McMillanElite :: Emily Harrison
Entry #204 It's one thing to have athletes come in to visit our team and commit to the program, but it's when everyone starts arriving and joining our daily runs and workouts that the excitement of new training partners really begins. From previous experiences, I was worried about having so many women training together. I've seen many talented runners compete with their training partners on a daily basis, as opposed to working together in a healthy, positive environment, and needless to say, the results do not always meet the initial goal.
Entry #198 Being true to yourself... In high school and college, I was very confident in who I was and what I believed in. Yes, of course there are always little things that we may question about ourselves along the way, but that's to be expected as we grow and evolve as individuals. I wasn't easily swayed by my peers and was comfortable doing what I felt was right and needed to do to achieve the goals I had set for myself. At times, this has resulted in me being a loner, which I am okay with, just as long as I keep a healthy balance. There is a small group of people whose opinions truly matter to me, and these people have in some way shown me they are genuine, grounded, logical people who stick to their guns, which I respect a great deal. Following your own instincts and sticking to what you believe in is much easier to do when all is going well, however it's when cracks start to appear in your foundation that you might be tempted to stray from who you are. Somewhere over the past couple years, I've felt as if I have strayed from who I am at times. I come back around and ask myself "What was I thinking, that's not me? Was I really conforming to the norm for no good reason?" Now, I'm not always saying that stepping outside your box is a bad thing. Sometimes it's necessary to change your perspective of yourself and embrace a new outlook. Once you've embraced a new, positive perspective, it's amazing how much better you feel. My reasoning for this is that, although this may be a new idea or approach for you to take, in many ways it is not. The reason you feel so motivated by this "new approach" is that it is taking you back to being true to yourself. My belief is to always follow your instinct, and if you find yourself questioning something more often than not, step back and be brutally honest with yourself. Ask, is this really me and what I believe in? Without faith in what you are doing or in who you are, you're overall well-being begins to decline, and what's the point in living life if you're not having fun? So, be true to yourself. Not every person you meet has to agree with you and vice versa. You can agree to disagree and move on. There are plenty of people in the world to surround yourself with who hold the same values and ideas as you do. As a side note, I 'd like to express my gratitude to Dr. John Ball, Monica, and Greg. These individuals can never be thanked enough. What each of them does is a vital piece of the puzzle for many people on our team and to their success. Entry #189 The past two weeks has been a whirlwind. It started with moving out of Cooper 2 and into Cooper 1. Moving is always a pain no matter how well you try to prepare and organize. A couple days later, I was on my way to Fukuoka, Japan for the 24th Fukuoka International Cross Country Meet. The race didn't go as well as planned, but it was a great experience and I learned a lot about international travel and racing. I thought I had done a decent job handling the travel, but I think it caught up to me on race day. The Japanese are so organized and they take excellent care of their foreign athletes. I was also able to do a little sight-seeing run before I left on Sunday morning, so I got see a few Temples throughout the city.
I thought I was ready to come home for some recovery time, but that was before I found out I'd be driving back into the snow! This is the longest period of time I've spent in my new home and it's nice to get back into the normal routine of daily life in Flag. Well, of course there is the slight inconvenience of the latest round of snow to contend with...spring has to be just around the corner! Entry #183 Well, this past week has been interesting, to say the least. The snow started falling here in Flagstaff on Monday and continued through to Saturday morning, ending with several feet of pretty, white stuff. Well, it’s pretty until you have to shovel your way out of the driveway every morning. I look at it this way, we just got some extra strength training in this week!
