McMillanElite :: Brett Gotcher
Entry #193 For this blog, I’m going to write about the people that help keep us healthy. I learned recently that marathon training can take quite a toll on your body, and without the help of a few people, I most likely would not have even made it to the starting line. As we push our bodies closer and closer to it’s limit, little things (or big things) are going to pop up. That’s just a fact we have to deal with. It’s how we deal with it that determines how good we can be. First off, we have Greg McMillan. Yes, he is our coach, but he does much more than just coach. This winter seemed particularly bad, maybe because it was or maybe because I was freaking out that I had to train for a marathon during the thick of it. Either way, I didn’t take it so well. I remember coming to a breaking point and feeling like it was just about time to throw in the towel. I was losing it until Greg told me I should just go to Sedona for a week or so. He got in contact with Phil Wharton who got in contact with someone he knows in Sedona and before I knew it, I had a place to stay for as long as I wanted. A simple solution to what I thought was an unfixable problem. Ten days of training on soft surfaces later, I was back on course and felt like a new man. Next we have our massage therapists. There are many here in town, and for me, this person was Dana Bosselmann. I recently found out that Dana is moving in a bit of a different direction from massage, into holistic lifestyle coaching. Luckily she is still going to be doing some massage work on the side, but this made perfect sense to me. Not only could she mend muscles that felt like they were torn in half, but she also managed to impart little bits of wisdom that could help me in many other aspects of my life. She was the total package, covering both the mind and body and helping me with the little things that could keep my body in one piece while I was going out every day and trying to rip it apart. And last but not least, we have the one and only Dr. John Ball. I recently got in a little trouble with John when apparently, I classified him as something he is not in an interview. He was obviously just kidding around with me, but I realized that I actually didn’t know what I should call him. Doctor? Chiropractor? So I asked him, “Well what should I call you when people ask about you?” His reply was, “A lot of people like to call me Jesus.” I laughed, but realized I was perfectly okay with it because this man heals people. I ended up finding his business card at the front desk so I can now tell you that he is a Chiropractic Physician, specializing in Active Release and Graston techniques. No matter what he’s called, I honestly believe I would not have made it to the starting line without his help. He is stationed in Phoenix, about 2 – 2.5 hours south of Flagstaff, but the drive seemed minor when I knew I was going to see him. He has this amazing ability to find the source of the pain so he can nip it where it counts. He doesn’t treat the symptoms. He takes them into consideration and then finds the underlying cause. I was having some calf issues during the week leading up to the Houston Marathon. It wasn’t feeling so good, even on my easy days, so I was beginning to worry about how it would feel 20 miles into a marathon. I was running out of options as the race was only a few days away, but John was able to squeeze me in a few hours before my plane left Phoenix. I got to Houston, relying on nothing but hope that it would feel okay. I should have known better. I didn’t feel anything in my calf the entire weekend and the race was a success. I couldn’t believe that I could go from limping through runs to feeling nothing after seeing John for about 30 minutes. Thank you, Jesus. There are definitely many more people out there that help keep our group healthy and I want to extend a huge Thank You to all of them. A lot of people think running is purely a solo sport. And while it can be in many ways, it wouldn’t be possible without the help of so many people. Entry #179 Training for a marathon, I’ve come to realize, is a life choice. It’s not something you can just do in your spare time or something that you can fake. Sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in a day to recover from the physical, mental, and emotional strain you put yourself through. And just when you begin to feel a little better, it’s time to go for another run. These past few months I’ve been deep in marathon training mode as I gear up for my debut at the Chevron Houston Marathon. When Greg sent me my marathon build-up plan back in September, I thought he might be playing a practical joke on me. Do people actually run 28 miles? At the time, it was a little hard to comprehend what it was going to take to be good at the marathon. Now that I’ve completed all but the last week and a half of this training, I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. I’ve been training as a serious runner for the last 10 or 11 years of my life. I thought I knew what it meant to be tired. Greg has been reading Andre Agassi’s autobiography and he told me a quote from the book that really struck a chord. Andre was towards the end of a weight session and it was becoming obvious that he was fatigued. His trainer told him, “There is something waiting for you on the other side of tired”. That really hit home because that, to me, sums up what marathon training is all about. Most of the time, as runners, we can push past that tired phase and finish. That’s what makes us good. But this latest training phase was all about emptying the tank, and then running harder. Many times, it felt like the first part of the workout was just a formality. You had to run those first 10 miles in order to get to the last 5, the real workout. This really changed my perspective