energy is so low! just need to vent

[ehirsch83]

Hey Ladies!
I just need to vent on my frustration of my energy levels.
I haven't done anything workout oriented since Sunday(when I ran 9 miles b/c the winds were to crazy to bike). And today,wed., I still have zero energy!

I somehow need to find a better balance between training and work! I am a horseback riding instructor, and I also put in rides on anywhere from 1-3 horses a day, 4 days a week and I set feed 5 days a week. When I teach, usually 3-4 hours a day, I walk around the whole time! I seem to follow my students around the ring so they can hear me better and I can observe them in more detail, I can not just stand still!
Then there is setting feed, we have 40 horses and each day I set dinner and breakfast, it takes about an hour and involves lifting heavy 50lb bags of feed and emptying them into containers so I can scoop the grain.


So even though I only have to be at work early 3 days a week(by early I mean 8:30) and the rest of the week I don't have to go in until 12(but I am there until 6:30 or so). The wear and tear of being outdoors and physically active in one way or another is amazing!

I started my job in Sept. and until Dec. I was finishing my B.A. so the bike suffered greatly. Since Dec. though I have been back into full training but can only seem to handle about 2 weeks of putting in 12-15 hours on the bike before my body seems to shut down.

I haven't worked out since Sunday and the weather was beautiful this morning, but I couldn't drag myself off the couch!

Does anyone have any advice? or do I just need to find a new job. I am actually looking into getting my alternate teaching license and become an elementary ed. teacher, but until then I need to figure out how to continue without completely wiping myself out. Right now I am only riding the bike 5 days a week, but only very rarely do I have a complete day off of everything. (Last friday I actually did nothing! I had the day off and I didn't even do the long ride I had planned...)

tired of being tired...

[kacie tri-ing]

I'm sorry! I will say that I teach 5th, 6th, and 7th grade, and I don't think that teaching is your solution to getting off of your feet. Kids may be small, but a classroom full of them packs a lot of punch. I don't think I have felt well rested in the 4 years I've spent in the classroom Go into teaching if it the only thing in the world you want to do. You have to want to do it with all of your heart to stay with it. That being said, when things are good as a teacher, they are really satisfying. I often think that I would rather work more in the outdoors than trapped inside a school building. Clearly we all need some balance!

[ehirsch83]

I'm actually not looking into teaching to get off my feet! I love working with kids, most of mine are between 6-13. I am just amazed at how much of an impact I can make on them when I see them only once or twice a week and want to put my time and effort towards it full time. Also, in this economy my job is not very stable! Extra curricular is the first thing parents will pull when the money isn't there, and I am paid only when I have a student(and granted, I am not looking for a ton of money since I want to be a teacher! I just want to know what I am making).

I also want a normal work week, I can not tell you the last time I had a weekend or an evening

[maillotpois]

"Only" riding the bike 5 days a week? I don't know how long or hard your rides are, but that's a lot of days to be riding. I find my performance is best when I am riding more like every other day.

Given how physical your job is, are you sure you are eating enough good quality food to fuel your workdays in addition to your training?

[Smilie]

"Only" riding the bike 5 days a week?

That made me chuckle as well! How many days do you have in your week?! I think 5 days is quite a bit actually. You do enough to make you tired, your body needs to rest!

But, I know how it is to want to be doing something all of the time, soooo, how is your iron level? I have been really tired at times this week. I didn't do my indoor training on Monday and still I have been really tired. Had my iron level checked and I am pretty low. So upping my iron, by eating more cereal and back on my multivitamin to see how that works with my energy level. I know when I don't eat cereal in the mornings my iron levels drop quite a bit.

Just a thought to consider! Hope you get back to riding, uhm, 7 days a week!

[SheFly]

You are putting a lot of physical effort into your job - that needs to be taken into account as PART of your training! If you are training to race (and I think I remember that you do), you need to be careful about how much you are really doing. And I agree with MP - 5 days of riding (your bike) a week is a lot - right now, I am riding 4-5 days, but I don't have a physically demanding job (desk jockey for an IT company). And the two days I DON'T ride, I'm not out doing another physical activity.

You're doing too much, and you're body is tired... Just my opinion. Be careful though - sounds like you are headed for burnout.

SheFly

p.s.
Do you have a coach? If so, do you tell your coach what you are doing for WORK in addition to your training?

