Restoration in Long Distance Running – Part 4: Overtraining, and Psychological Recovery

Personally, after training in the evening, I always found a good meal and pursuing another hobby were excellent, and failures, injuries and poor races could be turned into positive motivation to get it right next time (even if I should have gotten it right the first time).

Lastly, if you train every day, one day a week and either resting completely or doing some other physical exercise such as swimming, or like Michael Jazy who broke the world mile record in 1965 with 3.53.6, play knock around soccer every Wednesday so as not to get mentally stale and rest physically.

Of this photograph of the finish of the 5000 metres in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Bill Rogers Running Center says, "Behind him are three of the six men who were challenging for the three medals. On Schul's outside, a step behind, is Harold Norpoth, the pale Young German star, who seems to be on the cusp of a smile, as he knows the silver is his. One step behind Norpoth and directly behind Schul, is the raging, agonized face of Frenchman Michael Jazy.

His body is straining forward in his fruitless attempt at a medal. He finished fourth, losing the bonze medal to American Bill Dellinger in the final step." So you can see that Jazy really did need his weekly kick about at soccer to get to the top!

Recommended Reading

Of course paying for PRT lessons may not be possible, and if you do, you will still find these two books invaluable reading:

Psyching for Sport - Mental Training For Athletes by Terry Orlick (Leisure Press 1986) ISBN 0-88011-273-5

Coaches Training Manual to Psyching For Sport by Terry Orlick (Leisure Press 1986) ISBN 0-88011-274-3

The set of the two books has the following ISBN ISBN 0-88011-275-1

Conclusions

Overtraining has physical as well as overtrainingl consequences. You need to keep your body in good condition and your mind too. Signs of nervous stress indicate you are overtraining and not allowing enough recovery between intensive training sessions, and immediate and effective action is necessary for 3 to 7 days - rest, massage, swimming etc in a holistic approach. Equally, stress and disappointments need to be handled psychologically. Psychologists recommend psycho-regulatory training (PRT) to keep you steady and positive in your thoughts and feelings.

Going running truly requires a holistic approach and to be developed into a healthy lifestyle.

Acknowledgements

'Restoration in Long Distance Running' by M. Zalessky in

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