Breakthrough: a sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development
My friends have started to say things like:
You’re so fast now!
You can’t call yourself BOTP anymore!
While neither statement is true (I’m usually heading up the rear in our very small running group — still), it does feel like I’m finally making the breakthrough I always knew I had in me. I always trained hard-ish, always did the things everyone said you needed to do to get faster . . . and yet I didn’t.
It seemed as though the cards were stacked against me in race after race. Injury, heat, humidity, crazy winds . . . they all seemed to derail my attempts at a breakthrough time and time again.
What makes it difficult for people trying to follow a dream is that the whole time you feel like you’re slamming your head against the wall. So it’s nice to make a breakthrough and not kind of lying there with your head bleeding.— Lewis Black
You can’t have a breakthrough if you don’t keep trying
It’s not how many times you fall . . .
Seriously, it may be trite, but it’s true: it’s about how many times you pick yourself up. It’s about total belief in yourself and what you’re doing, no matter if you’re not getting results or people tell you you’re crazy.
I just knew I had a faster half marathon in me. I believed it, despite all the evidence to the contrary. When that breakthrough came at the Panama City Beach Half Marathon (read that recap here), it was, quite frankly, a huge surprise to me. And I’ve continued to surprise myself this year with more breakthroughs.
The key to the breakthrough is consistency
I truly believe that the road to breakthroughs is paved by consistent work. It applies to everything you do in life. I had a similar story with my weight loss. For years I was stuck yo-yoing back and forth the same few pounds.
It was frustrating. It was aggravating. It was disappointing. To be so close . . . yet not able to reach the finish line. It would have been super easy to give up — but I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and it’s never pretty.
So I kept on keeping on. I kept showing up, I kept doing all the things I knew that worked and one day . . . it did. I’ll be honest: unlike my running, I did question if I could do it. I still do, some days. Yet some small part of me must have believed, because eventually I got where I wanted to be (maintaining that; let’s just say that’s a whole different story). In cased you missed it, I talked about running and weight loss yesterday here.
You can’t have a breakthrough if you don’t keep trying.
— Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy
This week I am also joining up with Running on Happy, Suzlyfe, Crazy Running Girl, and Coach Debbie Runs each week for the Coaches’ Corner linkup
Tell me in the comments:
What was your breakthrough moment (doesn’t have to be running related)?
What do you believe led to that breakthrough?
Chocolaterunsjudy 
The day I reached a sub-30 minute 5K. 29:57. I’ll take it. That it was on my late Mom’s birthday sweetened it.
By sticking with it, showing up, I broke through to all my goals but one: sub 9:00 mile. It will remain at 9:07. I’ll take that, too.
I think you’re a wonderful role model, Judy. Stronger than you realize. ❤️
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Aww, thanks, Connie. I know I’m strong — I come from a long line of strong women, so it’s in the DNA.
A sub-30 minute 5k is really sweet. I doubt I’ll ever run one.
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It’s great when we have race like your Panama City race where it brings back confidence! I did not PR at NYC, but that race gave me confidence again after struggling with injury for so long. It makes me realize that I CAN do this and I do have it in me to push just a little harder ( maybe…lol). -M
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There is nothing like a great race (PR or not) to boost your confidence! It’s definitely one of the great things about running.
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My breakthrough moment was just recently when I was offered a job at the VA hospital in Florida. It’s truly a dream job, in my dream location and I credit myself in never giving up!!!
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And that is just so, so awesome, Michelle. I’m so happy for you (even if I’m scratching my head at FL being a dream location!).
How have the girls reacted?
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Thank you!! The girls are thrilled. J will finish her senior year here as she got into a duel enrollment program and S will follow with my husband once we close on our house here. I’ll be going down solo in 13 days.
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That’s awesome that they’re so happy. I remember when I was in junior high, I think, or maybe even still grade school & my Dad was contemplating a move — I definitely was not rooting for it!
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Very inspiring, ❤
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Aww, thanks Paula.
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Not sure that I’ve had a breakthrough, not recently anyway!! But I do know that I’m glad I got to meet you in Panama City and run into you again briefly in New Orleans!! Keep on keepin’ on Judy!!
Jodi
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Aww, thanks Jodi! And can I say again how great your wedding photos are? Way better than mine! There’s something to be said for a marriage when we’re older & wiser. 🙂
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You are right it is all about consistency and so true that you have to keep picking yourself up and trying.
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I think most of us are those type of people anyway, but you never know who will be reading your blog!
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That was an awesome breakthrough 😉 A recent breakthrough for me is the realization that running is not my all-in-all. Sure, it’s my main sport, but I’m doing alright without it for now.
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And that is also an awesome realization, Kim! Of course we know that you want to run, but I say a lot: running is what we do, not who we are.
It doesn’t feel that way when we can’t do it, though, I know.
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So true. If I hadn’t kept braving the Conte’s hill ride, I wouldn’t have had my breakthrough either.
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So are you ever going to do a duathalon? Seems like the next step. 🙂
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So true! You certainly will never have a breakthrough if you don’t keep trying! I recently had a non-running related breakthrough – I was able to identify something (read: someone) that was causing me stress and I’ve been working on managing it (because that person is just not going to go away). At least I’ve got it figured out and I can prep myself!!
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Aww, it always sucks when we have those life sucking people in our lives and they’re not someone we can jettison.
But knowledge is definitely power!
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Yes, knowledge is definitely power! It gives me the opportunity to prepare whenever I have to deal with that person.
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I think most breakthroughs are mental. You have to believe that they are possible if you want them to happen: sub 30 min 5k, running 13.1 miles, running after a serious injury, PRing at age 64.
That being said, they have to be realistic. You can work hard and they may never happen like running a 7 min mile for example or getting down to my pre-running weight. You have to know your limits. They’re different for each one of us.
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PCB was a fun day! My Half PR was so long ago now, I need a new breakthrough. I did break a 10K PR this year which felt good but not as epic as a half.
I can’t even on the weight breakthrough, I am still worn out with that but you are right…going backward ain’t pretty, so i am trying not to give up.
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Sometimes you have to look for breakthroughs that have nothing to do with PRs (when it comes to running). Maybe a new distance . . . or maybe a PR in the shorter distances (and yay for the 10k PR — that ain’t easy — no PR is ever easy!). Running negative splits. Maybe one of those IG scavenger hunts.
Or maybe meeting up with a dietitian about the weight? Even look into grocery stores — sometimes they have free consultations!
There’s always something — sometimes we have to give up on old dreams to open ourselves up to the new dreams.
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I love your quote, “You can’t have a breakthrough if you don’t keep trying.” It’s so very true and your consistency is paying off!
Thanks for linking up!
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Thanks, Deb — it’s so true in any endeavor!
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