on how I looked at training. I’d always done the speed work, the mileage, the long intervals, and I felt like I was a pretty balanced runner. Now we added this aspect, and I feel like I’ve discovered this whole new realm of training. I think this is just another step in trying to become the complete runner, what we all strive to be. Finally, I’ve never actually run a marathon before, so for all I know, I could be completely wrong about all this. Lucky for me, my coach knows a thing or two about the marathon, so I think I’ll be okay. Entry #166 Two weeks ago, I got a once in a lifetime experience. I got an invite from the NYRR to come check out the New York City Marathon to see if it might be something I want to do in the future. I flew out there without any idea of what to expect from the weekend, and got blown away by how well these people know how to put on a marathon. My role while I was there was basically that of an athlete who was running the race, only I didn’t actually have to run the race. I got to stay in the same hotel, eat all the same food, go to all the same meetings and even be at the starting line. I experienced everything the athletes do, minus the pain of running the marathon itself. Instead of running, I got one of the best seats in the house – riding along in the lead vehicle for the entire men’s race. I saw every move that was made, the pain on everyone’s faces, and the guts and determination it takes to win one of the biggest marathons in the world. I got to see all the pointless surges made early on and the price the people making them paid. I left with a whole new understanding of the marathon and how it should be raced, which is probably good as I’m heading into my first one in January. The best part about it though, was that I got to see a really good race, plain and simple. There’s nothing that gets you more fired up than seeing the best runners in the world going at it for 2 plus hours and watching one of your fellow countrymen want it so bad and come out victorious. It was 2 hours and 9 minutes that I won’t forget and that I will definitely look back on when my time comes to toe the line. I can’t write about the New York City Marathon and not talk about Mary Wittenberg, David Monti, and Sam Grotewold. These three people put so much effort into that one day and it shows. On race morning, I’ve never seen such cool, calm, and collected people. Everything seemed to run so smoothly, and if there was a problem, it was taken care of quickly and without an ounce of panic. I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me, for McMillan Elite, and for American distance running. They are giving people like me and countless others the opportunity to make a decent living in professional running. Without their support and the support of others like them, our group would not be what it has become today. So thanks everybody! Entry #153 This past weekend, one of my best friends, Jon Pierce, tied the knot with Anna Willard. I was lucky enough to be given the best man honor for the wedding, and it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. It was really nice to go relax after months of hard training and preparing for that big day at the 20k. That’s not to say I didn’t get some amazing runs in along the way, but everything seems more enjoyable when you know all your hard work is paying off. Being the best man was a great experience too. Jon has been a very good friend to me over the years, so I was happy to try my best to take care of him that weekend. Let me tell you though, those two have their act together. They were in Europe for 2 months, got back the week of the wedding, and somehow pulled it all together perfectly. Needless to say, there wasn’t a whole lot I had to take care of except driving him around and holding on to the rings (which was extremely nerve-racking). I did feel very VIP though. I got to sit at the main table at the reception and give a toast, which went over very well I might add. All in all, good people spending time together in a beautiful place makes for a great time. It was definitely a little hectic at times, but somehow I left feeling more refreshed than ever. Thanks guys! Entry #139 LIVING THE LIFE For as long as I can remember, I have been living in a house or dorm with other people. From growing up in a house with my parents and sister, to college life and now the “real world”, there have always been other people. I’ve been very fortunate with the roommates I’ve had though, so it really has not been a bad thing (it also turns out my family at home is pretty easy to live with too). This month is going to be a little different. With Greg, Tracy, and Angus over in Germany for most of August, I got the call to house sit at their place. Their house is only about 4 or 5 miles from where I normally live, but it feels like it’s in a whole other place. The neighborhood out here consists of massive houses scattered across a meadow, all with amazing views of the peaks. Each house sits on about a 2-acre lot, so privacy is not really an issue, and backyards seem to be endless. I wasn’t sure how I’d respond to such solitude, as I’m used to Jordan and Matt singing their way through the house on a daily basis, but so far it’s been pretty nice. So what do I do out here? Well, there is no cable TV, and that scared me at first. Luckily, Greg left me hours of race footage from all the big races in history, many that happened before I was even born. I’ve also reconnected with a lot of music that I haven’t listened to in years and even brought the old guitar out for some good old-fashioned entertainment. A typical day out here usually starts with a steaming cup of coffee, followed by a little work, a little rest, and ends with a very healthy dinner on the back porch while the sun goes down. Oh yeah, and lots of running.
