"How to avoid it? That is not so easy for many runners. They may know the early symptoms of overtraining but they are seldom objective about their own overtraining symptoms."

- Grete Waitz,
9-time winner of the New York City Marathon

When is it too-much? How to avoid over-training
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If you are new to the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge or have recently started a running program, you may not be familiar with what constitutes overtraining; or I should say overstraining.

For several years I have been coaching runners, from beginners to world class, and I know that the term overtraining is often associated with elite athletes. But I can tell you it does not only happen to so called professional athletes. Running three times a week can be too much if it is more than your body or lifestyle can handle. Since running is not the only stress factor, you have to consider factors such as job responsibilities, family obligations, social interactions, financial concerns and other things that go on in your life.

Also, at any level too much too soon can be overtraining. I believe that is the most common mistake. Even if you build up your mileage gradually, you may go beyond a certain point and your body is unable to handle more. Overtraining can also happen if you increase the speed of your training pace too fast.

How to avoid it? That is not so easy for many runners. They may know the early symptoms of overtraining but they are seldom objective about their own overtraining symptoms.

I can use myself as an example. I can easily recognize overtraining in others but not in myself. I often judged my fatigue more by moods. If it was difficult to sleep or I was cranky, impatient or annoyed, I was probably overtraining. In my case, family and friends often knew it before I did. When I started to snap at my husband Jack more than usual, he knew it was time to analyze my training and probably cut back.

If you are in doubt about your training, consider these questions:

• Does your normal comfortable training pace make you tired?
• Are your legs feeling heavy too often?
• Do you avoid climbing stairs because they make you tired?
• More often than not, do you not feel like running?
• Are you feeling generally fatigued, have a sore throat or a higher heart rate than normal?

You can have some of these symptoms without being overtrained. I can often feel heavy legged and don’t feel like running, but I go for a run anyway. Usually the feeling goes away after some minutes of running. When it lasts the whole run I know I am better taking a day off. Overtraining is wasted training. I have learned it the hard way so my advice to you is never try to overcome fatigue with force. When in doubt, take a day off.

I have said many times that I wished I was a smarter runner. I remember what John Walker, former world record holder in the mile, said about his training. He let his body dictate the schedule. For instance if he planned to run 10 hard quarters for an evening workout and felt terrible doing one, he would pack up and go home. I thought that was great.

The best advice I can give you is don’t ignore the small warning signs if they last for several days. Remember that running is supposed to enhance your life, not rule it.