The Overtraining Syndrome

It is no secret among athletes that in order to improve performance you've got to work hard. However, hard training breaks you down and makes you weaker. It is rest that makes you stronger. Physiologic improvement in sports only occurs during the rest period following hard training. This adaptation is in response to maximal loading of the cardiovascular and muscular systems and is accomplished by improving efficiency of the heart, increasing capillaries in the muscles, and increasing glycogen stores and mitochondrial enzyme systems within the muscle cells. During recovery periods these systems build to greater levels to compensate for the stress that you have applied. The result is that you are now at a higher level of performance.
If sufficient rest is not included in a training program then regeneration cannot occur and performance plateaus. If this imbalance between excess training and inadequate rest persists then performance will decline. Overtraining can best be defined as the state where the athlete has been repeatedly stressed by training to the point where rest is no longer adequate to allow for recovery. The "overtraining syndrome" is the name given to the collection of emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms due to overtraining that has persisted for weeks to months. Athletes and coaches also know it as "burnout" or "staleness." This is different from the day to day variation in performance and post exercise tiredness that is common in conditioned athletes. Overtraining is marked by cumulative exhaustion that persists even after recovery periods.
The most common symptom is fatigue. This may limit workouts and may be present at rest. The athlete may also become moody, easily irritated, have altered sleep patterns, become depressed, or lose the competitive desire and enthusiasm for the sport. Some will report decreased appetite and weight loss. Physical symptoms include persistent muscular soreness, increased frequency of viral illnesses, and increased incidence of injuries.
There have been several clinical studies done on athletes with the overtraining syndrome. Exercise physiologic, psychological, and biochemical laboratory testing have been done. Findings in these studies have shown decreased performance in exercise testing, decreased mood state, and, in some, increased cortisol levels -- the body's "stress" hormone. A decrease in testosterone, altered immune status, and an increase in muscular break down products have also been identified. Medically, the overtraining syndrome is classified as a neuro-endocrine disorder. The normal fine balance in the interaction between the autonomic nervous system and the hormonal system is disturbed and athletic "jet lag" results. The body now has a decreased ability to repair itself during rest. Heaping more workouts onto this unbalanced system only worsens the situation. Additional stress in the form of difficulties at work or personal life also contributes.