T-2 weeks to Club XC...My, how the time does fly by! When the women's team got together and talked about Club XC for the first time, it seemed as if we had plenty of time to prepare, and now, all of a sudden, it's almost here! For me personally, training started to come together just in the nick of time. I'm still feeling a little unprepared, but it's at the point where I can't question my fitness, and I have to just get out there and race tough. Our team is ready and excited to go out and compete with the best teams in the country. I'd like to take a step back and congratulate the Chiba Ekiden team. Everyone in our group ran very well, and I'm still amazed that our group sent four of the six selected. That is certainly a tribute to how well our group has performed this year. Thanksgiving week was very low key, as most everyone was either racing or home. I had a lovely Thanksgiving meal with the Painter family, who were kind enough to invite me over. Thank you Trina for a wonderful evening! Since I didn't get to home for Thanksgiving, I am very much looking forward to being home for Christmas. Winter has started creeping into Flagstaff, but overall we have been very lucky with the weather. Keep your fingers crossed winter continues to hold off a little longer! Until next time... Entry #154 Fall is typically my favorite time of the year, and fall in Flagstaff is proving to be no different. The weather is getting cooler, and while for many this is a sign of the coming winter, I tend to live in the moment and enjoy the crisp mountain air (although, it does make ice baths in our garage a little less enjoyable). The only thing I have missed here are the beautiful fall colors of the east coast. Back home, every direction you turn is covered with the vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds of the leaves (and the leaf tourists making the trek from the city to our back door, the Skyline Drive). Cooler weather isn't the only thing fall brings; a lot of the major road races are upon us, along with a lot of great performances from the McMillan athletes. Although I haven't been able to race as much as I would have hoped, it has still been rewarding and encouraging to see my teammates reap the benefits of all of their hard work and dedication. Just recently, we had a total of four athletes finish in the top ten at the US 5k Championships. Switching gears, running is just as emotionally tough as it is physically demanding. When I stop and look around, I realize how many runners are inevitably having a battle with their own body, whether it be a slight, nagging nuisance or a full-blown injury. We are constantly treading the fine, red line of going too far and trying to figure out the perfect balance to prevent ourselves from falling head first over that line. With that being said, I think Dr. John Ball is quickly becoming a huge asset to our team, in that he is able to cure those little quirks that no one has been able to figure out. I know those of us who have turned to him for help are more than grateful and thankful for his time and effort. A big congrats is due to Ian, who capped off another US Championship race with a another top ten finish (5th at the 10 mile champs). Also, it's a great tribute to McMillanElite that we are sending three athletes to the World Half Marathon Championships in London next weekend: Brett Gotcher, Andrew Carlson, and Andrew Lemoncello. As I mentioned, fall racing is officially here! Entry #141 Greetings from Berlin! Where to begin? I've had the opportunity and privilege to accompany Paige and the McMillan family (at one and a half, Angus is one well-traveled little boy!) to Germany for the World Championships. We left Flagstaff August 1st for our first destination of the trip: Denver, Colorado. In Denver, we stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Higgins and got to see Paige's old stomping grounds, including where she would do her 4:30 a.m. runs (thank goodness those days are over for her!). The Higgins made us feel right at home, and it will be good to see them again here in Berlin!
Next stop: Herzogenaurach, Germany. After 48 hours within arrival to Herzo, Paige and I finally got settled into the Ramada, compliments of Adidas. Luckily we were able to get out of the hotel every evening to join the McManus family and the McMillans for delicious, home-cooked meals. We (Andrew, Lindsay, Paige, and I) do dinner together often in Flag, so this felt more like home to us. A tremendous thank you to the McManus family! Surprisingly, we both adjusted very well to the time change and got back into our normal routine quickly. Running in Herzo was perfect for both us; Paige had perfectly paved bike trails, and I had pristine, crushed gravel trails that weaved in and out of the forest areas. This was my first time coming down from altitude since moving to Flagstaff in February, so it was great to run fast again, yet be able to recover! Before leaving Herzo, I had one of my first harder workouts since coming back from an injury earlier this year. I did 5 x mile and was pleased that I was able to progressively run faster on each interval. I felt it was a good start to the fall with the prospect of many more solid workouts to come. Plus, it's not everyday that there is a photo shoot of a Jaguar and an Alfa Romeo going on directly on the track. Nothing like having fast cars for a little inspiration!
We also got the grand tour of Adidas headquarters (and access to the Adidas track), which was certainly inspiring. It was great to hear the history behind Adidas and what's in store for the future. Adidas has done so much for our group and in turn, has allowed many of us to continue to live out our dreams. Also, Ian and Lindsay made it onto the walls of one of the Adidas rooms! Our group certainly is making an impression! On the 17th, we made the five-hour drive to Berlin. After getting spoiled to the relaxing atmosphere of Herzo, the hustle and bustle of Berlin was a bit overwhelming upon arrival. We've since figured out the best route to the Tiergarten, which is a large park with paved and soft-surface trails throughout. Once again, Adidas has continued to spoil us. Greg and I have been able to acquire VIP tickets to the World Championships almost every evening to sit in the Adidas sky box, which came along with all kinds of perks, such as free drinks and food. Thanks Adidas! When we arrived in Europe, we thought Eurosport was great, with thorough coverage and detailed commentary, but seeing the meet live definitely tops all!
