McMillanElite :: Lindsay Allen
::BLOG ARCHIVE:: Entry #201 I'd like to bid farewell to Andrew and Casey Middleton and Ian and Courtney Burrell. You will all be missed here in Flag and we hope you come visit us often! Once or twice a year most competitive runners take their coveted ‘week off.’ During this week, we’re able to feel almost like normal people, if that’s even possible. We wake up, and running shoes aren’t the first things to touch our feet. For most of us, this break isn’t an exclusively good thing. Rigid daily routines are abandoned and we’re left a little lost throughout the day. I miss burning off energy and the satisfaction of finishing a long run or workout. At night I miss the fatigue that sets in and tells my body it’s time to rest. Sadly enough, I’ve even forgotten to shower at times because I didn’t have my morning and evening doses of sweat as an overpowering reminder. Don’t worry, my teammates keep me in check! We take this break knowing recovery is essential to staying healthy (both physically and mentally) and there are perks to time off. The part I look forward to most is that it reinforces my love for the sport and I realize how lucky I am to be a professional runner. Stan Beecham, a sports psychologist our team recently met with, reminded us that you often have to hold back the reigns in order to accomplish something big in the end. So I’ll get back to enjoying my break and I’ll see you all this fall.
Entry #192 Temperatures are rising in Flag, snow is melting on a daily basis, and trail running is becoming more of a reality. A piece of the urban trail has cleared up and I’ve heard rumors of other trails being open. We’ve survived the worst of the winter (I hope) and it feels like an accomplishment in itself. I write to you following a crazy, fun-filled week up here in the mountains. The week kicked off with an AlterG fundraiser at the McMillan’s. We currently have one on trial in Flag and we’re hoping to raise the funds to keep it here, with the help of those with a vested interest such as the hospital, therapy centers and other professional runners. They put on quite a spread, as people came to see what all the fuss is about. A machine that allows you to defy gravity while running?! No big deal. A special thanks to Jimmy Bean for coming out to educate people on the many uses and benefits of the AlterG. On Thursday, Sam Grotewold from the New York Road Runners popped into town for our second fundraiser (Run to 2012) and took the team out to dinner at Taverna, a hot spot Greek restaurant. Tracy and her fundraising committee have been working tirelessly to plan the ‘Run to 2012,’ a night of socializing, raffle prizes, good BBQ and both a silent and live auction at the Orpheum. What a night it was! We had a great turn out of supporters and generally awesome people from the community. I would have paid just to see Mike Smith, auctioneer extraordinaire, work the crowd and get people to buy the athletes for various services. He was talking faster than the crowd could keep pace with and getting arms to go flying in the air as prices climbed. Epic bidding wars ensued, proving a very lucrative night for our team. Finally, we have all heard of the term double dipping. Awkward kids, unaware of social norms, double dip in the guacamole at parties. But have you guys heard of triple dipping? Well Mrs. Trina Painter did just that at her race this past weekend. She ran the Cooper River Bridge Run, finishing 10th overall, 3rd American, and 3rd master. Earning her prize money from all 3 categories. We call that baller-status in the sport of professional running. Props to Trina! Entry #182 Alvina raced in the Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoenix this past weekend, so naturally a group of us went down to cheer her on. I’ve never seen a marathon live, and let me tell you, it’s amazing! Trina mapped out the race course and road blockages so our 3-car caravan followed Alvina and Emily, her pacer, along the race course where we could cheer at numerous points. I felt like we were in a high-speed chase. We’d back our cars into parking spaces near the race course, As Greg said lovingly before he left for Houston, ‘The marathon’s the worst event,’ in that so much work goes into it and yet so much can go wrong on race day. Luckily, we had 3 people in the marathon this past Entry #168 I write this blog from Japan, where Ian, Andrew, Jordan and I are for the 2009 Chiba Ekiden. It’s Sunday here and we race tomorrow afternoon. We arrived Friday night to the Nihon Aerobics Center where we are staying for the entirety of our trip. This place is awesome. The girls and boys each have our own cabin, which smells eerily like a sauna, and has 2 bedrooms and a kitchen/living area. We eat all our meals in ‘Bistro NAC,’ which is a dining hall with Japanese and Chinese food, rice has become my new best friend. This center has a track, indoor pool, woodchip running loop, what Ian is convinced are bocce courts, heated toilet seats and so much more. The walls inside the main lobby are covered in signatures of famous athletes from all over the world who have trained here. They take great care of the athletes and this is truly a special place. While I’m here I can’t help but miss my teammates back in Flag who I’ve been training with for the past 6 weeks as we prepare for the Club Cross Country Championships on December 12th. I often neglect training details in my blog, so I want to touch a bit on how the women’s team has