Overtraining: how long did it take you to recover?

Triathlon Forum
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I’ve basically pulled the plug on this racing season after experiencing repeated bouts of overtraining symptoms. Since it’s become clear to me that taking a week or two off is not enough recovery time - even with significant scaling back of training time and intensity - to prevent the symptoms from reappearing a few weeks down the road, I’ve pretty much resigned myself to taking an extended break from training.

So, the next question is: how long a break do I need? As far as I’ve been able to tell (mainly from reading online articles and excerpts from athletic journals), there’s no real consensus on this - partly because the condition is not really that well understood and also because the severity of the condition ranges widely in the individuals in whom it’s observed. So, I thought I would ask the Slowtwitch community - for those of you who have found yourself in a similar hole, how long did it take you to climb out of it? By “similar”, let’s say that you also experienced repeated bouts of overtraining symptoms, could not resolve the problem through short breaks/scaled-back training, and eventually decided to take a “significant” break from training.

Here is some more information about me for the purpose of comparing situations:

I am 38 years old, male. I started training for endurance events in 2001 - up until then, I’d describe my lifestyle as “sporadically active” but often sedentary. I completed my first 1/2 iron race in '02 and my first IM in '04. '05 was the first season I used a periodized training plan (in preparation for IM Wis). Up until then, my approach to training was pretty much just putting in enough miles to feel comfortable with the distance of the event that I was training for. My fitness and race results have improved with experience, but I am still a MOP-level athlete (5:20 at Tupper Lake and 12:22 at IM Wis last year). I only started tracking my weekly training hours in ’05, but in ’05 and ’06 I’d say they were pretty typical of an age-group IM athlete - roughly 10 to 20 hours/week depending on the time of the season.

The symptoms I experience can vary somewhat with the severity of the bout, but they generally subside after a week to 10 days of rest. More often than not, the onset of the symptoms has followed a hard workout (usually running). However, as I’ve cut back on hours and intensity, I’ve found that even workouts I’d normally consider easy are enough to trigger the symptoms. The symptoms have included:

  • episodes of dizziness/faintness/chills
  • increased resting heart rate
  • difficulty sleeping
  • difficulty concentrating
  • moodiness/sadness/heightened emotional response
  • sensitive stomach/loss of appetite/weight loss
  • loss of libido

I first started experiencing these symptoms in late '01. At that point I had no idea what they were and referred to them as “dizzy spells”. I talked to my doctor about them and had several tests done (including a MRI and recording my heart rate for several consecutive days) to rule out some of the more severe possibilities. None of the tests showed any abnormalities. I have continued to periodically experience the symptoms since then. It was only last year that I learned about overtraining and realized that all of the symptoms I’ve listed above show up in one description or another of the condition. Before then, I didn’t really have a consistent approach to dealing with the symptoms – I might take time off from training or not, depending on where I was in the season. Since then, I’ve generally tried to deal with them by taking time off until the symptoms recede (again, this generally takes 7-10 days) and then easing back into training. However, like I said, it’s become clear to me that this approach is not working.

Anyways, I’d appreciate any input from those of you who’ve been unlucky enough to dig a similar hole for yourselves and resourceful enough to get back out of it (and, hopefully, stay out).

Thanks,
Sam

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gotten a full blood workup done?
TSH, Fe etc?

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I’ve been off since April, and I just now feel like training again. Many of my symptoms are similar to yours, plus a few others.

Maybe I’m not cut out to handle long course racing or maybe my body just got off track somehow. I’m not sure, but I was having really serious symptoms that to me mean a lot more than just ‘over-training.’

My recommendation for you would be to see an endocrinologist. It’s at least a good place to start. My regular GP doctor was pretty much a waste and wanted to put me on anti-depressants for my overwhelming fatigue… it turns out that different levels of hormones (testosterone, progersterone, TSH, cortisol, etc) have gotten off-track for me over a period of several years.

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Thanks for the responses. I haven’t had any kind of blood work done yet or seen an endocrinologist. However, perhaps it’s something I should consider. Like austin79, I haven’t had any luck pursuing this with my primary care doctor. When I mentioned the possibility of overtraining to him last year, he pretty much threw up his hands and said “not my department”. It seemed pretty clear that he didn’t really consider it to be a medical condition.