Paige is starting to feel good, and she's been rocking her workouts. She's definitely ready to go! The marathon course is a flat 10k loop, which is great for us spectators, who then have more opportunities to cheer on the USA women as they hopefully race to a team medal! Be sure to send she and the USA team lots of strong positive vibes on Sunday the 23rd! I've enjoyed the experience, but it will be nice to go home and see my family in Virginia next week before heading up to New Haven for the US 20k Championships, where I will open the fall season after a year off from racing. Signing off from Berlin... Entry #133 July 12th. The day I hoped would never come. It may seem silly to some, but to me the passing of my dog Glory will always be hard to cope with. Most kids had siblings to grow up with; I had Glory. From summers in the creek and field, to winters sledding, she was my all-around partner in crime and never left my side. Needless to say, training at the beginning of last week was a little harder after I got the call from home, but I know she had a full life. Emily Entry #111 I know injury unfortunately plagues the lives of runners at all levels, but that does not make it any easier to handle. Historically, I’d like to think of myself as a “smart trainer;” I listen to my body, take recovery days just as seriously as workout days, et cetera, et cetera. We are all familiar with the ideal daily routine running at this level requires. However, we don’t listen to those little aches and pains that mean our bodies are trying to tell us something until it becomes a serious injury. At first, you ignore it and keep pushing through in hopes that one day it will magically disappear. Yes, we may ice or take some anti-inflammatories, but we really don’t take the pain too seriously until the day you find yourself trying not to limp through a run, or even worse, just walking around. This scenario sums up my past few months. What started as a niggling discomfort in my shin, back when I was still in Virginia, finally became something more serious that has caused this past month to not progress as originally planned. As it turns out, I’ve had to take some time off from running due to a level two stress reaction in my shin. It wasn’t until the inflammation in my shin started causing shooting pain from my calf up through my hip that I was finally forced to stop being stubborn and face reality. To put a positive spin on an otherwise highly negative situation, I am hopeful that by assessing my personal weaknesses as a runner I can prevent this from happening again. Greg’s plan for every runner who comes to train with McMillanElite is to eliminate weaknesses the first year so that there are no interruptions in training due to injury. Well, I haven’t done this in the most ideal way, but it has made be even more aggressive with strengthening those weaknesses. Different people cope with injury in different ways. Some refuse to cross-train and instead go from running a hundred miles a week to doing absolutely nothing. I’m not sure if I could handle doing nothing, so I’ve learned to make the best of any situation and have embraced cross-training to its fullest (of course, between doctor’s appointments and physical therapy there’s not much time left over). Hopefully, next time I make an appearance I will be back in the swing of running and can talk about upcoming races! I’d like to end by congratulating Lindsay on her great 5k at Stanford, and most recently Martin and Andrew on their races over in Ireland where they both finished on the heels of the one-and-only Paul Tergat.
Entry #100 As I sit writing this, I have been in Flagstaff for exactly one week. After a frustrating and disappointing past year, I made probably the biggest, and yet surprisingly, easiest decisions of my life: to move to Flag to train under Greg and with the McMillanElite team. The first week here has been spent recovering from a four day drive from Virginia, adjusting to altitude for the first time in my life, and generally becoming acquainted with my new life. Backing up to the drive out west, I’d like to comment that a lot of time was spent getting to know I-40. Along the way, my Dad and I made a couple detours ranging from visiting a little family history in Arkansas to “standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.” I am very excited for the prospect of where this level of training can take me, and equally excited to be surrounded by such a great group of people who share the same motivation and goals. I’ve been told that winter will be over soon here in Flag, which makes me hope spring comes sooner rather than later, as I have yet to see these mysterious trails that “really do exist!” After having spent the past few years on the trails at UVa, I realize how much I’ve missed them recently. On a final note, I’d like to wish Becky and Lindsay good luck this coming weekend at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships where they will be competing in the 3k. Until next time… |
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