Note to self... I am not Superman!

Im absolutely knackered!

 My plan for today was a 7 mile run around Walney after work. Oliver goes to a special autism youth club on a Thursday T-time and normally I can get a sneaky run in while hes there. I returned home from a busy day at work already tired, but still up for a run and Oliver was sat on the chair. Youth club had been cancelled and Joanne was in a lot of pain. She went to bed and I made tea, helped Oliver with his maths homework, tidied up and sorted the washing out but all the time I was yawning. It would have been at least 8:45pm before I could get out for a run (when Oliver was in bed).

I forget sometimes (I don't mean this to sound complaining or anything else its just the facts ) that I work full time, walk 3.5 miles to work and back, care for Joanne and Oliver, cook, clean, wash, shop, iron, clean the car, gardening, diy, etc, etc, etc. Work is only 5 days a week but caring is 24/7 and I get tired sometimes. Add to that training up to 80 miles in a week and its no wonder Im exhausted. This week has been particularly busy with some early mornings at work too.

Ive also been very hungry the last few days. A quick mental tally of calories in and calories out left me with quite a deficit, meaning my fuel tank is running low. My glycogen levels are no doubt in need of a bloody good top up. Ive not been recording my weight but I have been checking it occasionally. Ive lost 3lb in 5 days! Good news if your on weight watchers, bad news if your the correct weight and training. I must eat more when Im working hard.

So...there was no run for me tonight. My internal board of governors met after dinner tonight and overwhelmingly voted to rest and refuel. Im tired, my muscles are aching, my heads not in it and it would not have been a good training session if I had gone out. I put my feet up, relaxed (not a word I use often)  and had some extra food. Overtraining is a real danger if Im not careful. I skirt the edges of it to get the maximum out of myself, but I forget to add my daily life activities to it sometimes. Overtraining can lead to serious injury , lack of drive, poor performances and illness if its not nipped in the bud. A rest day at this stage wont do me any harm and I will go for a slightly longer run in the morning to make the miles up as Im not at work until the evening.

Im seriously thinking of looking at the feasibility of only training 5 days instead of 6 for my 100 mile race next year but upping each session slightly and changing my work outs to accommodate the mileage. I need to run this past a running coach or my good friend Gareth to see if this will work ok.

Food Diary:

Breakfast:
Mini Shredded Wheat with Blueberries and Skimmed Milk

Lunch:
Vegetable Curry and Brown Rice (I made extra last night)

Fat Free Greek Yoghurt with Blueberries, pineapple and melon, nuts and sunflower seeds

Dinner:
Pan Fried Pork Steak with Cajun Sweet Potato Wedges, corn on the cob, garlic mushrooms in Crème Fraise, broccoli and crispy Kale.

Pan Fried Pork Steak with Cajun Wedges

Snacks:
2x apples, Banana, oat bar, a corn flake chocolate cake that Oliver and I made, feast chocolate ice block, cheese, humus and oatcakes and pesto Olives.