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Okay, I'm posting this as a quick reality check. Here's the situation - and please understand that in the interest of avoiding tl;dr I've left a lot out in summarizing the matter:
I've been running for years now but am at the tail end of a heavy training and racing cycle (2 marathons in 7 weeks) and I am really dragging. I've taken the past 10 days off, and the bounce has not returned - in fact it was gone before the second marathon but I ran it anyway (Slower than my first). Overtraining could be a culprit but the mileage didn't spike at any point, and - outside of the second marathon - I've had 17 days of rest (7 before, 10 after). I don't get a lot of sleep, but that's how it's been for years now anyway. And I still sometimes wake up before the alarm goes off.
There are other factors I've not mentioned, but after some google-fu and other readings I think it's low iron, specifically serum ferritin. I've pulled my diet back into line re: iron (I couldn't remember the last time I had red meat or dark green leafys) and added an iron supplement. But I'd like to know if that is the cause, and I don't want the hassle of a doctor telling me to rest more and pick a favorite TV show to follow, and I certainly don't want the hassle of insurance which won't cover it anyway.
There are independent labs popping up, one not far from a place I go for lunch. They seem appealing enough, but I have no idea how reliable or accurate they are. That is why this thread is here: I don't want to drop the lucre on unreliable results. I could continue with the iron, sans test - and I think it will work - but I'd like to know if, and by how much, things went sideways.
Oh, and I have a half-marathon in two weeks.
I've been running for years now but am at the tail end of a heavy training and racing cycle (2 marathons in 7 weeks) and I am really dragging. I've taken the past 10 days off, and the bounce has not returned - in fact it was gone before the second marathon but I ran it anyway (Slower than my first). Overtraining could be a culprit but the mileage didn't spike at any point, and - outside of the second marathon - I've had 17 days of rest (7 before, 10 after). I don't get a lot of sleep, but that's how it's been for years now anyway. And I still sometimes wake up before the alarm goes off.
There are other factors I've not mentioned, but after some google-fu and other readings I think it's low iron, specifically serum ferritin. I've pulled my diet back into line re: iron (I couldn't remember the last time I had red meat or dark green leafys) and added an iron supplement. But I'd like to know if that is the cause, and I don't want the hassle of a doctor telling me to rest more and pick a favorite TV show to follow, and I certainly don't want the hassle of insurance which won't cover it anyway.
There are independent labs popping up, one not far from a place I go for lunch. They seem appealing enough, but I have no idea how reliable or accurate they are. That is why this thread is here: I don't want to drop the lucre on unreliable results. I could continue with the iron, sans test - and I think it will work - but I'd like to know if, and by how much, things went sideways.
Oh, and I have a half-marathon in two weeks.