RUNNING SUCCESS
SUSAN MAYA
I am so thrilled to be sharing with everyone how Adam Mulia trained me over the past year to run a half marathon and a marathon. First, I was never an athlete. I did not play any sports. I did not run. I had an on and off again relationship with the Stairmaster, cross trainer and aerobics classes. I put on my first pair of running shoes at forty. I trained and ran a 5 mile race and then took the winter off. I did this for two years. Then I decided to run a half marathon. I was fortunate to know Adam through his parents, my running partners, and we started training in December 2009.
Adam put together a personalized plan for each week leading up to the half marathon in March 2010. There were ups and downs along the way but when I got to the starting line, I was very well trained to run the race. Adam covered everything, from race strategy, pace, nutrition and more. He was even waiting at the finish line to congratulate me!
So, I came this far, if I was ever going to think of running a marathon, now was the time. I started training in July 2010. Adam’s weekly plans moved me from hour long runs to three hour longs run, speed work, and recovery. He always encouraged me to keep moving forward, to get to the starting line, even when I was feeling down.
Getting to the starting line, uninjured was the goal. Adam said the training was the marathon, the race is the prize. Although at times I doubted it, he was absolutely right. Again, Adam covered every aspect imaginable prior to the marathon. I had a great day and finished within my goal timeframe.
That is my story. I am very lucky to have benefitted from Adam’s training. Today, I can proudly consider myself an athlete.
WILLIAM BOSCARINO
Coach Mulia's training program took the guess work out of my running. He also explained to me the principles behind his training that allowed me to still benefit from doing more or less some days depending on my schedule. I ran my second marathon in 2008 in 4:17 in New York, soon after I began following Coach Mulia's training program. 18 months later and many other PRs along the way I was able to run a 3:20 marathon in 2010 in Chicago and continue to improve.
PATRICIA MULIA
This is my testimonial after Boston!!!! Adam
calls me the Guinea pig!
Two years ago Adam asked me to train with him
after finishing my New York City Marathon in 3 hours
and 32 minutes. Adam was never satisfied with my running, he
always wanted me to run more and faster but I have tried
so many coaches and workouts that did help me to improve but ONLY for couple of minutes or seconds. I was told that lifting weights, doing yoga, pilates will help me improve. I am not an indoor person, I just like to run and be out doors. I always thought there needed to be a way to improve. I never liked the track because the way it makes me feel and I always get injuries. Adam told me that with his training I could get faster for all distances without heading to the track and without feeling that exhaustion that I hate from the track.
I started training with Adam 1 month before The Boston Marathon in 2010. Without any kind of training for Boston, ONLY 1 month with Adam I ran 3:30 and felt so easy, did my second half at negative splits. After Boston I kept training with him and I had a PR in every distance without going to the track and without injuries. I took 6 minutes OFF my Half Marathon PR in 5 months, I ran 1:34:50 at the Udine Half Marathon in Italy, and my Half Marathon PR was 1:40 for 3 years in a row.
Every time now I finished a race I say to myself: " It’s not enough, I want more". Adam has teach me to LOVE running, to KNOW how to run and to BELIEVE that there are no limits. After running Boston and getting a PR, I am going to start the TRACK! Adam has said to me: “If you want to even get faster, you have to get to the track". I will be starting track workouts in the next month, Adam has got me ready for it. If I done what I done without TRACK workouts what's my times going to be then... I don't think I have ever been as happy with my running as now, I am really enjoying it and I can't wait to see what my full capacity is.
SALVATORE MULIA
Salvatore Mulia, 62 years old, New York City Marathon 2010 (3:47:39).
Adam is my son and as a youth I usually coached him in team sports. He is a natural athlete but excelled because he usually worked harder than his team mates. As a Dad/Coach in my eyes he had to be better since he wanted to prove that there was no nepotism. When he took up running he was relatively old to begin the sport and, because of my lack of knowledge about distance running, I couldn't coach him. He approached the sport with the same passion and work ethic that he did when he was a boy and he became a self-educated running guru. As he progressed, he seemed to get better and better and I got caught up in the running fever by attending his races as a spectator.
