Over Training/Over Racing

Let me start off by saying THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the ideas for a Halloween Costume for my school with a story. I  loved all the ideas and am definitely going to be choosing one of those. Oh and also thank you for your thoughts on the Vibrams that I am ordering. I will let you know which pair I got whenever they come in!
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Many of you can probably guess what I am going to be talking about, so hopefully even if you know this or you have done this your self, you will stick with me and let me know your thoughts!! How many of you out there have signed up for so many races really close together, whether it be 5K's, 10K's, half marathons or Full Marathons? I can attest to this. I ran 3 half marathons in 2 months. Now, this seems okay, but in actuality it is not the safest thing to do.

Rock N Roll Mardi Gras-Feb. 2011

From Runner's World
People who are very physically active sometimes cross the line between sufficient training and too much training. Sometimes in your zeal for excellence, you may push yourself too hard. Overtraining usually occurs when the body does not have enough time to recover from the stress of intense training.


If you are used to training for quite some time and you are ready to race this much, then that is fine. However, if you have not trained properly or have only ran a couple of miles a week, then you need to think before you sign up for races back to back, especially longer races. 

Signs of Overtraining include these, but are not subjected to just these: 

• You constantly feel tired or listless.
• You cannot make further fitness gains or you actually move backward in your level of fitness.
• You suddenly lose weight.
• Your resting heart rate increases 5 beats per minute.
• You have lost your enthusiasm for exercising.
• You feel irritable, angry, or depressed.

Gusher Half Marathon- March 2011

There are many different ways to help or prevent overtraining such as: 

1. Recognize when your body has reached a point of training for that time period. 

2. Follow guidelines, and try to stay on schedule. 

3. Run with others that are at your same training level. 

4. If your body is hurting, take some time off. Do not keep training as hard as you have been. 

5. Pay attention to your shoes. If your shoes or feet are starting to hurt, then you may be in the market for a new/different pair. 

Rodney Horn Memorial 5K- March 2011

I can personally attest to running 3 half marathons and 1 5K (pictured above) in a 2 month time period. From this, I did not listen to my body as I should have and I ended up injuring my knee to the point of having to wear a knee band and having an orthopedic surgeon look at it. I had a syndrome called Plica and it was not fun at all to deal with or take time off from. 

Since then I have watched my body and made sure to take my time and really look at the races that I want to run. I listen to my body and how it feels. There is a DIFFERENCE between training HARDER and training SMARTER! 

Rock N Roll Dallas- March 2011

Just because a medal is pretty or because you can get into a race for really cheap does not mean you have to run. If you are not careful then it may come back to haunt you in the future. I know many people who are training for half's and full's (such as myself) and are working very hard. I have opted to run 1-2 half marathons a year now and maybe a full in my future, but for now I am enjoying running half marathons and mud/adventure races. 

Make sure that you are listening to your body, following a schedule (or at least trying too) and are paying close attention to the shoes that you are wearing. These things can make a huge difference in your training. 

I am going to hopefully get a chance to watch this tonight. I am getting into the fall spirit, because Christmas is right around the corner! SO EXCITED!!!