According to my “Big Day” app, I have 247 days until the “Big Day”, my “A” race in Klagenfurt, Austria.  It’s funny because I can look at that app one day and think, “wow, I have so much time” and on others “What the hell were we thinking?  Ironman’s refund policy is HORRIBLE”.  This week has been one of those weeks.  Training has been going extremely well, a little too well.  With the increases in distance and the increase in workout intensity, I have been really trying to pay attention to my body and levels of fatigue.  Easier said than done and this can make or break a “weekend warrior” athlete.

I think I can say with confidence that there are two main types of fatigue.  We will call them acute (or temporary) fatigue and chronic (long term) fatigue.  Acute fatigue is good and it is the kind that you feel after an intense workout.  This type of fatigue tells you that you have accomplished something and you worked for it.  This fatigue is a drug to me.  However, like all things, too much of this fatigue can lead to chronic fatigue and that is where the drug is “no bueno”. Chronic fatigue is when your body is exhausted and on the verge of just throwing it’s hands up and saying, “That’s it, I’m done! You’re on your own”.  This is the fatigue that athletes have to try and avoid and it is why rest days or light exercise days are vital.  The more intense your hard days are, the lighter your light days should be.  Here is where I went wrong, and these are the consequences that came from it.

Like I said, training has been going well.  I have been exercising six days a week on average for a total of about 8-10 hours a week.  I am not a huge fan of measuring exercise on an hourly basis because it is what you accomplish in those hours that matters.  I was completing high intensity workouts nearly every time.  I didn’t go into those workouts thinking they would be high intensity every time, my plan actually called for 2 low intensity days a week plus a rest day.  The problem is that my workout would start low-intensity and then I would just think to myself, go a little harder… You can go a little harder.  Next thing I know, I am gasping for breath and exhausted, not the point of a low intensity day.  My problem is that in my quest to become fit, I have become too addicted to that feeling of acute fatigue.  Every time I go out to train, my mind is pushing me to get that rush when really, I need to give my body more time to rest and recover.

I started to notice the first signs of chronic fatigue in my sleep patterns.  Some days after an intense hill run or interval session, I feel like I have restless legs.  They just feel uncomfortable when I first lay down, like I can’t get them into a relaxed position.  After 5-10 mins, I will fall asleep (never been a problem for me) and that would be that.  Now, I was finding myself waking up in the middle of the night with the same feeling, even when I didn’t do a run session. My whole body was uncomfortable and I was just tossing and turning.  This is a double-edged sword in the worst possible way. Your body needs sleep to recover, it is the best time for recovery, and if you are exhausted and not sleeping well but continue to train you will burn out.  There is no question about this, it is just nature.  I didn’t listen closely enough and continued to train.

Last Saturday, I woke up to a hint of a sore throat. Easily explained in my mind, “there was honey in my dinner last night, I am allergic to raw unprocessed honey with pollen. It’s got to be that.”  I continued my training over the weekend but at this point I actually lowered the intensity a little, I was proud of myself.  Monday morning I was feeling a lot better, still not great but better.  In my mind, I had already done two days of light training and I couldn’t afford a third. So, hill sprints… or what my fiancée lovingly calls “speed bumps”. This is an hour-long workout done on a treadmill.  This workout includes a 10-minute warm-up at 7.0 mph followed by a consistent speed (7.5mph) with 1 min run @ 15% incline and 4 min recovery at 0% incline, repeated for 40 mins.  Finally, the greatest relief when you hit the 10 min cool down (7.0 mph).  By Monday night, I was in full-blown cold mode.  My body had thrown in the towel because as it was fighting off the cold and getting the upper hand, I piled way too much on top of it.  Four days with zero training is what it cost me. A much greater price than if I had just listened in the first place.  Blah, where’s my Kleenex.