Approximately 18 months ago, Adam convinced me to train so that I could run competitively and promised me that within a year I would run my first 1/2 marathon and eventually run a full marathon in less than 24 months. I quickly achieved success in short 5K races but thought that I could never have the discipline needed to complete 13.1 miles, nor could I even consider a full marathon. But when I completed the Inaugural NY City 13.1 marathon in Flushing Meadows NY in 1:50:33 (good enough for a third place medal in the 60-65 age group) I knew that he might be on to something. He gave me a reading list, daily training schedules, adjusted my diet and made me pledge to eliminate some of my bad habits. I agreed and the reward was that he would run with me and encourage me along the way. The results were amazing and after each race I saw improvements in my time and well being. I developed the body of a runner, my posture got better, my legs were no longer sore and I didn't run out of breath before I ran out of time for my workouts. In November, 2010 I completed the New York City Marathon in 3:47:39 a very respectable first attempt and a time that was good enough to place me in the top 50 of all American male finishers in the 60-65 age group.
Adam and I still don't know how fast I can run and I pledged to him that as long as he's coaching me I won't stop trying. I know that Dad's brag about their famous sons, but the results speak for themselves. What an honor it is to stand with him and have someone remark; "Now I know why your son is so fast, he takes after you." My reply is always the same "It is an honor to be compared to Adam but for the record I take after him."
RICHARD MURRAY
It is the end of 2010, I’m 63 years old, and I have not run for several years post knee surgery. Adam and I get to talking, and he proposes some strength training for the knee and a slow start for workouts. I have not run a half marathon in "fifteen" years and even at that the last one was 2:07.
Adam recommends a goal of under 2 hours in one year. I laugh, but we begin.
Adam brought his personal experiences, knowledge, and a patient style to his coaching. It was not an easy year, but rewarding. Adam met my minor aches and mental blocks with countless variations to keep me encouraged.
Spring 2011, Brooklyn Half Marathon 2:04. I thought I had maxed out. Somewhat to my disbelief and excitement I crossed the finish line of the Staten Island Half Marathon in November 2011 at 1:56. Far from elite, but elated just the same.
Credit Adam Mulia, Friend, Mentor, Coach, Educator
Thanks Adam.
ROSEMARY MULIA
I had always thought that I was not a runner and I believed that was the case because of poor knees. Approximately 5 years ago, a friend asked if I would join her in a 5K race dedicated to a fireman that had lost his life on 9/11. The race followed the path of the fireman, who got the call in Brooklyn and ran through the tunnel in full gear. When he arrived at the Twin Towers he joined the rescue effort only to perish when the buildings collapsed.
My niece had lost her life on 9/11 and I wanted to do something in her memory. My feeling was that the race was secondary, but once we started running and I saw all of the policemen and firemen lined up in the tunnel cheering on the runners, I got caught up in the excitement. When we exited the tunnel the crowd was enormous and I could hardly believe that I had just run 3.1 miles.
After that race, I realized that I liked running and was hooked. I began running 3-4 times a week. With a little training, I was competitive in local events and soon placing in the top 3 of my age group. My times got faster and I tried longer distances. Soon I was running 5 mile and 10K races and I wanted to push myself to see how well I could do. I asked my son, a veteran marathoner and experienced coach, to train me to run a 1/2 marathon, a distance I once thought unimaginable. The plan was that we were all to be in Italy for a wedding, so why not find a half marathon race that we could run as a family.
On race day, I joined the group of runners wearing a “stars and stripes” singlet to distinguish myself from all the Italian runners. It was a day that started with a little rain and that made the running difficult at the start since the first part was on cobble stones in the old town. When we got out to the country side, I felt great and the flat course helped me go faster. Before I knew it, we were entering the old city for the finish and I saw a woman that looked approximately my age. She was running fast but I had more left. I passed her and saw my family waiting for me at the finish. The woman I passed was the former champion in my age group and my kick propelled me into 1st place. I was awarded a medal and cash prize for my performance.
For the first time in my life, I experienced “runner’s high” and entered the association of serious runners who began races not wondering if they would finish, but rather what place they would finish. Important to me was my age graded index (“AGI”) which compared me to other runners regardless of age.
As a senior runner, I have learned a lot and I owe it all to coach Adam. He taught me to listen to my body and to run by feel. He trained me to conquer fear and overcome the anxiety of the start. He showed me how to run up hills and to control the tempo. Most of all he taught me how to get the most out of my training and that the real victory is not finishing a race but rather having the courage to start it.
