McMillanElite :: Alvina Begay
BLOG ARCHIVE Entry #199 Congratulations to my teammate Lindsay Allen on her third place finish at the USA Track and Field Championships in the Women’s Steeplechase! Lindsay’s gutsy race performance was inspiring to watch and a result of hard work and attention to all the small details on and off the track. She and Jordan Horn are now headed to Europe for more racing and the team wishes them safe travel and fast feet and legs. It’s been awhile since I have written a blog and a lot has happened. Last week, there were several forest fires around Flagstaff. The Schultz fire, in particular, had everyone looking to the peaks and mountains to see how much the fire had spread. Fortunately, the fire didn’t burn all of the peaks and it is now 75% contained. It looked like a volcano had erupted the day the fire started. Running and training is a continuous process of learning, evaluating, and applying lessons learned. The last several months have been spent making adjustments to improve my running performances. I have changed my iron intake regimen, worked on improving my running form, and spent time with family and friends. In May, I discovered the cause of feeling sluggish in workouts, races, and my activities of daily living, was a low iron level. I was very surprised because I was already taking iron regularly. I made some adjustments in my supplementation routine and am feeling much better. Changing my running form has been a very big challenge for me in the last month and a half. My running stride has been short and choppy for several years now. Most running days have been spent doing form drills and maintaining new form during strides, sprints, and steady states. After weeks of being very sore and fatigued, my body is slowly adapting and I’m finding myself able to maintain my new stride for longer periods of time. Honestly, there were days when I dreaded running because of how uncomfortable everything felt. The positive feed back Greg and Trina give me about improvements (even small ones) make all the work and discomfort worth it. The end of May and early June was spent visiting family and friends. I can easily get caught up in just being a runner or student and living like a hermit to the point where I have neglected other parts of my life. I went to a Navajo wedding where the groom gave his new father-in-law a horse as a gift for his daughter. My nephew who is handicapped also graduated from high school. His medals from the Special Olympics were on display at this graduation party. That was pretty awesome. I am feeling rejuvenated and back in balance. Entry #194 First and foremost, I would like to welcome Nick and Stephanie to McMillan Elite and Team USA Arizona. They are the newest members of the team. Welcome Nick and Stephanie!!! I had the opportunity to meet and get to know Stephanie when we were representing the USA in the Yokohama Ekiden in 2008. She was very fun and exuberant about the sport of running. When I found out she was coming to Flagstaff, I was super excited. The Flagstaff spring season has been interesting. We got a dusting of snow last night. The temperatures go up and down. Three days ago, it was a nice 60 degrees, warm and not windy. Yesterday (Monday), it was 50 degrees, cold, and windy. I keep turning off the heat in the house and then find myself turning it back on. I go back and forth between wearing shorts and capri tights. Growing up in northern Arizona, I have to remind myself that this is a typical spring. I had a talk with a friend who coaches a high school track team on the Navajo Reservation a few days ago. In talking to him, I realized that much hasn’t changed in high school running on the Reservation, ESPECIALLY when it comes to runners who have and show talent. From my perspective and experience working with high school runners, families can sometimes get overly involved in the sport of their children. This is a good thing, but it is also sometimes a bad thing. I’m going to touch on the negative side of parent over involvement. Some parents, especially those who competed in the same sport as their child often times think they know everything about that sport. Some parents see and notice talent in their children and then try to coach them or offer advice in how to perform. Some parents might get so used to their children winning that they don’t know how to react when their child doesn’t perform as expected. Parents may not know it but what they say and what they do when it comes to their child’s sport can be detrimental. Parents might think they are offering words of encouragement or showing their love by trying to help, when