So we’ve had a very mild autumn here in New England this year, and the last couple weeks it’s started to get chillier. As the temperatures have dipped, I’ve noticed my running times are getting worse and worse.
Background: I’ve been focusing on run only (with a little easy spinning to keep things balanced) since early October. I’ve been racing almost every weekend at distances from 5K to 10 miles. This past weekend I raced a 10-miler and just felt super sluggish. At first I blamed not being well rested enough, or maybe not eating or drinking enough water. But pretty much all my runs the last two weeks have been the same and an ugly pattern is developing.
This morning it was 21 degrees, no wind and very dry. I did some easy spinning inside to warm up, then I bundled up and went out at dawn. It was surreal how sluggish I felt. I barely made it 5 miles in 50 minutes and it was a struggle. My quads just felt like they were getting no circulation to them. Is it possible this is from the COLD??? Or could it be something more like overtraining/overreaching or whatever?
Do others here experience the same dramatic drop in speed/increase in sluggishness in colder weather? Is there an adjustment period? Am I still getting a good workout even though I feel like I’m running through molasses?
I think it could possibly be overtraining. I had pretty much the same schedule as you doing a little swimming and a few trainer rides but mostly running and doing a running race every weekend. I even ran two 5k’sin the same day one Sunday. I kept at it until I stopped getting faster and then went back to doing z1/2 base miles. I went from a 9:03 pace at the Boston Buildup 10k this past January to a 6:50 pace at a 3 miler in Greenwich a few weeks ago. If you feel sluggish take a day or two off. My Z2 pace is also now 7:20ish as opposed to 9+. Even tonight I was going to run, but I just dont feel up to it, so I’m putting it off until at least the AM.
That is exactly what I was hoping to not read … but I have a relative rest week coming up in 3 days so I hope that’ll help. I definitely feel like my recovery hasn’t been stellar lately. I’d been making steady improvements for a few months up until about two weeks ago, I still think it’s possible the cold is a factor. My quads just feel dead all the time.
Yes its a big factor but the OP said nothing about her lungs, she specifically noted her quads were getting no circulation and she was feeling sluggish. Usually you feel the restriction in your lungs, not your legs. She also states that her runs have been getting slower & slower. Feeling sluggish and getting slower are typical symptoms of overtraining.
No, I don’t have anything going on in my lungs, but I do get a lightheaded feeling and chest heaviness … yes, I’m aware of what those are classic symptoms of but I think I have about a 0% chance of having a heart attack at this point in my life (23 year old super healthy female). In prior years I’ve had EIA in the cold, but not so far this year.
I still think cold weather could be the root of the problem. It hadn’t occurred to me until my dad brought it up after my poor performance last Saturday. He said when it’s cold, your blood wants to stay around your vital organs and away from your extremities. Just wanted to see if anyone else experienced this!
“No, I don’t have anything going on in my lungs, but I do get a lightheaded feeling and chest heaviness … yes, I’m aware of what those are classic symptoms of but I think I have about a 0% chance of having a heart attack at this point in my life (23 year old super healthy female). In prior years I’ve had EIA in the cold, but not so far this year.”
How are you so sure, have you been checked out? I believe Tri_Yoda had some heart condition that he found out about after IMLP this year and if I remember correctly one of the younger healthier athletes(25ish) just basically dropped dead after mooseman this year with no apparent warning signs. I would be careful about super healthy attitude, you just never know.
I do get a lightheaded feeling and chest heaviness … 23 year old super healthy female
Well, that sounds all really, really good. I think you should be posting on that other thread.
Seriously, the cold might slow you down a bit, particularly at the start of a run, and with the extra layers, but I don’t think it should be that noticeable. It sounds like you have been doing a lot of races lately. I don’t think it is possible to hold peak condition for more than a month. You’re due for a break.
Hmm well maybe I will get checked out. I’ve had an EKG as recently as this summer … don’t know what other kind of “checking out” they would do. I’ve never in my life felt bad during a workout except for my last few runs in the cold temps. As you know (because you live here too), it went from being 45-50 degrees for months to 20 over the course of a week. I figured there might be some adjustment period, I really have a hard time believing there shouldn’t be one for people. You have to adjust to altitude, humidity/dryness and other things like that, so why not temperature?
The other thing is I’ve been on call for work the last week or so and have been getting woken up in the middle of the night, which has been super-stressful. I AM due for a rest week… :0) I suppose if that doesn’t help, I’ll head to the doc.
I live in Maine, and I do feel like in the cold it’s much harder for me to go fast. I have no problem running in the cold for easy runs or long runs (slow), but I have a hard time feeling good when I go harder. I tried to do a tempo run this week, the temp was around 20 or so, and it was a struggle to keep my pace up. My muscles just don’t feel warm and supple. I have to remember to do a longer warmup and then get the layers just right–probably need to plan to take a layer off during the heart of the workout (or race in your case).
But, please keep an eye on your potential, more serious issues.
I have that problem when I get really cold on the bike. It’s not a breathing problem, my muscles just seem to shut down and I can’t get them firing again until I spend some time getting warm. I’ve even had it happen in a couple of races and I was forced to call it a day. Don’t know if it matters, but I do seem to get cold much easier than others and I almost always think the water in the pool is too cold.
You said you've been doing a run focus since early October and have raced every weekend. Would you mind giving a brief description of your training routine since then until now and how you planned to tie that into what you have planned for the next several months. Include mileage and key workouts if you don't mind.
I think I can give you a pretty good answer.
i had that experience this morning. low-to-mid 30’s air temp during our AM ride…super cold, felt like it was in teens with a moist coastal wind coming inland. Upper body was fine (4 layers), but my legs were frozen…they never warmed up. Even a moderate incline felt like a steep hill.
I run a lot slower in the cold… there is a definite physical effect when the muscles can’t get properly warmed up.
The chest heavyness/lightheadedness plus the sluggishness might also be symptoms of exercise-induced asthma, though. It’s probably worth checking that out, EIA is much commoner in the cold too.
