Did one run or workout change the course of your running career forever?

Freshman year of HS, late November.

I had been the slowest guy on the cross country team, always doing decent in practice, but really fouling things up in the meets, I think my best time that first season was 20:37. I finished last on the team in every single meet.

So at the start of indoor track season, the coach had all the freshmen and sophomores run a 1600 to see where our fitness was. This included the underclassmen from the cross season, of course.

To my surprise, I ran a 5:15 or something like that and beat everybody, and wasn't really tired afterwards. 5:15 is nothing to brag about, but when your best to date is 20:37, it was a huge boost of confidence.

The coach figured out quickly that my best events were under a mile, and I wound up doing very well locally for the next three years in the 800 (and 500/600/1000 indoors). I had been prepared to quit running after 2-3 cross country meets, but I'd promised my dad I'd at least finish the season out. The 5:15 convinced me to stick with it.

I never was much good at cross country, but at least I knew it was not my event.

One more thing: 23 years later, I am still running.

The day I worked out your Mom changed my life!

Van wrote:

Jaguar1,

Would you mind sharing your pr's?

Thanks

I'm a woman and my road PRs currently stand as:

5K-- 17:20

8K-- 28:28

10K-- 36:22

15K-- 54:50

Half Marathon-- 1:19:20

Just a mere 3 years ago my 5K road PR was 19:00.

Agh, made a mistake! My half marathon PR is 1:19:21.... too many numbers :p! Hope to lower that one this fall.

Thanks,

What element(s) of training do you attribute to the improvement?

The race itself, not so much. But after it I was walking down the street with a retired coach who told me to look up some books written by this guy named Arthur Lydiard.

I remember one run that changed it all for me. It was the fall of 7th grade, I had just started doing cross country. We went to our first modified race at Marcus Whitman HS (the Wldcat Invite). It was absolutely freezing, maybe 45 degrees and raining on and off, windy, very unpleasant all around. It was my first XC race ever, and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I started and finished as hard as I could, and I ended up coming in 21st, maybe 3rd on my team. It was at that point that I decided that I finally found a sport I was good at. Now I'm going into my senior year of college, still going strong, trying to figure out how I can still run XC after I graduate (and putting in 90+ mile weeks).

Van wrote:

Thanks,

What element(s) of training do you attribute to the improvement?

It all started in Dec. '03. I had been through lots of different shoes and orthotics and never felt quite right. So, I decided to start from scratch from the feet up and wear a 'basic' shoe to work on foot and lower leg strength (Asics Ultimate 81's). I also started doing barefoot running a few months later. Frank Shorter had signed a poster for me back in '03 that said "Run for stress relief!" I took this to heart and let running 'feel good'. Built up my mileage while running very, very slow (that was a key, slowing down the pace and running further). Summer '04 I went to Boulder, CO for 6 weeks and did nothing but eat, sleep, and run. This was life-changing as well. I went into the fall '04 and completely whopped my 5K time, ran my first 10K (36:22), and also ran my first 15K (55:46).

Overall, I'd say the key changes were going to a basic shoe/barefoot, slowing down the easy day pace, more mileage, and more rest/sleep. I sleep so much now! I've been training consistently for a few years now (vs. 4 months before getting knocked out by pain!). I think my diet is better too (less processed and fast food). I cut out stretching, ab exercises, and weight exercises. My % body fat has dropped from 20% to 14.5% (little to no change in weight)-- I haven't had this tested in a year, so it may be lower. Mind you, I'm a woman.:)

Thanks Jaguar,

Some very good points and as always. well written

In 1974 I broke 6 minutes for the mile in a summer all comers meet before my senior year of high school. If I hadn't done that, I would not have met the standard to go out for the cross country team (there was no girl's team and I had to run boys JV). As a result of that race and subsequent cross season, the school realized that they were probably going to have to start a girls program (early days of title 9). By spring we had a girls track team. I went to Oregon on a cross country scholarship, competed a lot in my 30's , still run now and coach, boys and girls cross country.