General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Low battery by 4pm Rss Feed  
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2012-09-20 2:07 PM

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Extreme Veteran
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Wauwatosa, WI
Subject: Low battery by 4pm

MY battery, that is.

I don't sleep that well - maybe 5-6 hours on my good nights. In 32 years of sleeping poorly and trying various fixes and lifestyle changes, I've been unable to change this. So, I work around it.

I exercise just the minimum amount to stay fit and feel good. I run 5k 4 times a week, swim laps twice a week, and walk 3 miles a day, 7 days a week. No bike for me in the "off-season."

I start the morning feeling good, get my exercise, and then as the day goes on, I really run out of gas. By the time it's time for me to start making dinner, I'm feeling pretty pooped. 

I'm not employed by anyone other than my 16-month-old son, who does require a lot of energy of me all day, but it's not terribly physical energy. I'm also newly pregnant, but this declining energy issue started earlier...maybe when I started tri training last March.

Have any of you experienced this? What has worked for you all as far as getting an energy boost? I don't want afternoon caffeine (bad for my sleep). B vitamins? Should I be drinking recovery drinks after a workout as small as a 5k jog? Should I eat more? I feel like I eat constantly, and it's good, whole food.

Any suggestions would be appreciated...or ask questions if I've left out important details. I'm just tired a' bein' tired.



2012-09-20 2:12 PM
in reply to: #4420765

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Master
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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm
The first thing i would look at is your overall diet. How much are you eating and what types of food are you eating?
2012-09-20 2:18 PM
in reply to: #4420765

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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm

Yep, look at the quality of food you are eating. Look to add more fresh fruits and veggies if you are lacking those.

Also try to eat smaller meals more often through out the day, not just 3 large meals. When I changed this in my diet, made a world of difference for me.



Edited by cobblers 2012-09-20 2:19 PM
2012-09-20 2:31 PM
in reply to: #4420765

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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm

I like to drink really cold ice water in the afternoon.  Seems to keep my battery charged (or at least going to the bathroom often).

I bet the prego piece of the puzzel is adding more to your day than you are giving credit for. 

2012-09-20 3:07 PM
in reply to: #4420765

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Wauwatosa, WI
Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm

My typical day's eating consists of:

Breakfast: Big bowl of raisin bran with milk, 2 eggs, cup of half-caff

Snack: Banana slices on toast

Lunch: Cup of yogurt, cup of strawberries, half-cup of blueberries, half-cup of granola, celery with peanut butter, 12-16 tortilla chips, trail mix

Snack: Apple and trail mix, 2 fig newtons

Dinner: 6-10 oz portion of chicken or fish or meat, 1.5 cups cooked vegetables, 1.5 cups cooked wild rice or couscous

I drink water through the day, but not enough I think.

2012-09-20 3:41 PM
in reply to: #4420765

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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm
speaking as a fellow at home parent, dont discount the energy it takes for taking care of kids. Sure, the physical energy at this point is not huge but the mental  can zap you pretty easily.  i experienced a lot of tiredness when my kids were small.  i used to plan for that hour when things went south and head out for a walk or something to get the blood pumping.  goo dluck


2012-09-20 4:58 PM
in reply to: #4420765

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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm

Have you had yourself checked out medically?  I only ask because some of your symptoms (low energy especially) could be due to the onset of anemia (low Fe in your blood), which is especially common in pregnant women.  I suffered with this for 2 years, and all it's complications, before it was diagnosed correctly.  I now take a high-dose iron tablet every day, and I have no more energy problems. 

Like you, I still can't sleep well, but's that's something that I've suffered from all my adult life, probably making up for all those years I slept non-stop as a teenager??! Laughing

2012-09-20 5:34 PM
in reply to: #4420765

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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm

sounds like the problem is likely your lack of sleep.  Few people can get along well on that little sleep for more than a couple days.  There are doctors who are board certified in sleep medicine.  Might be a good idea to see one.

No.  You don't need a special recovery drink after just a 5K jog.  With your regular every other day running schedule- your 'fitness level' jogs are not depleting you such that you need to enhance your muscle recovery.  Unless you're running them all at 'race pace' going all out, and wanting to increase your training load every week.

2012-09-20 6:06 PM
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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm

I am a 6-hour per night sleeper.  No  matter what time I go to bed, 6 hours later my eyes automatically open.  Once in a while, I can sleep for 7, or even catch a little nap, especially if I'm in heavy training.

I can tell you that when I get tired at all, it's usually related to my diet and too many bad carbs or sugar.  I could not live on the little that you eat.  Your lunch makes me hungry just reading about it.  BTW, I weigh 110 lbs. 