Last summer I spent four weeks in Costa Rica with the intention of seeing the mountains and indulging in the delicious cuisine. Instead, this trip was life-changing in many ways thanks to Adam. It introduced me to the possibilities of running and exercising and how easily moving around can increase my happiness. With Adam's instruction, I began by hiking up the mountain daily, and run/walking laps on the flatter part of the mountain. Normally I would not have started running by choice, but witnessing the way Adam could sprint up a mountain at an altitude of 7,000 feet inspired me to make a change. Within a week or two I was running the mile with no walking, which was a huge accomplishment for me, considering how little previous training I'd had. I pushed myself harder each day. Upon returning to my home in New York City, I felt better physically and mentally than I had in my entire life. In the fall, I continued exercising and reached my goal of making the tennis team at my high school. I can't say I've run any marathons or won any races, but training with Adam has shown me just how much potential I have if enough effort is put in. I am confident that this is true for anyone. Go RunByFeel!!!!
Sophia Fishman
Hace ya casi 2 años que empecé “en serio” con la corrida. No empecé corriendo pero todo buen inicio lo marca una decisión. Decidí que iba a correr, completamente convencida de que no nací para este deporte pero quería intentarlo.
Para mí salir a caminar 1 hora diaria no era problema. Así comenzó todo, saliendo con los perros. Luego apreté el paso, lo siguiente fue dejar los perros en la casa porque ya están viejos y cansados con 20 minutos de caminata. Ya sin perros podía correr, se veía muy fácil, pero yo solo aguantaba 5 minutos, me faltaba el aire, todos en la pista del poli iban más rápido que yo, me ponía roja como tomate, el infarto a la vuelta de la esquina, etc.
Eran los 5 minutos más sufridos de mi día y los corría en el poli porque la calle me daba pánico, pensar en una cuesta me mataba la voluntad. Pasaron los meses – casi el año- y ya podía correr 10 (MINUTOS, no kilómetros!). Cuando llegué a 20 minutos me estanqué. Sentía que hacia un esfuerzo sobrehumano y que aun así no mejoraba. Soy disciplinada para el deporte, salía todos los días, pero no pasaba de los 20 minutos.
Varias veces mi hermana me había recomendado contactar a Adam y Run by Feel, pero por mucho tiempo no me sentía lista. Pasaron los meses, pero no pasaban los 20 minutos, me decidí y le escribí un correo a Adam. Mi correo empezaba diciendo: no sirvo para correr, mido 1,77m, peso 67 kilos, soy muy alta, tengo los brazos y las piernas muy largas, solo sirvo para nadar… cuando corro no me duele nada, solo no me da el aire, creo que corro mal porque biomecanicamente mi cuerpo no está hecho para esto, etc. Era un correo escrito en negación.
Adam me convenció de que con Run by Feel iba a lograr lo que quería y más, y que los humanos – todos – estamos hechos para correr, pues no somos animales de agua… Entonces me inscribí.
Lisette Sandi Diaz
Cuando llevaba 2 meses en el programa les escribí para decirles “no puedo creer que a dos meses de haber empezado ya estoy corriendo media hora!!!” Ellos me dijeron: Imagínese lo que puede hacer en 8 meses!
Hace ya 8 meses estoy en el programa, han sido los mejores 8 meses. Me di cuenta que no avanzaba porque aunque tenía una meta, no tenía un plan para lograrla, no sabía cómo. Yo quería correr 30 minutos al día. Adam y Run by Feel me tienen corriendo hace ya varios meses entre 45 minutos y 1 hora casi todos los días… A VECES MAS DE 1 HORA!
Nada me duele, no me agito, no sufro, corro feliz, lo disfruto, voy a mi ritmo, cuando quiero corro más, otros días corro menos, pero tengo una estructura, un programa totalmente personalizado, hecho para mí, modificado de acuerdo a mi avance personal y que además me permite correr prestando atención a las señales que mi cuerpo me da, aprendiendo a interpretarlas, aprendiendo a decidir qué hacer según lo que sienta. Yo no sabía pero aprendí que eso era lo que yo quería!
Run by Feel no se trata de entrenar y entrenar para correr más rápido y ser el mejor, se trata de conocerse a uno mismo, de alcanzar el potencial al propio ritmo partiendo del hecho de que todos somos distintos pero que con el entrenamiento adecuado todos podemos alcanzar los objetivos. Se trata de conocer tus límites y trabajar estratégicamente para superarlos, se trata de correr sanamente, sin lesiones, sin dolores, sin ahogarme en el intento.
Run by Feel es una filosofía, es un estilo de vida. Me encanta y voy por más!