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last year i trained for placid really really hard. afterward i tried to keep up my fitness and forced myself to train through the winter. finally i just couldn’t do it any more. i never had symptoms like you - i just lost desire and motivation. i took 3 months off from everything - started doing yoga during this time because it sounded fun. and it was. after 3 months i felt like training a little so i did. never more than felt fun. usually 30’ of trail running or a 1hr bike outside. nothing indoors as a lot of my placid training was on treadmill and trainer. my advice to stop training now and start again when your body and mind say their ready. might be 3 weeks or 3 months.

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Your point about needing to schedule downtime during the year - as opposed to year-round training - is something I’ve been thinking about. When I went back recently and looked at my training data from the last couple of years, I was surprised to see that I hadn’t taken a complete break longer than 2 weeks since early '05. Also, most of the 1-2 week breaks that I took during that time were either due to overtraining symptoms or were post-Ironman breaks.

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my advice to stop training now and start again when your body and mind say their ready. might be 3 weeks or 3 months.
You forgot “pick your coaches wisely” :wink:

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first off you did the right thing by researching it in exercise journals, i do not understand why more people dont do that for there training questions. you asked how long it takes to recover and you got it right by saying that it depends on the individual and it also depends on how badly you had overtrained. now many people talk about taking some down time during the year and although that is good, and recommended, what is more important is that the chronic exercise we do is smart and not overtraining in itself. overtraining is not just going for months without a break, it is going hard once and not letting the body recover or not following the correct protocol for periodization. although im throwing myself to the wolves of ST by saying this but many people overtrain on this board. if you can manage a high volume of high intensity then great, do it. but most people on here are not at that level where their body can recover that quickly and therefore just do high volume of pushing through those epic workouts. you can overtrain in the matter of weeks, or you can do it in the matter of months, years even. you have to look at everyday and do the workout that best fits that part of your training, not just what you need to do to make sure you hit 300miles for the week. if you are due for a day off, take it. do not try to make up a hard workout that didnt go so well with another one the day after. the elites that train smart have gone years with constant training with downtime here and there but the point is they did not have to take months off for overtraining because they trained smart. continue reading your journals and once you notice that your sleep patterns are back to normal then start to think about coming back into things. there are certain workouts that stimulate neuromuscular development and these are the kind that you should think about doing in the beginning of getting back into things. good luck. if you have any specific physiological questions ask away but i would recommend looking it up on journals as there is a lot of research out there.

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Also check cortisol spikes, adrenal output as well as endocrine.

You might have to do a 24-hr cortisol check for this… It’s probably worth it. You may have disturbed your adrenal system as well as any other system.

I know other people who have done this… but they weren’t as attentive as you to finally admitting it, or maybe you are finally at the point where you CAN admit to yourself that something’s off. Most people would not admit that they have loss of libido – but I’d say that it’s a MAJOR issue especially if there’s a mood change also.

Check those issues out. I recommend seeking a sports doc who can understand your sports desires as well as these functions. It may feel uncomfortable to go to an out-of-shape doc who says, “Just stop training altogether. What’s the problem with that?” You need a quality medical partner to help you.

My 2c
Lauren

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Those are pretty much the tests that were run for me - between the endocrinologist and a naturopath.

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“Maybe I’m not cut out to handle long course racing or maybe my body just got off track somehow.”

This is a really good revelation. Many body types aren’t created for endurance sports, no matter how much someone wants to do them, wants to win, wants to push oneself, etc. Some bodies are perfect for explosive strength …and some for endurance… some for sustained strength… and some for a combination.

It’s important to check it out. I used to blow off pain or other issues because I thought I was being a sissy – or rather, others would tell me not to be a sissy. Then someone said, “Why don’t you respect yourself enough to check out those issues with a professional?” BAM! That comment hit me hard. I realized that the people who told me I was ‘a sissy’ were people who were beating on themselves and had created sustained, lifelong chronic injuries.

…my first visit with a doc due to a nagging issue came up with a result of “severe anemia”, due to hard travel, extreme conditions, and non-nutritious food (working in China). Up until this time, I was calling myself a sissy and trying to slog through the fatigue and dizziness. But the doc put me on weeks of extended iron therapy, which turned me around! I am glad I listened to the person to told me to listen to my body at a deeper level!

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Another area I probably need to pay more attention to is nutrition. I think my diet is generally OK, but I have never really spent much time/effort monitoring what I’m eating, or tracking potential stressors like alcohol/caffeine intake. My weight is on the heavy side for endurance events (it’s ranged from 180-200 lbs over the last 2 years), which presumably makes running that much more stressful.

I will start looking for a doctor to talk to. I’m in the Boston area - there’s no shortage of doctors around here, so hopefully I can find someone who’s knowledgeable about these issues.

