But the term "I'm tired" takes on some extra meaning in the context of sports training and performance...not to mention for long distance truck drivers, rave party go-ers, and others!! There's not much that kills energy and enthusiasm as quickly as tiredness...let alone when it becomes fatigue. And therein lies the basis for this article, recognising and understanding the difference between being tired and fatigued, and how to respond to each.
We all know that training (let alone racing!) makes you tired. It's hard work, after all, so in a way getting tired is somewhat of a desired outcome since it means you're training hard...not withstanding all the other stresses in life that also contribute to your tiredness!! So in effect tiredness also indicates a degree of overload on your body, also a desired situation...as long as you manage the degree of tiredness.
For our purposes being tired is a good thing. It's an acute (ie, short-term) response to your daily activities and training. It's very important to be aware of your tiredness and over time, develop a good understanding of what it feels like to your body and mind. I've found that tiredness comes in different shapes and forms...you can be sleepy from staying up late, weary the next day from getting to bed late last night, tired from a hard / long session, and more.
Sometimes the same circumstances might result in a different feeling of tiredness...it's very intangible, as is the response and performance of your body in that situation. For example, you might shake off late-night weariness just by getting started, whereas tired legs from a tough hill session will be different. Get to know and be familiar with being tired, and what you can cope with in those situations. Sometimes you can add to the tiredness with more training, and accumulate training overload, but other times you'll learn that you need to rest as you're on the edge...and it only takes a day or so recover from being tired. This experience is critical to avoiding what might come next...fatigue!!
Multi-day adventure racers talk about "sleep monsters", which are the imaginary figures you see when you're too tired to think clearly. These guys are clearly fatigued, being somewhat further along the scale beyond tiredness!!! Fatigue is an advanced - or extreme - state of tiredness, where the training overload has mostly gone too far to be productive. Fatigue is not something you can shake off with a coffee or hot shower, it is deep set and can take some time to overcome. Fatigue can turn into a positive if it's addressed promptly and seriously. Ignoring it can send you into a deep spiral where Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may be a checkpoint.
The problem - and danger - that less experienced athletes encounter is not recognising the fine line between (relatively) "healthy" tiredness and the much less desirable state of fatigue, where they push on regardless believing it's all "normal" and being deeply exhausted will turn around into super human performance with a good sleep.
It is worth noting, however, that some ultra-endurance events will leave you very fatigued. That's a different - and acceptable - scenario compared to fatigue experienced from routine training. Nonetheless, regardless of the cause, fatigue is still fatigue.
Tiredness - in conjuction with recovery - is a stepping stone to greatness fitness, where fatigue is a step off the edge into a potential black hole. Inevitably many athletes will touch the edge of fatigue...or even get closer...and learn to step back and recognise the symptoms in future. Fatigue is not something you want to experience on any kind of routine basis...it can undermine your health and your performance.
Be alert to the experiences of tiredness you encounter, and be sure to stay on the "north" side of the fine line separating tiredness from fatigue.
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