It’s been close to six weeks since I ran the Miwok 100K and haven’t really been writing much about anything since then. Not to mention I haven’t been running much either. The fantastic write up on Over Training Syndrome in Outside Magazine prompted me to reflect on these last six weeks and realized, I felt a similar fatigue and a mental burn-out after the 100K. In social media, all of us tend to post pictures of PR’s and talk about how running is our life, etc. And I’m sure that to a large extent, that’s true. Turns out there is another (less-macho) side to it.
Over Training Syndrome
After I first started running in 2012, I was pretty obsessed for the first three years. I had to figure out how to run ultras without injuring myself. This year’s been a little different. I normally average anywhere from 20 to 30 miles per-week, and mostly unstructured too. A little hill climbing, some trail runs, stroll around my work with the occasional bleachers and 800’s. No real goal in mind other than getting out either for the sun, company with great friends or solitude. In anticipation of American River 50M and Miwok 100K, I had bumped up these miles getting close to 40 or 50 per-week, sometimes higher.
Two days after Miwok 100K, I felt great, physically. Two blackened toe nails and a hot spot above my right ankle were the only “injuries” from the long run. But I was pretty drained, exhausted and had no interest in shuffling my feet out the door. The intense focus and the depletion your body goes through after being out in the trails for 13+ hours does take a toll. The “generalized fatigue” in the Outside Magazine article seems to pretty well explain what I was going through.
And my only solution to this was to just lay off running. Ate like the blerch, slept a whole lot, biked some and pretty much vegged out for the next few weeks. I love variety and with running, especially so. It’s really hard for me to get on the same trails/route over and over again and a big part of me realized that’s exactly what I was doing. Rancho San Antonio is just a hop away from my house and mostly out of convenience, I run there a lot. Pretty soon you’ve seen all the lines, all the trails and while there’s always room for improvement, the mind’s just bored.
Given how running fits into the broader scheme of my life, I have realized that I’d rather run happy occasionally than feel compelled to do so every day. And I think that’s the key. When running becomes a chore, it’s really time to change things around. All that said, I’m totally looking for Double Dipsea this weekend. How fun it’s going to be to show up without much training, hang out with other runners and make a fool out of myself! 🙂 And ah, the ice-cold IPA at the end. That fixes everything.
Have you over gotten Over Training Syndrome? How do you cope with it?
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Did you do AR50 in April and then Miwok in May? No wonder you’re wiped out!! BTW, Rancho San Antonio is where I run. Sending you a friend request.
ICYMI – Over Training Syndrome, not just for the Elites http://t.co/DipPtyAeDz
Hey buddy, I think your confusing OTS with general fatigue. True OTS is pretty much a endocrine system wash out for months to years on end which aligns with many other physical and emotional symptoms that create much distress physically and mentally. The reason why this is often confined to elites is simply because most athletes break down physically well before they get to the point of true OTS. It requires an athlete to work through many many shorter periods of fatigue and sometimes injuries, excessivelly, for months id not years on end. Most of us simply break well before or rest up before we ever even get close to that tipping point into OT. Just some thoughts but sound like your in a bout of fatigue as a pose to OTS
Thanks for the comment Mike. Glad it’s just a bout of fatigue!
I think he’s confusing overtraining, with being undertrained and running further than he actually practiced for.
Yeah… I agree with John Kemp
Hi Kowsik. I second the opinion below that this is probably not actually OTS, but probably something more minor and temporary (that’s good news!). One dynamic that happens when you build to a big goal like Miwok 100K is many people experience post race blues, where the thought of running another 50K or some other arbitrary shorter race doesn’t feel like a worthy goal after you check off such a big one. That can leave you feeling directionless and sort of wondering what to do next. Then your training starts to feel off because you don’t really know what you’re training for. I ran my first 100 miler a few weeks ago, and have been going through some of the same things. I trained in Edgewood Park (right next to my house) on a route that simulated my looped 100 miler. Day after day, I ran in the same park, and because I had a purpose, I loved the repetition. Now that my 100 is over? I want to run anywhere BUT Edgewood Park! Although I would say, the *idea* of running in the same old places is what I am tired of. I always enjoy it when I actually get my butt out there and get going. Everyone needs some downtime from running, and it doesn’t mean you’re falling out of love with it, only that you need a break. Like you, after my 100M goal was complete, I also let my diet slide and ate like a horse. I was eating a very strict high fat vegetarian diet with low carbs and no sugar for about 3 months, and since the race, I have been all over the M&Ms, big plates of nachos, even sandwiches (gasp) things I hadn’t eaten since January. We can discuss more at the Marin Whatchamacallit 50K next weekend! Looking forward to meeting you in person 🙂
Thanks Larry. Not sure if Rob will be a happy camper if you call his run Whatchamacallit 🙂 But I’m looking forward to that run for great camaraderie and a day out on the Marin trails to get back into the groove. Would be great to meet you IRL too.
Experiencing a lot of the same after Miwok. I’ve just felt unmotivated to get out the door and generally more tired. Even the 5 miles I managed today felt like a chore.
Eric, I found that being with other runners made a big difference for me. I had originally scheduled Double Dipsea 7 weeks out since Miwok was my first 100K and I wasn’t sure about the recovery. YMMV, of course, but the energy of running with everyone in a shorter, but challenging race like Double Dipsea brought me out of my blues instantly.