Recovery of Physiological Variables and Performance and the Relationship between Training load and Psychological State for a Recreational Runner during Marathon Season: a Case Study*

Abstract

Some recreational runners participate in consecutive races within a short period. A high frequency of participation may not allow for sufficient recovery time, leading to overreaching. This case study reports on the training load, physiological variables, performance, and psychological state of a male recreational runner during a 16-week marathon season. The runner completed four marathon races over a period of eight weeks. Training load was quantified based on the cumulative time spent in three intensity zones (zone 1:<the ventilatory threshold; zone 2: between the ventilatory threshold and respiratory compensation point; zone 3:>the respiratory compensation point) using heart rate monitoring. The Hooper questionnaire was completed every morning to quantify sleep, stress, fatigue, and muscle soreness. The runner performed four identical treadmill running tests throughout the season. The coefficient of variation for maximal velocity and the physiological variables was 1.0% and 1.8%‐5.2%, respectively. Pearson correlation showed significant relationships between training load and stress, fatigue, and muscle soreness. There was no significant relationship between training load and sleep. In conclusion, it appeared that the subject runner was able to complete four marathon races without overreaching. These findings suggest that the training load and Hooper questionnaire are practical tools for monitoring recreational runners during the marathon season.