The best part about being out here is the effect it’s having on my running. Right now is a very important part of the year, as I get to log more miles and harder workouts than ever before in preparation for some key races and my first marathon. With that, however, must come a lot of rest. Under normal circumstances, I would feel the need to fill my time in between runs with some type of activity. I’ve realized from being out here that sleeping is a great activity. Sitting down, also an amazing activity. My life gets to completely revolve around running and what needs to happen to make it better. A great man I know called this “going to the cave,” a really nice, big cave in my case. Either way, it’s perfect for what I need to do right now, and at the rate I’m going, Greg and Tracy might have trouble getting me to leave. I really believe in the training we do this time of year because it constantly tests you and pushes you to your limits. Hopefully being out here for a while and trying to do all the right things will allow me to push my limits to another level. This is what it’s all about! Finally, talking about pushing limits to new levels, it would be wrong not to mention Paige and the upcoming World Championships Marathon. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone as ready for a race as Paige is for this one. Her workouts have gotten to the point where they are actually mind-boggling and from what I’ve heard, everything is going to plan over in Germany. Go get ‘em Paige! TRAINING THIS WEEK Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Total: 120 miles Entry #124 I’ve been up in Flagstaff for almost 2 years now and I’m still learning more and more about running and how my body responds to different kinds of training and racing. It’s amazing! You’d think after 11 or 12 years of running, I would have figured this stuff out by now, but as we continue to push ourselves in our training and our racing, we have to continue to keep tabs on how the old bod is doing. This is what keeps it fun. I think it means that we are still progressing, that we are training harder and racing farther than we’ve ever done before. Of course, setbacks are bound to happen as I learned last month, but if you approach it properly, I think you can come away much stronger and much smarter. Last week was a particularly interesting week of training as we held the first annual Sedona Mile. The field was looking very strong, but as the race crept closer and closer, some people began to realize that maybe this race was going to be a little forced into their schedule and that they should reconsider. It was definitely a smart move because we never want to force anything, but that left the race as a head-to-head battle between Ian and myself. Now if you know Ian, you know the man has some wheels. He started playing mind games with me on the Wednesday before the race when he dropped two 56-second 400’s at the end of a very hard 16x400 workout. It was safe to say, I was scared. Turns out though, Ian’s a pretty mellow guy. After a relaxing drive down to Sedona, we flipped a coin to see who would lead the first lap and then just traded off from there. Of course, he absolutely blasted me the last 400, but we both ran solid and got that good hard effort we were looking for. I think it’s pretty important to keep the training fun by throwing things like the Sedona Mile in there. It keeps things fresh and takes your mind off the fact that what you’re doing is really hard and will hurt badly. Entry #112 I’ve just completed my first week back to altitude after spending about 8 days at the World XC Champs and I’m finally starting to feel normal again. The travel was tough and my sleep got a bit out of whack to say the least, but I’ve now settled back into the routine and I’m feeling more rejuvenated than ever! I would, however, like to take a step back and share a little of my experience from Amman, Jordan. THE TRAVEL
THE HOTEL TYPICAL DAY
One day we went to the Dead Sea, where a bunch of scrawny distance runners got to float for the first time in their lives and take healing mud baths with the mineral rich mud surrounding the sea. Another day we got to head into the downtown area, where we got to walk around all of the street shops and try not to get ripped off by the local shop owners. It was difficult to know how much to pay for things because nothing had prices on them, so the shop owner would just throw out a number that was inevitably way too high. Some people enjoyed trying to bargain with them, others just gave up and forked over whatever was asked. We also got to see some Roman ruins that were just on the outside of the downtown area. There, we got heckled by a crew of local kids that were pretty camera shy. We were always back just in time for the next training session at the same sports complex, which I didn’t mind at all, or a little bit of down time. Then it was back to dinner for a little bit of, yep, you guess it…pita and hummus. I actually ended up craving pita and hummus by the end of the trip, and it’s been tough coming down off that addiction now that I’m back in the states. After dinner, most people just chilled out and used the internet or watched TV. It was a good way to wind down after a long day of activities.
