The Plods due to running fatigue. The very words strike a chill in the heart of any runner before an important race, at a time when they should be peaking and feeling full of energy. It has happened to me, and I bet it has happened to you. 

When you are unfortunate enough to have the Plods, you feel sluggish with heavy legs. The only solution is rest, and no amount of mental strength will turn your race into a good one.

The term “plods” was first coined by Graeme Lindenberg, who ran six gold medals at the Comrades Marathon, of which two were third placings. Graeme is a sports physiotherapist, and well qualified to speak on this. 

Beware Super Plods from running fatigue

If the Plods are bad, then be afraid of the Super Plods! With the Plods, a runner will usually bounce back after a few days rest, but the Super Plods are a different animal completely and a different level of running fatigue. 

And while the Plods are a setback at any stage in your training, the absolute worst is when it progresses to the Super Plods just before a race – when you are supposed to be peaking.

Let’s have a look at the Plods and Super Plods and what you can do to avoid it and regain your energy.

When a runner tells me that they are tired and have running fatigue, I ask them a few questions, and if the runner says yes to all of these, then she is in the early stages of the dreaded Super Plods. There are different types of fatigue and it helps understanding which applies to you at any given time, and the solution will vary depending on the answers provided by a runner.

1. Are your legs heavy and feel sluggish, but you still have good energy levels?

Solution –  48 hours rest, or even three days rest. This means there is some muscle damage. Try getting a sports massage and use a foam roller. You can also ice your legs up to 20 minutes at a time.

2.  Are your legs fine, but you have little energy and feel flat?

 Solution – Your glycogen levels are most likely depleted. Your glycogen stores in your liver and muscles provide the fuel needed to run. Eat well, and top up with a good energy recovery shake for two days. It takes 48 hours for the glycogen levels to be replenished, so it is best to also rest for two days to maximise this refuelling.

3. Are you mentally fatigued, with little enthusiasm for training, yet your legs feel fine? 

Solution –  It may be that you have a hectic lifestyle, struggling to cope with work, family, or other pressures. Try to sleep more, as lack of sleep is the most common cause of this. Try to take 48 hours rest. 

4. Do you experience all of the above as in legs heavy and sluggish, little energy, and feel mentally fatigued? 

Solution – You are approaching the Super Plods and in danger of moving into over trained territory. The best is to take a complete rest for a week to 10 days, try to get sports massages, eat well, and sleep well. You don’t want to get into full-blown Super Plods as it can take months to recover fully.

NOTE The Plods always occur first and are an early warning sign. Ignore these signs and you are on the road to the Super Plod stage eventually.

 Tim Noakes in the Lore of Running, provides an extensive checklist for indicators of running fatigue and  overtraining (Super Plods). Emotional and behavioural changes: These can be seen in a loss of enthusiasm and drive, generalised apathy, and “I don’t care” attitude, loss of the joy of life, as well as a loss of joy and thirst for competition, and desire to quit during competition. Sound familiar?

Emotional changes 

• Lethargy, listlessness, tiredness
• Peevishness, complaining, easily irritated, miserable, anxious, depressed, unable to relax, bored
• Inability to concentrate at work, impaired academic performance
• Changes in sleeping patterns – in particular, insomnia 
• Sleep does not refresh
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of libido
• Poor coordination, general clumsiness
•  Increased fluid intake at night, feeling thirsty

Physical changes:

• Impaired physical performance; in particular the inability to complete routine sessions
• Gradual loss of weight
• The athlete looks drawn, sallow, and dejected, with sunken eyeballs
• Increase in early morning heart rate of more than five beats per minute
• Abnormal rise in heart rate upon standing, and during and after a standard workout 
• Slower recovery in heart rate after exertion
• Postural hypotension (see below) 
• Heavy-leggedness, sluggishness that persists for more than 24 hours after a workout 
• Muscle and joint pains.
• Persistent muscle soreness increases from session to session.
• Swelling of lymph glands
• Increases susceptibility to infection, allergies, headaches, and injury
• Minor scratches heal slowly

Postural hypotension Also known as orthostatic hypotension, postural hypotension is a form of low blood pressure. Normal resting blood pressure in an adult is around 120/80 mmHg. Very low blood pressure can cause dizziness and fainting, or indicate serious heart, endocrine or neurological disorders.

During the Covid lockdown, I started doing some long and intense bike sessions on my indoor trainer. These would typically be two to three hours, and often include intervals. 

Those who run on an indoor trainer or use an indoor bike will have noticed how the sweat rate increases compared to running or cycling outdoors.  Although a fan helps, my sweat rate on the indoor bike remains way higher, and after a two-hour ride even my cycling shoes would be soaked.

 I then noticed that after these rides, I would suddenly get very dizzy when I stood up after sitting on the couch. This postural hypotension is a form of low blood pressure, caused in my case by dehydration. This dizziness would disappear about an hour after the ride.

 I also bought a blood pressure monitor to check my blood pressure before and after rides. My blood pressure is usually in the normal range around 120/80 mmHG, but would drop to below 90/60 mmHG in the hour after the ride, before returning to normal. 

 The solution was to increase my fluid intake with electrolytes both during and immediately after these rides. In my case the cause of dizziness was easy to diagnose and sort out. However, it may also be due to the SuperPlods (overtraining) or even an underlying medical condition, so if it doesn’t stop, consult a doctor.

Headaches after a run 

For years I used to have severe headaches every Monday, as regular as clockwork. Then one day I had a light bulb moment, and realised that it was due to my long runs that I did on Sundays. What was happening, was that I was not taking in enough fluid during and after the long runs, so that I remained dehydrated the following day. I then increased my fluid attack and the headaches disappeared.

Don’t try to push through the Plods

The biggest mistake we can make from running fatigue with  the Plods or Super Plods strike is to try to push through it. Highly motivated runners are at the greatest risk of this. They have such strong willpower, that they try to override the feedback from their bodies, and keep on training. 

The other type of runner at risk is the one who lacks confidence, sees his pace is slowing due to the fatigue, and then panics and tries to run harder, thinking he has lost fitness. This compounds the fatigue and pushes the runner further into an over trained state.

Using a heart rate monitor in training can help a runner to spot early signs of overtraining or illness when the heart rate is unusually elevated.

There are times when rest is best

Nine out of 10 times when a runner struggles with runs, I tell them to rest for 48 hours, eat well and sleep well, and the runner then bounces back.  Try this the next time that you have the Plods, and avoid the Super Plods.