Motivation/Energy Help

 So I had made it a goal to run a 5k.....I did the couch to 5K program and had a couple set backs in the way (like a gallbladder surgery, pain from adhesions, etc.), but I completed a few 5Ks.  I was continuing to run daily (either for 30 minutes or 12 minutes run w/ 1 min. walk several times.)  I also started to do a SHREd workout (20 minutes of cardio, strength, and abs) twice a week.  This was my routine, but I am struggling to get my butt moving again.  WOrk is nuts and I am just always exhausted.  I also have a pain on my left side especially when I exercise or after exercising.  
My alarm goes off in the morning at 4:30, but I am soooo tired I don't hear it, etc.  

I don't understand how I can go from feeling fine and "getting off on exercise" to struggling to do anything everyday.  Is is because I don't have a short term goal?  Is my body just arguing with me?  Why am I so exhausted?  How to I fix it?

I am terribly frustrated with all this. 

Remember where you came from and why you were there. I know it's hard but you have to quit looking for reasons not to do it and make it a priority. The more consistant you are at it the easier it will be. I make my workout the 1st thing of the day and early enough that no one will bother me during it. Then I know if I don't go it's just me being lazy.

Hope I'm not sounding like a jerk .... that's not how I mean it.

You can do this , you just have to push through the mental part , and make it a priority again. Your body will respond after a while and you will enjoy it again.

Maybe setting a goal for yourself would help. If there are no 5k's you can enter then make it a goal to take 3-5 minutes off your time in a month or something along those lines.

As far as the energy goes , are you eating enough ?
Are you getting enough carbs/fat?

It happens, you set a goal, you reach it, and then the followup is anti-climactic.

Try setting yourself a new goal.  Reward yourself, whatever it takes.
Pay for a 1/2 marathon, that might be enough to keep you motivated to train.  Give yourself a carrot at the end when you run that 1/2 marathon.  Or just take a quick break, let your batteries refresh for a couple days and then start again.  Set a date.  I'm going to take 1 week off to get my head straight and begin again.

Whatever works for you.  For me I just ran my 70.3 triathlon this year and then I went through that not feeling like doing anything.  It lasted almost 2 months.  I just screwed around, only half worked out, ate like crap and basically was on a downhill slide.  What changed it?  I set a new goal, I changed gyms, and I decided that I wanted to drop down under my goal weight.  I had hit my goal weight and been pretty close to it for the last year, but I want to see if I can push my body beyond.

Yes I'm in a healthy weight range, but I want to see if I can get into that Optimum ripped athlete range.  So there is my goal and my focus.

I hope you can find something and that the pain you are experiencing ends up being a non issue that can be resolved with a little R&R.

Scott

Thanks!

I think you are both right...I jave just let life get in the way.  This summer I was working out twice a day...running in the am and walking or lifting in the pm.  This was fine, but I think I have gotten myself discouraged as the scale has moved very little since the end of june.  I was 164 the end of June and now 3 + month later I fluctuate between 154 and 157.  My nutritionist told me to add more carbs as I really was not consuming any.  Then it was like a flood gate....I don't think I can eat carbs without obsessing about them!

Again, thanks and you are right it just has to be a priority and these heads games need to stop! :-)