Bad Days

YES, my last round of that lasted 2 weeks. I would go to the gym and just suffer and say f-it im done for today but after that short break im back at it hitting it hard.

Is it worse in the winter? I get a major case of seasonal affective disorder, to the point that it can be hard to function even on a basic level. There are certain things that I can do to ease the symptoms (regular exercise is one), but they don't make the problem go away. However, I know that when spring gets here, the problem with fix itself.

Absolutely. I have days where the engine just won't seem to start. I'm cranking as hard as I can, but my times are just not anywhere near normal, my legs, arms, whatever, just won't get into rhythm and go. I used to fight against those, but now when that happens, I just use it as an easy day and move on.

Lately though, I've had one thing after another that has interrupted my training. First I had a severe case of the flu which had me completely out for over a week. Then, just as I was feeling better, I had to travel internationally for a week where I would only be able to run on a treadmill...and what happens the night before I leave? I break my toe. I'm stubborn, so I run anyway and make it ten times worse then return home for a couple of days just to travel again and I had a race scheduled for the following weekend so I took three days off to recover for that. I actually did alright at the race, but February was a total loss and I'm training for IMTX in May. It wore on me a lot and I was irritable an grumpy towards my family and others and just felt like I was in a total funk. Now that I'm back to training as usual (with light running due to the toe) I'm finally feeling normal again. It's like a weight has been lifted.

I have found it's best just to listen to your body and let it pass.

For the SAD I found a daylight simulating alarm clock made a huge difference for me in the winter. I feel so much better when I wake up vs. Having to shake off the sleep for an hour.

I just got through a 2 week doldrum but this week I'm energized again.

Be kind to yourself.

Yes, usually more feeling physically off than a lack of motivation. I suspect there's a physical cause I've never quite figured out, like hormones, what/when I eat, etc. It's particularly true in the pool. I've been swimming since infancy and swam competitively for several years, but about once every week or two, a workout that shouldn't be that hard ends up feeling truly epic, and I feel uncoordinated and out of breath from the get-go. I do have asthma (allergy induced) and occasionally the pool air can trigger it if it's not well-ventilated, but it seems to be below the level of an actual asthma attack, so I don't tend to get out and use the inhaler (which has unpleasant side effects anyway), I just feel crappy. Or maybe it's just low blood sugar or fatigue from the workday--swimming's the only training I normally do after work, so I'm not as well rested as for running and biking.

Running is very paradoxical--I have easy runs when I'm well-rested and should feel great (esp. during taper) but feel like crap, and others where I'd expect to feel awful (brick runs after a 2 hour run the day before and 3 hours of biking, for example) that feel awesome. No idea why. In 35 years of running, it's almost always been like that.

If you are not feeling motivated and that's unusual for you, maybe switch the workout out with one you really enjoy? That's better than doing nothing. Sometimes for me that's a sign I'm getting sick, or just overwhelmed with training and other commitments, and it would be better NOT to do a hard workout in that case. (On the other hand, if it happens every week, maybe need to reassess your goals and how much meeting them means to you right now.)

I'm having a bad week.

I struggled with an injury for the last couple months and let my fitness slip a little bit.

Now I can't do what I could just a couple months ago (to be expected) and it is frustrating. Every workout feels harder than it used to to go slower than I used to.

Sorry. Done with the complaining. I know the solution is to just get back to it and grind it out to regain fitness.

I'll trade you three months for your week

I have lots of days where I don't want to workout. This morning was a great example. Up at 5 to hit the pool. Forced myself to get out of bed despite my cute wife and warm sheets calling to me (she may have done so by snoring). The entire time I'm getting ready my stupid brain is coming up with excuses as to why I shouldn't go. This continues in the car and all the way to the pool. It doesn't stop on the locker room and not even when I'm on the deck about to jump in. I've found that the best thing to do is force myself to workout for 10-20 minutes. If I still feel like stopping, then I do. I've also learned that I am a lousy adult and often don't want to do anything. Being responsible and getting things done is boring.

Yeah that's like a cold in your mind. I don't think we look at the mental aspects of training as much as we should. Sometimes the mind just gets tired; the motivation disappears. I think this is just like physical symptoms, we need to learn how to put "rest, ice, and elevation" on our brains.

I think this is a vast, untapped area. Finding the keys to unlock mental potential. A lot of folks experimented with all kinds of drugs and explored altered states but I don't know if that's really the answer. Although I'm sure there's a chemical connection, I think the key may be in altering your mental state, by yourself, on demand, rather than artificial stimulation. Much like some Oriental martial arts, which stress the mind-body connection. Focused meditation to exercise (and relax) the mind, as well as the body.

I've heard this before in endurance training. Oftentimes, it's not that you can't keep going; it's just that you don't want to keep going. The mind gets fatigued as well, yet we do nothing to train for this, other than the experience we get training our bodies, which may or may not strengthen the mind as well.

I know there has been more focus on this lately. Especially on the visualization concepts before the event. Perhaps we need to push this out further and explore ways to treat mental as well as physical symptoms.

Right now, I'm just like some have said here, I just wait for the symptoms to pass and get back to work. But it would be nice to have some techniques to "alter" your mental state, preferably without artificial aids.

Don't know if this is even possible. Some will say it's all just chemical. Find some "Aleve" for your achy brain. Some will say it gets into the spiritual realm, the whole mind-body-spirit connection. Then some will say, aw just get back to work, Nancy, you're over-thinking it.

I don't have bad days due to laziness or lack of motivation, it might take a bit more to get going but I always do and the hunger usually arrives.

I do though have bad days were I feel sluggish, usually preceded by days where I had a hard key session. It is okay to feel sluggish on those days since I performed and hit my goals the day prior.

Bad, sluggish days happen to everyone, if they are not happening you either are not training hard enough or stuck on always going on easy cruise mode.