in fact, it is doing the opposite. I am familiar with all of this too well because I felt the pressure to win and excel in running from my dad from grade seven till my freshman year in high school. My dad would try to train me outside of practice, tell me to win every race, and “be tough.” The pressure I felt became very overwhelming and became a heavy weight. One day I got so angry that I told my dad to “back off” and to “leave my running alone.” I remember that conversation clearly. I felt awful and sad for talking to my dad like that but it was one of the best things I did for my running. After that, he kept mum about my training and running. He then realized that I wanted to train hard and win on my own. Now, he tells me to be careful and to train smart. I have been in the sport of running since I was a child. I have seen many families get too involved in their children’s running to the point where runners don’t love or want to run anymore. Young runners start to feel the pressure to win every race. They are already labeled “the next Billy Mills” at such a young age. It is especially hard when runners have success at such a young age. For parents who may be reading this, please understand that runners already put a ton of pressure on themselves. Talk to the coaches about how you can be supportive and offer encouragement. When high school runners approach me for running advice, I advise them to listen to their coaches and to have fun. Parents, also try to make your words of encouragement as positive as possible. You can say things like, “Just do your best. You can do this. You are strong,” or “Have fun out there.” When the body and mind start to get tired in a race, it is so easy to think about the words you hear around you all the time. If words are negative, thoughts will be negative. If words are positive, thoughts are positive. It is okay to take a step back and let young runners learn and figure themselves out. Since high school, my parent’s attitude towards my running has become – We are here for you in any way you need us to be because we know that this is what you want to do. We do not want to be or get in the way of what you are trying to do. For young runners, it is okay to say how you feel to your coaches and family. I have asked my mom several times not to act like a psycho cheerleader at my races. She does her best not to. She still embarrasses me by yelling “Go baby!” during my races. If you let people know how you feel, it takes that extra weight or pressure off to perform. You will enjoy the sport of running even more. My brothers have asked me for running space and I give it to him. They call me when they need help or advice with running. Thank you for reading. Good Luck to Paige in Boston, Lemon in London, and Martin in Ireland!!!! Entry #184 It has been week two now since my marathon. Downtime has ended, and I am ready to get back into the full swing of training. It felt strange to go from intense training to not running everyday. I took advantage of my two week break by sleeping in, staying up late, and visiting family and friends. I also started the spring semester of graduate school.
I was on pace to run 2:35 until mile 21. I felt bad from then to the finish. I ran the last 14 miles all alone in no man's land. My mind and body were screaming at me to stop. My legs started to feel heavy. I was looking for anything to stay motivated and to keep going. I kept saying to myself that I could do it. I tried to keep from thinking too much about the pain by focusing on positive things like how awesome it would be to finish as the first American and win money. Trent and Trina gave me words of encouragement and different things to focus on to distract me from feeling the fatigue. Looking back now, I know the mistakes I made and I will continue to work towards getting stronger and faster. People also kept complimenting the color of my shoes (Adidas Adios) during the race. They are a very bright yellow.
It was amazing to have Trina, Trina's family, my teammates, friends, and family out on the course cheering and supporting me. Thanks guys! Emily did a wonderful job pacing me. I think she will be a great marathoner someday. Thanks Emily! To have my parents at the finish and to hear them scream in excitement after learning that I got the time standard was my favorite part of the entire event. My family, coaches, and teammates have really been the only ones to see my roller coaster ride of trying to get healthy and fit since 2008. They have been there through it all. It is so true when people say that the tough and rough times make the good times feel so much better and sweeter.
