It’s Not Just You
“Nothing that just happened here has surprised me.”
I looked up blinking at my friend from the floor. I had asked if they wanted a drink and opened the fridge to have the first glass container come crashing out of the door and shattering across the kitchen floor.
Earlier that day, the tomato sauce from my vegetarian lasagna poured out into my purse, ruining my belongings.
Even earlier in the day, after a nice sweat session on the bike, I showered and went to get dressed for the office, wearing a white top and realized I forgot my bra at home and needed to rock my black Nike sports bra under a white shirt all day because I sure wasn’t going the alternative route!
Here’s the thing. I didn’t over react to any of it. Because right now I am in a stage where everything is just ok. I have spoken to a few other athlete friends and they all share the same sentiment – being in existence right now is hard. I have heard suggestions such as adrenal fatigue or over training, but truthfully, I think it is just a nasty case of the fall blues.
What do I mean? It has been a great summer! We have had a host of amazing races and sunshine and vacations and summer nights on the patio. Suddenly, and without proper warning, our summer has given way to a chilly fall where we are needing to bundle up and mentally prep for the winter that is headed our way.
The days shorten which means less natural light and we are naturally outside less during prime sunshine hours. This means less vitamin D and more melatonin. That’s right, less light causes increased melatonin, which is a hormone excreted by the brain which regulates sleep. No wonder we are having a hard go at things!
Here is what to do in order to beat through that feeling of being “just ok”.
1. Talk about it with a friend. The best thing I did was share it with a friend. The crazy thing is that I found almost every one I spoke to was feeling the same way, which is one of the main reasons I decided to write this post, because chances are, you are feeling it too.
2. Listen to your body. If your body is not feeling an extra workout, don’t push it. Transition times are hard and you want a successful and healthy winter. Keep your workouts regular, but if you need to take an off day and relax, don’t feel guilty about doing so.
3. Get Outside. Go for runs, walks and hikes to make sure you are breathing deeply and soaking up natural light if you can.
4. Know it will get better. We are endurance athletes. Pushing through “suck” is what we do. Know that it is just a season and you will adapt soon. But if you truly feel as if there is an underlying problem, make an appointment with your doctor. Depression is NOT just a “stage” and it is important to take it seriously.
5. Take some Vitamin D. Make sure you are armed with all you need in order to stay healthy and happy. I like to up my Vitamin D, magnesium and B vitamins when the cold weather hits in order to stay balanced.
How about you? How do you beat the fall blues?
