Discussion: Over Training

As a suggestion - You might be showing symptoms of possible over training? You have been doing this BC steadily for some time without time off to recover. Do you have any periodization built in to your plan, esp if you are working steadily to a 50k. Just a thought.

Well, not being very self-motivated, I never imagined that if would come to pass that I was over training. :) So, that is an interesting thought.
Next week is the week off built into the BC schedule every three months. I plan to run 2 of the mornings, if I feel like it, but otherwise take it easy.
I also had the week+ off while in Italy, though we walked a lot about half of the days, and drove around a lot the other days. And with just 2 short runs in 10 days, it seemed like a break. But I came back from there tired, and haven't seemed to recover yet.
So, after the date with my daughter on Saturday for ~6 miles, I will let how I feel next week dictate what I do, or don't do.
I think I wil also need to accept that I can't do BC 5 days a week and increase my running as well. So, I may need to drop it to Tuesday-Thursday, so that I can take Monday & Friday off like I used to.
What do you think of that plan?

That's probably a good start, though some say the most important part of a training program is the recovery period - when the body builds itself back up. The training is straining the body with each workout - kind of destroying it a little. So it needs time to get used to the new stress put on it and build up to accommodate that effort. Once it does, then you can start up again and work to a new higher level. You don't have to stop entirely; just back off and let yourself recover. Periodization seems to be talked about in 4 week cycles: 3 weeks of increasing stress and 1 recovery week at a lower level.

There are also thoughts about changing the routine with each cycle as the body gets used to the exercise in the cycle and the next cycle won't be as much of a benefit.

So your plan - Week off to Italy was good and walking was different - no problem. Short runs are also ok to keep things going. But 1 week off in 3 months seems a bit of over doing it, esp if you are trying to also increase running. Also: You may want to alternate days - a hard/easy pattern of some sort: BC - run - BC - run - BC - weekend rest. Or drop Friday if you have something on the weekend.

For some history - when I was working, I ran at lunch 5 miles every day - hard, no easy days. It was with a bunch of ardent guys. We all did it for stress relief! I never got much better during that period and by the w.e. I was shot. Also developed lots of foot and knee injuries from overuse. The injuries drove me to biking, but the same situation developed - bunch of intense riders and every day was hold on for dear life and try to recover on the weekend.

I found a reasonable guide book a while back and have been following its program loosely for a few years. My fitness has improved reasonably and it helped focus on O to also improve. I can send a spreadsheet program to look at if you are interested.

Guess that is a rather long answer. Hope it might help. But the first thing to do is figure out your goals - what are you doing all this stuff for. Then put a program together towards that goal. And think in terms of say 4 years development, working on a piece each year while keeping other aspects in place.

Good luck.

Thanks, George. I like long answers. And I have some questions and thoughts which I will formulate tomorrow when I have a little more time.