Entry #172 I hear we’re getting snow early this week. So far this winter, we have only received a few inches. Snow tends to make training a little interesting here in Flagstaff. Fortunately, we have Sedona less than an hour away. I’m personally excited to get snow. I’m also excited that we (the women’s team, Trina, and Greg) head to Kentucky this weekend for the U.S.A. Club Cross-Country Championships. The girls and I are definitely excited and ready to go. I’ve never been to Kentucky. In my mind, there are horses and racetracks everywhere. I grew up riding horses and am excited to see as many as I can even through a van’s window. There is a chance that I’m setting myself up for disappointment. As for me personally, training is coming along well. I went home for Thanksgiving and had an amazing time seeing and catching up with family. I ate dinner in my paternal grandmother’s traditional Navajo Hogan and laughed with family. Everyone gets laughed at or picked on at some point during big family dinners. As soon as I walked in, my uncle said to everyone, “The Dietitian is here. Watch your portion sizes.” Everyone laughed and I was grateful to get my part in being made fun of over and done with. My cousin, on the other hand, had it much harder. She decided to bring her new boyfriend and the family grilled the both of them (Begay family initiation). It’s always a little tough when training is intense around the holiday season. While I was home for a few days, I realized how much I sometimes take it for granted to be around people who understand what I’m doing. I suppose you realize these things when you step outside the running bubble for a little while. My running bubble includes everything about my life in the present that involves running (friends, coaches, training location, etc.). I always find it a little tough because I have to make adjustments. I’m on someone else’s time schedule and most times running is not their schedule. Some of those adjustments I have to make include changing running times or missing out on things to get my runs in. I have to admit that while I was home, I was a little grumpy running because I was missing out on some family fun. My grumpiness made me wish I was back in Flagstaff where fun activities are scheduled around running. In my times of grumpiness when running is chosen over other enjoyable things, I remember that my lifestyle as a runner is a choice, not a sacrifice. Having this attitude helps me to not feel so negative. It also helps me knowing that what I do today (no matter what day) is going to make me better tomorrow or in two weeks. My family is also very understanding and supportive. Most times they make adjustments for me, too. I guess it’s all about making compromises and having balance. My teammate and roommate Trent ran in the Cal International Marathon today. He placed 6th and finished in 2:16. We are all proud of him. The Mountain House hopes he comes home soon so he can help with snow shoveling. :) Thanks for reading.
As the two-year anniversary of the death of my friend and former roommate Ryan Shay approaches, I can’t help but remember and go through the emotions of Nov. 3, 2007. Looking back even now, everything is still very clear. I can still remember every single thing that happened that day. I remember waking up super early to see the start of Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials, wishing all of Flagstaff runners luck via text message, sitting in the elite tent hearing an official say that Ryan’s heart had stopped, trying to call Alicia, Tracy telling me that Ryan died, not knowing what to do but go for a run as I sat all alone in my room crying, talking and crying to my parents on the phone, Greg telling me that Ryan would want me to run the New York City Marathon the very next day, and sitting with Phil Wharton in the hallway of the hotel crying, praying, and meditating before going to bed. I also remember everything else that happened in between. It took me a long time to come to terms with what happened. I was angry, confused, and emotional for a while. How could something like that happen to a person who worked so hard, had good morals and ethics, and had all the qualities of a genuinely good person? I still think of Ryan often. I cry sometimes when I think of that day and when I talk about Ryan. I left New York City a different person and with a new perspective on life. I learned about how strong my mind and heart is and can be. I am able let go of disappointing races and training sessions a lot easier now. I can stop, take a breath and appreciate what I have in the present. One lesson a handful of us received that day was the importance of appreciating what we have because something or someone so precious can be taken away from us in an instant. Ryan’s death also showed me the true colors of all the people in my life. Many people showed their support and kindness in so many different ways. Phil Wharton sat with me the night before my marathon just to make sure I was okay after working such a long day. My parents and sister were ready to get on the next plane to New York City just to be with me. Trina Painter called and told me to not hold any emotions in. You don’t forget the people who called and showed their support in difficult times. I see Alicia around town time and again and I think of her often. Her strength, spirituality and faith in a brighter future continues to inspire me. I am also so proud of Stephan Shay. I see glimpses of Ryan when I see and talk to him at races. Many of us in Flagstaff were blessed to have known Ryan. He was an inspiration to us all. In closing, I’d like to share a quote that I came across. “God allows us to experience the low points of life
in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way.
