. This illness is characterised by lethargy, weight gain, dry skin and hair, a slow pulse and sometimes a change in facial features. Trying to run while it is left untreated demands very great willpower.Initial treatment with Thyroxine must be built up slowly

Q Less than a month ago, after just a year of running, I finished my first marathon. I felt fine within a few days, and thought I’d have no problems getting back into training. But after a couple of weeks of complete rest, I went to the gym and found I couldn’t handle any more t...

of lethargy. If you haven’t changed your diet to compensate for harder training, this could also explain your symptoms.Now for what you should do. There are some very practical steps that you can take to help you through what is almost certainly a transition

For nearly 20 years, I wrote for RUNNER’S WORLD and its predecessors, Running and Jogging. I have also given countless clinics and seminars, coached dozens of athletes and met tens of thousands of runners at races around the country. Throughout this period, I seem to have answere...

Heavy legs? Breathless? Can't keep up with your training partners? If you've put any recurring lethargy down to too much training and have carried on regardless, hoping that the fatigue will eventually, magically disappear, you could be in for a

every time you want to run. Q: I'm behind with my training schedule.A: Very few people reach the end of a marathon schedule without having missed some days through illness, injury or plain lethargy. If you've missed four weeks or more, our best advice

Concentrate on doing the things you enjoyWe’ve all been through it. It starts with a reluctance to change and get out of the door; it continues with a feeling of lethargy during the warm-up. Some days you manage to overcome it and get stuck

complex set of reactions that send some soldiers into acts of casual cruelty, others weeping for their mothers, most into dumb lethargy. But there was no time for any of this. The Athenians who were freshest set off as fast as they could to cover

.Disturbances to sleep If you're suffering from lethargy, having trouble getting to sleep or experiencing disturbed sleep, overtraining might be the cause. The body takes time to settle down after training, so long training sessions late in the day equal late bedtimes

are 'small' (although your total carbohydrate intake for the day still needs to be high) so they are easier to tolerate and don't induce lethargy. Centre your meals around carbohydrate - for example, pasta, rice, potatoes or bread - but try to avoid spicy