Overtraining Symptoms: Are you pushing yourself too hard?

If you look to the side of this page, it says I have a half marathon at the end of the month. I have never run one before and for some reason, I have been freaking out about it since the day I signed up.

When I go running…  my mind is all over the place saying things like, “I’ve only gone 6 miles, that’s not even halfway to finishing a half and why am I so tired already?” or “I need to run faster to make my goal time.” or “Why are my legs fatiguing, what is wrong?”

I’m running my half marathon with a group of friends and I don’t want to be the slowest. It’s putting so much pressure on me. However, I know I shouldn’t think like this, I should just try my best and be happy no matter what the outcome. But being the super competitive person that I am… I’ve been going out running; training so hard, trying to improve my times, get stronger… and I believe I have hit a wall.

The sad thing is I’ve come to the point where I don’t want to do it anymore… I still want to run the race, I’m just too tired to train… which lead me to find that I’ve fallen into the overtraining syndrome. I did too much too quickly. My training was having a reverse effect on me. Making me weaker, not stronger.

Here are some symptoms of overtraining:

1. Are you finding yourself unable to run as far as you once were running? What was once easy is now a struggle? If yes, then you might be overtraining. If you stop feeling stronger after each run and your not getting quicker or more efficient then you are probably pushing yourself too hard.
   

   Need a breather?

2. Are you not seeing results? Are you working just as hard as you can and not looking leaner or getting more tone? Well this could be because of overtraining. When you increase your stress level your body is forced to release cortisol into your bloodstream. If this happens too frequently, then a negative testosterone:cortisol balance will be the outcome. All of this will lead to insulin resistance, fat gain and your muscle mass will slowly start to diminish.
3. Are you unable to relax or take a day off from the daily grind at the gym or track? Do you find yourself repeatedly pushing yourself that extra mile, to the point of exhaustion? Pushing yourself that hard can lead you to restlessness, the ability to lack focus, poor sleep patterns, etc. Your mind and body will soon become completely fatigued, especially with everything else going on such as school, work, children, money, relationships, and so on.
4. Are you feeling sick? Overtraining will weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to colds, nagging coughs, sniffling nose and headaches. Lack of sleep and overtraining are not a good mixture.
   

   Too tired to continue?

5. Injury? Are you feeling more muscle strains or more creaks in your bones? Overtraining gives your body less time to recover. Muscles need some time to rebuild after a hard workout. Continuously working them is a recipe for disaster.

Do any of these above sound like they may be happening to you?

Just remember to eat smart, train smart, and sleep smart.

Arch Pain: Does Anyone Else Get Foot Cramps?

It is a horrible feeling. I have had this problem for some time now. Even before I started running, I had this problem. I used to play tennis all the time and tennis requires you to be on your toes, ready to move in all directions and sometimes when I would push off the ground the arch in my foot would cramp… Then I would cringe in pain and not make the shot. I don’t cramp anywhere else and it only happens sometimes. I have no idea why!

Now when I run, after about 20 minutes in, one of my feet will cramp in the arch. I then have to stop and stretch it out, which is not what I want to do when I’m trying for a time or just on a nice run. It throws everything off. And then, about every 10-15 minutes after that, the cramp returns. But this is only some days. Not all the time.

My one friend said it could be from changing shoes all the time. I play tennis everyday, so I have my tennis court shoes on, then I put on cross training shoes for the gym, then my minimalist shoes for the my run. I thought it was my running technique but it happened long before I became addicted to running.

This website says that I should just roll my arches with an icy water bottle. Do you do this before or after you run? or both? I just want the pain to go away. I’m going to start doing this though. So fingers crossed!

Rolling your arch with an icy water bottle

Does anyone else experience these problems? Has anyone found relief? I’m getting worried because I’m training for a half marathon and I don’t want it to affect me during my race. That’s the last thing I want.

 

Running Technique: Knee and Quad Position

So I don’t know how serious you are about running but knee and quad positioning are extremely important. Many runners develop bad knees from bad technique. You don’t want that to be you in a couple of years! So this video should help you prevent short-term and long-term injuries that may result from bad running technique.

I suggest videotaping yourself running. Then you can play it back and relate to this video in order to double check that you are doing everything you need to be doing while running. I used to do that when I was beginning to play tennis. I would videotape my practice or a match and watch to see if my forehand technique was correct or if my footwork needed improvement. It’s not weird to record yourself. Just try it! It’s fun to watch yourself improve as well.

Also, don’t over think what you have to do. Just watch the technique and see if yours matches up. Don’t make it too complex as too where your running goes downhill because you are thinking way too much. You want to be relaxed and you also want to be enjoying running. Overall, as long as you avoid the things that cause injury, I think you will be good! And your running will be even better!

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Thank you for reading!