[Karma007]

There might just be something in the air. I've been unusually tired lately, and my minimum workouts are exhausting. Get some rest, and you should feel better soon. Or maybe it's mental stress? Something your brain is trying to untwist?

[kacie tri-ing]

Of course! You already work with kids

I agree that you should think about your job as a part of your training! I think that added mental stress of not having a regular schedule might feed into it too

Rest, eat a little more, try to get some sleep. Also remember that this time of year is a little rough on the energy levels (at least I think it is!).

Good luck!

[Zen]

You are putting a lot of physical effort into your job - that needs to be taken into account as PART of your training!

You're doing too much, and you're body is tired... Just my opinion. Be careful though - sounds like you are headed for burnout.

In a nutshell.
I'm tired just thinking about that

[sundial]

Zen, lol.

OK, sounds like your body isn't given enough time for restoration. I know when I start feeling that nagging deep fatigue I've crossed the overtraining line.

Could you cut back time in the saddle and trade it for interval training--something that packs more punch in fewer rides?

[wackyjacky1]

My job is very physical, too, and I'm on my feet all day. Sometimes on my ride home, I feel like I'm barely gonna make it. One day when I wasn't working, I rode the same route and didn't get tired at all. It was only then that I realized how much a full day's work takes out of me!

So maybe you're just worn out and need a bit of a break? We've also had a lot of cedar and other allergens in the air, and that sucks the energy right out of me -- all I want to do is take a big nap -- so perhaps allergies or a mild virus are slowing you down?

I hope you feel re-energized soon.

[sundial]

We've also had a lot of cedar and other allergens in the air, and that sucks the energy right out of me -- all I want to do is take a big nap -- so perhaps allergies or a mild virus are slowing you down?

That's right! I forgot about that! Spring allergens always cause me to really droop in the energy department.

[ginny]

Hi - I taught riding lessons through college and remember being exhausted. I took to sitting on the rail for the big group lessons and giving instruction to each rider as they came up and passed me. If I needed to continue chatting with them, I would hop off and walk next to them. I would also have the rider circle me so they could hear my instruction and I could stand in one spot. Riding a number of horses a day also wears one out. My horse is green and I have recently started her under saddle and every time I ride, I'm exhausted! I know I'm heading into a physically and mentally exhausting endeavor every time I get on her. So, no worries, what you are experiencing is totally normal. When I find myself overwhelmed riding and battling the feed buckets and not wanting to run or ride my bike, I just tumble into bed and tell myself that my 'inactive' day is a lot more active than most people's most active days. Give yourself a break and you'll get that energy back and feel like riding your bike and running again soon...

[ehirsch83]

Thanks everyone! Your voices are what I needed, the SO just doesn't get it(yet he also rode 40 miles yesterday AM, well 35 miles plus 4 bridge repeats, so just about 40) and then at night ran 10 miles. So... I live with someone who is OBSESSED with training! He is so obsessed that it is actually affecting our relationship- but that is a whole other topic!

And SheFly, the SO is the one doing my training plans, so I have had to step back and look at how crazed he is and realize that what he thinks works- does not work for me!

I do think I need to up my food intake, I finally stepped on a scale and I have lost 5 lbs in the past 2 weeks. This week I didn't work out once except for my actual work! I was also to tired at night to even come on here! So, today was my day off and I cleaned and relaxed all day and tonight will get on the trainer(20mph winds outside, even though it is sunny and warm, has me opting the trainer).

Ginny, unfortunatly I can't just sit on the rail and watch the kids. My kids range from beginners on lunge lines to 3'6 kids and I can't just let them go 3/4ths the ring without me speaking to them(and the winds get bad in the afternoon here and they can't hear me if I stay in one spot). But I am working on making sure I take food with me to work because I usually don't get a chance to leave and taking an electolyte based drink with me(heed or whatever I have for the bike at the moment) because being outdoors all day I realized I wasn't drinking enough for the amount of work I was doing and being in the sun all day.

Thank you ladies:-)

[SheFly]

And SheFly, the SO is the one doing my training plans, so I have had to step back and look at how crazed he is and realize that what he thinks works- does not work for me!

That's always tough. My DH used to "direct" my training too. Now I pay someone else to do that - for a reason .

Just remember what I said - you/your SO need to account for the amount of physical activity you are doing in your JOB when you are developing your training plans, and need to adjust accordingly.

And out of curiosity, does SO have a phyically demanding job like you do? You might want to recommend that he come and see what you actually do...

SheFly