What was the most important thing you did in training before a big breakthrough?

I did nothing at all different. Granted I only went from 10:28 in the 3200 to 10:14 the next week and 10:21 in steeple to 10:09 in one week, but all I did was run hard. I was scared when the pace went out faster than I was used to but some days you just suck it up and it's there. There's no magic workout. It's in there somewhere, you just need to bring it out

My sister decided to not run distance track her senior year, and then graduated and moved away for college. I went from running 14-15 minutes for 3200m/2 miles xc to breaking 12.

Most of it was mental because she was super competitive and got me into running, so subconsciously I didn't think I could or should be faster than her. Once I was training on my own, I only had to worry about myself. I also upped my mileage to 60 mpw. I'm sure that helped.

No one important thing. Continuous, uninterrupted training year after year.

Tom

I did a block of high mileage in enormous humidity and heat. This may sound weird but I swear it was like training at altitude. By the end of the summer my veins were standing out all the time and I was substantially faster. Ended up pr'ing by 40 seconds at 8k (and pr'd through 5k in that race).

Also did weekly tempos and hill sprints during that time, but I think the simulated altitude was key.

You were a 2:00 800 guy a year before and you ran 10 x 800 in 2:02-2:06 with 2-3 minutes rest? That is a sub 4 workout. I know a 4:01 miler that did 10 x 800 in 2:10's with 2 minutes rest. You did not run the workout you just posted, you're a bit delusional if you think you did.

Went on a 6 month running streak

Stopped doing really hard workouts

Used doubles to elevate my mileage quickly

Kept my heart rate under 150 on my easy days

Stopped doing long runs

Ate 3 strawberry cheesecakes less than an hour before the High school district mile championships. We had stopped in to talk to some people in the cafeteria and thats what the desert was.

I ran the first 3 laps 62, 63, 65 on the shoulder of one of the top runners in Texas. I faded to 71 last lap for 4:21. Previous best 4:38.

I would have won if I'd eaten that 4th cheesecake!

Had a cross country meet on saturday and we were leaving at 5 in the morning. It was 1 A.M. I looked at the time and told my friend we should go to taco bell. Him and I split a grande meal. Slept from 3 to 4:30 slept 2 hours on the bus to the meet then ran at 8. Pr'd in a 4 miler by about a Min.

Also consistent training helped out a bit.=)

rest

Good art wrote:

What was the most important thing you did in training before a big breakthrough?

Training properly and BELIEVING in what you're doing. Past that just stay relaxed, outside of the actual race, you have to remember it's just running.

if your w/o times are correct you should be able to run 3;55 in mile

if your w/o times are correct you should be able to run 3;55 in mile

Run more and do it very consistently.

Started doing a push up program. Changed to forefoot running. Consistency. Started to eat a ton of food, but most healthy food. Listened to my coaches and actually peaked at the right times.

Came into track season with a x-country season and steady winter mileage under my belt (except for two weeks in bed with the flu in Jan.-Feb.).

Started track season training with the milers. After six weeks of that, moved up to train with the distance runners. Repeat 1320s in 3:10 to 3:12 felt like walking, as did repeat miles in 4:24-25. Set PRs in the 3,000 and 5,000.

I stopped worrying about times and just started enjoying training and racing. I was more concerned with effort on workouts rather than hitting splits. Maybe that won't work for everyone, but I think that was the key. I've always been good about the "little things", but a lot of the time I think that being in the right place mentally is so very important.

In 30 years of training, I hve recall of only few experiences that seem to have a significant relationship with my subsequent performance . It would seem plausible to argue for some causal mechanism.

Other ideas that I've drawn from experience seem significant, but I would find that making the argument of some causal structure perhaps interesting, but perhaps too weak.

From that, I can make some generalizations that apply to my own, but not necessarily others training.

The following were the major events that I believe were most significant and I believe are worthy of mention.

1. My first posted example on this thread. ( Taking 10 weeks off due to injury)

Qualifications: - These may have or may not have influenced the outcome, but seem valid and worth note.

. First qualification: I had a solid amount of training prior, e.g. 90+ miles hard intervals, etc. ( I was training at UO as a student athlete at the time.)

. I was swimming during the break.

After resuming training it was as if I had become a new runner. I was amazed by just how easy my aerobic runs had become. Prior, typical pace was 6:20 per mile with occasion to dip to 5:55s etc. After 3 weeks or so, my paces were between 5:35-5:55 per mile, and that felt good, perhaps even much better than before the injury. I recall I was as light as a feather.

2. The following example provides my conclusion from my first example further strength.

The last time I had run under 16 minutes, I was 39 years old. I'm 46 now. The months prior,that happened within that year, I was training very long and hard. I recall feeling frustrated that I was constantly feeling stale and that my performances were stagnant.

I had always and continue to solicit advise from those who's judgment I trust and trusted. Knowing from prior experience, I believed that rest would have been beneficial. I assumed this was the best way, but I guess I needed to have confirmation anyway.

I asked my old friend Dick Brown, coach of many prior great runners, most notably, Mary Slaney, to help me out. He told me that he would, but first I would need to take at least 5 weeks off. If I did, he told me he would help me with my training, but that if I didn't he would not.

I was hoping that would be the advise I would receive, as I had good reason to believe this would be a good choice. Having someone else that I trusted and whom I believed had good sense and experience made the choice to take time off easy to do.

There was always and still is a certain amount of difficulty taking time out as not only do I feel addicted to running itself, I am also someone who finds it difficult working to goal by conserving energy rather than the habitual, relentless drive to expend it.

So after taking the 6 weeks off, I did start to notice my energy for running not only returned in a big way, but I was having more fun with it, I recall having had in years.

I recall getting out of my car and running in the parking lot to the store I was visiting. I wanted to stride out like I was sampling some new found freedom.

Well after resuming training, I had gone from having a difficult time running 3 miles at 530 pace to running an all comers meet 5k in 15 44. 530 pace, that was formerly a lactic affair, was completely aerobic for me after the break.

As I had mentioned, there were other experiences I have had, methods of training that I experimented with that I could infer, and I have good reason to believe I could generalize from. It does seem however, as indicated here in this post, taking a number of weeks out, especially after a hard period produced my most significant results. These results, I have a hard time believing would have come if I just continued to run during that time off.

1. Bike 30 min after every run

2. Double six days a week

3. Treadmill long runs

4. Asphalt in mornings

5. Treadmill tempos in afternoon six days a week

I am a former 6 hour marathoner and over the course of three years have gone from jogging 13 minutes miles to running 6:35 pace like its not a big deal.

Pretty low mileage (50-65 mpw) and pretty simple stuff:

M: 3 / 3

T: 3 / 8 @ marathon pace

w: 3 / 5

T: 3 / 2wu + 3 x 400 @ mile pace w/ 400 jog + 3 easy

F: 3 / 3

S: 2wu + 6 miles of track work (mostly 800's @ 3-5k pace) + 2wd / 3

S: 10-12 miles

I was focusing on 5k's with a few 10k's at the time. Essentially, Dellinger's program from the '84 book.