The way we learn those lessons is not to deny the feelings
but to find the meanings underlying them.” Thank You. Entry #156 As I take a short break from writing a paper assessing President Barack Obama’s plan for a healthy America, I can’t help but think of my time spent in Phoenix over the weekend. As much as I complain and dislike the Phoenix heat, I found myself enjoying the warmth of the sun. It's getting cold in Flagstaff. Emily and I drove down to Tempe, AZ on Friday to receive treatment from Dr. John Ball. I have to say that it was one of the most intense and painful treatment sessions I have ever received. Emily saw me squirm and scream. I don’t recall ever being in so much physical discomfort and being on the verge of crying. Despite the discomfort and pain, I walked out of Dr. Ball’s office with more hamstring flexibility. My brother John and his team ran in the prestigious Doug Conley Invitational in Tempe. One of my favorite things to do is go watch my brothers race and be their crazy cheerleader. The competitive part of my personality becomes very obvious while I’m running all over the course and screaming as loud as I can. Jack Daniels once told me, “People are different people when they are in competitive mode.” I can certainly attest to that. I spent the rest of the day with my sister, mother, and nephews. My mom and I had our usual little disagreements, laughs, and heart-to-heart talks. My sister and I shared some good laughs as we ganged up on our little brother John and his stylish vest. I spent some time with my nephews and now know who The Backyardigans are. After listening to babies cry and babble on the drive back up to Flagstaff, I was glad to come home to peace and quiet. After experiencing some quiet for a few minutes, I started to feel sad. Even though my family only lives two hours away, it is still tough when we all go our separate ways. It was also another fabulous weekend of racing for the team. Brett, AC, and Lemon represented the team this morning at the World Half-Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK. They all ran well. Martin Fagan also won the B.A.A. Half Marathon this morning. Congrats Martin!!!! Trina and Lindsay are ready to get crunk in the Tufts 10K tomorrow morning. Good luck ladies and wishing you fast legs and fast feet. In closing, training is coming along. I’m back to running 100 miles a week. Lately, my focus has been to improve my running form and get consistent treatment from Dr. Ball. Until next time, wishing you peaceful and fun runs. Entry #142 I will start my blog with congratulations to my McMillanElite teammate Paige Higgins and former college teammate Desiree Davila. They both ran in the Women’s World Marathon Championships this morning in Berlin Germany. Congratulations!!!! Paige placed 30th and Desiree placed 11th. I woke up at 2 am this morning and watched the race until I fell back asleep. It was awesome seeing Paige and Desiree wear red, white, and blue. Watching Paige train and crank out 120-140 mile weeks training for Worlds and then racing has been so inspiring. My 110+ mile weeks feel like peanuts compared to what she was doing for preparation. Paige took representing the U.S. seriously and McMillanElite is proud to call Paige our teammate and friend. I am currently about to start my last week of high mileage. Training is going well. This last month, I have run my highest mileage consistently. Going into week two of 110+ miles, I started to experience, “mileage irritability.” I have experienced, “mileage irritability,” during past training phases, but I never gave it much thought. A couple of weeks ago, I read a blog that Desiree wrote and she mentioned, “mileage irritability.” I thought she did a great job describing and capturing the symptoms. Desiree describes “mileage irritability,” as, “premenstrual without the puffiness.” I laughed immediately because there is truth to a change in tolerance of all sorts of things when training is intense and long. I have found myself being easily irritated by a lot of little stupid things like a guy at the grocery store wearing strong cologne, people updating their facebook status every hour, being called “honey,” all the receipts in my purse and car piling up, or someone being overly positive and smiling too big. It’s ridiculous, I know. We celebrated Trent’s Birthday on Tuesday. After dessert, we all played three rounds of Catch Phrase. Maybe it was the sugar from the dessert or the big bright pink couch in our living room, but everyone got loud and super competitive. The women’s team won the tie-breaking round in total dominance. Runners in Flagstaff take Catch Phrase and Scrabble very seriously. Don’t be surprised if you find or see both games in every running house. Be prepared