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2005-08-31 12:18 PM

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Subject: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?
Here is my story: I started training for a May sprint tri in April, barely survived but finished it, then immediately began training for an 8/27 race. I was mostly trying to get to the point where I felt confident that I could finish all the distances at a reasonable pace, so I never did any base training or anything like that. I started by running 1/4 mile, swimming 200 yards and biking about 3 miles. Up to and including the race this past weekend, I had never swam more than 600 yards at a stretch, and then I was huffing and puffing. In the race I finished the .3 mile swim in 11:59 and was very much out of breath. My training plan was to focus on running for a while after the race, since my running needed the most improvement, and I was going to do LSD only for a couple of weeks. So for two days I ran twice a day, 5-6 miles in the morning, 2-3 in the afternoon. So today my legs just didn't feel like they could do it and I went to the pool to swim. I swam 1500 yards in 29:41 and only stopped because I wanted to go tell my triathlete girlfriend about it before she went to work. I felt like I could have swam all day and I wasn't winded in the slightest.

My girlfriend says it was the running, but two days??? I don't think so. I was running before, just not as much. Anyone else have a similar experience? Any ideas about how this happened? I sure would like to re-create it running.


2005-08-31 12:55 PM
in reply to: #238175

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Subject: RE: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?
I've had a few of those and they sure feel good.
For me, I feel that the more you work in conjuction with what your body tells you, the more breakthrus you will have. When I started swimming in January, I could barely do 25yd without panting like a thirsty dog. Recently, I started doing 2,000yd from averaging 1,200yd. I simply felt I could do it and kept going until I would feel I was going to start pushing it. I stopped and have been averaging 1,800yd since. I never imagined I would one day do this distance as my regular work outs.
Your body will do what you ask of it but will rebel very quickly if you demand of it without asking and practicing first.

Good for you on your new break-thru and look forward to more in the future.

Edited by cobannero 2005-08-31 12:55 PM
2005-08-31 1:29 PM
in reply to: #238175

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Subject: RE: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?
Ya i've had one. One weekend I went to one of my weekly races nd they ended up making us go 40 miles. Then next day I did a 50 mile ride and died out near the end but finished and after that weekend I noticed a huge jump in my cycling abilities.
2005-08-31 1:48 PM
in reply to: #238238

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Subject: RE: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?
Yes, it can be the best feeling to have the Break Through day. My big BT day this season came about a month ago when after 10 months of bike training, I finally was able to climb a hill out-of-the-saddle without falling on my face... So that's my BT and dirty little secret
2005-08-31 1:51 PM
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Subject: RE: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?
Now you have me scared--is it easy to fall climbing out of the saddle? I just got my raod bike and haven't tried this yet!
2005-08-31 2:13 PM
in reply to: #238175

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Subject: RE: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?
A lot more of *doing the things you never thought you could do* is mental than physical. Very often, that little voice in the back of your mind that says "Oh, there's no way you can do that" is what actually stops you from doing it, even though you are physically able to.

I think a lot of us don't even know what we are physically capable of because we are limited by our rational thought.

~ Adrienne


2005-08-31 4:51 PM
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Subject: RE: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?
run131 - 2005-08-31 1:51 PM

Now you have me scared--is it easy to fall climbing out of the saddle? I just got my raod bike and haven't tried this yet!


Lol. No he means that he wasn't totally wiped out at the top. Climbing hills out of the saddle is hard.

HYJACK: so what kind of bike did you get? Does it have clipless pedals?
2005-08-31 8:19 PM
in reply to: #238175

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Subject: RE: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?

A breakthrough...let me see... I am not sure I had any special one I would call so since I never saw a miracle happening, but I have improved as a result of my training in more ways than sometimes expected.

I have an example, this one with my wife. Until this summer I don't think she ever ran more than 500 meters ever in all her 39 years. She still looks pretty nice with a slim figure and all but she is the totally a non-sports person. She just did not want to endure the pain and effort that is so often associated with sports. This summer I convinced her that sports can be just fun, no pain, no special effort other than start doing something one generally does not. I promised her that if she ever felt tired I would give up trying to get her to run and so on.

She accepted and I became her very personal coach. First I got her to purchase a pair os Asics and some very nice (and sexy) Nike tops and running jammers so she felt (and looked by the way) really gorgeous and sporty. I took care of explaining technique, pace, HR (I gave her my old HRM) the works, and more I ran with her every single time for two weeks. Every single day I paced her so that I switched to walking briskly everytime I felt her breathing go off. On the last day we ran together we only walked at the end of two steep hills.

My holiday finished and I came to the UAE. She promised to keep to the training plan I gave her even if I was not there. She calle me two days after to announce that she had decided to give it a try and complete 4 km non-stop. Ever since she has been telling me she is now running everyday, non-stop, between 4 and 6 kilometers. In less than a month she went from nothing to 6 km everyday, and feeling better about it every time.

That for me is a breakthrough in her training. I knew she would do that one day, but this short was unthinkable. Needless to say I have been adjsuting her program, and I look forward to my next trip back home so that I can test her and give her a real plan she can be happy with.

2005-09-01 5:50 AM
in reply to: #238175

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Subject: RE: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?
I've been training hard (three bricks a week, single workouts the other days, on top of teaching my fitness classes) since May 15th for my first sprint on Sept. 10th. Running has been my hardest and I have not been able to run more than 1/4 mile without stopping for a 30 sec. walking breather, but........

The day before yesterday I felt I could just keep going and I made it 1.5 miles before my 30 sec. rest. This was after going hard on the eliptical trainer for 50 minutes.....felt great. Going to try it again today.
2005-09-01 8:01 AM
in reply to: #238175

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Subject: RE: Anyone ever have an amazing training breakthrough?
I am a slow runner. I did a 10k race in May in 59 minutes and I thought I would die at the end. I have been training all summer at building my base and have taken it easy on my LSD runs that are now up to 90 minutes. I was dissapointed for the last few weeks because I felt slower than before during my runs and was a bit discouraged. Yesterday I had to run 55 minutes, so I figured I'll do 10k, which is faster than my pace lately. I managed to get it done and I still had some energy, so I know I could have gone a little faster.
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