Overtraining Symptoms

This time when the symptoms of overtraining came, I could recognize them right away. Some of the overtraining symptoms for me were.

• Persistent fatigue
• Legs felt heavy and tired
• Problem staying asleep
• Facial acne
• Hormonal imbalance

I decided against racing Eugene Marathon. I have never given up on a race unless I am injured. When I made the decision, I was sad. I thought I had failed somehow.

One of the reasons I pulled out from the race was the concern about an injury or overtraining, but the main reason I decided against it was because I was starting to lose the joy in my daily runs. I love this sport and want to continue running for years to come. I knew the only way to do that was to bring back the joy of running in my life.

I started to struggle mentally, dreading the workouts. I had put so much pressure on myself to improve my pace. I knew I didn’t want that. This sport has always brought me happiness and I wanted it to stay that way. Looking at my training logs, I knew I needed more training time to have a stronger running body. Specifically, I need speed endurance which will take some time to develop.

For the past two weeks, I have been running just to have fun. Reconnecting with the joy of running without any pressure of a race where I’m trying to get better has brought the experience of running joyfully back to me. I am running races but just to enjoy the experience of racing. With each mile I run I am grateful for what my body does. I celebrate small victories. My body has surprised me with some fast-paced runs, when I’m not even trying to go fast. See my Starva screenshot above.

How to Discover Running Joyfully

I am enjoying my recovery days and enjoying every minute on the road. Instead of obsessing about the future and stressing that I’m not fast enough. I am focusing on small changes like improving my form, improving my breathing, and improving nutrition.

I have learned from this experience that sometimes you hit low moments along your journey. It’s always a good idea to look back and see if you are still finding joy in your journey. If not, try to bring the fun back by renewing your commitment.

Now when I run, I run in the mile I’m in. I try to find peace and tranquility in each mile. I am glad I have found the joy of running again.

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Base training, in simple terms, is the basic work that you do before doing the more complicated workouts in your training cycle. It’s the phase of training where patience is required, and you put in a lot of slow miles. Most of the athletes start their training year with a base-building period. For most elite runners, it’s the period from November to January. 

There are many physical benefits of base training. Plus, this period gives athletes a chance to correct their form and work on injuries. Base training should be a staple for every running program. According to coach Andrew Simmons ” Shaky foundations don’t produce solid future structures.” Like the foundation of a house determines how strong the building is, the amount of time spent on base training determines the outcome of an athlete’s season and performance. 

A Bit of History-

Before 1960, athletes repeatedly did interval training, day in day out. In the 1960’s Olympic games, New Zealand athletes won medals in many track and field competitions, and most of them were trained by the coach, Arthur Lydiard. Lydiard believed that building an aerobic base by training at lower intensities would allow athletes to get stronger during the main training phase and peak on time for their competitions. According to Lydiard’s pyramid, the bigger the base, the higher the athlete’s peak. 

Building the Aerobic Capacity-

You might have heard that the reason to build the base is to build aerobic capacity. Most of the new runners, when they first start out, want to run fast, period. So, they train vigorously every day. Soon, they overtrain or get injured. If that isn’t the outcome, they reach their goals in the first season and plateau for the rest of the year. Does that sound familiar?

Science Behind Base Building- 

Building the aerobic capacity lets the athletes efficiently buffer low levels of lactate. According to LiveScience, lactate is a chemical byproduct of anaerobic respiration, the process by which cells produce energy without oxygen (1). Increased lactate, due to anaerobic energy production, in your bloodstream leads to acidic blood with pH levels below 7 (2). Lowering of blood pH produces multiple symptoms associated with fatigue such as muscle burning and reduced work capacity.Base building prepares the body’s lactate buffering engine to keep the blood pH levels stable. Base training also builds capillaries that transport oxygen and allow efficient glycogen storage. Metabolically, your body becomes better at using fatty acids and spares the glycogen stores. 

Proper base building is essential. Without a proper base it isn’t possible to reap all these benefits of base training. Most of the athlete’s base training should be in the endurance zone or ZONE-2. You can calculate your endurance zone by plugging the heart rate numbers in a maximum heart rate formula. Endurance zone is 70% – 80% of your Max Heart Rate. You can visit omni calculator to calculate the numbers for you. The larger the base you build in this zone, the better your training will be for the rest of the year.

Arthur Lydiard, the father of base training, has presented many base training plans depending on athletes’ training age in his book Running to The Top. An example training plan form his book for a new runner is below. This plan can be progressed by increasing the running time. For injury-prone athletes alternate days can be cross training days. The critical thing to remember is to keep most of these miles at endurance or aerobic pace.

Monday 15-30 minutes

Tuesday 30 – 60 minutes

Wednesday 15-45 minutes

Thursday 30-45 minutes

Friday OFF

Saturday 15-45 minutes

Sunday 30-60 minutes

Why is Moderate Intensity the Enemy?

Most runners spend most of their training time in ZONE-3 or threshold zone. That’s where the athletes get stuck. This zone is called Zone-X by running coach and author of 80/20 running, Matt Fitzgerald. This is the zone where the body produces high levels of lactate, and the heart rate zone is neither recovery nor threshold. You probably feel-good pushing hard on every run, but it doesn’t improve your performance. So, steer clear of this zone during the base building period. This zone has its place in training for tempo runs after a strong base is built. 

To train well for your races, you must start with a solid fitness base. Put in the time now to build your base, and it will pay off later in a huge amount.