to play the games when you attend festivities that involve runners in Flag. Word on the street is that Fasil has a special name for his Scrabble board and pieces, “The Black Onyx.” In closing, I want to thank Trina for doing her best to be Greg while he was in Germany. She did a fabulous job doing fluids during long runs and timing workouts. Thank you Trina. I also want to thank her high school coaching staff and Jordan’s parents for helping out with fluids as well. Thanks a bunch!!! Entry #129 Greetings! I’m writing this blog as I sit in the back seat of my parent’s truck with my parents as we drive home from town. The truck is filled with groceries for the week and food for the animals. I am reminded of an old scene of five kids sitting in the back seat of the truck and/or van fighting or laughing. Every runner has special people in their lives who keep them going and grinding along. These special people keep your dreams alive and provide true meaning to life. In this week’s blog, I’d like to share with you some of the special people in my life. I decided to go home for the weekend and spend time with my family. It is the first time since Christmas that the entire family has been together. Perfect timing for Father’s Day! My brother is back from Dartmouth College and I am coming off my spring racing season. When I got home, I was really excited to see my nephews. I’ve only been able to keep up with their growth and development through photos, phone calls, and stories. My nephew, Chase, has grown so much and I was surprised that my nephew Ryder missed me (I had to rebuke him the last time I saw him for throwing a temper tantrum). He gave me a hug. I was able to talk to my parents and get caught up on all the happenings in our small town. I got the latest scoop on relatives. As I talked to my parents, I was able to observe all the changes that have occurred since my last visit – T&R Market is no longer attached to the feed store and Western Warehouse in the mall is out of business. When I’m alone with my parents, I am able to share everything on my mind. My dad understands my lifestyle as a runner and my mom understands my lifestyle as a healthcare professional. I think it’s a good balance. My dad’s first language is Navajo so he speaks mostly in Navajo. My dad’s family is very traditional in the Navajo culture. They support me being a runner. It is always humbling to visit family members on my dad’s side. I have an uncle who doesn’t have running water in his house. His kids have to haul water from the nearest windmill, which is about 2 miles away. My aunt Ruby always gives me a big hug when I see her and my other aunt Louise makes me yeast rolls. The biggest thing I appreciate about my dad’s family is their sense of humor and the love they have for one another. My mom was the first person in her family to graduate college. She worked hard and continues to. She taught me that it is okay to be different and that I didn’t have to live up to the expectations of my culture right away. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my maternal grandpa. My siblings and I were close with him. He drove us to school, our orthodontist appointments, and practices. He also helped me mark miles and he would drop me off in the middle of nowhere to run home. My grandpa wasn’t like the other older traditional men in the community. He had a television, VCR., Nintendo, telephone, and a bread box full of sweets. We loved visiting Chei Chei (Grandpa in Navajo language). Just being home, I feel rejuvenated and ready to get back to hard training. When I go home to Ganado and visit family, I find and see purpose in being a professional runner. Some days, I get angry and frustrated with the expectations of my Navajo culture. It is hard living in two worlds striving to succeed. I have been fortunate to have great support from family, Greg and Tracy McMillan, The Painters, Billy Mills, teammates, adidas and many friends. Through all their support and love, I have been able to keep my dream alive despite challenges. On another note, I love running in my adidas Glides. They provide a lot of cushion and I love my shoes well cushioned. I also want to thank Scott, Craig, and Chris of adidas for giving us a tour of the adidas headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Thank you Scott, Craig, and Chris!! We had a blast. We appreciate your support. Trina continues to inspire all of us with her strong racing performances. She set a new Master's National Record in the 3K at the Portland Track Festival. Some of my teammates will also be competing in the USA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. I wish them great and fast races. Rock it out and represent!!!! Entry #118 A lot has happened since my last