You head out for your easy run, and your legs feel heavy and slow… again. Or, you are on your third speed workout in a row where you just keep coming up short on your goal paces. Could this be a sign that you are carrying too much fatigue? And if so, what should you do to manage it? 

Fatigue built up over many weeks of training is known as cumulative fatigue. It can be a training strategy used to simulate the exhaustion of late-stage racing, forcing the body to adapt to training on tired legs. It teaches your body and mind to keep pushing when exhausted, simulating end-of-race conditions without running the full race distance daily. Cumulative fatigue is manageable, but you want to ensure that you recover before you step into overtraining or worse, injury. Here’s how to recognize if you are carrying too much fatigue, and what to do to recover.

What Your Training Looks Like Under Fatigue

We’ve all been there: your so-called “easy run” has turned into a slow slog. While this can always happen here and there, if nearly all of your easy runs are at a slower pace than usual, that could be a sign you are carrying too much fatigue. Some other signs of fatigue during your training is feeling “flat” on all of your runs, your legs feel heavy and sluggish, and you have trouble hitting your paces during speed work. Paces that used to feel light and quick instead feel like a struggle to maintain.

Managing Fatigue in Everyday Life

Outside of Running, you may notice that you are carrying too much fatigue if you are generally feeling tired all of the time. Even if you are sleeping well, if your body is not keeping up with recovery, you will struggle to have energy during everyday activities. You may also notice a constant soreness in your legs that just doesn’t seem to get better.

Physical Signs of Fatigue

While evaluating your running and everyday life energy could be subjective, there are several markers that can indicate you are carrying too much fatigue. If your resting HR has increased more than 5 bpm over several days, this is a sign that your body is not recovering. You may also see changes in your appetite, either a ravenous appetite, or decreased appetite and having trouble getting nutrition in. Finally, sleep issues may also occur when the body is fighting fatigue. It may seem counterintuitive, as you are exhausted, but if you are having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, this could be a sign that you need to recover from your current training load.

Steps to Take To Recover From Fatigue

If you’ve determined that your body is carrying too much fatigue, the first step is to cut back your running volume, usually by reducing your mileage by 25% of your total weekly mileage. It’s also a good idea to either skip the speed work sessions or make them a “lighter” speed session by adjusting the pace and volume. This is also the time to make sure you are consuming proper nutrition and dedicating time to adequate sleep and rest. 

Usually 1 – 2 weeks is enough time for the body to bounce back, recover from fatigue, and return to regular training. We recommend a planned “down” week like this every 3 to 6 weeks during training cycles to manage fatigue before it over takes you. Here’s our down week protocol to follow:

• Reduce weekly running volume by 25%
• Replace speed work with easy running or less intense sessions
• Get proper nutrition
• Focus on consistent sleep

When to Push, When to Recover

Experiencing fatigue during your training cycle is not always a bad thing. Keep in mind that you may want some cumulative fatigue, especially near the end of a specific training block, such as 6 weeks out from a marathon. But in general, be mindful of how much fatigue you are carrying week to week, and when it would be a good time to recover. Stick with the general guideline of a down week every 3 to 6 weeks. This should help you progress and adapt through proper training, while keeping fatigue to a manageable level.

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