Signs You Are Over Training

1. You consistently miss your workouts.
Despite the fact you know you are capable of running the distance and the pace you fail in either or both of these criteria. Often you feel a sense of frustration that leaves you wanting to hit it even harder. An early indication can be prolonged recovery from typical training sessions or competitive events. Back off.

2. You are feeling tired all day after a workout
Do you feel like you need a nap all the time? Are you dragging yourelf from place to place?

3. You seem to be hitting it hard day in and day out.
Is every run a tempo run? Do you and the guys get into pissing matches each an every run. Stop participating in the Ego Racing Series and realize every workout has a purpose. You need to train other systems as well if you want to get better. Stick to your plan!

4. You ache all over
Your muscles are sore to the touch and bending over or walking down stairs hurts. Take a few days off. Do you experience GI disturbances? Are your limbs feeling especially heavy? Do you experience chronic respiratory infections? All can be signs.

5. You seem to be getting less lean despite the fact you are working out more and more
Are you working out more but losing "leanness"? You are probably not burning fat but instead are draining the muscles of the glycogen (sugars). You are no doubt burning a TON of calories but very little of it fat. You need to slow down for a large bulk of your training. Harder is not better all the time. Understand your heart rate zones and paces.

6. You have lost your motivation and are not interested in running?
The whole point is to have fun. I doubt your getting paid to workout. Don't be so myopic and goal oriented you lose sight of the fact that the journey is more important than the destination. This is your bodies way of telling you something but, like depression, it might not be obvious to you at the time. Mood disturbances (depression, anger, anxiety), general fatigue, frequent illnesses, loss of energy and vigor, feelings of heaviness in the limbs.

7. A higher than normal resting heart rate first thing in the morning.
First thing in the morning...e.g., 10 beats over what is usual for an individual.

Ok. Help me out. Can think of others?