Oy.. A lot has happened in the past 2 days. So here's the recap:
Day 30:
Tuesday, February 9, was day 30. I can't believe I made 30 days of exercise! A feat in and of itself. That's amazing. However, I don't feel amazing. On day 30, I did a full ab routine and about 45 minutes of cardio. I've noticed that I'm starting to ache. Not the good, DOMS aching, but the painful "OMG, why do I hurt??" pain.
I've noticed that when I walk on the treadmill, my shins start to burn. My feet are aching as well (in sneakers!) I haven't been sleeping well either. I find it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. Also, my back has been aching quite a bit. So, all of this, leads me to believe that I am suffering from overtraining.
(Courtesy of Wikipedia) Overtraining is a physical, behavioral and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual's exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. They cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness. Overtraining is a common problem in weight training, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes.
Damaging Effects of Overtraining
Physiological
Excessive weight loss
Excessive loss of body fat
Increased resting heart rate
Decreased muscular strength
Increased submaximal heart rate
Inability to complete workouts
Chronic muscle soreness
Fatigue
Increased incidence of injury
Depressed immune system
Constipation or diarrhea
Absence of menstruation
Frequent minor infections/colds
Insomnia
Psychological
Depression
Loss of appetite
Irritability
Loss of motivation
Loss of enthusiasm
Loss of competitive drive
Performance
Early onset of fatigue
Decreased aerobic capacity
Poor physical performance
Inability to complete workouts
Delayed recovery
So, That's my story. It's time for a serious break from the gym and concentrate on healing my body. I've decided not to abandon this completely, but to take another approach. For the next 7 days, I will not go to the gym at all. I will, however, do daily stretching/yoga/pilates sessions for no more than 30 minutes a day. Just to keep my blood flowing and hopefully rejuvenate and soften up the muscles that are so tense...
Day 31
Wednesday, February 11, was day 31. Ha ha! the rest day. Of course I was antsy and wanted to workout. But, I resisted the temptation and stayed in bed resting all day. In the evening, I found some great yoga videos on Youtube. I did yoga for hips and a few vinyasas for warm me up. I still have the headache. Working on that
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Although I'm sorry to hear that you are suffering from the effects of overtraining, I'm so proud of you for everything you have accomplished so far, and I'm glad that instead of giving up completely, you will partake in exercise that will help your body recover and stick with your plan. When you get back on track, it might be a good idea to do the same activity in moderation, or leave out some activity for other days, etc.
Day 9 (Tuesday)
Breakfast: oatmeal
Lunch: other half of portabello mushroom with mozzarella and red peppers on spinach wrap, salad
Dinner: taco salad (TJ's longboard chips under salad under a bit of spicy ground beef), a bit of whole wheat pita
Snack: TJ's blue tortilla chips and guacamole
Day 10:
Breakfast: oatmeal
Lunch: TJ's veggie lasagna in tomato basil sauce, salad
Dinner: salad, TJ's eggplant cutlets with mozzarella on top, mixed veggies
Snack: nuts
Day 10 Exercise:
ab work, ab crunches
leg squats
jogging in place
sorry that doesn't give reps or anything - I wasn't keeping count of anything, lol. I will have amounts of reps for arm work when I report for tonight's Day 11 exercises.
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