Ever feel tired and wonder what to do about it? With the recent shift from daylight saving time, a lot of runners are feeling the effects of disrupted sleep—and that small change can actually increase fatigue, slow reaction time, and even raise injury risk.

That’s why we wanted to walk through how we think about fatigue as coaches and runners ourselves.

One of the biggest things we see is that not all fatigue is the same, and learning to recognize the difference can help you make better decisions about your training.

We break fatigue into three main categories and address our stoplight framework:

Normal training fatigue = Green light.
This is the kind that comes with good training. Your legs might feel heavy at the start, but once you warm up and settle into the run, things start to feel better.

Accumulated fatigue or stress overload = Yellow light
This is when training stress combines with life stress. Poor sleep, irritability, higher resting heart rate, brain fog, and easy paces feeling harder than usual are all signs your body might need an adjustment.

Red-flag fatigue = Red light
This is when your body is clearly asking you to stop. Sharp pain, illness symptoms, deep exhaustion, lingering soreness, dizziness, or severe brain fog are signs that pushing through could do more harm than good.

To help runners decide what to do on days like this, we share a simple three-question filter we use ourselves:

• Is this physical fatigue or nervous-system fatigue?

• If I start slow, does it start to feel better?

• What is the intention of today’s run?

From there, the choice usually becomes clear: push through, adjust the workout, or take a full rest day.

We also talk about why you almost never need to “make up” a missed workout. Trying to cram it back in usually creates more fatigue than progress. In our experience, chronic overload is far more damaging than the occasional missed run.

The goal isn’t perfect training. The goal is consistent training that respects your body, especially as we get older and recovery matters more.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you should rest, adjust, or push through a run, this episode will give you a simple framework to help you decide.

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Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.