or something more? [Elsa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Isn't excessive thirst a symptom of diabetes? That, and the slightly higher blood sugar, might be pointing to something with that is changing/getting worse there. Maybe that is what is causing the slow/tired ness.


-----

"Alice laughed. `There's no use trying,' she said 'one can't believe impossible things.' `I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. `When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!'"
Quote Reply
Re: Fitness loss? Or something more? [Elsa] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Not saying there's not a medical reason (I'm not a medical professional so I can't even begin to comment on that possibility), but I've noticed that I get slower before I get faster when I start a run fitness rebuilding block. It probably takes about 2 months of consistent work before I get past the initial fatigue and start to see improvements in my training run paces. Even then, it's intermittent. I'll have a great run, followed by two slow runs, etc. However, once I'm having the intermittent great runs, I know that if I rest properly, I'm in good shape for a race.

__________________________
http://www.aliciaparr.com/blog
http://www.performentor.com

Yes, I too am on Facebook. And LinkedIn. And Twitter. Which begs the question - do I exist in the physical world? Do I?
Quote Reply