A few weeks gone by

These last few weeks have been pretty interesting. I have recently recruited a coach to help me with my first "true" marathon. Since I started running seriously, I have mostly been interested in ultramarathons. However, there has always been a nagging sensation to put a really solid effort into the marathon. And after a few weeks of attempting to put a schedule together I finally enlisted the help of a local high school coach, Matt Ellis. So far I am very excited to try these workouts and to feel fast again. Last week we did 6 X 1000m at 3:10 pace and worked our way down to 3:00 pace by the end.

Its funny how radically different track workouts are compared to the usual long-distance runs I'm used to. Where there is usually a dull, aching sensation in my legs, it is now replaced by a fire in my lungs and a lethargy in my limbs that can only come from complete oxygen debt and a build-up of lactic acid. Where I usually take small but confident steps, I now take awkward, loping strides to maximize the distance I can travel. For these two exercises being in the same sport, I'm not sure they could be any more different.

Another activity I've tried in the last week is acupuncture. While I've heard a lot about its healing effects and its ability to relieve stress, I've never actually met anyone who has had it done. Last thursday I traveled with my roommate to join in on a session and found it to be amazing. Although I didn't feel the relaxing side of it (moreso, it feels like the needle is burning your skin), I did feel infinitely better the next day. My muscles felt in tune with each other, and I felt energized and in sync. I'd definitely recommend this treatment to anyone suffering from constantly achey or tight muscles (in my case they were both).

Lastly, I just signed on to become a Coach in Training for the Team in Training group based in Tacoma, WA. If you don't know what Team In Training is, it is an organization that works under the Leukemia and Lymphoma society to raise funds for research. Groups of individuals sign up to run a marathon and raise money for the Society while training. Check out the link here if you are interested! Other options include triathlons, century bike rides and hiking adventures.