been working out as of late, especially since we were all able to sync up training schedules. Workouts have included long hill circuits of about 2 miles each and we’ll do 3-5 reps. We’ve done short, steep hill repeats of just under a minute and those of you who read Lemon’s blog have a good idea of what that workout’s like. We’ve done several steady states varying from 6-10 miles (yeah Paige!), mile repeats and 1-minute fartleks on the grass with hurdles, to get the full XC simulation. Some highlights of this training block for me have been watching Alvina, Emily and Paige absolutely dominate the steady state a few weeks ago. Another is running down to Biff’s bagels on Thursday mornings in a big pack, including honorary team member Courtney Burrell. Finally, pretty much any easy day in which I’m accompanied by Jaime. Prior to Jaime’s arrival I pounded out most easy days on my own, fortunately she recovers at a similar pace and I now often have company on those days. She’s always positive and pointing out how lucky we are to be able to do what we do in such a beautiful place. She’s right. Few people have opportunities like this in life and I’m very fortunate! Entry #152 Last weekend marked the first of what I hope to be many US Road Race Championships in my running career- the US 5k Championships. While I’m disappointed with my 10th place finish, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of pride when I received my medal and looked at the line of women finishing ahead of me. I was honored to be with such a talented group of female distance runners. This race gave me precious experience and lots of motivation for the rest of the fall, especially Tufts, the US 10k Road championships in 2 weeks. While I’ve never run a 10k, I’ve never felt more prepared. For this I credit my team. Recently there has been much chatter among the running community as to the benefits of training with a group. This was Greg’s vision years ago, he created a group of elite athletes to train together every day, making one another better. Many people consider running THE individual sport, but I believe you’ll reach success much sooner when you’re not solely focused on pushing yourself. Rather, you’ll benefit by pushing others and allowing yourself to be pushed back. I want to talk about all the things I do to better myself as a runner and how it’s made easier, and often possible, because of my team. I consider the big players in a runner’s development to include training, stretching, massage, eating right, sleeping, resting and recovery. When it comes to workouts and substantial runs, I depend on my training partners. Since I last wrote in, I’ve run 3 straight weeks of 100 miles, very few of which I did alone. Jaime, my new training partner, always keeps things positive and we’re fortunate to have very compatible training styles. Trina is my savior when it comes to toughing things out. When I get tired, Trina pulls me along, helping me to times I’ve never run before. I’d be lost without you guys! Recovery might seem like a pretty individual concept, but I’ve found that’s not always the case. We have an ice bath in our garage, perfect for dipping your legs in after a hard effort. This was no problem in the summertime; the 52-degree water almost seemed refreshing. However, with fall creeping in, it hasn’t come so easy. This is where I need extra motivation, Trina will be joining me at Tufts so our new motto is to ‘tuft’ things out. In this case, we ‘tuft’ out a much needed ice bath on a not-so-warm day last week. My legs were grateful. Finally, eating right, a seemingly simple concept, which often becomes difficult after a looong day. I’ve been known to get lazy and eat chips for dinner when I lose steam, but dinner should be a time to properly refuel and relax. At our house, we often cook for each other to ensure we’re all well taken care of. Popular Cooper2 menu items include calzones, quesadillas, chili, meatballs, salads, and soups. Tonight Paige is making her infamous grilled cheese sandwiches and corn chowder, it’s just 10am right now and I’m already full of anticipation! My challenge for the rest of the fall is to include more rest and relaxation time into my life. I’ve become better at kicking back and watching TV, but I still I tend to overstuff my days; it’s genetic (thanks Mom!) I love my jobs and often rush around, finding myself exhausted at the end of the day. Many of my teammates have mastered the art of recovery; again I’ll look to them for help. So thank you to everyone at McMillanElite who makes it a truly great environment for success! Entry #138 It would be an understatement to say that running has its stressful moments. Whether we realize it or not (and most of us certainly realize it!) preparing for and completing a race takes not only a huge physical, but often more importantly, a mental toll on us. I spent the track season preparing for the USA Outdoor Championships. While I did everything possible to make it a success, come race day I didn’t have the race I was hoping for. As relaxed as I tried to stay going into the meet, I got worked up with anticipation and wasted energy worrying about my body not feeling as fit as I would have liked. This imperfect ending to my season in no way overshadowed how pleased I am with its entirety. Upon my arrival to Flagstaff, if you told me what I would accomplish my first year here, I would have probably laughed in your face. But now I can sit back and smile. It’s been an amazing year.
