McMillanElite :: Training Blog - 2008 Postings

Entry #87
Week of December 29, 2008
by Tracy McMillan

Hello and Happy New Year to everyone! I hope the holiday season has treated you well thus far. The McMillan clan just returned from visiting family on the east coast. We got caught in the travel delays on Saturday and got to spend two unexpected extra days in Charleston with the McMillan side of the family. That was nice, and much warmer than Flagstaff!

What a year 2008 was. It started with an amazing miracle—Martin’s marathon in Dubai—just kidding! The miracle was the birth of Angus Scott McMillan (while Martin’s run was impressive, I think I may have beat him on the pain spectrum a few days later!). I could never have guessed that parenthood would be so much fun, work, enjoyment, happiness and just pure joy, really. Everyone was right when they said cherish every day because they go by so fast—I can’t believe that Angus is now 11 months old and walking. It seems like yesterday when I looked up in delirious exhaustion to see Greg cradling our son for the first time. It was snowing the night Angus was born so the first snowfall of the season was special this year.

We then had a good spring with races and a great summer of recruiting. We feel we brought in a great group of athletes who are excellent people as well, a requirement for our team (though I haven’t met many track & field athletes who aren’t good people!). The late summer and fall were chock full of training and racing, culminating with the great U.S. Club XC race, which you’ve already read so much about.

2008 seems like it went by in a whirlwind for so many reasons, but each day involved focus on the part of everyone involved in McMillanElite, whether it be athlete or support staff. For my own part, it was challenging at times to juggle my many roles in life—new mom, business owner/consultant (in my non-McMillanElite identity), spouse, and business manager for the team. I felt sort of like I did as an assistant professor at a high level university; trying to give 100% to everything, yet always feeling like it was 50% (though everyone was nice enough to tell you it was 100%). Either way, it was tough at times. At least I won’t ever be “up for tenure” with the team! But I love what I do for everyone, the team as a whole and each athlete individually. Organizing the travel, race communication, team events, etc. appeals to my nature to plan things (whether it be travel, meals, research projects, college course curriculums, you name it!). I love interacting with the road racing/running community across the U.S.; it is a small but happy family that I love seeing each time I travel with the team. We appreciate the support and friendship of so many folks out there—thank you for believing in our vision.

I guess I’ll end this blog with my personal goals in relation to the team for 2009:

1. Focus on fundraising at the local level: 2008 was a good year for us in terms of obtaining support at the national level for the team; that support is critical and we will work to maintain or increase that in ’09, but we must also work on increasing the support of local sponsors.

2. Help athletes achieve success at the national level: I get a kick out of reading the message boards. It seems most elite athlete programs are blessed because of the presence of either “blue chip” or “blue collar” athletes. Having not been born of any “blue blood” in a particular direction myself but feeling like I’ve succeeded thus far in life, I believe it is as much nurture as nature (and self-belief, determination, etc…) that will get people where they want to be. We have athletes that want it bad, and work hard each day for it. My goal is ’09 and beyond is to help them get there.

3. Have fun each day (or most!): what each person in this program is doing is hard. When the athletes come for recruiting visits, we tell them that the life they say they want to lead is not normal for a 20-something; that you will be challenged every day in training and by life outside this cocoon we call McMillanElite. They have to want IT; as I say, you cannot approach this commitment thinking that you are sacrificing something (e.g., that “normal” 20-something life). THIS has to be norm you want. NOT living this life is sacrificing something, the chance at something big, whether it is ultimate athletic success or fulfillment of a life dream. That goes for the athletes and the supporting staff (Trina, myself and Greg).

I am sure I have more but that seems plenty for now! Sometimes, I am overwhelmed when Greg and I discuss our goals for the athletes. However, if you could just see them, and him—you can’t help but believe. Our door is open in 2009; please come visit the team in Flagstaff, AZ.

Entry #86
Week of December 29, 2008
by Ian Burrell

Winter has started off with a bang here in Flagstaff. The new season announced its arrival with about 60 inches of fresh snow in the past two weeks. The mountain is looking pretty nice for skiing and snowboarding, but places to run are becoming scarce. Luckily for me, the first storms hit while I was taking a week long break from running, and I spent the second week in Colorado Springs for Christmas, so I've been able to put off trudging through the snow for the time being.

One thing I haven’t been able to avoid is the daily battle with the snowplows. Sure, they keep the roads clear, but all that snow and ice from the road is built into a four-foot wall at the end of my driveway. With gas prices the lowest they’ve been in years, I’m thinking of buying a six-gallon barrel and setting the barricade on fire whenever it becomes a problem. Although, shoveling has done wonders for my biceps and lower back, so maybe the plows are doing me a favor.

