Overtraining and exhaustion

Overtraining feels different for everyone, but generally it can be a generalized fatigue feeling or progressively poor workouts.  You may get sick randomly.  When I overtrain I always get a cold.  The only "cure" is sleep, good food and reduced or no training.  You can't train through overtraining.  Shutting it down for several days is usually the best advice (you woont lose any fitness, in fact you will gain some becuase your body can unload the fatigue).  Also, overtraining is not just about training too much but all of the stress factors in your life.   

For me I need extra rest when I don't want to work out and when I do it takes a lot of effort to get out the door, hard time focusing, and having doing intervals makes me want to cry and just can't do them..seriously I don't cry hardly ever so that is a good indicator for me.

Also not sleeping well, losing interest in training and just wishing A race was over.

I really think taking time off and sleep is the only way to 'fix' overtraining..

For me, general lethargy, sucky workouts, elevated heart rate and weight gain/water retention. When I start getting that, I generally take one or two days completely off.

John

My coach always tells me that it's usually not over-training - it's under-recovering.  Are you getting 8 hours of sleep a night?  Are you eating healthy foods?  Taking care of yourself?  These things DO make a difference.

This is a decent article that distinguishes between "overreaching" and "overtraining," describes the symptoms, and addresses prevention and treatment.

Friel goes into this in greater detail in the Triathlete's Training Bible.

When I get really irritable over little things I know it's time for rest.  Add to that a low workout heart rate, water retention, craving for sugar and feeling like I could fall asleep anywhere.