Pushed myself too hard

mhwitt74
mhwitt74 Posts: 159 Member
edited November 19 in Fitness and Exercise
I think I may have over done the gym and cardio this week. I went farther than ever on my runs and upped my weights at the same time. Yesterday I felt like crap and barely slept last night. Feel really rough today. Has anyone else had this problem and what can I do to recover quicker? Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • mom2kateRH
    mom2kateRH Posts: 178 Member
    Yep. Have totally experienced this. To the point I had muscle twitching that kept me up all night.

    Try VERY light exercise today (eg walk or very slow, easy jog), stretching/yoga. Soaking in tub might help. I actually used to take ice baths when I trained for marathons followed by warm shower. It actually felt terrible while in the tub but great after.

    Good nutrition, good hydration. No heavy lifting
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    What can you do? Make sure to get adequate rest, push yourself but never beyond your limits, and start an active recovery routine if you haven't already. This might include scheduled rest days, increasing stretching, increasing SMR, planning the days you hit the gym hard and the days you deload, etc.

    I guess what i'm saying is... if you're on a progressive plan that is periodized appropriately you shouldn't have to worry about overdoing it.
  • mhwitt74
    mhwitt74 Posts: 159 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    What can you do? Make sure to get adequate rest, push yourself but never beyond your limits, and start an active recovery routine if you haven't already. This might include scheduled rest days, increasing stretching, increasing SMR, planning the days you hit the gym hard and the days you deload, etc.

    I guess what i'm saying is... if you're on a progressive plan that is periodized appropriately you shouldn't have to worry about overdoing it.

    Thanks for the advice. Pretty sure that I have pushed too much in the cardio department. I always try to beat my previous run time and for the last 2 workouts really pushed hard. Think I'll take a couple days rest and recover then start back at a slightly slower pace.
  • glasstacular
    glasstacular Posts: 56 Member
    I'm dealing with the same thing right now. Once I get on track with my training, I always hate taking a day off from the gym. I couldn't sleep last night and I feel exhausted. Ive been lifting in the mornings and then go back and do an hour on the stairmill in the evenings. So today needs to be a rest day, despite really wanting to go to the gym.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,246 Member
    I'm likely older than most of the responders, but I still want to think I'm 25 in the fitness department. I will just go, go, go for days on end and then suddenly I hit the wall. I always think WHAT? What's wrong with me? Am I getting sick? No. Just need a rest day - a real rest day.

    I think our bodies are pretty good at self-regulating. When it's had enough, it lets you know. So, just need to pay attention and take that R & R.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    edited June 2017
    dewd2 wrote: »
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    What can you do? Make sure to get adequate rest, push yourself but never beyond your limits, and start an active recovery routine if you haven't already. This might include scheduled rest days, increasing stretching, increasing SMR, planning the days you hit the gym hard and the days you deload, etc.

    I guess what i'm saying is... if you're on a progressive plan that is periodized appropriately you shouldn't have to worry about overdoing it.

    Thanks for the advice. Pretty sure that I have pushed too much in the cardio department. I always try to beat my previous run time and for the last 2 workouts really pushed hard. Think I'll take a couple days rest and recover then start back at a slightly slower pace.

    That's how you get slower.


    Ain't that the truth.

    There was a 6 or 8 week study using military members prepping for the run portion of their annual eval.

    Half the group ran 3-5 days a week at the test distance... trying to improve their time every week.

    The other half ran 3 days a week. With an A/B program A was repeating Sprints at various distances from 1/8-1/3 of the test distance and B was LSD at 1.5-3 times the test distance.

    The best result from the group 1 folks was no change in test performance.... Most got moderately slower, some got much slower

    The worst result from group 2 was no change in test performance. Most got moderately faster. Some got much faster.
  • ChelzFit
    ChelzFit Posts: 292 Member
    I am the worst at this. I push and push until it hits me hard. I have seriously overtrained twice in my life, totally messed with my hormones and the first time took an entire year to recover. The second time was recently and I am still trying to get back into things without pushing myself to hard. I just honestly love to exercise, I love the endorphins and the sense of accomplishment I feel when I am done. I am an OCD type A person so doing things in moderation is hard for me.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    What can you do? Make sure to get adequate rest, push yourself but never beyond your limits, and start an active recovery routine if you haven't already. This might include scheduled rest days, increasing stretching, increasing SMR, planning the days you hit the gym hard and the days you deload, etc.

    I guess what i'm saying is... if you're on a progressive plan that is periodized appropriately you shouldn't have to worry about overdoing it.

    Thanks for the advice. Pretty sure that I have pushed too much in the cardio department. I always try to beat my previous run time and for the last 2 workouts really pushed hard. Think I'll take a couple days rest and recover then start back at a slightly slower pace.

    That's really not a good way to become a better runner...
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Yep, just recovered from something similar last week. Ran a long run (first time at that distance in 6 mos.) in the hottest and most humid weather of the year so far and it completely wiped me out. Oh, and that week was also an uptick in weekly mileage.

    For my two typical rest days following I was dropping off to sleep every time I sat down.

    I actually only started to feel better after my 1st short run this week. Did it absolutely as slowly as possible. Felt horrible to start, but by the end I felt a ton better. Rest and light recovery exercise should put you right.
  • mhwitt74
    mhwitt74 Posts: 159 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    What can you do? Make sure to get adequate rest, push yourself but never beyond your limits, and start an active recovery routine if you haven't already. This might include scheduled rest days, increasing stretching, increasing SMR, planning the days you hit the gym hard and the days you deload, etc.