blog. I ran a 10K at Mt. SAC, had good and confidence building workouts, received a few intense therapies from Dr. John Ball, wrote a 10-page paper on Medicare Reform (single-spaced, 11 point font), and picked up some shifts at the hospital. Some of these things haven’t been exactly fun (like writing the paper or grimacing and sometimes screaming during active release therapy sessions with Dr. Ball), but the results definitely contribute to the saying that “good things don’t come easy, nor do they always feel good.” The feeling of hearing Greg say that my stride is smoothing out made me feel like all those intense sessions with Dr. Ball paid off. Entry #107 First and foremost, I would like to congratulate my teammate and training partner, Martin Fagan. Martin set a new Irish National Record for the Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) at the Fortis City-Pier-City Half-Marathon in Hague, Netherlands over the weekend. Congratulations Martin!! Secondly, five of us (me, Trent, Cele, Brett, and AC) also competed in the USA 15K Championships in Jacksonville, FL. The men’s team tied for first place with Team Minnesota, but had to settle for second because Team Minnesota’s fourth runner finished before our fourth runner. Brett, AC, and Trent all ran great races. I, on the other hand, did not run as well. The race after mile three was rough. My hamstrings locked up and I ran the rest of the race in complete discomfort. I am occasionally asked how runners handle disappointing race performances. Every runner is different. Some athletes cry, get angry, swear, laugh, or just want to be alone. I have pretty much experienced all of those emotions. After the race, I went on a cool down run with my friend and physio-therapist Phil Wharton. I expressed to Phil how confused, frustrated, and angry I was with the pain and discomfort of injuries reappearing suddenly and at the most inconvenient times. When I find myself in a frustrating and disappointing time, my parents usually say to me, “Get up, wipe the dust/tears away, and get back on the horse.” After venting, I took a deep breath and decided not to let my performance consume me and fill my mind with negative thoughts. The one thing that the race left me with was determination to get to the root of the injury and get rid of it. Once I got back to my hotel room, I called Dr. John Ball and made an appointment to see him on Monday morning. Dr. Ball is a chiropractor and former Arizona State University athlete who specializes in Active Release and Graston Techniques. Some of us see him for mysterious injuries. After getting some aggressive treatment from Dr. Ball, I had a talk with Greg and Trina. The treatment and talks with the coaches helped me to re-focus on my season goals. I am now back training and thinking about my next race. In closing, the sponsors and race committees of the 32nd Annual Gate River Run did a great job in hosting the 15K. Team USA Arizona/McMillan Elite thanks them for their great and generous hospitality. We look forward to going back next year.
Entry #97 First and foremost, I would like to say congratulations to Brett, Gil, and Emily for their awesome performances at the USA National Cross-Country Championships in Maryland. Brett placed 7th, Gil was 13th, and Emily was 25th. Each of my team member's 2009 performances have been the results of patient hard work, and they are inspiring and motivating to us all. As I recover from running the hilly Sedona Half-Marathon and completing a case study on the decline and comeback of a business, I find myself thinking about my life in the present. I am currently running full-time, going to graduate school, and working. Its definitely a challenge on some days, but to see the improvement in my fitness and to continue to gain knowledge and skills outside of running makes it all worth while. In college, academics and running both shared my primary focus. Now, running is main focus, followed by work and school. Balance is definitely key. I have to admit that I occasionally choose naps over reading for classes and going to team birthday dinners instead of working on class projects. Because of the choices I have recently made for my running, I find myself with a B (several points from an A) in one of my classes. After a few days of contemplating putting in more work to get an A, I decided that a B is still okay. It also helped to have my friend Chris assure me that B's are still good grades. I also reminded myself that I am no longer in competition with anyone for being Valedictorian. It was a good reality check to have someone be honest and help me realize that I can't be perfect in all aspects of my life. I have come to realize that as long as running is my main focus, some things will just have