Honestly your "symptoms" make it sound like you are just fatigued. Back off a bit and you are probably going to be just fine.

I hope that is all it is. I have been off for three days and don't really feel any better yet.

Do you use Training Peaks, if so, what are your numbers? It sounds like you are tired, not over trained. Try to sleep as much as you can and don't drink booze as well.

Tired, but not over trained.

Have you increased your food/cal intake with the increased training load? If not, that can have a huge effect. Also more training = more rest...

I don't use Training Peaks (probably should start). I have been sleeping 9-10 hours per night. Ok, ok....I will stop having the evening beer (or two)....after today

I think that I have been eating enough....not really counting calories, but eating 4+ times per day and staying full.

I think it is more likely that rest is the issue. I have had several long road trips for work over the past month or two,lots and lots of driving, sleeping in hotels, and eating crappy food (plenty of calories, but probably not the correct ones)

You actually DO sound overtrained to me. How overtrained is the key question - hopefully it's something that 1-2 easy pullback weeks can fix, and not longer.

I've been there, having done similar buildups from 7-8hrs/wk of tri training to 14-15 (no IM for me though, for HIM for me, was overly ambitious in my training goals), but more importantly, I've overtrained it several times in marathon training where I feel it's a lot easier to overtrain since it's one discipline and less x-training.

I used to only think pros and super-dieharders could overtrain, but I've definitely done it - was "PRing" all my key workouts due to really hard race-like training efforts, but felt both mentally and physically 'really on the edge', meaning feeling like the moment I stop, it would all fall apart - and it did. Once I it taper, it was like my body just continued to shut down; rather than recovering and feeling fresher and ready to let it all hang out on race day, my body just went into deep recovery mode and the detraining effects were quite spectacular. In a single week of taper, I went from high-volume training to totally busted and performing as if I was only working out 3-4 hours per week in recovery mode.

I posted recently on my most recent training block where it wasn't really a 'training' block for me, but more of a mental recovery after a hard winter of marathon training at high volume where I did no swims or bike, and I felt mentally and physically burned out from 70+mpw of running. Went back into tri with the lowest expectations I've ever had - limited my training to 8 hrs a week MAX and considered it a victory if I managed to slack off to 4-5 hours per week without feeling bad about it! I prioritized rest and recovery above all, and only did one hardish workout a week which wasn't even VO2max but was LT (1hr effort) effort and for no more than 30 minutes at a time. Felt the best I ever have for race day despite training the least I ever have, and set USAT PRs and won my AG in both races I did. On like half the volume I did for HIMs in the past. And before you just attribute it all to hard marathon training - I actually swam and biked the fastest I had but ran the SLOWEST I ever have for triathlons of those distances, so it wasn't like my run training made me a run superstud that I just need more tapering for - I really outperformed due to being much better on swim/bike and decent enough for myself on the run.

Anyway, you really should be careful about long-lasting fatigue, and pull back earlier rather than later. You don't need to be feeling like super perky recovered all the time, but for sure, if you're taking 2-3 days off and still feeling totally 'bleh' and with no pep in the legs, you should at the least pull back overall volume until you start to come back to where rest days really pump you up for the next quality workout. And don't just look at your training numbers and times to judge - as said, you can literally be setting training PRs all over the map for weeks, but really be doing it just by digging yourself deeper and deeper into the training well with greater and greater risk for race day underperformance.

My situation sounds similar to yours. I was hoping that after a couple of days off I would feel energized, but it just isn't happening. I have the desire to get out there and keep training (its killing me to just sit around), but just no energy. I am planning on taking this weekend off (except for maybe a VERY easy trainer spin), and see how I feel on Monday. With only six weeks until IMLOU, I really need to get over this.

My go to solution for being over tired is to cut down on training (maybe down to 25 -- 30% of prior week load) AND go at about your normal pace for your prior week distances (do not speed up because you are going shorter -- if anything go easier). Do this for a week and see how you are feeling. Try a normal workout again and see how it feels. Do another easy week if necessary. If you are in an over-trained situation (at least my understanding of it) your IMLOU race is already screwed beyond redemption (not that you couldn't finish but recovery from over-training can take months) -- but there are some symptoms that you are not complaining of (e.g., inability to sleep, etc.) so I think there is at least reason to hope that you are not over-trained. Do not worry about detraining during the easy week(s). It has taken you a long time to get your body where it is and it will take quite a while for it to go away. Eat sensibly (you will be burning a lot fewer calories, so don't pork out). Keep a positive outlook (IM's are great for sowing doubt and fear) -- enjoy your extra time. Take a similar approach to IM training as to an IM race -- it is such a long race/training season that things will go wrong -- don't fret these things happened (almost no one in the race will have a perfect race or a perfect training season) -- you will be OK -- work the problem (in a way that does not risk ruining your race in an attempt to catch back up to where you would have been). Good luck.

Thanks for the word of encouragement. I'm going to give it a few more days and try to start some light training again. Hopefully some energy will come back.

Is it possible you picked up a virus or are having some bad allergies? Have you had any illness symptoms? GI? Respiratory? Fevers/Chills? Aches?

Your immune system gets compromised significantly during peak weeks so it's easy to pick up junk.

Something else to consider.

I don't think it is a virus, no fever or chills. Maybe allergies, but I have never had issues before. It feels similar to a virus, no energy, kind of achy all over....but no fever and sleeping ok.

rest up, eat VERY well, and recover.

don't be like me. stress at work, stress in life, sleeping less than 5 hours a night, and ramping up volume.. that's how you get shingles (i also work in health care) a week before your ironman and have to race in searing pain. lol.

at least it was my B race. see you at LOU!

You are right where you should be. Don't take anymore days off by go ez. You will feel not so great when you turn the volume back up until 4-5 days in.
I typically do weeks like this: 3hard1ez,2hard1ez,1hard,taper/race. Always feel a little cooked before an ez week and like doo-doo while resting. It works though. Have faith. 3 days off will not make you feel better for a while but once you get going you will feel better.
Don't stress. Sounds like you are getting fit, not over training. It does not always feel great and not every wko goes just right, but you have been building up consistently which is what works.

Update: I went to the Doctor this week and got blood work back today.....its mono.

Oh no, so sorry to hear this.

Well....looks like you were onto something. I went to the Dr and did blood work, I have mono. Three weeks in and still no energy whatsoever. Looks like I will have to just give it time and rest, the doc said it could take a month or more to get over. Good thing I purchased the insurance for IMLOU.