As I mentioned before, I went back home to Colorado for Christmas. It was great to get back home to see my friends and family again, and I always enjoy running in the foothills of the Rockies. Although I now prefer training in Flagstaff, Colorado Springs still has some of the best trails and scenery in the country. You could easily run a different trail every day for two weeks (as long as you don’t mind hills). However, during my time there, all I wanted was easy, flat running. After taking a week off of running, it has been difficult to get back into the groove. Usually, it takes me about a week to start feeling decent after a break. Right now, the goal is to be in decent shape by the time mid-February and Indoor Track rolls around.

Lastly, we’ve made an addition to our new family. Last month, my wife and I rescued a puppy from the Flagstaff Humane Society. We’re not sure of the different breeds that comprise this little mongrel (she looks like a jackal to me), but she has made for an excellent early Christmas present for the Burrell household. We named her Chilidog, and like her name, she always brings a smile to our faces (it would be nice though if she would stop peeing on the floor).

Entry #85
Week of December 22, 2008
by Lindsay Allen

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 conceded 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 #84
Week of December 15, 2008
by Paige Higgins

Well this weekend was a pretty exciting time for our team. After so much hard work, dedication, sweat, pain, and anticipation, our men's team are officially National Champions! Congratulations guys, it gave me chills and I'm so honored and proud of all of you! Uh…just so proud of you guys!!!

With Christmas only a week away, I've decided not talk about running this time around. The holiday season really makes me reflect and appreciate the people in my life that have always been there. The ones that let you know they will love you when the last workout is over, when the last race has been run.

Mom, thank you for never accepting that your "babies" are now 27, 26, and 23. Thank you for sending care packages, phone calls, and not minding when I would announce that I am a grown-up, then asking for a "magic foot rub" that very night cause my feet are tired. Dad thank you for taking me out on my first run. Thank you for being so selfless and always making sure we stick exactly to the "plan" before my races. Thank you for sending my fish "balloons to heaven" when they jumped out of the tank or I forgot to feed them.

Shannon thank you for insisting that EVERY conversation, email, or phone call ends with " I love you". Thank you for calling me Paigie during races. Thank you for dancing around as Debbie Gibson on our porch in Virginia, with Patrick and I as your "band".

Patrick thank you for being as good at doing absolutely nothing as I am, then going out and trying to concur the world. Thanks for the inside jokes, the nights of "One Tree Hill", and getting my sense of humor the way no one else does. Thanks for still laughing like a little girl, even though it's in the deepest voice I've ever heard!

Mike, thank you for being the best big brother I could've ever inherited via Shannon. You always know exactly what to say to me, whatever the situation. You know me better than I know myself sometimes, and it makes me so happy when I think I've made you proud.

I wish everyone a Happy Holiday and wonderful New Year!! What a wonderful time to appreciate and realize the things and people in life that truly matter.

All the best!

Paige

Entry #83
Week of December 8, 2008
by Andrew Lemoncello

Things just keep going up and up and for the team right now. A couple of weeks ago we all had good results in our respective road races and this weekend the guys came back with what we hope is the first of many USA titles. The guys were really focused on doing well at the USA club cross country championships and they did just that. It is great to have such positive results from just training through our base phase. I’m really looking forward to moving on to our hill phase of training now as the intensity of our workouts will increase and hills are also my biggest weakness so although I won’t enjoy it, I will relish the task as I know how strong I will come out from the training.

We did have a little bad news from this weekend from Europe where Martin was competing in the European cross country championships. Whilst leading the race through 4.5km, Martin took a bad tumble on a typically muddy Brussels course and was unable to recover his position and ended up further down the field than he’d hoped. I got a running commentary of the race and it turns out that as soon as Martin had fallen, the other leaders decided that that was the perfect time to get rid of him so they accelerated right at that point! Cunning stunt huh?! Anyway, he’ll bounce back quicker than anyone I know but first he has got a nice two week rest to enjoy back home in Ireland.

As for me, I’m still just continuing to train well and my fitness is slowly starting to increase every week. It’s such a strange feeling having been so fit during the summer and then taking a break and then trying to regain all that fitness again. But I am enjoying the training more than ever right now because I can just go out and run lots of miles in the snow covered trails with the guys. I just confirmed my next races for me and they will actually be back home in Britain which will be great as I can see some friends and family while I am there. I am running the Belfast international cross country on the 3rd of January and then the Great Edinburgh cross country the week after. The only downside of this is that I fly out of Phoenix on the evening of December 31st, which means I will celebrate new years somewhere over the skies of Florida! At least that means I will stay out of trouble…maybe!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and an enjoyable new year!

Lemon

Entry #82
Week of December 1, 2008
by Trina Painter

Wow...I can’t believe it’s December already and 2009 is just weeks away. It seems like it’s been a whirlwind of activities, travel and racing these past few weeks with more coming. Even with the busy schedules, the team has managed to keep a solid routine going and continues to improve and develop.