My season didn’t end with an achy body or physical burnout, but mentally I needed to check out for a little R&R. That’s just what I’ve done this past month. I took a brief hiatus from actual running, and a much more extensive one from thinking about races, examining my training, and worrying about mileage. This was made easy with a few birthdays, a camping trip to Lake Powell, some evenings on the town, and a slew of friends coming to visit. First came my college teammate, Leah, who stopped in for the week on her way to grad school at Duke. She was a blast to hang out with and wowed my roommates with her superb culinary skills. Next came my high school coach, Chuck. We got in some great runs and he was able to meet with Greg and discuss training philosophy to his heart's content. Finally, this past week my sister Ashley and our friend Laura came through Flag on their way to Georgia Tech, where Ashley will be attending grad school. Our week was filled with cooking, running, TCBY, and a trip to the creek. There’s nothing as great as having close friends and family around.
Amidst all my visitors, I was steadily increasing my mileage and was able to ‘accidentally’ equal my highest mileage week to date. It’s invigorating to run 90 miles in one week without even thinking twice about it. The week began with possibly my best long run at altitude, and midweek brought another surprise as I had my best steady state workout yet. Nine years of serious running have taught me that I run well when I’m happy and balanced, and this past month has exemplified that. It really stressed the importance of a mental break, in addition to the physical one we all take. As backwards as it sounds, if you become too focused on one thing you have the potential to lose sight of it. If running is something you love, ensure that it is always fun. When it becomes a chore, reexamine, redefine, and refocus. Finally, Paige, rock the house. You never stop inspiring me and I’m excited beyond belief for you to take on the world. xoxo
Entry #125 Summer is arguably the best time of year. It brings warm weather, breaks from school, and generally puts people in a good mood. Summertime in Flagstaff is no different. With summer comes constant excitement to work, the team, and running!
I work at Local Color, a print/retail shop in downtown Flagstaff. There, summer brings a slew of tourists checking out the Red Rocks in Sedona and passing through on their way to the Grand Canyon. While the language barrier often poses a problem with foreign tourists, it’s great to meet people from all over the world who are excited by what I’m privileged to experience on a daily basis. The team has been taking advantage of the nice weather as well. We take every opportunity to grill outdoors, enjoy the sunsets, and go down to Sedona to hang out in ‘the creek.’ I got to experience Chilidog’s first swim, the masses of teal and gold colored crawdads at Beaver Creek, and eat some fried chicken along the water. I could spend every day lying under the sun and splashing around.
Summer also marks graduation, meaning our team will soon grow in size as college graduates decide to continue running and join our team. We’re looking to mount a lethal women’s team come the 2009 Club Cross Championships, reminiscent of our men’s team last year. Jaime Canterbury visited us this past weekend and was able to experience some high quality team bonding at the McMillan’s. Greg’s pulled pork set the tone as we sat around a bonfire talking about ‘bears’ for hours, I could bearly handle it! We hope Jamie had a great time experiencing our running lifestyle and lively team.
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Entry #115 "Man imposes his own limitations, don't set any" -Anthony Bailey I've always lacked a certain confidence when I toe the line of a race. But it wasn’t until this year that I fully understand how this negative thinking hurt my performance. Entry #104 This past Saturday was another day of solid performances for the McMillan group. Gil claimed the individual Bronze medal and the team gold at the NACAC championships in Florida, while both Jordan and Matt ran huge 5k PRs (13:50) in their tune-up race. I know I’ve said this before, but good things should be expected this season!
