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How to know if you are overtraining

After organizing the 1,000-mile walk/run challenge group in September of 2020, I did the math to determine how many miles per day I needed to walk/run to meet my goal. In the end, the total would be I needed to do about three miles per day if I took no days off. Whew, that seemed like a lot, but I knew it was doable with little effort. My unanswered question was if my plan would have me overtraining my body.

Experience told me that I should listen to my body and make adjustments if I have any abnormal pains or discomfort, but how could I avoid overtraining in the first place? From playing sports in high school and my time in the military, I knew that stretching before and after physical exercise would help prevent some injuries, but what else did I need to know?

The Mayo Clinic published an article titled “Walking: Trim your waistline, improve your health” that outlined the many benefits of walking that included that you could maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat, prevention or management of various conditions, improving cardiovascular fitness and strengthening bones and muscles to name a few. The article recommended starting at 5 minutes of walking and gradually increasing to 60 minutes or more. Each individual would have to gauge their limits. This information was good news because the average person can walk between three and four miles in an hour.

When it comes to running, Active.com published an article “Why too much running is bad for your health” that stated that a runner that runs over 20 miles per week at a pace faster than 8 miles per hour could see diminishing health benefits. They mentioned that the sweet spot seemed to be between five and 19 miles per week at six to seven miles per hour spread throughout three to four sessions.

This information helped me develop a plan that worked for my lifestyle and incorporated this information that was new to me. I chose to alternate between running and walking each day, and I determined that I would walk for 12 miles and run for nine miles during some weeks, and vice versa other weeks.

As the great boxer Mike Tyson once said, everyone has a plan until you get hit in the mouth. Life sometimes hits you in the mouth, but go back to the original plan and make adjustments when life does this.

Over the next year, I followed this plan when I could and made up the difference when I could not stick to the plan. The plan itself helped me know if I was doing well. My best advice to anyone starting this journey is to stay within your limits but constantly push yourself to your goals. Use the research that I have provided in this post to know when you may be overtraining. In the end, remember that you can do this. Lace up your sneakers, and let's keep it moving.

Sources:

Walking: Trim your waistline, improve your health - Mayo Clinic 
Why Too Much Running Is Bad for Your Health | ACTIVE