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Likely this isn’t the answer, but after having a crappy past 6 weeks…I went to see a Doc after sitting on a park bench on top of Vail pass last weekend after getting dropping from the group I was pulling.

Ding, ding…Sinus infection and walking pnuemona! I always had a lot of snot and trouble breathing, so it never really occurred to me that I had an infection. While coughing up a pound of green stuff at Triple Bypass, my friends kinda demanded I see a Doc.

I’m on (4) meds now…one of which is a antibotic and got through my 6 hour bike yesterday like a champ, got my 2.5 hour run done this morning and now going out for a MTB.

I thought old age was catching up…never thought it was an infection. Feel like Superman this week!

Good luck.

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“I have never really spent much time/effort monitoring what I’m eating, or tracking potential stressors like alcohol/caffeine intake. My weight is on the heavy side”

You probably should have mentioned you were a fat drunk in the original post!! : ) just kiddin’

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“Another area I probably need to pay more attention to is nutrition. I think my diet is generally OK, but I have never really spent much time/effort monitoring what I’m eating, or tracking potential stressors like alcohol/caffeine intake. My weight is on the heavy side for endurance events (it’s ranged from 180-200 lbs over the last 2 years), which presumably makes running that much more stressful.”

YES. Nutrition can be a factor for succeeding or tanking. Take your pick which you want.

Again, I do recommend that you talk to a sports med doc, preferably one who has experience with endurance sports. You will get a better viewpoint and recommendations. I also suggest that you take these results from the doc and then work with either a coach, a nutrition professional, or, AT LEAST, compare your current food-intake with what the tri experts recommend in books. Be ruthless with your self-assessment: it’s the best way to mindfulness & success.

Even gaining 20 lbs in 2 yrs in an indicator that you need better help for your nutrition… no matter what the numbers are! … but I agree, it’s tough to pull 200lbs in an IM!

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“Even gaining 20 lbs in 2 yrs in an indicator that you need better help for your nutrition… no matter what the numbers are! … but I agree, it’s tough to pull 200lbs in an IM!”

partly out of embarrassment, and partly for clarification, I’ll say that I was towards the lower end of that range for my IM races, and it’s only over the last six months or so that it’s risen towards the higher end - basically, the result of a significant drop in training volume/intensity combined with no real change in eating habits. But I agree that it’s an area I need to treat more seriously.

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“I’ll say that I was towards the lower end of that range for my IM races, and it’s only over the last six months or so that it’s risen towards the higher end - basically, the result of a significant drop in training volume/intensity combined with no real change in eating habits. But I agree that it’s an area I need to treat more seriously.”

I understand. And you didn’t say if you were a heavily-muscled type (“mesomorph”), which may be thick bones and thick muscles also. So just take this whole conversation simply as ‘awareness’ to get to a doctor, research “proper” nutrition and recovery, and get a nutrition professional to assist you if needed. Once you recover from the overtraining, if there is no lasting hormonal damage, you can probably get to a quality place in your training - whether it be long races (IMs) or shorter distances (Olys or sprints). You work it out.

Best wishes,
Lauren

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Thanks for all your input - I do appreciate it.

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All good responses…esp Paulo’s:-)

the cortisol, yea maybe. Full blood work…FOR sure, I just had it done, it is nice to eliminate any REALLY BAD things (Mono, Cancer, etc)

On my end, I think it is VERY hard to truely be over-trained, I like to think that people get under-rested. As I assume you have a normal life with work/family/bills/dogs/little league/mortage etc. These are stressors, just like training and we often neglect these. So I would look to tidy up ALL of these, dial in your diet to make sure you have nice energy level throughout the day/week/month and then try to get back to some light training as you feel better.

There is a saying…“you can’t be over-trained if you trained enough to start with”…or Paulos concept that fatigue is a “virtual” thing.

Good luck, get better asap.

Kurt

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…or Paulos concept that fatigue is a “virtual” thing.

That was a JOKE!

But in general I would agree with you. It’s virtually impossible for an age-group athlete to suffer from overtraining syndrome. You might feel tired, fed up, lethargic, etc, but the bottom line is that the description that the OP gives is not of overtraining.

The advice is simple, but it’s a simple problem to solve. Take a break. It can last 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years. Or maybe it will last forever, what is wrong with that? If you want to do triathlon at a serious level, just wanting to do triathlon is not enough, you need to have a deep desire to do it. If you’re goal is to be a recreational athlete, no problem there, just accept what your goals and level of commitment are.

Denial vs acceptance, which one are you going to pick?