If you can tick more than a couple of these, it’s a sign that you need to cut back:

Muscle soreness – you have to expect a certain level of aching after a good run, but if you’re taking longer and to get over soreness, your body may be struggling to keep up with the demands. Also, if you keep running with an injury, it will take longer to heal.

Catching a cold – If you are overexerting your body, then you are putting a lot of pressure on your immune system and this could result in more frequent colds. Taking time out to relax will help your body to fight off these common bugs. Don’t continue to exercise when you’re really not well.

Loss of appetite – You need to eat to recover from your running sessions, but if you don’t fancy that plate of food in front of you, then you might have pushed yourself too hard. Take a rest day and get plenty of carbs and protein into your system.

Fitful sleep – If you are working your body hard, it is going to take longer to recover and settle down ready for sleep. To be a successful runner, a good night’s sleep is essential, so finish your sessions at least two hours before bed.

Harder sessions – If you are going out for the same distance as usual but finding it harder, then you could be suffering from overtraining. Your body can’t keep pushing indefinitely, and if you are doing session after session, it will feel harder to keep up.

Lack of motivation – With all of the above going on, it’s not uncommon to fall out of love with running. Don’t go out too hard so that you burn out – just make sure you rest and recover properly between sessions.

Overtraining isn’t just about doing too much too soon, it is also a lack of decent recovery between sessions, which is why rest days are just as important as running days.

Overtraining doesn’t just affect your running life either: tiredness, lack of appetite, loss of sex drive, inability to concentrate properly…all of these side effects can have a serious impact on your day-to-day life too.

If you think that you are suffering from overtraining, be flexible with your schedule. If you don’t feel up for a long run, can you swap if for a shorter one instead? If you are aching from your last run, you could go for a swim. Don’t be afraid to break out of your schedule if it’s not working – a relaxed approach to running means that you are unlikely to push too hard and you will enjoy it all the more.

Make sure that you are eating well too, as you need carbohydrates to fuel your body and protein to help it recover. Get plenty of fruit and vegetables too, as these will help your immune system and keep those colds at bay.

Prevention is the best cure for overtraining, but if it’s too late, then take a complete week off before implementing a new, relaxed running routine. This will give your body the chance to recover and repair, as well as enable you to get your head back in the right place.