How I’ve Worked Through Fatigue as an Endurance Athlete yes again "Without a Thyroid"
Fatigue is something I’ve had to learn how to live with — and more importantly, how to move through.
Not ignore it completely.
Not let it stop me.
But learn how to work with it.
I Built My Life Around Mornings
I’ve always been an early bird even in middle school and high school. I was always the first one in the shower out the door yada, yada.
And one of the biggest decisions I made early was this was going to continue:
Everything important had to happen in the morning. No exceptions.
My workouts.
My training.
My classes.
My clients.
All of it.
Because I knew something about myself: If I waited until later in the day… it wasn’t going to happen.
Real Life Doesn’t Slow Down
Like most people, my day didn’t get easier as it went on. It got busier.
After school, after work — everything shifted to my kids.
Practices. Games. Homework. Life. "I wouldn’t trade that for anything."
Now don’t get me wrong — I still found ways to move if I want to add on or needed to do something I missed in the morning. Lots of times I would have clients at 5:00, 6:00, 7:00 am then get the kids off to school go back to work at 8:30 or so finish up with my clients or teaching and I would stay at the gym to do something for myself.
or
I’d run while they were at practice. Have them ride their bikes while I trained.
Make movement part of our life together.
But structured training?
That had to be done early.
Why I Don’t Sit Down
Here’s something I’ve learned about myself over the years:
If I sit down when I’m tired…
I’m done.
I’ll fall asleep.
And if I nap?
I don’t wake up feeling refreshed I feel like crap.
I wake up feeling worse than ever.
So instead, I made a choice:
Keep moving.
That doesn’t mean going all-out every second.
But it does mean staying in motion, staying engaged, and not letting fatigue take over my entire day.
The Mindset That Changed Everything
This might be the most important piece.
For a long time, I didn’t see myself as an athlete.
Even though I was training.
Even though I was teaching.
Even though I was showing up every day.
But at some point, I shifted that.
I started telling myself:
Be the athlete you want to be.
Because you are what you repeatedly tell yourself you are.
And athletes?
They show up.
They train.
They stay consistent.
Whether they feel perfect or not.
What This Looks Like for Me
With or without a thyroid, this is what I’ve learned:
• Don’t rely on motivation
• Build your day around what matters most
• Train early if that’s when you can control your time
• Stay consistent, even when energy isn’t perfect
• Keep moving forward — even if it’s not your best day
Because not every day will feel great.
But you can still show up.
Final Thought
😏Fatigue may always be part of my life.
But it doesn’t get to decide what I’m capable of.
Because I’ve learned something over the years:
You don’t have to feel 100% to move forward.
You just have to start.
And remember:
A small step still takes you forward.
— Danniela
IronSunshine ☀️
#NoThyroidAthlete
#IronSunshine
#EnduranceAthlete
#ThyroidWarrior
#StrongOver50
