Training tired

It's been another busy week at work and with training.  Normally I am a very early morning runner.  But with the dark mornings, no street lights where I live and the extremely cold weather meaning the roads were covered in snow and ice, I've been running during the day.  Last week the snow was washed away by the rain and the strong winds have made it painful when the rain hits my face.  However this weekend the mornings have become lighter and the sun has made a welcome appearance.
The miles have been building and I'm running six days a week.  I have three gym sessions a week and do extra core strength exercises as well. 
The previous week my long run was 19km and yesterday it was meant to be 24km.  I ran with my pal and decided that I should take a back pack and a drink as I'd be over 2 hours.  I didn't have any gels but took some money in case I needed something during the run.  The forecast was that rain might arrive 2hrs in so I decided not to wear a waterproof as my two layers should be enough.  I hadn't ran the route I'd planned before but thought it was about 24km.  It probably was but less than half way through the run I decided to changed the route.  Big mistake.  Shortly afterwards I stopped for some coke which for me is like rocket fuel and just as well I did.  The slight detour I'd taken meant the distance was now 31 km - oops.  It also meant we caught the rain but by that time I was past caring, we just had to finish.  The good news was I was to complete the run with a heart rate of below 147 - it maxed at 148 with an average of 136 so I was really pleased with that result.  The extra long run had taken it's toll and I skipped my planned gym session and replaced it with eating as much food as I could get in me. The remainder of the day was spent lying down and resting.
This morning the sun was shining and it was a planned 9km and fortunately I knew the route, with no diversions!  My legs were heavy and heart rate higher due to the fatigue.  But I managed the run with no issues and when I came home I had some food and a short sleep.  Training tired is a deliberate strategy to help get my mind and body ready for the long distances I have planned over the summer.  You can't run 6 marathons in the mountains in 7 days without putting in serious back to back runs where you are pushing your body beyond what is normal, or comfortable.  Training tired has helped me achieve all my long distance races so I'll stick with the proven strategy.
And as  always happens when I start to up the distance, my diet unconsciously changes.  I've eaten healthier this weekend than any time I can remember in months.  It's driven by my body "craving" quality nutrients with no conscious effort from me.
Tomorrow is a 12 km run with a double gym session.  A recovery run on Tuesday before a day off Wednesday.  With the lighter mornings I am looking forward to getting back into my routing so my training is over before I start the day.