6% improvement wrote:
ZG wrote:
I honestly wish I were trolling.
3:52 to 3:40 for 1500? Around a 6% improvement. Did you change anything else in your training, or just that? What did it feel like?
Ugh. I should not even have opened this up. When I say "overnight", I should clarify: it was less than 12 months. I ran 3:55 maxed out in early August and 3:40.xx the next year in late June. As it's a small world, I have to be careful not to get too skecifuc; but suffice it to say that I ran three more races before the end of the summer in almost the exact time. That all being said, regarding training, I was able to increase the volume of my track sessions drastically. My poor decision making started with a holiday in Spain after my 3:55 season. The EPO was easy to get, and I was mentored by a talented "friend", whose name fans of cycling would likely know. I made 4 trips to Spain over the ensuing months specifically to purchase the Epo. Young, stupid, and lucky is the only way to describe this period. I took folate, b12, and iron as further supplementation. I used the Epo in cycles, using 2k (?) units 3x week for 4 weeks then a maintenance of 2x week for another 3 weeks. It has been many years, but I think that's what it was. No doubt, this was some weird Spanish drug, and epo types have probably changed significantly as well. I always checked my haemoglobin after 10 days to 2 weeks then every 3-4 days. I used a simple and reliable machine done via finger prick.
The ability to manage sessions that I'd not ever dreamed of was commonplace. My training programme was essentially the same as the year previous in outline, but the volume and pace changed dramatically (ex: 16x400 at 60 instead of 10x400 at 62).
I remember my recovery being scary fast both in sessions and between sessions. My tolerance to longer runs also changed dramatically. There was a 2:18 marathoner in our club at the time, and I remember how surprised he was as I went longer and longer with him on Sundays. He typically was the only one in the club that went past 14-15.
So, as stated, by no means am I trolling. The drug works almost like magic, especially if you are prepared to put in the work. Imagine if an athlete was naturally a 3:40 runner, and THEN took it...?
Also as stated, I am ashamed to have done this years ago, and would take it back were I able. From an ethical standpoint, I failed miserably. From a health standpoint, I could have easily killed myself by stroke.
Any further questions?