to be on the back burner. That being said, I promise to make time for fun, family, and friends. I trust that my family, friends, teammates, and coaches will be honest and tell me if my life balance is off. I enjoy doing things outside of running. I work part-time as a Registered Dietitian at Flagstaff Medical Center. Working keeps my mind fresh and helps me see the world beyond running. It also occupies my mind and takes the pressure off of running. One perk of working is that my job provides me with a free lunch and all I can drink Gatoraid from the fountain machine. The cooks usually tell me that I'm too skinny so they give me extra food. I work with five dietitians and they are all different, but they all support my running dreams and goals. My supervisor Sheila reminds me of my mother when she talks about her horses, wears horse print clothes and when she wears her boots to work. Sheila is an excellent boss. After the trials, she told me not to give up on my running dreams. Gayle talks a lot about her daughter and granddaughter living in Africa. We (McMillan Elite team) run past her house almost everyday and she laughs about how skinny we all are. Stacey just had a baby and she is a great mentor. Jodie helps me a lot with pediatric nutrition and I appreciate how she tells me that she prays for me and my running. And Sarah is like the fun older sister that I never had. Some of us (runners) have no choice but to work while we train. We are fortunate to have co-workers and supervisors supporting our running dreams. Our work experiences provide us with funny stores that we share with one another at team dinners. I'm sure that we (runners) are stories to our co-workers and their families as well (Gayle once said to me that she thought we were a bunch of idiots running in shorts during a snow storm!). Alvina Below is a scheduled I followed before the Houston Half Marathon: Sunday: 10 miles Monday: AM: 8 mile steady state with 2 mile warmup and 2 mile cool down Tuesday: 10 miles in the morning and 6 miles in the evening Wednesday: AM: 2 miles on the track with 200 meter strides and 200 meter jogs with 4 mile warm up and 4 Thursday: AM: 10 miles Saturday: 14-16 miles or 2 hours.
Entry #92 Greetings!!! Happy New Year! The last time I blogged, I wrote about being the newest member of McMillan Elite. This time I get to welcome our latest addition, Emily Harrison. Welcome Emily! I also wrote about how I was adjusting to a new coach, new teammates, and a new training system. Since then, Flagstaff has been hit with several snow storms and my fitness is finally coming around. My Yaktraks and fleeced lined tights (courtesy of adidas) made it easy to handle the snowy, cold days. Other days we drove down to Sedona where there is no snow, its a little warmer, and the rocks are beautifully red. I also competed in the USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston, Texas this past weekend. It was my first race since the Womens Olympic Marathon Trials last year. I ran 1:15.39 and placed 17th. I was very pleased considering that I started seriously training about two months ago. Greg has been very patient in preparing me for the spring racing season. I had some injuries that seemed to take most of last year to heal so racing over 13 miles without injury pain was a huge success in my mind. I followed my race plan exactly. I definitely feel that getting in a few more workouts under my belt will get me where I want to be. It was also so was great to see Amy, Pete, Caroline, Des, Fasil, Magdalena, Fernando and many others in Houston. The weekend marked another round of racing for McMillan Elite. Brett ran an awesome race. He placed third and set a personal best by two minutes!!! AC (Carlson), Trent, and Paige also set PRs. Ian dominated the mile at the Lumberjack Invitational with a 4:11 at altitude (7000 ft.) while Lindsay and Becky went 1-2 in the same event. As far as training, I think I am finally phasing out of the "adjustment period." For the first couple of weeks since joining the group, I felt like I was grinding through workouts and trying to be positive as I struggled through training. It didn't help to get a sinus infection and find that my iron levels were low. It was a huge blessing to have Trina Painter run with me and help me see and find the positives in every run and workout. I got into a consistent routine of eating, sleeping, taking iron, doing circuit, getting massages, and stretching with faith that things would feel better soon. Then one day, like magic, I felt awesome in a workout down in Sedona. I was able to run 1000 meter repeats in times that gave me confidence in my fitness. In closing, I would like to say Thank You to a few special people. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Higgins. Paige's parents traveled to Houston and cheered on Paige and the rest of team. Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Briney. Trent's parents made some of us some delicious green chili buritos before our drive back up to Flagstaff. Thank you to my sister Natasha and her fiance' Jeff for always being great hosts when I train or stay in Phoenix. And lastly, Thank You to the Houston Marathon who always goes above and beyond to support American distance running. You made us feel at home in Houston and we can't wait to go back next year. Until next time...Thanks for reading!!! Alvina