It appears that there are two forms of the syndrome. The sympathetic form is more common in sprint type sports and the parasympathetic form is more common in endurance sports. The results from various measurements taken during exercise physiologic testing differ between the two forms, but decreased overall performance and increased perceived fatigue are similar. In the parasympathetic form there may be a lower heart rate for a given workload. Athletes training with a heart rate monitor may notice that they cannot sustain the workout at their usual "set point." Fatigue takes over and prematurely terminates the workout. Regulation of glucose can become altered and the athlete may experience symptoms of hypoglycemia during exercise.
I won't comment on all of the differences between the two forms, but one example is resting heart rate. In the sympathetic form, the resting heart rate is elevated. In the parasympathetic form, however, the resting heart rate is decreased. If this sounds confusing, then you are not alone. There is very little agreement in the literature about abnormal laboratory findings. Additionally, it is possible to have the overtraining syndrome, but have completely normal physical findings and biochemical tests. At this point, there is no single test that will confirm the presence of overtraining. The overtraining syndrome should be considered in any athlete who manifests symptoms of prolonged fatigue and performance that has leveled off or decreased. It is important to exclude any underlying illness that may be responsible for the fatigue.
The treatment for the overtraining syndrome is rest. The longer the overtraining has occurred, the more rest required. Therefore, early detection is very important. If the overtraining has only occurred for a short period of time (e.g., 3 - 4 weeks) then interrupting training for 3 - 5 days is usually sufficient rest. After this, workouts can be resumed on an alternate day basis. The intensity of the training can be maintained but the total volume must be lower. It is important that the factors that lead to overtraining be identified and corrected. Otherwise, the overtraining syndrome is likely to recur. The alternate day recovery period is continued for a few weeks and then an increase in volume is permitted. In more severe cases, the training program may have to be interrupted for weeks, and it may take months to recover. An alternate form of exercise can be substituted to help prevent the exercise withdrawal syndrome.
All of the medical studies and advice on overtraining have involved single sport athletes. For triathletes and other multi-sport athletes the recovery process may be different depending on the circumstances. If it can be identified that the overtraining has occurred in only one discipline, then resting that discipline along with significant decreases in the other sports can bring about full recovery. It is vitally important not to suddenly substitute more workouts in one sport in an attempt to compensate for rest in another. The athlete that does this will not heal the overtraining, but will drive him or herself deeper into a hole. Overtraining affects both peripheral and central mechanisms in the body. Resting from overtraining on the bicycle by swimming more will help a pair of fatigued quadriceps, but to the heart, pituitary, and adrenals, stress is stress.
As with almost everything else health related, prevention is the key. Well-balanced gradual increases in training are recommended. A training schedule design called periodisation varies the training load in cycles with built in mandatory rest phases. During the high workload phase, the athlete alternates between high intensity interval work and low intensity endurance work . This approach is used by a number of elite athletes in many sports.
A training log is the best method to monitor progress. In addition to keeping track of distance and intensity, the athlete can record the resting morning heart rate, weight, general health, how the workout felt, and levels of muscular soreness and fatigue. The latter two can be scored on a 10 point scale. Significant, progressive changes in any of these parameters may signal overtraining. Avoiding monotonous training and maintaining adequate nutrition are other recommendations for prevention. Vigorous exercise during the incubation period of a viral illness may increase the duration and severity of that illness. Athletes who feel as if they are developing a cold should rest or reduce the training schedule for a few days.
In conclusion, the prevailing wisdom is that it is better to be undertrained than overtrained. Rest is a vital part of any athlete's training. There is considerable evidence that reduced training (same intensity, lower volume) for up to 21 days will not decrease performance. A well-planned training program involves as much art as science and should allow for flexibility. Early warning signs of overtraining should be heeded and schedule adjustments made accordingly. Smart training is the path to faster times and good health.
Copyright©1998 Mark Jenkins, MD

I love this super woman: Rosie Swale-Pope

Born 2 October 1946) is a British author, adventurer and marathon runner who successfully completed a five-year around-the-world run, raising £250,000 for a charity that supports orphaned children in Russia^[1] and to highlight the importance of early diagnosis of prostate cancer.^[2] Other achievements include sailing single-handed across the Atlantic in a small boat, and trekking 3,000 miles (4,800 km) alone through Chile on horseback.

In 1983, Rosie Swale sailed solo across the Atlantic in a small 17-foot (5.2 m) foot cutter, which she had found in a cowshed in Wales and named Fiesta Girl. Aiming to be the fourth woman to sail alone to America in a small boat from England (the first being Ann Davison in 1952–1953, followed by Nicolette Milnes-Walker in 1972 and Clare Francis in 1973), she also wanted to raise funds for a CAT Scanner for the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.^[12] Divorced from Colin Swale, Rosie also found her second husband, sailor and photographer Clive Pope, during the preparations for the trip, when he rigged the boat for her.^[10]

Departing from Pembroke in Wales on 13 July 1983, she sailed to the Azores and Caribbean Islands.^[12] Simply equipped, Rosie navigated by the stars and was nearly run down by an oil tanker.^[4] When she was 100 miles (160 km) north of Puerto Rico, she was becalmed for so long she was without food and water for five days and nearly drowned when she was swept overboard in storms. She arrived at Staten Island, New York, after completing her record-breaking 4,800 miles (7,720 km) in 70 days – navigating by the stars with the aid of her Timex watch.^[12]

Walk around Wales

On 25 September 1987, Rosie set off from the beach near her home in Tenby to walk around Wales in winter. She was carrying everything she needed, including a small tent to sleep in, and was supported by her husband Clive, who also walked with her when other commitments permitted. Rosie completed 1,375 miles (2,213 km) on foot and wrote about her experiences in her book Winter Wales.^[6]

London Marathon

In 1995 Rosie ran her first London Marathon in a time of six hours and described it as her most memorable sporting moment.^[4]

Sahara run

Racers at a large ridge in the Marathon des Sables.