    I guess what i'm saying is... if you're on a progressive plan that is periodized appropriately you shouldn't have to worry about overdoing it.

    Thanks for the advice. Pretty sure that I have pushed too much in the cardio department. I always try to beat my previous run time and for the last 2 workouts really pushed hard. Think I'll take a couple days rest and recover then start back at a slightly slower pace.

    That's really not a good way to become a better runner...

    So how do you you train to be a better runner?
  • mhwitt74
    mhwitt74 Posts: 159 Member
    stealthq wrote: »
    Yep, just recovered from something similar last week. Ran a long run (first time at that distance in 6 mos.) in the hottest and most humid weather of the year so far and it completely wiped me out. Oh, and that week was also an uptick in weekly mileage.

    For my two typical rest days following I was dropping off to sleep every time I sat down.

    I actually only started to feel better after my 1st short run this week. Did it absolutely as slowly as possible. Felt horrible to start, but by the end I felt a ton better. Rest and light recovery exercise should put you right.

    Thanks, I took today off and have pretty much done nothing. Going to go back out tomorrow and just go for a moderate walk instead of a run. Maybe just do some weight training instead of running and lifting the same day.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    What can you do? Make sure to get adequate rest, push yourself but never beyond your limits, and start an active recovery routine if you haven't already. This might include scheduled rest days, increasing stretching, increasing SMR, planning the days you hit the gym hard and the days you deload, etc.

    I guess what i'm saying is... if you're on a progressive plan that is periodized appropriately you shouldn't have to worry about overdoing it.

    Thanks for the advice. Pretty sure that I have pushed too much in the cardio department. I always try to beat my previous run time and for the last 2 workouts really pushed hard. Think I'll take a couple days rest and recover then start back at a slightly slower pace.

    That's really not a good way to become a better runner...

    So how do you you train to be a better runner?

    How long have you been running and what are your goals. These answers will influence my advice.

    Rest is very important and going hard all the time will make you slower and lead to injury. Depending on your answers above, your best plan may be to run slowly all the time while increasing the distance gradually. Or, if you are more experienced (you have a good base built up), adding 1 or 2 speed sessions per week is a good idea. Your other runs must be slow.
  • mhwitt74
    mhwitt74 Posts: 159 Member
    dewd2 wrote: »
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    What can you do? Make sure to get adequate rest, push yourself but never beyond your limits, and start an active recovery routine if you haven't already. This might include scheduled rest days, increasing stretching, increasing SMR, planning the days you hit the gym hard and the days you deload, etc.

    I guess what i'm saying is... if you're on a progressive plan that is periodized appropriately you shouldn't have to worry about overdoing it.

    Thanks for the advice. Pretty sure that I have pushed too much in the cardio department. I always try to beat my previous run time and for the last 2 workouts really pushed hard. Think I'll take a couple days rest and recover then start back at a slightly slower pace.

    That's really not a good way to become a better runner...

    So how do you you train to be a better runner?

    How long have you been running and what are your goals. These answers will influence my advice.

    Rest is very important and going hard all the time will make you slower and lead to injury. Depending on your answers above, your best plan may be to run slowly all the time while increasing the distance gradually. Or, if you are more experienced (you have a good base built up), adding 1 or 2 speed sessions per week is a good idea. Your other runs must be slow.

    I have only been running for about 4-5 months. I do intervals of running for 1 minute and a half and then slow down to a walk for 1 and a half minutes. I end up doing 2.75 miles in thirty minutes and my goal for right now is trying to get to 3 miles in thirty minutes.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    dewd2 wrote: »
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    mhwitt74 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    What can you do? Make sure to get adequate rest, push yourself but never beyond your limits, and start an active recovery routine if you haven't already. This might include scheduled rest days, increasing stretching, increasing SMR, planning the days you hit the gym hard and the days you deload, etc.

    I guess what i'm saying is... if you're on a progressive plan that is periodized appropriately you shouldn't have to worry about overdoing it.

    Thanks for the advice. Pretty sure that I have pushed too much in the cardio department. I always try to beat my previous run time and for the last 2 workouts really pushed hard. Think I'll take a couple days rest and recover then start back at a slightly slower pace.

    That's really not a good way to become a better runner...

    So how do you you train to be a better runner?

    How long have you been running and what are your goals. These answers will influence my advice.

    Rest is very important and going hard all the time will make you slower and lead to injury. Depending on your answers above, your best plan may be to run slowly all the time while increasing the distance gradually. Or, if you are more experienced (you have a good base built up), adding 1 or 2 speed sessions per week is a good idea. Your other runs must be slow.

    I have only been running for about 4-5 months. I do intervals of running for 1 minute and a half and then slow down to a walk for 1 and a half minutes. I end up doing 2.75 miles in thirty minutes and my goal for right now is trying to get to 3 miles in thirty minutes.

    I'd suggest taking a look at the "couch to 5K" app and, even though you are already doing more, start it at the beginning and work your way through. Then move to the 10k app.

    As your distance increases, the time it take to run a 5k will decrease. No need to run fast to get faster (at least until you can comfortably run 10k without stopping).
  • abbzpwn
    abbzpwn Posts: 38 Member
    Sounds like a case of over-training which is when your training loads exceed your recovery capacity. This could disturb your sleep and make it more likely to injure your self... meaning to say that exercising too much is more detrimental than beneficial (too much of anything is bad, honestly). So to dampen yourself from possibly over training you should slowly increase your progression in running/lifting instead of shocking your body. Take a rest day or two and aim for quality 7-9 hours of sleep. Possibly get a deep tissue massage if you can :)
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