Sometimes after our workouts I feel completely wiped. (I refer to this as "blowing a gasket"). It's all I can do to drag myself to the car and drive home, which is luckily not very far. Usually it's a sprint workout that will do it. Let's just say that it makes it hard to get work done the rest of the day... Does this happen to anyone else? Any suggestions, other than "don't swim as hard," which seems to be defeat the reason why I am there in the first place? (It doesn't seem to me that I am swimming harder than anyone else).
Define exhausted.
1. Are you primarily sleepy, like you feel this overwhelming need to go back to sleep after a sprint practice?
Take this reliable test to see your sleepiness level: www.stanford.edu/.../epworth.html (brought to my attention by masters swimmer, Mayo internist, and all around great guy, Jaegermeister)
2. Are you primarily shakey, trembly, feeling almost faint, all of the above topped off with hunger pangs and fantasies of Snickers bars? Then you might well have hypoglycemia of exercise. My recommendation: a packet of Gu Chomps before practice, and a glass of chocolate milk afterwards.
3. Are you just physically worn out, almost like you have been weight lifting to the point of failure, your muscles just can't function anymore?
It sounds like you might have a bit of all three, which are distinct variations on "exhausted" though many people tend to describe them all with the same words, like "tired" "spent" or "worn out."
My guess is it's predominantly #3, which should improve as your body adapts to sprinting stress. There are probably overtones of #2, especially given that you are sprinting after fasting since your previous meal the night before. You may also be getting up too early -- or not going to bed early enough -- and maybe even not sleeping great the nights before the sprint practice ordeal!
Sleep, eat, rest.
It sounds like the first draft title for a novel.
Report back with your Epworth Score!
Define exhausted.
1. Are you primarily sleepy, like you feel this overwhelming need to go back to sleep after a sprint practice?
Take this reliable test to see your sleepiness level: www.stanford.edu/.../epworth.html (brought to my attention by masters swimmer, Mayo internist, and all around great guy, Jaegermeister)
2. Are you primarily shakey, trembly, feeling almost faint, all of the above topped off with hunger pangs and fantasies of Snickers bars? Then you might well have hypoglycemia of exercise. My recommendation: a packet of Gu Chomps before practice, and a glass of chocolate milk afterwards.
3. Are you just physically worn out, almost like you have been weight lifting to the point of failure, your muscles just can't function anymore?
It sounds like you might have a bit of all three, which are distinct variations on "exhausted" though many people tend to describe them all with the same words, like "tired" "spent" or "worn out."
My guess is it's predominantly #3, which should improve as your body adapts to sprinting stress. There are probably overtones of #2, especially given that you are sprinting after fasting since your previous meal the night before. You may also be getting up too early -- or not going to bed early enough -- and maybe even not sleeping great the nights before the sprint practice ordeal!
Sleep, eat, rest.
It sounds like the first draft title for a novel.
Report back with your Epworth Score!