Think I may be severely overtrained, anyone have experience?

[ExhaustedRower]

About 3 months ago I had a huge 2k PR. Since then I've proceeded to get significantly slower over the past 3 months. Almost immediately after my 2k my heart rates spiked up a good 20 beats above what they normally should be, whether I was doing an easy steady-state workout or a hard sprint workout. Soon after my heart rates spiked up, I got sick, so I took a few days off of practice. When I returned to practice after recovering from my illness I assumed I would be able to pull roughly the same splits (maybe a bit slower), but for some reason I did not seem to be recovering. Since then I have gotten continuously slower, even though I've been trying to make sure I don't work myself too hard. My steady-state split is now a good 7 seconds higher than it should be.

I went to the doctor last week to see if he could provide any information on what could be wrong with me. I had some bloodwork done, and the results said that everything was normal. However, I still feel like something is wrong. Working out doesn't feel like it used to, even at low intensities after about 30 minutes I just hit a wall where I am totally exhausted, which is something that has never happened in the past 7 years.
Because of this continuing problem I'm thinking that I may need to take a month or two off entirely due to overtraining.

However, I don't know anyone else who has had this problem before, so I wanted to get someone else's opinions before I take time off. Does anyone here have experience with being overtrained? Are there any good objective indicators of overtraining? Subjectively I definitely feel a lot worse than I should, but I don't know if that's a good indication I'm overtrained. The only objective indicator that anything is wrong is that my heart rates are ridiculously high when I work out.

I should also probably mention that I'm a college rower, so I typically log 100k+ meters a week.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Bob S.]

It sounds to me like you need a treadmill ekg test.

Bob S.

[ExhaustedRower]

I should have mentioned that I actually did get a treadmill test last week also. The doctor said I was very healthy for my age. I guess that makes sense, since compared to most people I'm in pretty good shape. However, within 3 months I've experienced a huge decline, uncomparable to anything I've seen in the past 7 years of training.
Maybe its all in my head, but I don't think that's likely. I've never had trouble with the mental aspect of rowing (beyond the normal 2k fear that everyone has).
If anyone has had experience with overtraining I would like to know how they figured out overtraining was the problem, and what they did to get better. Because right now I feel like every workout I do is making me slower.

Thanks

[NavigationHazard]

Cheers - overtraining tends to be what the boffins call it when they've ruled out everything else they can think of.

You might find this article useful:

http://highperformancerowing.net/journa ... erfor.html

[hjs]

Do you feel not good in everything else? Do you sleep well, is your heartrate in rest higher, is you max rate much lower.
Even if you where overtrained not doing anything is not wise. Better to keep training, possibly less on the erg, but keep doing easy stuff you enjoy. Eat well, sleep enough etc.
Before yo set your 2 k pb, how did you feel? overtrainimg does not come up overnight.

[NavigationHazard]

This article too, if your university or college has access to the journal (if not instant access you almost certainly can get it through interlibrary loan in a matter of a day or so): http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1 ... 52#preview

Unfortunately much of the literature on overreaching/overtraining these days is concerned with 1) making the case that it really exists; and 2) identifying it early. This doesn't particularly help people who're already affected (as you seem to be) and need strategies for recovering from it.

[goblin]

When you say 'getting significantly slower', do you mean relative to your huge PR or relative to the range you'd previously performed in?

Do you keep a training log? Have you examined what you were doing leading up to the 2k, and then afterward? Have you altered the pace of your aerobic workouts at all? I am just wondering what changed for the same amount of work to produce results, and then to produce chronic fatigue. The three variables are intensity, volume and recovery. It would be worth examining your training log to see what went awry.

I imagine, if you're a collegiate rower, you have no control over your training regimen once you return to school. I'd recommend taking as much rest as you can before you return for spring semester. Also, recommend the classic wisdom to keep the easy (aerobic work) easy so that the hard can be hard.

[gregory.cook]

I had a similar episode a couple of years ago. I eventually noticed that during what had been easy rows, i.e. HR 130, my HR was getting up to 160.

Are you experiencing something like that?

[wsmith]

sounds like you are overtrained given normal treadmill young age etc. take 3-4 weeks off if you can. enjoy yourself. relax. gain a few pounds. be disciplined the first 2 weeks and no matter what: do not permit yourself any formal training. go for a walk, go to a dance club, whatever, but no formal training.. when the hunger returns to train, start with low intensity and make long range plan. as former MD for US speedskating teams, former elite skater: this happens to most who train really hard....learning to periodize your training over the year will help: peak performances always require some rest after wards at some point.. lots of internet info on training periodization: no matter what the sport: principles are similiar...good luck. wsmith md

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

I'd be hesitant to call it overtraining if you haven't made any significant increase in your training load and have been rowing for a good amount of time. 100+k is definitely a lot of meters (I assume you meant erg + otw when you said that's your training load) but as long as you gradually work toward that distance it shouldn't be too hard of a workload.

If you could provide more info. about what your times were like before this "huge 2k PR" and your times since then that would be helpful. Anyway as some of the other people have said, you might just need to take a week off. It obviously isn't the best thing to do as far as training but compared to the alternative of going on like this and not seeing improvement but rather worsening results, I would say it's your best bet.

[wsmith]

as a college rower, if you have a coach, that is usually a good place to start. wsmith