There was so much going on every day that I had to constantly remind myself why I was there: to race! I had felt good throughout the week and was excited at the course preview to find out that it was going to be a killer course. It brought me back to my high school days of racing on hilly, hard-packed dirt. I thought for sure that this was going to play right into my strengths as an altitude runner. However, I guess I didn’t give the course enough respect. The first couple loops of the race were a blast. The pace was fairly slow and everyone was really bunched up. I was probably only a couple seconds out of the lead, but there were about 40 people in between the leaders and me. Once the pace started to pick up, everything changed. People were going by me and I had plenty of opportunities to tuck in and let them drag me along, but I just wasn’t feeling it. My breathing was out of control and I thought that this might be the first race of my life where I have to stop and walk for a bit. The hills were debilitating, and knowing that I still had the steepest hill of all at the finish just ended me mentally. I somehow channeled the power to run the last couple of hills and ended up in 75th place. I was definitely a little bummed, but I realized that it also could have been a lot worse. It was good to see some of the guys on my team run well though. The champ of the day was my roommate for the trip, Ryan Vail. He was the youngest guy on the team but ran the toughest and ended up being the first American, good for 33rd place. It was a brutal race, but definitely an experience I won’t soon forget.
POST RACE
Entry #96 The past couple of weeks have felt a bit like a whirlwind. After a nice break from racing after Club Cross, we all got back from our Christmas “vacations” and jumped right back into it. It seems like we’ve had someone racing every weekend, from Ian dropping 7:52 bombs to Martin almost breaking 61 minutes in the half. The fun just never stops. This past weekend was no different. Gil, Greg, and I headed back east to beautiful Derwood, Maryland for the U.S. Cross Country Champs, because who doesn’t love to run 12k on a hilly, muddy course? In all honesty though, I think the conditions were pretty good for the type of training we’ve been doing, and it showed a little bit in the results. I ended up finishing 7th, just missing one of the six automatic qualifying spots for the World Cross Country Champs, and Gil ran a gutsy race to finish 13th, giving himself a possible opportunity to run for the U.S. at the NACAC Champs. The two MVP’s of the day however, were Greg and Eron Osterhaus, our go-to guy from adidas. I think I saw them a combined 157 times at different spots on the course, and it is very likely that they put in a good 15 –20 k of running that day. In all seriousness though, it was a huge help to have them out there, as they let us know where we were in the race and how everybody else was looking. It also took my mind off the race a little when I saw small children and parents giving this unknown madman the death stare as he charged from spot to spot with four letter words spewing from his mouth while cheering. For the sake of his reputation, I’ll refrain from naming him. But seriously Eron, you’re the man. All in all, it was a good day, and hopefully the first of many more U.S. teams for the McMillan Elite athletes. Although running U.S. Cross is mainly about making that world team, it also served another purpose for us as individuals and as a group. We had so many amazing performances in the fall and the start of 2009 has been even better, so it was a great opportunity to build on our reputation as consistent runners. I think everyone in our group is looking to get that shoe contract that says, “I’ve made it”. I don’t know a whole lot about that stuff, but it seems extremely tough these days with the current situation in the shoe companies. Either way, I think we are heading in the right direction and we’re beginning to establish ourselves in the pecking order. To finish, I’ll give you a little bit of the general routine I go through the day before and the morning of a race like this. Friday Saturday
Entry #81 Well, we just finished our last week of substantial workouts for the fall and we're less than a week away from the race we've been gearing up for this whole season. We capped our last week off with a solid 5 x mile workout, despite most of us still being a little tired from our races and travel a few days before. It's crazy when I look back now on this fall and see how far everybody has come. The level of everything has been raised, from our pace on steady state runs to the way we race. It literally scares me to think where we go from here, but in a good way. I mean, Jordan just smoked his 5k pr by 15 seconds in a road race…in November...off of only base training. The tone has been set, and I think it's almost expected to have breakthrough races like this. The confidence of the group as a whole is at an all-time high and it has really shown in the results. Sure, everyone has their little setbacks here and there, but I think almost everyone has had a really solid performance sometime during the fall. Going into races now, the people I'm most worried about are my own teammates. I know that our guys are there to race, and just when I'm starting to hurt, they're going to throw in a surge. I love the attitude we have and how we can take control of a race. It's a whole different mentality than we had last year and people are placing really high and running extremely fast because of it. I also think we've really honed in on the proper base training. Greg has done a great job of figuring out what works for us and how to integrate this into a solid overall training plan. We can all be very confident that we have the tools to achieve success.
