How are you sleeping?

Could be your immune system trying to fight something. I notice a 10 bpm increase in my rhr when I'm fighting a cold.

BTW, I think your half marathon time going from 1:29 to 1:31 is just noise. If it went from 1:29 to 2:00 and you had to walk several times I would be worried.

My $0.02. Worth want you paid for it. :-)

How is your training program? Any rest WEEKS versus rest DAYS? I usually practice a periodization routine, where every 4th week I have a rest week, where I do the same type of workouts, but not as much. These rest weeks put sleep and recovery at first priority. The last thing I want to do when going into the next 3 weeks of training after a rest week is to be anything BUT well-rested.

Just like when I lifted weights back in high-school, every couple months required a couple weeks OFF from lifting to give the muscles some rest. Otherwards, performance tends to plateau.

Good Luck. I also feel that 1:29 to 1:31 is nothing to worry about, but if you ARE overtraining, maybe that race could have been a 1:20-1:25.

just because you don't feel BAD doesn't mean you couldn't feel BETTER or perform BETTER. Something to think about.

There is a difference between being overtrained and overreached.

With the first, the condition is usually not intentional and can sneak up on you. If truely overtrained you would need some serious rest and recovery to avoid more significant problems. In the second case, it may be a desired result of training focus and produce some form of supercompensation. Examples would be the results of a bike focus or run focus or maybe an Epic Camp. Being overreached, you may be able to recover with just a few days off or an adjusted schedule. Your question doesn't ask "am I overtrained" so I won't offer my opinion. Just this -- if you think you are overtrained you probably are.

The risks of remaining overtrained are a loss of consistency due to injury, illness or burn-out. Most motivated athletes can push through chronic fatigue for a few weeks, but unless _some_ change is made to allow for appropriate recovery there may be a price to pay.

Unless you have significant experience and better than average self control it's best to find balance, build in some recovery each week with five to seven day blocks of recovery each month. This is a generalization -- not specific to anyone. A guideline.

An elevated RHR is not the only symptom of overtraining. Look at changes in sleep, appetite, daily mood, weight, etc.

Like someone else said, a higher RHR could indicate a minor cold or something like that.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Who is your coach and how long ago did he or she turn pro?

I want to train that much!!!

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

I would love to train that much too if my body would let me!

ok, I did a thesis on overtraining about ten years ago. At that time, in over 40 studies that I looked at, there was no one marker for overtraining that stood out. The only thing that would correlate with overtraining was psychological markers. If you're feeling great, don't worry.



derek