Struggling to complete the warm ups - let alone the session
Unable to reach the same heart rates as before - but also unable to reach the same speeds as before
Having to walk instead of run
Starting to really dread exercise / dream about it / and getting scared of it
Feeling sick at the thought of increased effort when you're running
Finding yourself confused during the day eg at work / inability to concentrate
Feeling of being 'unwell' without coming down with an illness (although many people will start coming down with extra viruses if overtrained)
Getting injured for no real reason
If you're an 'established' athlete - used to a heavy workload and haven't altered anything, then overtraining is apparently more likely to occur at a time of non-exercise related stress. Eg etc workload / family difficulties / Christmas (!) etc etc
It depends how long you've been overtraining as to how long it takes to get over it. If its only been going on for a few days / at most a weeks - then it'll maybe take 2-3 weeks to clear......if its been going on for months it can take years - and keep recurring if you're not careful
The best advice I can give is to stop, completely, for at least a week. Do not replace running with other exercise - eg swimming or the bike / gym etc because the hormones in your body are completely out of sync and need a break from the exercise -induced stressed
If after a week (which isn't long - just imagine you've got flu) you start feeling that you simply HAVE to get out and run again - then try a very short, very easy run - and try to rediscover the enjoyment of running in itself, rather than the pursuit of a target time. Only exercise alternate days to begin with - possibly for as long as a month
If the overtraining has been going on for longer than a week then you really must respect it and stop for longer and ease right back.
I still haven't 100% recovered from o'training last October-January ...!
I found CELLFOOD invaluable though in helping me recover - it worked for me although I know of others that it hasn't worked for
Comments
no energy, heavy legs, craving for sugars
rest completely till HR returns to normal
or the delta HR thing looks good as a stress indicator - look on page one of muttley's 'look how low my heart rate is' thread this forum
Unable to reach the same heart rates as before - but also unable to reach the same speeds as before
Having to walk instead of run
Starting to really dread exercise / dream about it / and getting scared of it
Feeling sick at the thought of increased effort when you're running
Finding yourself confused during the day eg at work / inability to concentrate
Feeling of being 'unwell' without coming down with an illness (although many people will start coming down with extra viruses if overtrained)
Getting injured for no real reason
If you're an 'established' athlete - used to a heavy workload and haven't altered anything, then overtraining is apparently more likely to occur at a time of non-exercise related stress. Eg etc workload / family difficulties / Christmas (!) etc etc
It depends how long you've been overtraining as to how long it takes to get over it. If its only been going on for a few days / at most a weeks - then it'll maybe take 2-3 weeks to clear......if its been going on for months it can take years - and keep recurring if you're not careful
The best advice I can give is to stop, completely, for at least a week. Do not replace running with other exercise - eg swimming or the bike / gym etc because the hormones in your body are completely out of sync and need a break from the exercise -induced stressed
If after a week (which isn't long - just imagine you've got flu) you start feeling that you simply HAVE to get out and run again - then try a very short, very easy run - and try to rediscover the enjoyment of running in itself, rather than the pursuit of a target time. Only exercise alternate days to begin with - possibly for as long as a month
If the overtraining has been going on for longer than a week then you really must respect it and stop for longer and ease right back.
I still haven't 100% recovered from o'training last October-January ...!
I found CELLFOOD invaluable though in helping me recover - it worked for me although I know of others that it hasn't worked for
http://www.heavenearth.co.uk/cell_7.html
Treat it seriously from the start and hopefully you'll get over it quickly.
All the best, Shane
SS
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/overtraining.html
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0332.htm
Thank you
Shane