On another note, life in Flagstaff is good. It's starting to get cold and I'm anxiously awaiting the snow. I'll probably think it's cool for the first week, and then I'll be ready for the sun and the heat again. But hey, that's Flagstaff! Also, my pup and I would like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season!
Entry #63 Being one of the few 2nd year runners here at McMillanElite, I feel like I have a unique perspective on how the program has evolved over the last year or so. Jordan, Lemon, Middle and Martin were great training partners last year and I owe them a ton for their help, but it's pretty amazing having a group of 8 or 9 guys in every workout now. Also, last year involved a lot of experimentation in terms of which workouts fit our training the best and how much extra core strength and drills we should be doing. It was tough because the only way to really figure this out was by listening to our bodies. This led to some tired weeks, but we have a good structure now and it seems to be paying off with much smoother training. This is great for the new people because they can jump right in and be confident that what they are doing works, but I think it also makes us 2nd year people feel good that we were able to get through it all and come up with a system that we know is going to make us better. As for my training, things have pretty much started where I left off last year. I've been able to consistently run more miles than I ever have and my workouts are already as fast as my fastest ones last year. I haven't raced yet, but this is not from lack of motivation. Seeing Ian and Cele already doing their thing has had me fired up for days now. I feel like their results have translated into momentum for myself and for the entire team. When you see the people you train with putting on performances like that, it's hard not to think you are going to do the same thing. Luckily, many of us will have a chance to put this momentum to the test very soon. This coming weekend we will have people running all over the country, from a little 8k in Tucson to the U.S. men's marathon championship in the Twin Cities. This is exciting stuff as we head into the thick of the fall racing season, and hopefully we can continue to build momentum for each other all the way into the winter. Life outside of running is going very well right now too. Let me say that it is great having Lindsay up here now. Life is so much simpler now that she lives about 10 houses down from me, so instead of a phone call, I can just walk down there and talk to her in person. Also, the printshop that I work for just opened a new shop right in the heart of downtown and I think it is really going to be a hit. We are going to focus on more artsy stuff instead of boring old blueprints (sorry dad) and we are going to sell a bunch of cool Flagstaff merchandise too. I fully expect to be a millionaire come January, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see! Last but not least, I have to say hi to the fam. Lia, this shout out is for you because I know you think you don't get enough credit in my writings. Tazzy and Wicket say hi. Thanks. BG
Entry #43 I just got back from the Olympic Trials last Monday and boy was I exhausted. The race itself was definitely very tiring, but I think the thing that got me the most was having to walk all over town to get where we wanted to go. Maybe the festivities of the event had something to do with it too, but the walking, oh man! The trials were an amazing experience no matter how I was feeling, though. The 10k was by far the coolest race I've ever had the opportunity to run in. I'll admit, I almost wet myself when I first stepped on the track and saw 20,000 fans waiting to watch the race I was in. Once I got over that, I was able to fully take in the experience and come away with a new perspective on what it's like to run the big races. I feel like I got a taste of what it's like to be in the race with 250m to go when Abdi went screaming by me (he was lapping me). I thought for a split second how cool it would be if I was trying to run him down, and it left me with a hunger to get after it for the next four years. Since that race, I have been on my down time, which consists of no running, but trying to stay active in some way during the day. I think this has been the hardest down time I've ever had to take because I feel like I'm the only one who's doing it. Usually you have the whole college team taking it at the same time, so it's easier to deal with the fact that you are not training, but up here, people are getting fit! It's hard for me to rationalize my time off when I hear that Trent and Middle just had a 22-mile day and they are killing all their workouts, or how Martin got in great shape in about 48 hours. I just keep telling myself that after about 50 weeks with only a few days off, I've earned 2 easy ones. So for now, I have a couple more days to fully rest up before I start the building process again. I feel like the team has gained a lot of positive momentum from this past year, and with the new additions, we have put ourselves in a position to have a big year number 2!
