severely reduce immune function," says immunology specialist Dr Laura Stewart. "One of the best ways to reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections is to be sure you aren't overtraining. Moderate exercise reduces this risk, but speedwork, long

ones will be short to medium with higher intensity.This will give me between 8 and 14 hours training a week depending on when in the year that week is. Its more than I have done before so I will have to be careful to avoid overtraining.Weight loss aim

actually improve your success in a particular sport. Don’t underestimate the importance of rest days. True, high levels of cross-training will lessen your risk of injury, but working too hard across three different sports can still lead to overtraining

develop if you over-stride and hit the floor flat. Your foot must then extend heavily, putting strain on the ankle joint, tendons and muscles, causing tenderness and pain. It can also be caused by the wrong shoes, overtraining or excessive training on hard

and commitment. I resolve to Have at least a week off each yearWhy? Overtraining leads to injuries, fatigue, boredom, demotivation… So after you’ve achieved a goal, reward yourself with a week or two of very easy runs or total rest. In the long run, it’ll have a

into proper training, but on other days you just plod round your circuit feeling awful and wishing it was over. The most likely causes of this problem are overtraining and boredom.Rest is important: if you don’t give your body enough time to recover from

-morning run, but the weather's bleak and your bed doesn’t seem to want to let you leave.What's your brain saying? "You go running - I'm sleeping in." Should you listen? That depends on your body, not your mood. If you've been overtraining or feel aches, pains

someone who does triathlon as a (very serious) hobby to someone who does little else quite unsettling," she says."I missed having something else to think about and ended up overtraining. By March 2009 I was in such a deep hole that I raced poorly

attention to the details of staying fit, focused, and balanced. You have the most to lose, but also the most to gain. So make sure you gain every advantage you can. Boost your fitness Don't overtrain Your body will tell you when you're training too much – a

your body as much mileage as it can take – and no more. Overtraining is a huge challenge for marathon runners, so listen to your body's cries for rest. If your performance is flat, or you're unusually tired or taking extra long to recover, it's time