Entry #78 Greetings! My name is Alvina Begay. Hmmmm, where do I begin? Its funny and amazing to be writing my first blog as a runner of McMillan Elite. It makes me look back and remember when I first met Greg and Tracy. I was living in a townhouse furnished with heavy dorm furniture down the street from the townhouse that Mike Smith, Lemon, Martin, and Fasil currently live in. Mike Smith and I took turns hosting dinners or potlucks for the Flagstaff running community. Greg and Tracy would attend the potlucks and talk about creating their professional running/racing group based out of Flagstaff. They have come a long way in making their dream a reality and it has been great seeing all the success that has come of it. I moved to Flagstaff from Ganado, AZ about three years ago to focus on qualifying for the Women's Olympic Trials in the Marathon. Ganado is located on "The Rez," or the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona and at an elevation of ~6000ft. Ganado is a small town where everyone knows everyone and there are endless dirtroads and trails. I have one sister, three brothers, and two nephews. My family has a ranch so I grew up riding horses, herding sheep, and rounding up cattle. I was a pretty ambitious active and adventurous kid. I have the scars on my legs and head to prove it. My dad was a runner so my childhood was spent watching him train, race, and sitting or sleeping in a camper traveling to races on the weekends. My parents entered me in fun runs and I hated losing. Running was easy and fun to do. I remember my mom telling me as a kid all the things running could do for me if I just kept at it and kept working hard - like help pay for my education, allow me to travel, and meet cool new people. I never forgot what she said and it served as motivation to run in high school, college, and professionally. Hard training and life events in the year leading up to the Olympic Marathon Trials left me injured and exhausted emotionally, physically, and mentally. Since the trials in April, I focused on getting healthy and enjoying my runs. As I was getting healthy, I was looking for someone or something that would provide positive support and help me focus on becoming a better runner. Greg and Tracy have been there during my running highs and lows so it wasn't hard to see that their program might be able to provide me with what I was looking for. Getting back into racing shape has been fun. Ummm, maybe not fun everyday, but fun most days. I get frustrated when I struggle to run times that are easy when I'm in shape. Greg and Trina Painter do an awesome job telling and reminding me to be patient and smart. I also have to remind myself that I should be grateful to not be running in discomfort and pain. Core exercises leave me sore after every session. Its been good to have people to run with daily. Trent made french toast with rye bread the other day and it had an interesting taste. I saw a desk in one of the guy's house that I swear was for sale at my neighbor's garage sale. I'm optimistic that my new life adventures with McMillan Elite will be positive. In closing, Happy Thanksgiving! I think that all professional runners would agree that it takes the support of so many people to keep their dreams alive. That being said, thank you to everyone that is involved in the life of a professional runner. Thank you to family(ies), teammates, and friends. Families, teammates, and friends are usually the first ones to know about or feel the happiness, pain, or disappointment of an athlete. Thank you to coaches and therapists. The coaches and therapists are usually the ones who know what is going on in the minds and bodies of the athletes. Coaches and therapists give so much time and energy. Most times, the payment they receive comes in the form of PRs, success, and achievements of their athletes. Thank you to agents, bosses, and co-workers who provide work environments that allow athletes to pursue their dreams. Until next time. Have a great Holiday season! A special THANK YOU to the Begay Family. I love you and thanks so much for all your help and support. Alvina Begay |
SPONSORS |
|---|
|