Entry #37 RECOVERY THE SEASON FUN STUFF THANK YOU That’s all for this week. Hopefully we’ll have some exciting results to update you with in the coming weeks! Entry #28 Great Inspiration It’s Sunday night and it just so happens to be my week to write the blog. I’m a little tired and I gotta be honest, I don’t really feel like using my brain too much right now. I often wonder how many people actually read our blogs and are interested in what we do. I mean, I know we have our loyal fans out there (my parents), but sometimes it’s hard for me to imagine that people want to know what goes on in my life. Then I get this email from Greg that completely changes my mind. As you may know already, Greg also has a successful online coaching business. He has helped many people out there achieve their goals of running a marathon and beating their personal records by minutes. In this email, he tells us about a woman who has done just this, running a big PR in her latest marathon. However, he also shares with us that she is now working on conquering a new obstacle: cancer. She told Greg that reading our blogs and following our development has actually helped her in her fight against cancer. I never could have imagined having this type of impact on someone, but either way, I feel very honored that someone out there understands what we are trying to do here at McMillanElite and can take something away from it. I just want her to know that the inspiration we gave her has in turn re-inspired me and has shown me that what I do can actually be very important to some people. So thank you! THE WEEK We also made our first trip down to Phoenix for a workout this week. We’ve hit up the Camp Verde and Sedona scene quite a bit, but had yet to make it all the way down to the heart of the valley. Greg wanted to get on a nice track at sea level to do some 5k and 10k pace work, so Paradise Valley Community College was the spot. Despite some warm temperatures and a little wind, the workouts were all very promising and left us hungry to get this track season going. The MVP of this workout was definitely Hanlon as he tore through all the 1000’s. It’s always exciting to see your teammate’s workouts getting better and better, and I think Hanlon got us all pretty pumped to see when he has his big breakthrough race. A good change for me this week was that Jordan recently purchased a new skateboard. This may not seem like it would affect me at all, but after skating around by myself for the past few months, it’s nice to have someone else to cruise around with. Now I know you’re probably thinking how dumb it is for runners to be skating around because we are all so uncoordinated and will probably just end up hurting ourselves, but Jordan and I are different. The truth is, we’re both too scared to try anything stupid or dangerous, so the chances of getting injured are drastically reduced. In all seriousness though, I’m a strong believer in having other things in your life that can help take your mind off of running because it can eat you up sometimes. Being a radical skateboarder is a great way to come back a little more refreshed. The last and possibly the greatest change that has taken place this week is the change in weather. After what seemed like years of snow and ice (I’m a California boy), we finally got some beautiful Flagstaff days. I was even lucky enough to see what a sunburn feels like again! I’m not sure if all the new people brought the sunshine and warmth with them, but whatever it is, I hope it stays. I can see spring coming right around the corner, and you know what that means. McMillan Elite is hitting the track baby!
Entry #20 This week has had a little bit of everything in it for me. I was home in California for the holidays until early this past week when I flew back to Flagstaff. Then it was right back to training with some mixed up weather and lots of old faces coming into town. It was great to be home and see all my old buddies, and running at sea level ain’t too bad either. I had some great confidence booster workouts while I was down there and couldn’t wait to get back up to 7000 ft to keep on rolling. I left sunny (but kind of cold) California on Tuesday just before the storm of the century hit town. I was bummed to find out that 30 ft. waves were peeling onto the local beaches (it was actually victory at sea type conditions, 50mph winds, etc.). I know Greg would have fully supported surfing in these conditions because it is a great cross training workout and can also be very taxing on your lungs. Once I arrived back in Flagstaff though, I realized I had left one storm and jumped right into another. Most of the snow that was on the ground before I left had melted away, but any fool could see that soon enough, it would be back. I was also fortunate enough to have some of the old Stanford crew around this week, including my lovely girlfriend, Lindsay. Teresa McWalters also made the long journey out with Lindsay and spent a few days at our house, and Ryan and Sara Hall were staying at Alicia’s house for a bit. It was great to catch up with all of them because it’s been a while since I’ve sat down and heard about what’s going on in their lives besides all of their running endeavors. Now for the highlights of the week. Although a lot went on this week, there were two things that I thought we especially enjoyable. The first was on Friday night, which also happened to be Hanlon’s 23rd birthday. Well over 30 people gathered together at Mike Smith’s townhouse for a big dinner. Everyone brought a little something, and I think we ended up having about 37 different desserts. It was an absolutely ridiculous feast. The next highlight happened right here in my own house. One of the things that made the trip back to Flagstaff with me was a brand spankin new Wii. As this week comes to a close, we get to look forward to our 2008 debut. We have some very lofty goals this season, so hopefully we can get the year started with a good one in Houston. Wish us luck!!
