Forums >Running 101>Overtraining blahs
For the last couple of weeks my runs haven't felt as good, my times have stopped improving, and it feels like work. Can anyone offer help on the best remedy? I'm going to take a week off and focus on sleep, I have only been able to get around 7 hours or so a night. I have a physically demanding job with long hours so that makes it a little challenging. Would I be better off doing nothing, or maybe just walking? Cross training?
I'm trying to get ready for a marathon on October 5th. Thanks in advance.
I'm exhausted just reading that. Other people might disagree but I think some really light cross training would be okay, but I'm not afraid to take a few days off completely, esp since your job is so demanding. Sounds like focusing on sleep is a great idea, and maybe making sure you are eating right. Hope you get your energy back!!
Also, from looking at your calendar, it looks like you did 3 interval days last week. Could that have worn you out a bit? Just curious I know everyone can handle different things.
I'm not always sure how to categorize my runs. I have been doing the vast majority of my running at a slow pace just to try and build a solid base and not aggravate a slowly healing Achilles. I usually wear a hr monitor to help me stay at a fairly low intensity. When I started last fall I didn't think it counted as running if I wasn't exhausted after every run and I had to do every mile under 8 minutes,...did I mention a sore Achilles?
I know it's not really fast, but I can do a mile in just under 6 minutes now which is a big improvement, so running slow and easy has seemed to really help me improve and not hurt myself. This is my first experience with overtraining, I am not a patient person, so all the "slow" training was really hard to do mentally. Not running at all for a week(?) might make me really crazy.
You don't have to stop running to recover. Just do only REAL SLOW runs. And make them short, 3 or 4 miles would be about right. Do that 6 days per week, and you get in an easy 20 miles per week.
If you are serious about running a marathon, you would be far better off to run ONLY SLOW EASY RUNS until you can consistently run 200 miles per month without pain or injury. Keep your longest run under 14 or 15 miles until after you have run at least one 200 mile month. Then do three or so 18 to 20 mile long runs. Then you will be ready to run a marathon.
A tempo run once per week is good. Save the intervals until after you run several marathons.
Half Fanatic 12680
I'm not sure that taking a week off is necessary. Catching up on sleep would be a good idea and don't worry if you miss some runs. Eliminating the interval, high hr work could also help. I don't know where you live, but if the temperature is rising you may be experiencing additional fatigue from running in warmer weather which is perfectly normal. As the temperature rises, you will be running slower even at an easy pace. Substituting high intensity cross training for running doesn't seem like it would provide the kind of rest you may be needing. Fewer and less intense runs might be a better idea.
I'm not sure that you are over training. There are a lot of reasons why you may not be improving. It could be exhaustion from work. Or it could be that summer is approaching and it is hotter. I know my times always slow down when it's hot. Maybe taking an entire week off isn't the right approach. There are a lot of things you can do to make your runs more enjoyable. Here are a few suggestions.
1. Change the scenery. Find a nearby park or some trails to run on that you haven't been on before.
2. Find someone to run with either a friend or a local running group.
3. Vary your workouts. Run at different paces and distances. Or perhaps different times. Maybe it would be easier to run before work than after.
Fall 2013 Goals: Doable sub 22:00 5k; Challenging Sub 21:00 5k; Unlikely Sub 20:00 5k.
I don't know much about your history or goals, so here are a few questions:
1. Do you have any goals?
2. Do you have any type of plan?
3. What times have stopped improving?
There was a point in my life when I ran. Now, I just run.
We are always running for the thrill of it
Always pushing up the hill, searching for the thrill of it
Why is it sideways?
October 5 is too far out for a goal race. The amount of training you have to do between then and now is too much to think about. Try to come up with an intermediate goal (maybe race X 5ks by August 1.)
I've been struggling to get even 7 hrs of sleep most nights. Last weekend I slept almost 6 hours on Saturday after sleeping for the usual the night before. I guess I was really tired! My resting heart rate has been dropping form low 60s to high 40s over the last 3 months but for the last week or so has been mid 50s again. I almost always run by effort not pace and use a hr monitor to that end. After steady improvement(faster pace at any given hr) over the last couple months I have stalled the last week to 10 days. This morning's run was at 7 am, temp was around 55-60, and my hr was over 10 bpm higher than usual even during a 1 mile warmup at about 11 min/mile. I used to feel energized after almost every run, lately I just feel drained. I hope its just lack of sleep over a long period catching up to me.
I started pretty much from couch this year with a goal to run a marathon in the fall and have a spot in the St. George marathon on Oct 5. I haven't run in a race since high school and am now 42 yrs. old.
Something has just been off the last week. It hit me after I made almost 40 miles in a week and worked almost 50 hours. The only "hard" running I do is usually at the track when I take times for different efforts at 1 mile intervals. My max hr is around 195, I have only ran harder than 170 bpm once in the last couple months. I started running this way after reading the "Hadd" article, it just seemed to make sense to me.
I would love to keep running and am inclined to take the above suggestion and run very easy for short runs around 3-4 miles a day and see how I feel at the end of next week.
I'm definitely a newbie, so sorry if I sound a bit dramatic? I have just never experienced a drop in performance like this before and don't really know what to think about it. I would like to just keep base building and get my weekly miles up to around 50 in the next couple months and then try a couple of 5k or 10k races before October's marathon. Thanks again.
For the last couple of weeks my runs haven't felt as good, my times have stopped improving, and it feels like work. Can anyone offer help on the best remedy? I'm going to take a week off and focus on sleep, I have only been able to get around 7 hours or so a night. I have a physically demanding job with long hours so that makes it a little challenging. Would I be better off doing nothing, or maybe just walking? Cross training? I'm trying to get ready for a marathon on October 5th. Thanks in advance.
Life stress and physical work is part of your training load. If you can't cut back on that, cut your volume, and run easy efforts until you see improvement at the same aerobic heart rate again (OT always shows up first as a regression in speed at your aerobic HR). Walking is good. A great way to reverse OT (if you're actually in it). Here's a good read on OT.
After looking over your log, I would suggest that you consider two things:
1. You've built up your weekly mileage pretty rapidly. Allow your body to adjust to the demands more gradually.
2. On back to back days last week your workouts consisted of 5 X 1 mile intervals. That is a pretty tough workout for seasoned runners, much less for someone getting back in the game. Plus, I can't imagine doing it on consecutive days. Give yourself more time to recover between your faster days.
I know first-hand how tough it is to practice patience, but it pays off in spades over time.
Thank you for the link and helpful responses. The link was pretty spot on, stage one sounds like it was written for me. I'll continue to cut back and only run at an easy aerobic pace for a couple weeks and keep the distances short. Not sure about work, maybe its time to find something a little less demanding that doesn't chew up so much time. Thank you everyone!
Addicted to Running
I'm going through my own overtraining blah right now. I don't feel like running today because suddenly I feel bored with my route. I think I need to change up my scenery this week.
Love your Heart
A first marathon should just be about completion. You have the second, third, fourth to worry about improving your time. I know it's easier said than done. You're going to track your time because that's what people like us do, but really, I wouldn't worry about pace. Time spent running is more important than the pace you run at. As others have said, just try to make it a slow climb in mileage per outing, knowing that it's both acceptable and desirable to edge that mileage forward one week, then edge it back the next.