Lately I've been feeling some possible effects of burnout or overtraining. It's not so much that I'm logging more hours in the gym, running, etc., but partially because my overall personal stress level has been higher. There aren't many good specific reasons for that, it just "is". While the stress is easing up, I'm left with some injuries and chinks in the mental/motivational armor. The other issue is that I ignored the advice from Jake, from Jim, and from every marathon training book that suggests taking a month off from focused training after a marathon. I was riding that marathon high and didn't want to back down.
Jake and I met and he proposed a plan. First off, we're backing off of the structured running approach and he is leaving that up to me. I'm going to run three days a week - one day for strength, one for speed, and one longer - but the specifics and scheduling are up to me. That'll allow me to respond more to how I am feeling on a given day. Second, I'll work out solo one day a week at the gym with the idea that it'll be a little more low-key. No forced reps, drop sets, etc.
As much as I love not having to plan or think about what to do with my training and running, I agree this plan and increased autonomy makes sense for right now. Starting in March the serious training for triathlon season will begin, and on the heels of that a fall marathon, then BOSTON in 2011. This is the time to back down and gather my energy and fuel the fire.
Yeah, I feel a little like the baby bird pushed out of the nest. But I know it's what I need right now. Plus I'll probably appreciate all that Jake and Jim do, even more than I do now.