Over Training And The @runningproject

Training Hard Or Over Trained, Hopefully This Can Help You

In 2016 I did my first Ironman. I'm not sure if my training was 100% but on the day of the race I think I paced perfectly in almost perfect race conditions and ended up happy with my race time for my first attempt at the distance. I wouldn't say that it was without trouble. I did go through my training plan relatively injury free and was able to train consistently across a six month period to get to the race.

Without hesitation though, I can say, I was overtrained.

My training left me feeling ill in the lead up and for 6 months after the race. I was constantly feeling nauseous, I would wake up during the night in hot sweats and it was pretty clear I had low testosterone and probably even thyroid issues.
The thing is, I trained the way everyone else was training. To get ready for a race like an Ironman, of course you need to be able to ride for 180km, or run for 42km, or swim for 3.8km. At the time I was suspicious of these training methods, but it was exactly what everyone else was doing, including the pros, so who was I to question it.

It took its toll. Some weeks I would be getting ready for a long ride over the weekend and still feel that I had not recovered from my ride the week before. I still had a 32km run to complete the following day. Even though as runners, your training volume may not be the same as someone training for an Ironman, but as you improve, you also see the benefits of both increased volume and intensity. It doesn't take long until you're doing two run sessions a day, six times a week and your struggling to get out of bed in the morning. Studies suggest that athletes that participate in individual sports like running are more vulnerable to over training compared to athletes who participate in team sports, so its always something you should be keeping in mind.

Over training can present itself in a few different forms but generally, symptoms can include a general feeling of fatigue, trouble sleeping, muscle soreness and a usual drop in race performance. If things get out of hand, it can lead to a hormone imbalance, long term injury or even result in osteoporosis.

But how do you know if you are over training or simply training hard. There are a blood and medical tests or even smart phone apps you could pay for to gain an understanding on how your health is tracking, but fortunately there are some easier options to allow you to gain a quicker insight.

Tracking Your Heart Rate

Tracking your heart rate is a great way to see if you're over training. This can be performed a number of ways either by tracking your resting heart rate early in the morning when you get up or when you are performing a specific exercise. Keeping a daily check of your resting heart rate should allow you to see any fluctuations from day to day. It's also interesting to track your heart rate during exercise as over training will show up as you may not be being able to get your heart rate up to a specific level that you normally could.

The Orthostatic Heart Rate Test

This test was developed by Heikki Rusko and can be a little more work than simply taking your heart rate every day, but does seem to have some merit to it. To perform the test first lay flat on your back for 10 minutes, at the same time every day. At the end of the 10 minutes record your heart rate in beats per minute. Stand up and record your heart rate again in beats per minute after 15 seconds, 90 seconds and 120 seconds. Heikki Rusko used this test with his cross country skiers and found that athletes who were on the verge of over training were showing heart rates 10 beats higher than normal, especially for the final recording after 120 seconds. Someone who was well rested would have consistent values for the test.

Phone A Friend

The interesting thing is, when we over train, there is a good chance you are showing signs by being irritable and moody. So a good way to see if this is the case is to simply speak with a close friend or partner who will be able to let you know if this is the case. Any change in mood is a clear sign that you may be over training.

Sleeping Patterns

This could present itself in a number of different forms, and you won't even need to be tracking your sleep with a fitness tracker. Any major changes you find in your sleeping pattern is a good indications that you are over training. If you are getting up out of bed more than usual, laying in bed awake for longer than normal or simply find your quality of sleep is going downhill, this could be a good indication of overtraining.

I'm hoping you can learn something from me as it's now three years after my first Ironman and I'm racing my third Ironman in less than a month. I'm not 100% sure I will be faster than I was the first time around, I am healthier and training a lot smarter though. My training is a lot more enjoyable and I feel stronger with every week instead of being broken down by tough training sessions.

About the Author
Hey I'm Vince, an Aussie living in New Zealand, trying my best to make the most of the time I have. I work as a Software Engineer but love to run and all aspects of it, including geeking out on the latest science to help get the most out of my body.