Overtraining

[Dynamo Dan]

My performances are appaling at the moment, last night I was three minutes slower than last year at Kettleshulme. At Knowl Hill last weekend I was six minutes slower than people I was beating by more than a minute at Wardle Skyline. These two races are symptomatic of a run of poor performances since April.

If I wasn't training I'd understand, but I've trained consistently since last year completing events like the HPM and TWA. I'm thinner and I'm still in my twenties (just) i should be improving, so why am I getting worse?

I had a long run of tough lakes races in April cullminating in a disaster a Coniston where I almost DNF. I then ran Mount Famine and also had an appalling run.

After Famine I thought I'd over done it with my Lakes antics and had a week off - I then did the OCT but my partner and I got timed out.

Since then I've had the odd week off, but I can't shake the malaise and Kettleshulme last night is the last straw.

I don't know what to do, I love running, but having so many bad performances is getting me down. I've got a lot of stress at work at the moment and when your hobby makes you depressed there really is no where else to turn.

Sorry for the length of this post. Any advice is much appreciated.