In 1997 Rosie ran 243 km (151 mi) across the Sahara desert in the Sahara marathon. Described as 'the toughest footrace on earth', the 'Marathon des Sables' is run over six days and is the equivalent of five and a half normal marathons.^[16] Like all the other competitors, Rosie had to carry everything she needed on her back in a rucksack. She ran across the Sahara a second time in 2000^[4]

Romania run

In 1997 Rosie ran through Romania to the Hungarian border.^[4]

Iceland run

In 1999 Rosie ran 1,000 miles (1,610 km) solo across Iceland.^[4] The run took her from the Arctic Circle to the capital, Reykjavík.^[17]

South Africa Ultramarathons

To mark the millennium, Rosie Swale achieved a long-standing ambition and successfully completed the challenging 'Comrades Marathon', one of the world's oldest and largest ultramarathons, run over a distance of approximately 90 km (56 mi) between the capital of the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa, Pietermaritzburg, and the coastal city of Durban. The direction of the race alternates each year between the up run starting from Durban and the down run starting from Pietermaritzburg. Equivalent to running two marathons, Rosie Swale Pope completed it in 11 hours 1 minute 1 second.^[4] She was awarded a bronze medal for completing the race, which has been described as the roadrunner's equivalent to climbing Mount Everest.^[18]

Albania run

In 2000 Rosie ran through the Balkans from Macedonia. It was a dangerous run, and she was held up at gunpoint but managed to escape to reach the border.^[4] She flew into Skopje on 11 April 2001 and ran across the then-closed border into Kosovo, then across a closed border through Montenegro, where she ran for twenty-four hours, through deserted villages and deep snow until she reached northern Albania.^[19]

Cuba run

On 8 November 2001, Rosie set off to run 1,360 miles (2,190 km) across Cuba. It took 46 days and she was running the marathon distance every day (and several nights) with a 12 kilograms (26 lb) rucksack on her back and camping in a lightweight bivouac. She lived on rice and sugar cane and had to avoid the Cuban Police, who were concerned for her safety. She also entered and completed the Havana Marathon, finishing in 4 hours and 52 minutes.^[4] Crossing from West to East, and running alone to raise money for the charity Age Concern, the straight-line distance was 750 miles (1,210 km), but Rosie covered over 1,000 miles (1,610 km), camping by the side of the road and in the jungle. The run took almost seven weeks. She reached the Punta de Maisi lighthouse, her finish point, on Christmas Day 2001.^[17]

Cardiff Marathon

Rosie completing Cardiff Marathon in 2002.

Rosie ran the Marathon in Cardiff in 2002, in aid of her local Hospital in West Wales where her husband Clive had died of prostate cancer ten weeks before.^[20] She finished in a time of 4.15.35 (h.m.s), despite a nasty fall six miles (9.7 km) from the finishing line, and received the award for the fastest 55-year-old competitor.^[21]

Nepal run

In April 2003 Rosie ran across Nepal to raise money for the Nepal Trust, a small charity which carries out development work in the remote rural areas of North-West Nepal in a region referred to as the 'Hidden Himalayas'. The journey from one end of Nepal to the other was 1,700 kilometres (1,060 mi) and established a new world-record time of 68 days. Rosie also raised over US$8000 which was used to help sponsor a health camp at the district headquarters of Simikot, Humla.^[22]

Running around the world

When her second husband, Clive, 73, died of prostate cancer in 2002, Rosie decided to run around the world to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Charity and an orphanage in Kitezh, Russia which provides children with education and care.^[3]

