No strength & energy while jogging

Question
QUESTION: Hi Carissa!
I can't find solution for this problem. I'm a girl, 29 years
old, and I'm jogging every day already for 7 months. I
started to like it very much, previously I never did any
sports. My body started to be fit. Increased the distance
every month and now reached 5 km a day, slowly and with
pauses. I'm 1m73 tall and have 64kg.

In the last few months I have problems to keep my energy and
strength, since it seems to be so low that I feel exhausted
and when I run I feel as if I had bricks attached to my
legs, my chest and arms. I started hardly achieving each
500m and then I walk for 200m.
I'm not sure if I'm eating properly, and what sort of food
is most important, which is not. And - can stress be also a
reason for this? - I recently had a big stressful situation.

Thank you very much!
Lili


ANSWER: So, you kinda put it in metric, I converted and found that you are 5'6" and 141 pounds. Ok. Seems like you are healthy. I am 5'7" and 149.

Heres the thing... there are a lot of factors... to name a few
-diet
You are a girl, so am I, therefore we both have low levels iron naturally in our bodies. Every year our girls cross country coach sits all the girls down and talks about getting enough iron (otherwise you could become anemic) and enough protein (which can make you tired. I am experiencing that because I am a vegetarian, and it just impedes you from doing your best). Also, you could not be eating enough. Your muscles need enough calories to function, if you don't get them all, then it can refuse to work as hard and conserve. I don't know your diet, and I am trying to help you the special dietary needs of a runner. However, do NOT take this as medical advice, talk to a professional dietician or doctor or someone with a Ph.D. of the sorts, because I cannot diagnose anemia, but being tired is one of the symptoms.

-stress
Definitely. Stress can cause you to be tired. I KNOW this. I don't know the details of your stressful situation (nor do I need to, because I probably don't and wouldn't understand). You just need to ask yourself, is it effecting other parts of your life? Are you more tired at home, or is it just when you go out to run. If it is just the running, then stress probably didn't cause it. If it effects everything else in your life, then try de-stressing by meditating. (Oh, and if you decide to meditate, then you don't have to say ouuuhhhmmmm, you just need a quiet place you can think ;)

-sleep
Are you sleeping enough? You need at least 6 1/2 hours (this is straight from my coach). I know they preach 8 hours, but sometimes that isn't realistic. But, you NEED 6 1/2 hours of sleep (but try to get more than that).

-genetics
You just may of hit a genetic wall. I know. My parents weren't athletes, I only had one grandma who ran 5 miles when she became a mom. Its not really n my genetics to be athletic. Yet, I can still run. I just can't sprint. Along the same lines, it may not be in your blood to run distance. However, you can still do it, you will just have to work harder than other people. This is not to discourage you, it is just to say that might be the cause.

-body makeup
Along the same lines of your genetics, could be system problems that make it harder (... and more exhausting) to run. I know my mom has a low thyroid, so it gives her less energy. My brother has the same thing as her. He tried running cross country when he was younger, but he couldn't because he had less energy. This, also, can be fixed. My brother eventually got medicine and now he could if he wanted to (but now he is overweight, so it is way harder). Check out your family history and see if that is affecting it.

-hydration
Many people don't know how much to hydrate. You should be peeing clear, I won't tell you how much. Just know," if it is yellow, it is not your fellow, if it is clear, you have nothing to fear". Dehydration can make you exhausted, and many other things. Make sure you hydrate (with water, juice doesn't help).

-schedule
When you run can make a difference also. For instance, I am a night person. So, I naturally run better at night. I can totally run in the morning, in fact, I do so for cross country and other running things. Yet, when I am training on my own, I plan for evening and night because I know my body and I know when I will be my least tired. Also, if you switch from morning to night often, then it will throw you off. Try to be consistent.