I do very little starch (potatoes, rice, tortillas, pasta, bread).  Too much of that makes me really tired.  I snack constantly in between meals.  My snacks include cottage cheese, apples with almond butter, almost any kind of fruit, a pbj sandwich, a can of tuna, hard-boiled eggs.  I eat a lot of eggs.  Eggs with pasta sauce and ricotta cheese, omelets with veggies, etc.  I feed my sweet tooth with fruit and sometimes honey.  I eat lots of salads with avocado and olive oil and balsalmic vinegar, and lots of almonds and cashews.  Between meals and snacks, I'm probably eating 7 or 8 times a day.

I make sure not to eat later than 8 pm and stay upright for at least two hours before reclining or sleeping.

This is what works for me.  Hope it helps.

 

2012-09-20 7:41 PM
in reply to: #4421141

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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm
morey000 - 2012-09-20 5:34 PM

sounds like the problem is likely your lack of sleep.  Few people can get along well on that little sleep for more than a couple days.  There are doctors who are board certified in sleep medicine.  Might be a good idea to see one.

No.  You don't need a special recovery drink after just a 5K jog.  With your regular every other day running schedule- your 'fitness level' jogs are not depleting you such that you need to enhance your muscle recovery.  Unless you're running them all at 'race pace' going all out, and wanting to increase your training load every week.

I agree with morey and I also have a hard time getting enough sleep. I wake up at 5:00 a.m. and I've already been fussing around trying to get back to sleep usually since 4:30, 4:00, 3:30....

So yes, by 4:00 or 5:00 in the evening I'm just tired. I have changed my diet some lately due to an article I read while at the coffee shop . Heh, heh, I think that's ironic to read an article about sleeping better at the coffee shop. Anyway, I don't remember everything but 3 things were: no caffeine after 11:00, no sweets before bed/in the evening, eat whatever lean protein you are going to have with lunch and eat a light dinner. There were a whole bunch of reasons this all made perfect sense in the article but I really don't remember everything.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/spirit/get-to-sleep-guide/what-to-eat-for-better-sleep/?page=2

This is not the same article but it is saying a lot of the same things. Sorry it does not look like the link is going to work. 

2012-09-20 10:07 PM
in reply to: #4420765

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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm
Thanks for the thoughts. I agree with a ton of them. I can't quote on the mobile version of BT, but...

I do agree it's likely my little guy takes more out of me than I may realize, because the mental energy required to keep him safe, teach him things, and entertain and stimulate him can drain me sometimes!

I eat whenever I'm hungry, usually healthy foods like I listed, but I maintain a very constant body weight so if I started eating more, I think I'd gain weight. I never have coffee after 9am...that'd be suicide for me! I don't eat after 8, either. My portion sizes are as large as my husband's at meals, and sometimes I eat more than him. He weighs 170, I weigh 125. Keep in mind I don't train hard, just regular exercise. If I started up HIM training I would eat a ton more, no doubt!

Anemia...good thought. I struggled with it in high school. I will have my blood drawn by default at 12 weeks gestation (5 weeks away) and if they don't already check for that, I will ask.

Otherwise I bet it is largely due to poor sleep. How I wish my eyes would not pop open every day at 4:30!! I don't need to get up till 5:45, what a waste of time.


2012-09-20 10:17 PM
in reply to: #4420978

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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm
Ahedges - 2012-09-20 2:41 PM

speaking as a fellow at home parent, dont discount the energy it takes for taking care of kids. Sure, the physical energy at this point is not huge but the mental  can zap you pretty easily.  i experienced a lot of tiredness when my kids were small.  i used to plan for that hour when things went south and head out for a walk or something to get the blood pumping.  goo dluck


I gotta go with this. I can go all day at work and then some and hit it hard when I get home, dinner, playing, baths, kids in bed. But you put me with those kids from whenever they get up, then, yeah, by 4:00 p.m. I am D.O.N.E.

2012-09-21 5:04 AM
in reply to: #4420765

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Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm
Talk to your doctor about a full blood work up. There are multiple issues that can cause fatigue, and most are corrected easily through diet or medication. Besides anemia, another common issue is B12 deficiency. Regarding your sleep, do you sleep poorly, or just not long? Has your husband ever commented about you snoring or making choking sounds at night? If so, sleep apnea could be the cause, and you should go to a sleep specialist for a sleep study.
2012-09-21 6:56 AM
in reply to: #4420765

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Detroit, MI. Kinda.
Subject: RE: Low battery by 4pm
Have you tried napping?  I often get only 6 hours of sleep (Social reasons - I start work early and my friends are still out)...there's no way I'd get through an after-work workout without taking a 30-40 minute nap after work.  Makes a huge difference.
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