References

1-https://www.livescience.com/lactic-acid.html

2- https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00114.2004

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Competing in a marathon is a significant accomplishment. It is hard on your body, and physiologically your body goes through many changes. Training for a Marathon for months and building the distance and strength takes a toll on your body and mind. Recovering from a marathon which is part of the training plan, is often neglected by the runners.

Sleeping it off won’t make the post-marathon recovery. Rest is a big component of healing, but there are many other things involved. Improper recovery from your Marathon increases injury risk and increases the total marathon recovery time.

What happens to your body during the Marathon?

Marathons are tough on the body. Every physiological system is pushed to its limits during the Marathon. Some of the systems that undergo stress and damage are mentioned below-

Skeletal Muscle- Marathon running induces inflammation and muscle fiber damage, lasting up to two weeks post-marathon.

Cellular Damage- There is an increased production of creatinine kinase (CK) – a marker that indicates damage to skeletal and myocardial tissue. According to a research study, the CK levels can stay high in blood for more than seven days post-marathon.

Immune System- Immune system is compromised post-marathon. You are more susceptible to catching flu and cold after Marathon.

Here are a few strategies that I have found to help with the recovery process after Marathon completion. 

Keep Walking

Keep walking post-marathon. I know your body will tell you to stop, but that isn’t the best way to recover from Marathon running. By walking, the heart drop is gradual, and the circulation slowly gets back to normal levels. 

Eat and Drink

Eat a carb snack like a banana right after finishing Marathon. Within 30 minutes of finishing the Marathon, drink a protein shake with 30 – 40 grams of protein. Protein is king when it comes to recovery. You might not feel like drinking it, but your body will thank you for it later. You can consume a big meal later for post-marathon celebration.

Ice and Compress

Ice your sore legs and put those compression stockings on.

Stretch

Practice some gentle yoga or stretches for five to ten minutes. My favorite pose is hanging my legs up the wall. It works wonders if practiced before you hit the bed.

Roll and Massage

The following day get your foam roller and roll with it. You can also schedule a relaxation massage after 24 hours. Just make sure the massage is super gentle. A light massage will help loosen your muscles. 

Take a Break

Give yourself a break from running for a week. You can do light walking, stretching, and yoga in the first week. Take the week to celebrate your achievement and show gratitude to your body for pushing through the race.

After the Marathon, your legs are full of muscles damaged and have millions of micro-tears damaged on the cellar level. These steps will help you recover and get back to running efficiently without the risk of injury.

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Looking beyond the numbers will turn you into a sustainable runner instead of looking at just the quantifiable running improvements, like mileage and speed. Here are five areas to think about on your running journey.

Define your running WHY

Define your WHY When it comes to running like any other habit, it’s essential to find your WHY—finding your why is the single most crucial thing that will make this habit sustainable. Are you trying to lose weight? Want to feel stronger? Maybe you want to run your first Marathon? Is it part of your new healthy lifestyle change? or it was to set aside some meditative time for yourself.

Whatever your reason for running, make sure you take a few moments to define it clearly. Stick it on your nightstand or mirror. When the dark, wet nights of winter arrive, it will act as a great motivation to get you out of the door.

Your WHY can change with time. Occasionally revisit defining your WHY for the running process to make sure your WHY still aligns with your running purpose. Update your intention as you need it. Your WHY will keep you moving towards your goals and give you mental strength when the going gets tough. Trust me, it gets tough when the volume gets high, and you have other life priorities on your list as well.

Cross-train 

Running is a high-impact and strictly a sagittal plane sport. It involves moving forward, hitting the ground, and swinging your arms. These motions can be repetitive for your body. It’s good to diversify your activity portfolio. Experiment with an alternative workout for the days you feel a little extra beat up, hint recovery days. Do you like dancing? Does yoga relax you?

Cross-training is the best way for runners to build strength without overdoing it. Using cross-training, you can target your body from multiple angles to develop more comprehensive body strength as a runner; you could consider biking, yoga, strength training, climbing, and even soccer as forms of cross-training. Consider a group exercise class that focuses on neglected muscle groups like the core and upper body. You don’t need to leave your house for any of these classes with many available virtual fitness classes.

Recovery and Rest

Rest is a vital part of training. Runners often overlook the value of rest. Keep your rest days for low-intensity workouts, or take a break if your body asks for complete rest. The rest and recovery days will ensure that your body is ready for the subsequent hard training. Always make sure you have time for a post-run stretch and pre-run mobility. Making mobility and recovery a habit will reduce the risk of injury as your running volume increases. A good, holistic approach to efficient running is to run better and feel even better.

Fuel your runs

Running creates microtears in our muscles that get stronger with the repair process. That’s how our body adapts to hard workouts. It’s important to consider nutrition’s fundamental aspect of training that doesn’t require hitting the pavement. Proper nutrition and hydration can make or break a workout or race and affect how you feel, work, and think.

Fueling to support running fitness isn’t that complicated. Your nutrition plan should include

• Proper hydration
• Eating for good health
• Consuming enough carbohydrates 
• Nutrient timing

Life is part of training

Focusing on your running and training is excellent. We can’t deny that life and other stressors that come along with it also exist. Consider all the stresses like work schedule, family commitments, and vacation plans. Make sure you keep your weekly training flexible so that it can fit in with the rest of your life.

Considering the time that works best for your runs can help you run around your life commitments. Maybe, going for a run early in the morning can be easy, or you can multitask by going for a run with a friend and catching up with them. 

Taking a holistic approach to running can set you up for a lifetime of successful running. Diving into mindfulness, running, and taking the whole picture of life will rewire your mind, calm the soul, and take your running performance to new peaks.

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