-shoes
For your rock hard legs, I have felt it before. Every runner has had heavy legs at one point or another (If they haven't they are either a kenyan or alien or perfect). Every runner knows you need good shoes to run good. Do you know if you have the right shoes to run in. Don't go out and get specially made shoes (those cost a fortune), but do go to a running store to find out your foot type, and get a type of shoe (stability, flexibility, whatever your foot needs) that will help align your feet, and it will change your body. It will change the way you run. It will help if you don't already have good shoes. (Beware, they can cost around 60-100 dollars, but they last a really long time, and make an impact).

-location
Where are you running? If you are running on a sidewalk or on the street, it may affect how heavy-legged  you feel. Try running on grass or dirt.

-not stretching
If you don't stretch after you probably will feel sore. It happens to all of us. Heck, yesterday after a tough cross country workout, I was heavy-legged and sore all over. I forgot to stretch. That really may be your problem. Try it out (if you aren't already). (If don't already know some running stretches, look it up on the internet.)

-just being bored of running
If you are bored it can make you really tired of running, try taking a day off and see what happens. I know. It is happening to me right now. I have been running for 3/4 years, and I am starting to get tired and do bad in cross country. That is why I am not doing track, and going for something that is new in running. Try doing something else if you are getting tired of running, try cross-training, this can even help your running. If you run everyday, it will hurt you, and this also may be happening. Running every single day of the week will eventually hurt you. I don't have experience with this, but I just don't run on sundays because of religious reasons, and it has helped me not become extremely bored of running.

-injury
Finally, you could have injured yourself. If you have, go see a doctor. If you are having specific pain in a specific region, then it could be.

Don't be afraid to ask if you have any more questions.
Hope I helped! =)


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much, Carissa, you helped me a lot to figure out where I make these running-mistakes.

I understand I probably don't eat enough protein and iron. And I'm always counting calories, taking care not to increase weight like I used to, so that might cause not having strength. Is there some rule of the amount and types of food for a runner, which doesn't increase his/her weight?

And also this stress, which makes me a bit depressed (I had some family situation recently), and which is apparently taking a lot of energy.
Other things are not making a trouble, I'll try to concentrate to solve these two!
Anyway I will go on running, and take more care.
Thanks very much!


Answer
I see what you are talking about with the weight loss thing. Let me tell you. You are a fine weight for your height. I am one inch taller than you and around ten pounds heavier than you. You know why I am not freaking out (I am not saying that you are), I have muscles. I have muscles because I run farther distances, and faster. Therefore, if you run farther distances, you will start to lose weight; and if you run faster, you will gain muscle. For instance, for 3 years I always stay the same weight in cross country, and then gain 5 pounds in track. That is because i am not running as far as cross country. (and I eat a lot of junk food, but I have kind of an unusual diet). People say that track should make you strong and healthy. Well, it does make me strong(hence the more muscles), but not really skinny. Then, there is that half-marathon I ran in 9th grade. I was never any skinnier. That is because I would constantly run fast and FAR. If you are really in this for losing weight, do not count calories. It will not help. I tried counting in 7th grade, and I RUINED my metabolism (I used to be able to eat what I want without caring, now I have to make sure and get some exercise, and then not care)

Sorry I gave you a whole lecture on that, but the main point of it is: If you want to lose weight, don't calorie count, run more miles (and when you have more energy, you can run it faster too and gain muscle).

Oh, and if you want specific rules for a runner for what you should eat,
Well protein- if you are not vegetarian- you can find it in any lean meats, or nuts, or beans, or protein things sold (drinks, bars, etc)
Iron-is found in fish, ->raisins<-, and  spinach(Can you guess which one is my favorite;)

Also,  you need to eat the most after you run.
Especially in the 30 min after you run, eat something.

I don't really know what to do with your stress. I guess I would say to go get counseling and see if it takes it away. I don't really know, and it is not my place to help you with that.
However, if it is something you can leave from, then go, and that is all I know.

Hope you can get the family problem fixed, and for the nutrition, google "girl runner nutrition" , and I will give you a link to my school website where my coach has put up links for our nutrition:
http://www.mpsaz.org/mtnview/athletics/fall_sports/cross_country_girls/nutrition
(some are clickable, some are not)

Hope I helped! =)