My fellow blue runners, I am in a conundrum.
Since October 2019 (after deciding to give up the booze and get my life in order) running has become a major staple of my life, it’s got me down to around 10.2stone, 13% body fat & enabled me to run multiple half-marathons & the 2022 Manchester Marathon, this was one of my greatest achievements as I underwent a kidney transplant in September 2004.
To the point then, my best time for a HM was 1 hour 41 mins, & for most of the last 2 years I have ticked over with a 10km on a Monday morning, followed by a 5 miler on a Friday. This was supplemented by 1/2 gym sessions and a long walk (6+ miles) as my plan for the week. Unfortunately since August, I have found it harder & harder to maintain my speed, energy and enthusiasm when running, to the point where it’s proper depressing me that I can’t seemingly do what I used to.
The reason I mentioned having a kidney transplant is because at that time, I piled a load of weight on (having been razor-thin due to illness my whole life) due to the immunosuppressant drugs I take, & was as a result, teased mercilessly after returning to school which if honest, has given me a life long complex about my weight/body image.
Anyway, running has been the only thing to enable me to maintain it, & I am terrified that mixing up my training/easing on the running will lead me to losing all I’ve built, I know weight/body fat % is dictated by diet by up to 90% but I’m in a real rut on what to do. I’d appreciate any advice as I constantly feel my runs are an uphill task, that I am going backwards with me unsure on how to proceed.
Apologies for the long message/life story but just a bit fed up.