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Over-training is very real (my experience of needing a break and a revelation for me)
I've been working out consistently since the summer with lots of running, gym workouts and weights etc. I lost 35 lbs and really resisted taking breaks. BUT last week I was experiencing fatigue, mental exhaustion, emotional hyper-sensitivity and lots of anxiety as well as frustration at a 6-week plateau in weight loss. So, I took 4 days off. On the fourth day I woke up feeling energised and HAPPY. I hadn't realised how working out so much (in conjunction with school and work) had affected my mood.
AND the biggest thing is that I dropped 2 lbs this week from my plateau.
I resisted taking the much needed break for so long but it really is the best thing sometimes. Now I just need to be careful as I build up the miles from June for the marathon I hope to run in October.
Re: Over-training is very real (my experience of needing a break and a revelation for me)
Ovetraining takes MONTHS to get over. Often you will have to take 3-6 months completely off of exercise. You were probably overreached. It's very common for people to overreach. A few days off and then a few days of working out at a lower intensity is usually enough to "cure" overreaching. Don't forget that you need at least one day each week completely off to let your body recover. For me, I find that I need 2 days off with no exercise.
These links will explain the difference between overreaching and overtraining. What applies to cycling or running in this case applies to most sports:
http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/How_to_Tell_When_You_re_Over-Reaching_or_Over-Training.htm
http://www.powerbar.com/articles/49/over-reaching-versus-over-training-gaining-the-benefits-but-avoiding-the-pitfalls.aspx
http://www.training4cyclists.com/overreaching-is-not-equal-to-overtraining/
Southeastern Cycling
My Nest Bio and Cycling Advice
I'm so glad you took the break you needed NOW instead of doing what I did and continuing to train...and even increasing intensity to try and compensate for dwindling performance. Saddle is right...true overtraining takes months to get over. As in my case....and even after taking the time off. The psycholigical effect is almost worse. Am I overtraining or not working hard enough? I still struggle with it.
Anyway! Glad you are feeling better. Rest is so so so important!!
Rest days are just as important as training days. And someone here at one point said that they take a week off every 10 or 12 weeks and I thought that was great advice. It makes you miss running, working out etc.
Also, your dog is adorable!
I'm glad you were able to take a rest and catch it in time! Sometimes we all need a break!
Words, however, are important when they mean different things. If I told you that
"I drove the dog to the store and then took the car for a walk," you would wonder what I meant. If I told you that "I drove the car to the store and then took the dog for a walk," you would know exactly what I'm talking about. The words "dog" and "car" are not interchangeable just as "overreaching" and "overtraining" are not the same thing.
Southeastern Cycling
My Nest Bio and Cycling Advice
Thanks for the comments and compliments on Siri. He's my big goofy baby / running-partner.
I know what you mean about not respecting the rest day and having them catch up with you. Even just a few days off and can really make a difference for me, especially when I'm training really hard. I'm glad you're feeling good again, and remember that the rest days are built into your training schedule for a reason!
And I bet your pup and mine would love to go running together