I recently spent a week at home in California to avoid the snow and prepare for the USA indoor championships. Some quality family time and familiar trails was just what I needed to get ready for the big meet. USA’s was a great experience, it was my first major track race since college and gave me great experience and confidence to compete at the national level. The trip was quite an adventure, and after my dad and I narrowly survived an East coast snowstorm, I was eager to get back to training in Flag; little did I know an amazing surprise awaited me.
As I pulled up to my neighborhood, I felt like I was returning to another place. I knew something was different, something was missing…the snow!!! Our yard revealed lovely brown rocks, the sidewalks were clear and most importantly the trails are now open. I was able to run my favorite trail with only a few snow patches to fumble through and some creek crossings to jump over, but I figure that’s just extra steeplechase practice.
Training has been going well the past couple months. I’m feeling fresh and recovered while consistently hitting 90-mile weeks and really enjoying our challenging hill phase. I’m excited to see what the spring will bring with workouts and can’t wait to begin the outdoor season in a few weeks.
I just want to end with a huge thank you to everyone out there that’s supporting my running. My family is tolerant of all my running needs, whether it be providing me with endless amounts of food or letting me jump all through the house while doing my circuit, thanks Mom, Dad, Mikey & Ash. My friends have accepted the fact that I’ll be in bed as their evenings are just beginning, so thank you Kari, Alexis, Kelsey, etc. Thanks Eron for providing us with some superb Adidas gear. And thank you teammates who have gone beyond the call of duty in their support and encouragement. With great coaches and people like this in our lives, it’s no wonder McMillanElite continues to rock the distance running scene. Entry #90 We're back at it in Flagstaff and racing is already upon us. This weekend our long distance folk are headed to the US Half-Marathon Championships in Houston and some of us tracksters are racing at the Lumberjack Invite here at NAU. Returning to altitude after a few weeks of being home took some readjusting. But within a few days I had my legs back under me. We made a few trips down to Sedona for workouts including 300m repeats and a 3-mile downhill tempo (which I'd recommend to anyone that needs a little confidence boost!) and long runs. It was nice to be able to avoid pavement and run on some dirt roads. On Monday we did some 1000m intervals back up in Flagstaff and as odd as it sounds, it felt great to have that post-track workout leg fatigue. It just means track racing is that much closer! This past weekend was particularly exciting because Miss Emily Harrison from Virginia was out for her recruiting visit. It was great getting to know her and showing her around Flag. Her trip was capped off with a team dinner at our house with over 30 people, including Norwegian marathoner, Kirsten Melkevik Otterbu and her family who are in town training for a month. We all immediately felt like Emily was a part of the team and we just found out that she'll be joining us at McMillan Elite in our quest for domination! Welcome to the family Emily! Our women's team is growing and I hope it only continues. Be sure to check the website this weekend for results. Thanks for tuning in.
Entry #85 I can't begin without giving another shout out to our men's team for their national championship. Despite the worst racing conditions imaginable, you guys made it look easy. You took the win in style in one of the more exciting races I've seen. For me, this past week has been my down time from running so I'll fill you in on the other exciting happenings around Flagstaff. It snowed nonstop for 4 days straight and our neighborhood was quickly covered by a pure white layer of ever-falling snow. Being from California, I eagerly followed the example set by the natives around me and fell into the leisurely pace of a mountain town during the wintertime. Paige became a gym rat and I tagged along. I think I actually started to enjoy running on a treadmill! However, had I attempted a Paige-style 2.5 hour run on it, I might have second thoughts. I have to give a shameless plug for AC and my newly formed band, featuring AC on guitar and a joint effort on vocals. We are about to finish our first single, which is guaranteed to be a huge hit! We've conceited to the fact that we may very well be a one-hit-wonder but I have to admit that AC would be a lot more successful as a solo artist, as I tend to "sing off key and forget most of the words" as he puts it, but he's taking me along on his quest for fame. Becky is band manager and booked us at gigs all over town last week. Unfortunately they were all snowed out… I suppose we'll have to wait to debut in '09. The weather may have squelched our performances but it couldn't stop our team dinner before everyone departed for home. The evening was complete with Tracy's fabulous pasta and delicious cake and ice cream courtesy of Trina. Greg and Paige made heartfelt toasts and recapped our team's successful fall season. Greg, Tracy, Trina and all, thank you so much for all of your support, encouragement, and wisdom. I know good things are on their way in the New Year. Finally, I write this as I head home for the holidays and I have a ridiculous amount of excitement built up. Not only do I get to see friends and family, but with the holidays come constant gatherings, lots of eating, and some of my favorite traditions. I hope everyone has a wonderful time with their loved ones and a happy and safe holiday season. See you all in the New Year.
