Listening to your body??

Good question and one I struggle with during my peak training weeks.  There is a fine line between pushing yourself and over training.  I think this is where the second opinion of a coach helps.  Next best thing to rely on is a good training plan.  Lastly, and the method I use that seems to work well for me, is get out on the road and go.  If after a few miles I don't feel the love, I'll cut it short with no shame and no guilt. 

~Mike 

Good call.  I've got 10 more weeks on the HIM plan with max weeks of about 10 hrs until I jump to the IM plan.  I was a touch discouraged because my thoughts were "If I'm getting tired on the HIM plan at 7-8 hours, how will I handle the IM plan with 12-14 hours?"

Also, because of my work schedule, I don't have the luxury of 3-4 "2-a-days" each week so I end up spreading out my training over 7 days.  Bad idea?

I agree with Mike; start the workout, get warmed up, and if I still feel like crap, then call it quits.  Not surprisingly, some of the best workouts come on days when you feel too tired to work out before hand.  I've heard that said by many people on this site. 

However, listen to your body and if you've felt overly fatigued for an extended period, then it might be time for a rest.  

It also helps to have a coach.   They notice those types of trends in your workouts.

I agree with listening to your body but you don't want to drop a key workout.  When I drop workout, it's more the filler workouts.  I try to hit the long workouts and the ones that involve intensity.

Ernie

Great thread and something many athletes wonder about.  Experience in endurance training helps a ton, but short of that I almost always err on the side of caution and yes, a coach is an immense help as a sounding board...especially if you've worked with them for several years.

My coach and I have worked together for 6 years and he knows when I'm being a "lazy" and knows when I/he need to back it off.

Good question.  I think I just 'know' after doing this for a while.

However, I tend to error on the side of doing it.  I RARELY don't do a workout or at least start it.

In most cases, if I feel down or not up to it or tired, I go out with the idea to do a recovery bike/swim/run.  Easy Z1 work.  It usually ends up several different ways.

1. Just do the workout in z1
2. End up feeling better after the warm up or into the main portion of the workout and pick it up.
3. End up having a breakthrough workout!

I can't remember not completing a workout, though.  If any thing, I will just spin or jog/walk to finish it.

I may also swith things around.  Do a lighter day of the plan and push a harder workout for later.  At least I'm doing something.  Or maybe do a bike instead of a swim if I just don't feel like swimming or feel any kind of swimming aches or pains.

Really great question and really great advice.  So glad this thread was started.  I do think it comes with experience.  I have not trained because my body was begging for a break.  I did wonder if I was just being lazy, but in retrospect I wasn't.

Listening to my body tell me to rest also has helped me recognize laziness better.  I had my long run scheduled Sunday, but I put it off until Monday...and put it off until Tuesday...and then decided to quit living in the past and scrap it and move on with my current plan.  Because I knew how I felt when truly tired, I was able to better spot my own BS and realize I was just unmotivated and being lazy the last couple days.

You'll get there!

I've always went on the side of caution, and if I just feel that overtraining sluggishness I take an extra day off.  Athletes don't want to deviate from the plan, but you have to listen to your body.

My first year of running I stuck to my schedule like clockwork, and it just got me injured more than I care to remember.