Start strong and finish strong by not overdoing it in the days and weeks prior. Photo: Ben Rushton
Are you running long distances unnecessarily? Are you training for an event and unsure about how far you should be able to run to be race-ready?
With the fun run season well and truly upon us, it’s something Sydney-based triathlon and running coach Sarah Anne Evans gets asked a lot. “People are always worried about doing too little and often end up doing too much,” she says.
Overtraining is certainly an easy trap to fall into, especially when tackling a distance for the first time. You don’t want to be underdone, but that – ironically – can be your undoing. I got a stress fracture in my ankle from overtraining leading up to the New York marathon and would seriously reconsider my training mix next time round. (Hmm, must get around to that!)