Burnout Through Excessive Training in Athletes Running & Training Schedule

Burnout in simple terms is mental and physical collapse. It is not unfamiliar to find athletes running well for a short spell and then losing motivation to perform any better. Burnout can be stressful to any sportsperson. The reasons for burnout could be overtraining, over racing, stale methods of training, or a feeling of being let down.
Running on Empty - avoiding mental and physical collapse
Too much of anything is bad. Three times US Olympic Marathon Trail competitor, Gordon Bakoulis, in her book "How to Train For and Run Your Best Marathon" suggests that athletes running too frequently in competitions may face burnout besides injury. The mindset of the athlete running a race should be one of "eager anticipation and excitement." If there is a sense of boredom, fear, or dreadfulness, anxiety creeps in leading to the athlete running a poor race. This leads to feeling dejected and let down, a symptom of burnout.
It is difficult to say how much training is good enough. But chronic fatigue, muscle pains, lack of sleep before a race, unexplainable weight loss, rise in blood pressure and frequent changes in moods as definite signs of overtraining leading to burnout. Many physical and psychological reasons for burnout are subjective, but a very sensitive indicator is "feeling bad mentally" which happens much before any visible physical sings of deterioration.
Increasing training techniques moderately and progressively could be a method to avoid burnout in athletes. Progressive overload will differ from athlete to athlete and may not be the only reason for burnout. A sound training programme which avoids too much repetition is important. Heavy workloads punctuated with lower intensity training spells can rejuvenate an athlete running for a competitive race. Athletes running long or short distance races could train a bit less than normal in the week following the final event. The focus during this time should be building mental capability, avoiding exhaustion, and most importantly avoiding injury.

Athlete running and training schedules could include other physical activities to prevent loss in the level of conditioning before the race. Athletes should be made aware of their wellness and taught to be sensitive to changes in their physical conditions. The ultimate aim of athletes running a race should not be just winning the first prize, but self-fulfillment. Being the best is always the goal of every athlete, but participating in a healthy competition through a sound mind and body promotes energy and determination to compete in future endeavors and lifelong physical activity.