Testimonial: Sole Experience & Coach Eric

OK, there was a long break between posts here. Things pretty much went from a marathon race report to a post & pre-half marathon musings with nothing but crickets for the 5 months in between. If you're wondering what happened, here's something: I started working with a coach. Yes, that's right, just like I was a real athlete!

I hired Eric Muller as a personal running coach. Eric is the man behind Sole Experience, a Pitt Meadows running company that offers running clinics, drop in group runs, and personal coaching services. As you know from my mini bio, I took up running 5 years ago. When I started doing races, I experimented with generic training plans for various distances. I have never considered myself a fast runner.  When I began working with Eric this spring, my goal was to set a new marathon PR. Unfortunately, during our training, I suffered an injury (tear of the flexor digitorum longus, one of the calf muscles). Eric helped me establish some new goals and maintain my running fitness while rehabbing my injury. (He also put me in touch with some therapeutic geniuses who helped me in my recovery with acupuncture and active release therapy.) Through his training plans and encouragement, I was able to run half marathon PRs just 3 weeks apart, following a significant injury that had sidelined me for about 5 weeks. 

Here we are after my Victoria Half Marathon PR.

Eric's plans for me were well rounded and incorporated speed work that had me running at paces I never dreamed possible. In fact, I placed as 2^nd overall  female in one of the MEC 5K races this past summer. It's true! Look... that's really me!

When I signed on with Eric, I expected to receive a personalized training plan for my goal race. I received this plus more: training and race recovery tips, advice for race day preparation and strategy, help with goal setting and lots of encouragement along the way. I am looking forward to setting some new personal bests in my next half and full marathons in 2014, with Eric’s assistance. I would not hesitate to recommend Eric to someone looking for run coaching, whether your goals are to run faster, farther, injury free – or all three.