I haven’t blogged in a week, perhaps I should have exchanged that and not worked out for a week. But, I am oh so close to my Great Birth Week Extravaganza.
5 Years ago this week I raced my first mountain bike race. I was also smack dab in the middle of training for my first marathon. I remember not knowing anything about training and thinking that it was perfectly fine to go running in the morning, and biking after work. After all, I was training for different sporting events. Within a couple of months I found myself sluggish on long runs, I had nagging calf pain that wouldn’t go away, I had trouble sleeping, and my heart rate.
All classic symptoms of overtraining.
Oh my heart rate. The anomaly of the heart rate as a tool for training and gauging over training. I had a hard time getting my heart rate up, yet I was breathing heavy. A normal resting heart rate for me is about 40-45 beats (I know-low, yes I am alive). Yet, it wouldn’t get below 60. Then one of my seasoned veteran racing friends said point blank to me-if I were your coach I would tell you you were over training.
Again-classic sign of overtraining.
So, I experimented a bit. I found out that my body responds better to two days off a week instead of one. That I could run on one day and bike the next and still have more stamina for both sports. No need to double it up for this girl.
Why am I not listening to myself and my body right now? Why am I not listening to that hear rate right now?
Right now I am not mentally burnt out. I love being active and look forward to all of my workouts. Especially weight lifting and mountain biking.
Last Friday, JWail and I hit the trails before a cook out for my department. I started strong, but suddenly my legs felt heavy. I thought back as I rode over roots and up rocks, counting the days in a row I had worked out. 8. I was cruising along the trails on day 9. Yikes! How did that happen? I totally forgot to take any days off.
This is what I feel like right now-done.
I do have a half marathon in less than 3 weeks that I am totally not prepared for. I headed out for 10 miles yesterday and totally slogged through them. I kept thinking about how less is more and quite frankly my body does not want to do this right now. I am definitely not ready for a half marathon in terms of getting the miles in. But, surely if I do a good taper I should be ready to go.
That’s my plan anyway. This week is still a balls deep in the workouts week. Next week, going into 40 in the Fort followed a week later by the Equinox Half Marathon, I will begin a hardy taper. Lots of time off, light workouts, and recovery.
So, if you wonder where I went missing for a week? I started school again and worked out-every single day like a moron.
Do you forget to take days off?
How do you when you are overtraining or your body is tired?
Mountain Kait 
Funny you wrote about this today because I think I have overtrained a bit too much this summer. I feel much more sluggish on long runs (well in general), have heart palpitations and these stupid nagging injuries. Total overtraining syndrome. Rest is good!! 🙂
Yes, it sneaks up on you for sure. Summer is the worst as well because we love being outside-it’s easy.
I never miss rest days, but I have been overtrained many times. I’m trying to keep track of my resting HR now too. This morning it was around 45 (I think–I was having a hard time not falling back to sleep while counting!). I’m hoping that my HR training plan will keep this from happening this cycle.
I feel like overtraining happens more quickly for me than others. But, I shouldn’t be comparing. I’m trying to do more heart rate training as well. Staying low is hard!
I have definitely missed rest days.. I try not to.. but I had a lot of free time there for a while!! My #1 symptom would be that I can’t sleep when i overtrain. It’s a dead giveaway for me!
Ya, the free time got me here at the end of the summer too. Or rather, having such a flexible schedule allowed me to work out more than usual.