How to avoid over training

It is hard enough to get people to run or walk far enough for fitness and health but any distance is better than not moving enough. There is one problem that is usually not considered and that is running too far or too fast. For runners that are training to get a better PR in a race or put in enough miles to run a marathon, a condition termed ‘over training’ can actually hurt performance.

This is not an occurrence for a large majority of runners, but more for those serious runners trying to improve a time.

It is good to want to improve your running speed and oftentimes just the routine of a regular run will be enough to get you a faster time.

It is when the runner adds intervals and hill training to the routine that over training may occur. A personal example was when I wanted to run under 40: minutes in a 10K race. I was running races at 40:45; 40:50; 40:35; 40:20; etc. I needed just a few seconds faster per mile to get under that 40 minute mark. I started running intervals on the track two or three times a week. I ran a hard hill workout at least once and maybe more in some weeks. I entered a 10K race every week, thinking this race would be the one to set a new PR. It was always the same extra seconds over 40 minutes every week. I trained harder and did more intervals with a faster time on the track. The result was always the same. I gave up after six weeks of training for speed, and went back to regular running and not as many intervals or hills. I was basically putting in miles with no speed work. The result was two weeks later I entered a 10K race and my time was 38:40.

The problem was the result of over training and my legs and body needed time to rest. Besselink, in his book, 'RunSmart,' has a program where you train year round, but built within that weekly program are days of rest. The body needs time to recover from a hard training session to let the muscles rest. Looking back at the training for my first marathon, I had planned on a 22-mile run the week before the race. I was told by experienced marathon runners that the last week is “rest week” with a much lower total miles for the week. I was told to not even run from Wednesday until the race on Sunday. The body needs time to recover from long runs and weekly races. The advice was well taken, and the result was I ran the entire race without stopping or walking. It was not a fast race, but I met my goal and ran it in under four hours.

Signs of overtraining are not easily recognized since after most hard workouts the body hurts a little anyway. One of the signs that you are over training is the pulse rate in the morning is higher than usual. Instead of the usual 55 beats per minute, the pulse rate is now 68 or more. Another sign is how long it takes the pulse rate to return to a normal rate after a hard run. An example is during the run, the pulse is 150 beats. After one minute it should be close to or under 100 beats per minute. After five minutes, it should be close to normal rhythms. If after 10-15 minutes your pulse rate is still elevated, it means your next run should be an easy run. If the leg muscles are sore after a hard workout, make sure the next workout is an easy one. The one sign that I had was getting tired at the 3.5-mile mark in a 10K. For some reason I had to slow the pace down and often wanted to quit. And of course it was that same few seconds over 40 minutes, and the thought that if I had not slowed down in the race I would have met my goal. Over training will find the leg muscles tiring out sooner than normal in a race.

One subtle sign that a person may not associate with over training is a restless night sleeping and some insomnia. Another sign is the loss of appetite. You would rather rest, take a nap or go to sleep rather than eat. One sign that I recognize now is when I get the sniffles or cold and flulike symptoms, the result of lack of sleep and a tired body. Since these signs are so subtle they are not often recognized as the result of over training and a tired body.

If you recognize that the muscles are still a little sore from the last workout, it is time to change the scheduled run for that day. If the schedule calls for a long run, you need to shorten the distance. If you are scheduled to do intervals that day with sore legs, you need to lessen the number of intervals and take a little longer rest between the intervals. Depending on how much over training you did the term “rest” may mean anything from running slower and shorter, to not running at all for the day. Run smart.