I am certainly not an expert and write all of my posts based on research and my own experience. Trust me, I have a lot of experiences with bad runs! Lately, my runs have been especially disappointing and painful. When this happens, it is time to focus in on your body and find out what's going on. Sometimes, it may be a bad day, but if you're experiencing bad run after bad run, then there is probably something wrong or going on within!
I had my third bad run in a row today and that's definitely signifying something going on. The reasons for these bad runs could be a variety of things, and I am pinpointing them by looking back at the temperature of my runs, the pollen count, my nutrition, my hydration status, and how my body felt before starting to run.
From looking at this information I have determined that by bad runs are because:
A. The heat and humidity: I DO NOT do well running in heat and I know that for a fact. It hasn't been terribly hot, but the humidity has been really high, which leads me to....
B. Not hydrating enough: Because of the humidity, I am sweating A LOT, since I am sweating out a ton of fluids, I need to hydrate more. I definitely have not been drinking enough and need to get back on track with hydration!
C. Allergies: I have never had allergies too badly, but this year I definitely have them. My lungs literally hurt when I breathe when running, and sometimes I find myself wheezing and having to stop to catch my breath. I am also sneezing, have a runny nose, and have been coughing a bit. Yuck...
D. Nutrition: I haven't eaten any meat in the last week, and I am starting to wonder if I am not getting enough iron and protein. I have felt sluggish on my runs, which can be a significant sign of iron deficiency. Maybe it's time to tune into my nutrition more now that i am not eating meat, or maybe I should continue to eat meat and see if my body needs it!
E. Overtraining? I do not think I am overtraining, I have actually cut back in mileage and am working more on speed right now, so maybe my body is reacting to the faster running? Speed work definitely takes a lot out of you, and I think maybe that's another reason I have been struggling on my runs.
Have a terrific Tuesday and may your runs be great unlike mine! haha
With love, animals, and running
Rachel