Entry #12 THE WEEK AFTERAs I sit here in a local coffee shop, I try to think about what to write in this week’s training blog. It was a pretty solid week overall, despite some people getting sick, and our workouts and races are showing that we are moving in the right direction. My mind, however, keeps wandering back to the same thing. It’s sort of hard to write about your training when there is a tragedy still so fresh in your thoughts. After reading numerous statements and articles about the passing of our good friend Ryan Shay, I still can’t believe that he’s gone.While we were in New York, there were so many things to do and so many distractions that I was able to avoid confronting this issue. Now that I’m back in Flagstaff, the harsh reality has slowly begun to set in. On Tuesday, I was talking to my girlfriend on my way home from work and I just broke down. I had realized just how heavy this was. I’d only known Ryan for a few months, but I could see that we were on our way to becoming good friends. I’ve known Alicia for about 6 or 7 years now, and I knew how happy she was with him. I think that’s what got me the most. I thought about Ryan and Alicia a lot this week, especially when I was running, and that’s good because there is a lot to think about. I have to think about how I am possibly going to console Alicia when I see her, what it’s going to be like on long runs without Ryan, and how this loss is going to affect our running community. I think it’s going to bring us closer. All of the sudden, our jobs, our training, and our egos and selfish motivations don’t seem so big. Something much bigger has happened and it’s forced me to take a step back and reevaluate why I run. Of course it’s great to win some medals and earn some money, but even if those things weren’t there, I would still be running. I run because I love it and I get to be around some amazing people. Ryan, for one, has left me with some great memories from the past few months. Whether he’s showing up for runs with some “magic dirt” on his legs (one of Phil’s cures) or he’s claiming that you can’t put a mustang in an open field and expect it not to run, Ryan always brought something great to our community. His intensity combined with light-heartedness made him one special guy. Ryan, thanks for everything bud, you won’t ever be forgotten.
Entry #4 Hey everybody! This is Brett Gotcher here, coming to you from the Cooper house and the dirty dirty south side of Santa Cruz, also known as Watsonville. First off, I want to clear one thing up. I think I would probably be a little more freaked out if my house were burning down. I do like to think of myself as a pretty relaxed person though, and my teammates couldn’t make this any easier for me. It’s so great to have a bunch of people to run with whenever you want and to all be working towards the same goal of becoming as fit as we can possibly be. FLAG MY MATES THIS WEEK-TRAINING, ETC. |
It was pretty smooth sailing early on in the week, but the clouds started rolling in and before we knew it, Flagstaff was once again a winter wonderland. But let me tell you, it’s going to take a lot more than a little snow to slow us down. If anything, I got more excited to run. When I woke up, I felt like a giddy little kid when I looked out the window to find our front yard under a few inches of fresh snow. We just slipped into our tights and strapped on the hat and gloves and off we went, slogging through the ice/snow mixture that covered the roads. We weren’t too concerned about running fast this week as we head into the U.S. Half Marathons champs next weekend, so the sloppy conditions didn’t hinder our training plans. Right now, it’s all about feeling good. Besides all our usual training runs, we just did one marathon pace workout run and one fartlek for our harder days this week and next week will be even more low key. I’m definitely starting to get excited for this next race, even though I have never raced anything over 10 miles. I think our training has put us in a great position to run a solid half marathon, so hopefully we can all go out there and capitalize on the opportunity.
After Jordan was done making jokes about how he likes to play with his Wii all the time, we got down to business with some bowling, baseball, and even track and field. It actually was a lot of fun hanging with Lindsay, Teresa, and the boys and watching everyone get way too into the games (you may be able to tell by the face being made in this picture). It was definitely some good bonding time.SPONSORS |
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