The Breakthrough

Good morning.

For the endurance athlete life can become a grind. Training for a triathlon can be monotonous, having to swim and bike and run and swim and…you get the point. Different people have different tricks to get through the grind, the dark days, the winter, the rain, etc. Often it is music, a certain beautiful route, or even the giddy anticipation of an upcoming race. Whatever it is, the endurance athlete is in a special place because they need to be mentally prepared a lot more than most. Volume is important, and volume takes time. However there is one more tool to put in your shed that I think is amazing especially when it happens 3-4 weeks before a race.

I call it a breakthrough. We all have had it, and mine came last night. Per my workout schedule for my upcoming Alcatraz race I was doing a long swim. As I got out of the pool I dressed to do some weight work and got the idea that I wanted to brick a run instead. Considering I am still in “recovery” from my race Sunday, this isn’t the best choice to brick a long swim with a run. But, I wanted to test myself. On Sunday I had a faster 5k, and on Monday I ran a fast pace again. So, off to the treadmill I went. You should ask yourself now why, oh why, would I grind out a treadmill when the weather is so nice and inviting to run outside. The treadmill offers a couple of things. The first is consistent pace. Whenever you can kick out a consistent pace it will give you a great view of precisely how steady you can run, and any pain can be immediately identified and not blamed on road conditions, hills, etc. The second (and, to me, most important) is the incessant boredom. Running without scenery sucks. But, if you can grind out a workout on the treadmill, you can grind out anything. Watching paint dry is more fun.

Back to the workout… I hopped on the treadmill and started my run, fully expecting to run for about 15-20 minutes. As I started to groove my body gave me great feedback. My breathing was steady, heart rate stayed low, and by all indications I had some serious gas in my engine. So, I bumped up the speed. And I bumped it up some more until my pace was at 5k pace for a triathlon (currently 8:30 miles, which isn’t that fast, but still fast for me). I ran…and I ran some more. 2 miles turned into 3, then 4 and before I knew it I ran for a full hour and hit over 7 miles. I could have run more, but the evening was getting late.

The point of this story is to explain the “breakthrough”. Previous to this, 3 miles was my max, and it was painful. I hated running because of where my body was. But as I shred pounds, the stride is returning. Yesterday, I felt like I was in college again. When you are finishing with a workout, and you want to do more, then do it. Listen to your body. If it says go, then go. The mental benefits of extending your workout and feeling great about it are endless. Imagine being faced with a long run in a race. All you have to do is tap into that memory of the day you ran 12 miles instead of 4 and your body will respond as if it never forgot. Certain coaches might tell you to never go beyond the assigned workout, but they leave out the mental benefits. Sure, I am not recovering properly. But this morning, I felt great. Other than a tiny bit of soreness that compression is currently healing, I feel like I could run ten more miles this morning. I attribute a bit of that feeling to the mental joy I got from going so far last night.

Alcatraz doesn’t seem so daunting now.

Until next time, lux aeterna.

Race smart.

-The Mental-ist


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