Entry #75 Greg had his connections, as it seems he does everywhere, so our entire team was housed by members of 'Movin' Shoes,' an adidas club team in San Diego, led by George Vontsolos. They were a great group of people who graciously opened their homes to us and showed us around the town. Thanks so much to all of you! This race was primarily a tune up for the big dance this fall, the US Club Cross Country Championships in December, so we all tried to have fun with it. We took advantage of the opportunity to race on some grass and hills and really work together as a team. The guys ran first and set the tone for the meet. The gun went off and then next thing I knew, all five of our guys were running away with the race and the next competitor was nowhere to be seen. It was really exciting to watch and gave both Becky and I a sense of confidence. In our race we were able to work together for a few miles and ended up finishing first and third overall. It was nice to get out of Flagstaff for the weekend and I began to convince myself that I could tough out the snowy winters up here. Of course, this thought came as I was lying on the beach in San Diego! This confidence quickly vanished as we rolled into Flagstaff the following night to find the city dusted with a few inches of snow. Amidst internal panic, I tried to admire the beauty of the snow. This came more easily than anticipated, as my run the next morning landed me on a snow covered dirt road with nothing but snow coated trees in sight. It was surreal and more beautiful than I had ever expected. Needless to say I'm excited to see what the snow has to offer and to build up my cold weather tolerance. adidas will just have to bring the heat! Entry #64 McMillan Elite is getting ready to bring the heat! Everyone is walking around Flagstaff with this fire in their eyes, knowing it's race time. This coming weekend Cele and Trent are going to tear-up the Twin Cities Marathon, Charlie will be taking on the elites in San Jose, and Brett, Jordan, Giliat, Becky and I are heading to Tucson for an 8k. Not to mention that the following weekend Paige and Bri are off to join the elites of the Chicago Marathon. Greg has some big travels ahead of him! I've been here for almost 2 months now, watching my teammates dominate workouts and put in the miles, so I know they're ready. As for me, I've put in 3 consecutive weeks of more mileage than I've ever done before, so while I'm a little worn out, I know it will soon pay off. That's the beauty of running, you get what you give and patience is the name of the game. I can say that now because of all my teammates and their constant advice and encouragement. Whenever I get down they are right there to pick me back up and remind me of all the positives, which I tend to easily overlook. Paige reminds me that it will all come together and that this is a building process, Becky is always cheery no matter what and Brett is Mr. Patience himself. With this great supporting cast I know I can stick through the rough times and will come out on top. Entry #54 It's been almost exactly one year since I first came to Flag to visit Brett. He had just joined McMillan Elite and loved it. Naturally, I had to see what all the fuss was about. Just as he did, I fell in love with Flag the moment I set eyes on it. It's a beautiful running paradise with a select group of elite athletes that come together unlike anywhere else I have ever seen. I continued to visit throughout the year and eventually had my heart set on becoming a member of McMillan Elite. I was elated the day Greg offered me a spot - my dream was becoming a reality. I've been settled into Flag for almost two weeks now; two weeks defined by one main thing - the Olympics. On any given evening there is a group of us huddled around the TV to see if Phelps will actually win the gold, or by how much Bolt will break the world record, not to mention checking the results of teammates and Flag-based athletes like Martin Fagan and Andrew Lemoncello. In addition to watching the Olympics, we have been running quite a bit. Unfortunately, my adjustment to the altitude is taking a bit longer than average, so Greg and I have agreed to take it slowly my first few weeks. And once the Olympics are over I'm not sure what life will be like. Perhaps it will involve sufficient sleep and discussion of non-athletic related topics - who knows. All I know is that this week has been a blast and I'm excited to take on the challenge and lifestyle of professional running. |
2009 UW Husky Invitational 3000m
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