Her aim was to run around the northern hemisphere taking in as much land mass as possible, with no support crew and just minimal supplies and sponsorship. Rosie started from her home town of Tenby in Wales on her 57th birthday, 2 October 2003, where her first footfall is engraved in a flagstone on her front step. Equipped with just a small specially designed cart of food and basic camping equipment, the trip was funded by renting out her cottage. By 5 April 2004, she reached Moscow, Russia, and on 15 September 2005, she reached Magadan in far eastern Russia. After facing extreme conditions in the Alaskan Winter, she reached the road again on 17 April 2006, and in October 2006, she was in Edmonton, Canada. Four years after the departure, on 2 October 2007, she reached New York City, US.^[3]

She ran harnessed to her cart, which was designed for sleeping, shelter and storage. Her son James maintained a website that was followed closely by her supporters and provided regular updates and messages about her progress. Her supporter Geoff Hall organised supplies and equipment to reach her around the world. In the Faroes, she took part in an organised midnight hike to take in the scenery. She also gave cultural talks while on the road, and described how she met a naked man with a gun, how Siberian wolves ran with her for a week, and taking a break to run the Chicago marathon along the way.^[3]

Surviving on minimal rations, Rosie fell ill near Lake Baikal in Russia, possibly from a tick bite, and wandered into the path of a bus. She was knocked unconscious and taken in the bus to hospital. In Alaska, she had to cope with temperatures of −60 °F (−51.1 °C) and nearly froze in her sleeping bag at night. She was stuck in a blizzard by the Yukon River and got severe frostbite of her foot. She had no alternative but to call friends in Wales for help, who then called the Alaskan National Guard, who helped her get the frostbite treated, so she could continue on her run.^[8]

She left Canada by air from St John's (Newfoundland) on 24 January 2008, to make a short visit to Greenland before flying to Iceland on 9 February 2008, and continued running to eastern Iceland. While running, she slipped on the ice, breaking several ribs and cracking her hip. She was over a hundred miles (160 km) from the nearest house from where she fell and had to walk two miles (3.2 km), with her injuries, before she was found and got medical attention.^[10]

On 18 June 2008, she arrived at Scrabster, in Scotland's far north, by ferry from Iceland, and ran from Scrabster back home to Tenby. Rosie successfully completed the journey, and despite stress fractures in both legs, which turned the final few miles back to Tenby into a hobble on crutches, she returned to her home on 25 August 2008, at 14:18 local time. A large crowd of Tenby residents and Bank Holiday visitors turned out to witness her return and welcome her home.^[3] Her distance travelled was 32,000 kilometres (19,900 mi).^[23]

Swale wrote a book about her experiences entitled "Just a Little Run Around the World: 5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes", which was released on 28 May 2009.^[3]

Chicago Marathon

While running around the world, she took a break from it during a week after having reached Edmonton, Canada. She took part in the 2006 Chicago Marathon, to which she was invited in order to support charity work. The marathon race took 4:40. After the race, she flew back to Edmonton and continued running around the world.

Ireland Run

In September 2009, Rosie Swale Pope ran 236 miles (380 km) along the east coast of Ireland, from Rosslare to the Giant's Causeway, pulling her cart which she named 'Icebird' to highlight the importance of cancer awareness.^[2] She completed the run on her birthday, 2 October 2009 and the anniversary of setting out on her round-the-world run in 2003,^[24] and said that the Wicklow Mountains were one of her toughest challenges.^[1]

Run across America

In 2015 Rosie began running 3,371 miles across America, from New York to San Francisco.^[25]

How running helped me when my dear father passed away

July 2016 will be always a hard memory to think about. I lost my dad. My life stopped, as my my heart and soul. I was so mentally tired after all this nightmare. The worst was that I couldn't sleep!!! I'm sure you know how it feels when you're very tired and exhausted but you can't find your mental peace. Obviously I didn't have good mood but no energy to argue either LOL. So I decided that if I want to run that marathon ( Chevron Marathon 2016) I had to start as soon as possible. I've always heard that you can control your body and your energy with your mind, but what happens when your mind literally left you? How do you focus your strength and energy back to your normal runner life again?
I tried to start eating my favorite food ( I am a fan of good and healthy food) but it didn't help. I tried going to bed earlier, sometimes just walked or short runs. Anyway, I wasn't the same person. I had changed and had to do something different. One day, I just decided to force myself and went for a 5 miles run. Went through a different area in a park and was "ok". Felt tired but finally that day I slept so good!!!.....again...

