Am I overtraining?

Training Advice/Discussion Marathon

15 years ago 10/02/2008 12:18pm EDT

I am in marathon training, shooting for a 2:50-55, with a goal marathon in the winter. I have been building up my mileage to the 65-85 range. I have been doing cycles of three weeks hard (progressively) and one week easy. Over the past two cycles, I have gotten sick on each of the easy weeks. First time was a head cold. This time it was a fever, with night sweats. Each time, I recovered from the illness quickly and got right back to training. The odd thing is that I have never felt bad at all, except when I took an easy week.

Is my training schedule wrong? Mileage has been 64, 68, 72, easy week (40s), 72, 76, 80, easy week. Two hard workouts a week (intervals and hills usually). Legs feel fine, but why do I get sick on my easy week?

Should I go two weeks hard, one week easy? Skip an easy week and just back off everything? Keep doing what I am doing and be ready to feel like crap every 4 weeks?

15 years ago 10/02/2008 12:35pm EDT

re: what is wrong with me?

Your training doesn't sound like too much of a load to me. What kind of pace are you running? More than likely you probably just need to take an immune system booster.

15 years ago 10/02/2008 12:42pm EDT

re: what is wrong with me?

No, you are not overtraining. Be a man and run through the flu like I did back in '67

15 years ago 10/02/2008 12:49pm EDT

re: what is wrong with me?

If your morning resting heartrate is consistently higher than its normal average there is a decent chance you are overtraining.

15 years ago 10/02/2008 1:40pm EDT

re: what is wrong with me?

cutting back to mileage in the 40's is a bit extreme. Cutback weeks aren't meant as vacation, perhaps you are throwing your system for a bit of a loop with such a dramatic decrease in volume. Sorta how many runners get sick during their tapers.

I'd try to keep you cutback weeks to about 55 or so, especially since you say your legs are feeling fine.

15 years ago 10/02/2008 2:54pm EDT

re: browski

browski wrote:
cutting back to mileage in the 40's is a bit extreme. Cutback weeks aren't meant as vacation, perhaps you are throwing your system for a bit of a loop with such a dramatic decrease in volume. Sorta how many runners get sick during their tapers.
I'd try to keep you cutback weeks to about 55 or so, especially since you say your legs are feeling fine.

I think you may have a good point there. I have not had any other signs of overtraining that others have mentioned. In fact, I have been generally very happy with my ability to recover from hard workouts and long runs during the past two cycles.

My pace on easy days is generally whatever feels good. I don't try to force anything. I will generally be between 7:10 on the faster side and 7:40 on the slower side. I consider 7:20s to generally be a good relaxed easy pace. I do push it on long runs (start in the low 7s, down to about 6:40s) from time to time as I run with some guys that are a bit faster than I am. Workout splits have generally been on par with the MacMillan tables for my ability level. If anything, I have been much less conscious of nailing splits and running a certain pace on easy days and have focused more on running relaxed. That is why I am a bit surprised that I have consistently broken down on easy weeks. Maybe less isn't more?

15 years ago 10/02/2008 3:07pm EDT

re: what is wrong with me?

Everybody's got a sweet spot (sometimes a couple of them) in terms of mileage. Sounds like 60-70 is yours. If it's working for you, no need to take a down week just for the heck of it.

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