Overtraining is defined as fatigue, stale training, poor race performance, irritability and loss of enthusiasm for running, caused by excessive mileage or too many hard workouts. Serious overtraining can cause sleep disturbances, hampered immune function, poor appetite and, in women, the cessation of menstrual periods.
Cut back on your running for a minimum of two weeks. Experiment with cutting back on mileage, adding rest days and substituting cross-training to see what works best.
If you suspect serious overtraining, cut your running back to only two or three days a week, 30 to 45 minutes at an easy to moderate effort. You can supplement this with more stretching and some cross-training on other days of the week, but no more than an hour at an easy to moderate effort.
When you're feeling better and you're ready to increase your running, look at your training over a year and plan periods when you'll train hard and race; follow these with periods of easier running and lower mileage.
