Today I woke up and having resolved to run, went out and did it, despite the fact that I was a little reluctant to do so. Eventually, I did end up doing a fair amount of exercise.

Only problem is, my energy was gone for the rest of the day. I made sure to warm up, cool down and stretch, but I still ended up sluggish, out of it, and sore. This was a problem because I also fenced for three hours this afternoon, and I couldn't do it very well because jumping around fast enough to keep up with teenaged boys is hard if you're worn out.

Anyway, my question is: does anyone know of a way I could stop this happening next time? Ideally I'd like to be able both to run and to fence, but today my morning activity made my afternoon fencing relatively useless.

Hi...um, ImpalaHoarder...Expert Misologist.
Serioiusly? You're a misologist? I've just never met anyone who admits that. To me, misology just doesn't make sense. But maybe it means something different to you than what I think it means...tell me more, I'm curious.

I've begun a great book called The Good Mood Diet - I haven't checked to see if it has already been reviewed by 3FC.

If I were you, I would try to think back to what else I did that day - if you have the impulse, you might even keep a scorepad in your purse or on your computer. Pay attention to bedtime the night before, wake-up time, short short note of what you ate and at what times. ... I'm a strong believer in eating withn an hour of waking up. I notice a difference. I also make sure to eat some kind of protein before any grains, fruits, mocha, whatever, even if it's just 2 or 3 almonds before I have anything else. Protein first helps keep your blood sugar balanced when you do get to the carbs. Balanced blood sugar equals balanced energy. Back to the scorepad: how much water/any fluids did you drink? What else did you eat throughout the day and at what times - it does matter if you have lunch 6 hours after you had breakfast. You'll be tired.

A few changes that have worked great for me as far as energy goes: Vitamin B Complex Plus Iron (in one! - it's perfect!) When I was tested for fatigue, doc said I'm not anemic but my blood cells happen to be small in size. That means they carry too little oxygen to give me proper energy. The way to increase the size of blood cells is with iron. Of course, Vit. B is always an awesome energy booster. When I'm sick I take a BComplex-Plus-C vitamin - 2 - every three hours with something in my stomach to ease the digestion. It's a great immune-booster and that always helps energy.

Another thing to pay attention to is how much oxygen you get in your regular day. Are you in a cubicle all day? If so, then the one day when you got your blood flowing with your morning run, your body may have just needed more oxygen. Think of an analogy - A regular commuter fills the car with gas once a week or so. But if that driver decides to take a road trip to Canada, they're going to need to stop for more fuel more frequently. It the same for your body - the more energy you use, the more fuel you're going to need more frequently - fuel is oxygen, water, food, and sleep.

If it seems overwhelming - join the club. That's why I'm on the site looking for support, just like you. To me it seems like I have to get all the pieces of the puzzle to go right at the same time in order for any of them to work out. So - I hope I haven't bored you away by going on and on. It's like I know a lot of useful knowledge...I just wish I'd use it.

You probably got tired because you just needed more fuel...one of those or more. That book I mentioned talks about most people need to eat MORE calories (remember, calories equals energy) in order to lose weight, specifically because of the problem you described.

Thanks, I'll try that. Yeah, it could well have been the eating thing. Actually, I honestly didn't think about what kind of food I was eating- until 2:30 my entire consumption of food for the day consisted of 300 calories worth of oatmeal, and I got distracted by so many things I didn't eat breakfast until noon, so that could have done it. What confuses me is a) that usually I can pull whatever crazy stunts I want as far as food goes and come out okay- once I attempted what was essentially the same day with exercise on no food at all and felt fine and b) that even hours after I supplemented that with a bit of protein (in the form of two vegan chicken patties) I was still exhausted. But I guess I'll try having more protein earlier in the day today, and possibly up my calories a tad, because they came out a bit low. I should probably also look into getting some vitamins- I know I should take them, but I keep putting off actually buying any.

As for misologist, I think it means "hater of rational thought", and my use of it as my title is a way of poking fun at my own love of the irrational and distaste for a purely logical approach to anything. That and I am so competent at being irked by rational arguments that I've been awarded an honorary degree in misology by Harvard University.

You may have to work up to working out back to back like that... It takes me up to two weeks to get used to exercising 2-3 times/day... I often run, weight-train, then bike later in the day... and my biking takes a kicking on those days... Some days you may want to reverse your workouts fence first then run a bit...

I really doesn't sound like you're eating enough with the amount of exercise you did that day... Eat more protein and real foods, beans, veggies...

And just keep on keeping on ... Good luck and keep us posted on your progress ...

Hi Impala: Your inquiry reminded me of what I experienced after my first week of a spinning class. I usually do 30 to 45 minutes of pretty intense cardio and then lift weights immediately after. I really didn't think a different form of cardio should tax me too much. Wrong. I was so wrong.

After my second spinning class I realized that I had worked pretty hard but was determined not to let my lifting slide and went over to do some upper body work. OMG. Forget about it. I did a couple of sets of chest presses and called it a day. I later spoke to another spinning enthusiast who said it took him about a month to work his endurance back up. I was also pretty whipped the rest of the day.

It just takes a while for the body to adapt but eventually it will. Just make sure that you are fueling your body with what it needs to repair, grow, and meet all the regular demands you may have. A little nap doesn't hurt either.

By the way, I read the Good Mood Diet as well. I really enjoyed it. i still think about the wonderful hot cocoa drink just before bed. I've switched that out for a half cup of cottage cheese warmed in the microwave and mixed with splenda and cinnamon. Just a little extra protein