http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/12/28/7-hidden-signs-of-overtraining.aspx
My wife sent me this link today and because other family members decided to “pile-on”, I wanted a bit more space to respond than the original Facebook posting. This is not a twitter -- 140 character response. (And I use “pile-on” in absolutely the best way, I appreciate the concern).
In many ways, this article is targeted at runners AND preaching to the choir. That is because EVERY running book and running plan I have ever read covers this issue, but also because runner’s, in the heat of a training plan, are very prone to overuse injuries. So I reviewed the points, agree with most written (and perhaps every word, but I would have to read a few more times to be that sure!).
His three points can probably be summarized as such:
1) Variety is much better than constant high intensity workouts.
2) Your body needs time to recover.
3) Listen to your body and adjust as needed.
I am using the Hanson Brother’s Marathon Method this spring because I strongly agree with all of the above. And the foundation of the plan is to agree with these facts, and develop a way of training that allows you to achieve your best performance while still being able to get to the start line. Essentially, the entire plan is heavily researched in medical studies and designed to find what Mercola refers to as the “Goldilocks Zone.”
Dr. Mercola talks about too much high-intensity training of the fast muscle fibers, which need much longer to recover than slow-twitch. (48 hours v. 24 hours) The very definition of long distance running is to train the slow twitch fibers. My plan only has one day a week (~3 miles) done at an Anaerobic level with interval training. (Tuesday with a full rest day on Wednesday). I have 1-2 additional days a week that have a higher intensity (Tempo Runs on Thursday and Long runs every other Sunday). The rest of the time (every Monday, Friday, Saturday and every other Sunday) is done at “easy” pace. Easy pace is a slow pace that only uses slow twitch muscles and the circulation it promotes actually helps with healing and recovery.
Let me also emphasize that although slow muscle fibers take 24 hours to recover, many plans, including the Hanson, do not require a full 24 hours between workouts. Many runners run twice a day (two-fers). There is also the concept of cumulative fatigue. Your body needs to learn to run a bit when it is tired. When you are running, for example, 50 miles per week, two 6 to 8 mile easy runs in a 24 hour period actually use that formula to help train your muscles to recover faster and reduce injury. No one I know of recommends running two track interval workouts in a 24 hour period. But there is evidence that, for example, two 6 mile runs in a 24 hour period are actually better for recovery than one 12 mile run. Again, easy exercise should be at a level that promotes muscle heat, increased blood flow, and washing of the bad chemicals from the muscle tissue that allows for faster healing than full rest.
The article lists 7 signs. Here is my self-test this evening:
- Exercise leaves you exhausted instead of energized.
It happens some days in EVERY program. I have days where I can run >10 miles at a higher pace and feel great, and some days when I have trouble finishing 4-6 at an easy pace. I adjust and don’t push it.
One of the most frustrating things about running is how unpredictable it can be from day to day. One day you can have your best run ever and the next can be your worse. You can feel great during warm-up and feel crappy during the main workout/race or the opposite. But as I have read more and more, it happens to the best runners in the world and history. The key is listening to your body and recognizing if you need to back off one day, or it is a problem.
And there are MANY factors here that have nothing to do with over-training. Sleeping wrong, wearing the wrong shoes, poor nutrition, and even stress can create “bad” exhausting exercises rather than “runner’s high” runs.
This is why runners are strongly encouraged to log information. You can spot trends and get a quicker idea of what is causing it. Some bad runs have no visible reason. But I am having 2-4 good runs a week that I finish tired, but not exhausted, feel like I could have run more, and pumped at my performance. Now, I start logging 7 to 10 consecutive days of bad runs, and I need to figure out something!
- You get sick easily (or it takes forever to get over a cold)
This is something to watch. Has not happened yet, but I have seen more than one running book recommend adding extra vitamin C in the last few weeks of a training program.
- You have the blues
So far, my exercise program has had opposite effect. But we need to watch. Again, logging helps.
- You're unable to sleep or you can't seem to get enough sleep
This one is the one that worries me the most. With sleep apnea, I always feel a bit tired. With the heavier run schedule, it is worse. But again, it is finding the Goldilocks Zone. It is impossible to exercise at this level without some fatigue; need to monitor what is normal and what is excessive.
I also try to log my resting heart rate. Everything I have read says that is an even better way to stay on top of this.
- You have ''heavy'' legs
Again, it happens to EVERY runner (see #1). Need to review log and spot trends instead of just one bad day.
- You have a short fuse
Again, monitor and ask those who live with you. I was tired last weekend and missed some miles. I was probably more frustrated because of missing the miles than over exercising. But it is a balancing act to stay in the Goldilocks Zone.
- You're regularly sore for days at a time
This has not been a problem, knock on wood. I have some general soreness and tiredness, but I have not had delayed on-set muscle soreness or extra pain the next morning below my waist. I have had a bit of back stiffness and pain, but I don’t think that is running. I did have soreness for a couple of days after skiing, but that was because of an addition to the plan rather than the plan. My legs are feeling strong and stronger.
This is one of the reasons so many marathon programs recommend regular massage therapy. Having someone else look for tightness, signs of injury, and pain in your muscles regularly are as important as the effects of massage helping with muscle recovery.
There is no scoring system provided, but similar lists I have seen use weighted points. I think #1 and #7 are the clearest signs, others like #2 and #4 can indicate you are ignoring or in denial about the others, can actually be improved by exercise, or can be totally unrelated.
I would also say that there are a couple of points missing:
1. Gradual increase -- Every good running plan I have seen uses the gradual rule. You don’t come off the couch and start with 40 miles per week. You start slow, and then increase slowly.. So if my total mileage this week is 40 miles, next week cannot be more than 44 (10%). If my longest run is 10 miles, next week it cannot be more than 12 miles. My plan generally increases long runs by 2 miles every other week (starting at 10) and increases Tempo runs by 2 miles every 4th week. Increasing too fast is a great way to get shin splints and about 4 million other overuse injuries.
2. Cycles -- You need cycles both within the programs and between programs. For example, my long run is every other week, with the in between weeks an easy run. So I will run Long 12mile this weekend, easy 10 the week after, then Long 13, easy 12, long 14, etc.
Between programs, you need time with all low intensity or easy runs. I ran a lot of races this fall in the 5k, 5m, and 10K range. I had two weeks in December where I stopped stressing about mileage or days per week. I kept my fitness up, but only ran about 3-4 days per week with a much lower total. When I came back, I ran farther and faster than the few weeks at the end of last season. I am now running Tempo training runs faster than last fall’s race pace and feeling great at the end of the run.
3. You need some stress to grow.
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”
T.S. Elliot
I am positive Mercola agrees. Again, I am repeating myself, but the key is the Goldilocks Zone. You really have no way of knowing how far you can go. So you increase the work, listen to your body, and then either back off, stay at this point, or increase the goal.
Bottom line, I have more days with restless energy at some point, then dead legs and total exhaustion. I am running faster than I ever thought possible and I am confident I have not found my limits yet. So the journey continues.
One question I always ask is “what can this new me do?” I am not close to an answer yet!
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