Sunday, January 11, 2009

And Now I Remember Why I Quit Running

I completely blocked this little gem out of my memory, but as it's slowly taking back over my life, I've had one of those deja vu, holy shit that's right I totally remember this happening last time! epiphanies. Didn't I once hear that exercising gives you increased energy? Didn't someone tell me that once, oh, like the surgeon general (which, is anyone else freaked out by that title? Is he some kind of military guy who walks around with a scalpel and demands that the American public do as he says, or he'll cut us like commies?) or my health teacher, or every single magazine article ever written for women?

Yeah, I don't know what the hell they're talking about because running makes me MORE tired. Like, fall asleep on the couch at 7:30 on a Saturday night and sleep until 10:00 a.m. the next morning, and still feel like I've been hit by a bus. That kind of tired. I seem to recall now that part of the reason I quit running last spring was because any time my friends would call to see if I wanted to hang, I'd be asleep. Any time Gray and I had a romantic night in planned, I'd be asleep LONG before any romance might occur. When I'm running regularly, it's like the Sand Man drops by at 6:45 and starts pouring his mojo into my eyes until I'm completely unable to hold them open for a moment longer. As if my normal bed time of 9:00 isn't fucking early enough as it is.

Any of you runners out there know how to combat the fatigue? Or is my body the only one that reacts this way to regular exercise? Are the rest of you all out there hopping around like wind-up toys on crack? WHAT DO I DO? I don't want to sleep my life away, I really don't.

Also...a strange phenomenon I've experienced twice now after a run: the very strong smell of chemicals, seeming stuffed UP my nose, where I can't escape from it. The first time it happened, I was all the way home from the track and in the shower trying to get the sweat off before it results in even more backne explosions. I was nearly bowled over by this really strong CHEMICAL smell, like what I might imagine chloroform might smell like, and I was panicked that maybe I'd sprayed down the tub with skin-eroding bleach cleaners and just forgotten to wash them off before getting in the shower. But I hadn't, and after a few minutes, the smell went away.

Yesterday, I got the chemical smell in my nose DURING my cool-down laps at the track. That's when I realized it must somehow be associated with the running. So now I'm certain that Baby Jesus doesn't want me to have a smokin' hot body for summer, and he's trying to kill me by smothering me with chemicals. He'd never get caught, he's invisible. He sent the Holy Ghost to off me.

So. You runners out there: Any idea what I'm going through here? Or should I just go consult my shrink directly?

19 comments:

  1. Maybe its your diet?? I run about 6 miles a day and I know in the begining I was tired all the time and hungry too which sort of cancelled out all the effects of running. So I talked to my running partener who is one of those really phsyco weird running guys who tests his piss color after every run and he told me to stick to a better diet...and it worked for the most part. Even though I hate being told what to do : )

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  2. I can't seem to stick with running due to an issue with my knee. But I didn't have that problem when I did run. Maybe you need more b12 vitamins. That helped me get more energy and helped me sleep better (it could be in my head but if it works, I don't care).

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  3. Well, you know, you are heading for Hell... maybe Jeebus is just trying to get you there faster, you know, so you don't corrupt any others before you go. Just sayin'.

    I'm thinking the fatigue will go away after your body has adjusted. You just have to hang in there.

    As for the chemical smell, maybe you should stop doing drugs. Just sayin'.

    Seriously, I don't know what that is. Maybe Google it? I Google everything. Let me know what you find out. I'm thinking about maybe, possibly, maybe starting to run again and I don't want to die.

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  4. I'm not really a runner, but I would guess your body just needs more rest after starting this running thing. Give it time! It takes, like 21 times of doing something to make it a habit.

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  5. I'm impressed that you run at all - I'm still emotionally scarred from the forced runs in PE.

    You aren't running near any chemical plants are you?...

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  6. Don't let the bumps in the road stop you, you will get your energy back. Are you taking any medications?

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  7. Maybe try runnin' the stink off?

    Or ketones, baby, ketones! Wait, that is the stuff your bod starts producing when you haven't been eating enough and it starts to feed on itself.

    I experienced a similar problem when I was on the elliptical trainer, but it eventually went away after I had been training for a long time. Which probably means that I'll stink like a sewage farm in high summer once I get back into PE!

    The energy thing is a puzzler. Maybe your metabolism is overcompensating since you just started back up, burning up too much. Maybe an iron deficiency?

    Oh, I'm not a doctor, but I play one with the pretty lady next door sometimes...;)

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  8. This is the space where my comment would normally be.

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  9. Oh no, I think it might be my fault that C.S. Perry now doesn't comment anymore...

    As for the chemical smell, I have no idea. I used to run and the only thing that happened to me was that I would sweat profusely, turn bright red and pant uncontrollably but I am pretty sure that's normal.

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  10. It's the smell of success, baby. You're just not used to it!

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  11. I don't know what to tell you about the energy issue. I run in the mornings mostly and it doesn't bother me. If I run in the evening, I sleep better, but I still have energy. Maybe it's just an adjustment. Try altering your workouts so you go with a longer distance one day followed by a shorter one that you're used to the next day.

    As for the chemical smells? I get that on occasion if it's really dry out. I think it's just my sinuses getting dry. Try a humidifier at night.

    That's enough of that helpful crap for the week. You're lucky I like you.

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  12. I think your body is probably adjusting to the new energy expenditure by trying to compensate. As for the chemical smell, no fuckin' clue.

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  13. Thank you. I feel extra super drained when I start working out too. I think if I recall correctly it does go away after our bodies adjust to actually being used though. The chemical thing is a mystery, a freaky weird one.

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  14. I don't run, so I've got nothing. But I will say I get tired whenever I exercise too!!

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  15. Gurrrl, please. You're not meant to run. No one is. Shoe shopping, ifting a beer to your lips and flipping through porn is enough cardio.

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  16. Now that I have read a couple of your posts I see what Petra is talking about. I signed up as a regular which I think means I get a free coffee or something...yes?

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  17. Running makes me tired too. I'd rather nap but neither are an option because of these damn kids. I mean, my lovely children.

    You need some Vicks before you run to distract you from the smell.

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  18. It might be your diet.
    I worked for a lady who ran daily - sometimes twice daily - but she ate very healthy and never got tired like that.

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  19. You can get a smoking hot body with Yoga. No sweat.

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You.Yeah, you. Speak the fuck up.