Get Fast Podcast - Triathlon, Ironman & Cycling Coaching Advice · TriVelo Coaching

5 Signs You’re Overtraining and Don’t Know It Yet

·57 min·5 clips

Jordan Donnelly reveals why 30-60% of endurance athletes overtrain without realizing it.

This episode focuses on identifying the often-missed signs of overtraining in endurance athletes. Host Jordan Donnelly is joined by Gerard Donnelly, a former Australian Ironman champion and head coach of TriVelo Coaching. They emphasize that athletic improvement requires both training and recovery, not just increased workload. Studies estimate 30-60% of endurance athletes experience some form of overtraining, with 10-20% developing true overtraining syndrome. Overtraining syndrome leads to prolonged fatigue and performance decline, requiring months or longer to recover from. The hosts position themselves as coaches who sometimes feel like "party poopers" for restraining athletes to protect their well-being. A key goal is helping athletes maintain consistency in their training by avoiding excessive fatigue. One sign discussed is a persistent, elevated resting heart rate upon waking. Another indicator is a decline in workout performance despite consistent effort. The hosts mention increased susceptibility to illness and frequent minor injuries as warning signals. Emotional changes, like unusual irritability or a loss of motivation for training, are also highlighted. A surprising claim is that many athletes mistake the symptoms of overtraining for simply not training hard enough. The hosts note that overtraining can creep in even when an athlete feels they are following a sensible plan. They observe that athletes often need to be stopped from doing more than their bodies can recover from. The conversation is framed around preventing athletes from reaching a point of fatigue where they "can't function." The tone is educational and conversational, drawn from the hosts' direct coaching experiences. The style is advisory, blending statistical data with practical coaching anecdotes. Endurance athletes, particularly triathletes and cyclists focused on optimizing performance, would find this episode highly relevant. Listeners who believe more training is always the best solution might reconsider their approach after hearing this discussion.

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