Overtraining in Running

When I began to write this blog this past spring, I discovered that there were quite a few bloggers out there who were devoted to running and recording their experiences on their blogs. Almost all of them were competitive runners who put in rather strenuous training routines, some more than others. Their ages varied quite a bit, as well as what they wanted to ultimately get out of running. For the most part, though, I sensed a certain culture of competitiveness that pervaded the blogs. It was almost as if the blogs themselves helped them to work out even harder.

I did notice, though, that after a while, many of them came to suffer various injuries (mostly foot, ankle, leg, and knee) that effectively put them out of action for a while. During recovery, they'd often keep their blogs going (but sometimes they'd stop it) and remonstrate about had tough it was to be inactive while they recovered. Then they'd pretty much have to start all over with their training, which they'd, once again, go at with the same zeal as before.

Now I know, from personal experience, how alluring the idea of excelling in a competitive running race can be. And it can be a great incentive for training if I see, sometime in the not-to-distant future, a race that I'd like to enter and run in. But I have to draw the line somewhere and realize that running is for me and not the reverse. When I first resumed running this past spring, I overdid my training a bit and strained some ligaments in my right foot. After recuperating, I decided to take things much easier. Originally planning to run (eventually) every day, I've instead pretty much limited my workouts to two or three times per week. And yet I seem to be stronger and faster because of this! My philosophy is now to enjoy running and make it a more gradual, enduring part of my life.

Maybe I'll enter some of those running races in the future. But my emphasis will be not to overtrain for anything. Even should I decide to enter a race in the future, I'm determined to train just as I've become used to. I have much more meaningful (for myself) goals with running, and they don't necessarily translate into the "Runner's World" culture that so many others rabidly buy into. And, hopefully, by this I'll also be able to further avoid the avoidable kinds of injuries that others suffer because of their overtraining.