Some days I really wanted to run but was my mind the one who pushed me down with a lot of memories of my daddy, our wonderful trips around the world, so many memories. It was a very weird "way of living" for me because I normally was missing him and thinking of when we were going to meet again, etc, etc....and then I realized in those low-sad moments that he won't ever be there again, was a very frustrating and sad though.

Step by step, I was pushing myself to run again. After a month, I started to sleep better but: Just running a max of 2 runs per week and I had a marathon to run in 2 months and a half!!!
Those days when I really enjoyed my run and felt a good spirit on me, I was thinking "I feel good but I don't time enough to train for a marathon in so few time". But as I always like to challenge me, to quit wasn't on my options.
Started to have more energy, doing all my strength recovery, feeling great running again, but, I was pushing very hard to myself. I knew its not good, I knew I could get injure, but my runner spirit was challenging. I took a breath, let some days my muscles to rest and recovery, and came back stronger. During my long runs I used to imagine me crossing the finish line of the Chevron Houston Marathon 2017. I use Facebook a lot to interact with my friends all over the world. I wrote sometimes " If I finish this marathon, it will be my stronger mentally and physically moment of my life"( Thank you to all my friends that are always supporting me and sending so much love after the bad moments).

I got focus in my goal again: Finish this marathon. Started to remember every detail during my runs. The breathing, my body posture, started to lift some weigh again, strengthening my muscles, knees and hips. I was completely feeling that I was back, stronger, and even the hard time that could be the season changing, rain and cold, I was back, and nothing was going to stop me but....I just had ONE MONTH to go to run this marathon.

I focus in all the recovery tips I've always knew and herd. I had to recovery faster than ever to keep me pushing hard, sleeping better, eating adequate, doing exercises to help and get stronger knees and hips. Everything, all I could to improve my body and set my goal, I did it. Every week, I started having less bad and sad memories of my dad. All this strength and energy cleaned my body. Even when my mind and brain were stuck, my body asked me to do it, pushed me, even when I din't have the energy, when I didn't have the time to train for a marathon with the correctly ways, and guess what? On January 15th 2017 I was already at the place, I couldn't sleep, I was so excited and just couldn't wait to test myself. I didn't finish the complete marathon training, but I was so mentally and physically ready. I had my Protein drink for after the marathon, my gels to take during the race, I was so focus, so ready, so ME again, I know my dad was so happy for me too, I know he could see me and was so proud of all the strength I could find in myself, and was there, so ready to start my marathon!

The weather was changing as always in Houston. We had yellow and red flags due the weather. I had a very fresh long sleeve but after some miles I had to take off and after some rainy miles on again . Sadly in all these clothe changes, I lost my LAST 2 gels!!! Who loses 2 gels in the last miles of a marathon???!!! Me. Good I was very good hydrated during all the race, and just keep going, and going, focus in my breathing, posture, trying to don't pay attention to all my tired and sore muscles. No more gels, but were so few more miles and I was decided to finish.

The last mile OMG I was just saying myself  how proud I was of myself, all the pain and sore muscles was just like a sensation, I was there less than a mile. All the people that cheer me up during the streets: I'll never forget you, you never forget those moments when you're trying to breath and a kid or somebody at the sidewalk made you smile. All the family and friends that go to support their runners, they give so much love to all the runners, the volunteers always with a smile, the policemen, thank you, for being there and cheer me up too. I crossed the finish line and immediately look at the sky smiling, and I said to my dad "I love you this medal is for you daddy". Also said to my self "I love you and you're amazing".

Everybody has so much power inside. Sadly, the hardest moments can be the big opportunities to let all your power show you the way up. But never lose your way. The energy we need in every step of our lives in just inside us. Look for it!
"You never know how strong you are, until to be strong is your only choice"

Carolina Muriel
I am a runner and I run with my heart.