Feeling bleurgh!

I know something is up with me, but should I bother the doctor?

My HR during exercise has been far too high for several days now. Normally on a slow run it would be around 140-145; yesterday it was a good 10-15 beats higher than that.

I'm training for a marathon on Oct 2nd, trying to do about 35 or so miles a week (gradually building up over the next few weeks according to RW sub 4:00 schedule), which is a few more than I'd normally be doing.

But I've been feeling dreadful for about a week now. REALLY tired, and also a bit stressed (ie close to tears at the slightest thing). I also look even worse than normal (very pale and drawn). I've been having headaches and the palpitations I often get are worse than normal(had them checked out before and nothing to worry about apparently). I ran a dreadful race in Brecon on Sunday - about a minute a mile slower than normal with a HR of above 165 most of the way!

So - do I go to the docs to get checked out, probably to be told to stop running?

Do I actually take a rest? (but what about the marathon training schedule?? panic panic!)

Could I actually just be stressed? Do loads of travelling with my job and have been away a lot more than normal...

I've been eating more than normal to see if that makes any difference, but it hasn't.

Any advice, please?

sounds like stress to me bean(Iknow it well). Summat has to give and you need to restIMHO. If you don't both work and plods will suffer and your physical and mental state deteriorate. Be honest about what you can cut on and put yourself first for a bit is my advise:O)

thanks hoose.

it could well be stress. i don't really have the option of cutting out on travelling (live in s. wales and need to be all over the place for my job, and they don't like you staying in hotels unless they can charge the client for it, so lots of travelling to and fro london at the moment). but this is nothing new, and the overall hours i'm spending training hasn't increased (although the percentage of running has)...

is it not worth checking out whether it's something physical (like anaemia?)

bean, the symptoms you describe sound a bit like overtraining. If you want to do this marathon then its no good ignoring stuff and hope it will right itself. Cut back on training for a week, do only easy/steady runs, cut out any speedwork, go to bed earlier, eat healthily. If you are on schedule with your training an easier week at this stage could mean the difference between a succesful marathon or an unsuccessful one.

You may be able to go to a pharmacy to get anaemia tested out (I believe they can do it by looking at the colour of your bottom eyelids - but I could just be making this up!!) - might be worth popping down to Boots at lunchtime?

I hear what you are saying but if you carry on -you could end up on long term sick and missing training and work -if you do not ease off. Physicxal symptoms can emerge out of stress. Always useful to get things checked out in such a situation:O)

thanks all.

i've missed 2 or 3 sessions of training in 6 or so weeks due to injuries that i'm struggling with. but on the whole, i guess i'm on track. i tried to do cross training instead of the runs just to keep up fitness.

it looks as though i'll miss my speed session this week anyway due to being away with work. but even the steady/slow runs are picking up in length now and are between 7 and 10 miles normally, which is hardly a piece of cake.

i'm having trouble staying asleep as well. keep waking up at stupid o'clock, probably due to the fact that a lot of mornings i need to be up at 5-ish to catch trains etc. when i'm not catching trains, i'm catching up on training!

when i put it like this it does sound like stress, doesn't it? but i REALLY want to do this marathon, so i will need to sort something out...

thanks for your ideas, guys.

I'd always err on the side of going to the doc and getting checked over. It's most likely to be nothing serious but your mind can rest once you've been checked. One less thing to be stressed about.