It has been fun to run more often with the women’s team. A few weeks back we were doing a distance run at Campbell Mesa and I was tucked in between Lindsay and Becky when instantly, I found myself on the ground in pain. My foot caught a rock and I went down hard and fast. Thankfully, I only scraped up my forearm and palm of my hand pretty good. I was glad that nothing hurt on my legs or hips and that I was able to jog back to the cars after a few minutes of recovery.

Both the men and women are rounding into amazing shape just at the right time for the USA Club XC Nationals in Spokane December 13th. They have all been so patient and diligent doing the workouts and training that Greg has set before them this Fall. For some of them, it is very different from their college training, but they are now seeing the value of what we are doing and reaping some big rewards. Many of them have raced a few times in the past few weeks and almost all of them have set new prs or run right at their track prs on the roads. We are sending a full men’s team () this year and we are excited to see how they do. Good luck to Andrew Carlson, Brett Gotcher, Jordan Horn, Giliat Ghebray, Cele Rodrigquez, Ian Burrell, Matt Clark and Lindsay Allen and Becky Guyette who will represent the women this year. We have one more workout on grass on this week before the team leaves for Spokane.

While Becky and Lindsay prepare for cross country, Alvina, Paige and I are all preparing for the US Championship ½ marathon in Houston next month. I was able to accompany Paige to Phoenix this weekend. She ran the Iron Girl 10 miler in Tempe as a workout. Thanks to my mother in law for watching my two daughters this weekend while my husband was hiking in the Grand Canyon so I could go with her! Even though it was a quick trip, we had a lot of fun together. It started with a funny waiter at Olive Garden that within two minutes forgot what our drink order was: a complicated 2 waters. Then, he gave us each the other person’s order and finally spilled my leftovers when he tried to box up my food.

We then weaved our way around Tempe trying to find our hotel that was tucked away in corner and Paige accidentally “cut” in front of a man that was waiting to check in. It was rather amusing from my angle to watch him confront her. She handled it graciously and we laughed it off as we made our way to the room.

The course was two 5 mile loops which allowed me to see Paige several times. She looked strong and focused but was not happy when the lead bike left her at four miles. Thankfully, she did not get lost since the course was not that well marked and she was way ahead of everyone else. It did make it interesting when she had to run through the back of the 5k pack during the first lap and then the back of the 10 mile group on her second lap. She won by over 9 minutes and was an instant celebrity to those around us. She didn’t sign any autographs, but did pose with some young girls that ran the 5k for a picture. Here’s a picture of Paige at the awards by the AFLAC duck.

The ladies also enjoyed the 2nd annual cookie exchange at Tracy’s house last night. We enjoyed some delicious soups, salad, bread and of course cookies of all types! We each traded cookies with each other and came home with box of a wonderful assortment of holiday cookies to enjoy. Tracy prepared a scrumptious truffle mix and had chopped nuts, candy canes, powdered chocolate and coconut in bowls to roll them in. They were not only fun to make, but incredible to eat! Thanks Tracy for opening up your home and for the yummy truffles. It was a sweet night ( no pun intended) with the girls!

Finally, I have to mention that my high school girl’s cross country team (Flagstaff HS) won their state meet after three consecutive years of taking second place. It sure felt good to be the bride this time and not the bridesmaid! I was so proud of those young ladies. It was a total team effort. In honor of their victory the parents have arranged a quick trip to Disneyland to celebrate being state champions. We’ll be headed to Anaheim right before Christmas.

Entry #81
Week of December 1, 2008
by Brett Gotcher

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.

Taz

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 #80
Week of November 24, 2008
by Becky Guyette

Tonight on my second run, I took a Tour de Cheshire (my neighborhood) and because it was dusk I got to enjoy the holiday season by admiring all the beautiful Christmas lights that people have begun to put up. I really take pleasure in my solo second runs because it gives me time to think and tonight was especially serene. I felt as though my body went into auto pilot; my legs glided along as my eyes were attracted to the colorful lights, and my mind danced about all the exciting recent and upcoming events.

With the new addition of Alvina, and a female recruit last weekend; a full woman’s team is almost in sight! Club National’s is also in view. Although Lindsay and I are eager to go to Club Nationals and compete on an individual level we definitely look forward to next year when we get a chance to compete with a full women’s team.

This year our Men get to make their team debut as they go up against other clubs from across the nation. It is almost hard to believe our cross country/base season is drawing to an end. Looking back over the fall there has been so many breakthrough performances by teammates displaying all their hard work: from stellar championship races, incredible marathon performances, and personal best smashing.

I was fortunate enough to see one of the breakthrough races on Thanksgiving as Giliat exhibited his fitness and was not even a second off of his already flying track PR. Then Jordan obliterated his previous 5k PR, breaking 14 minutes by 13 seconds! I also witnessed Lindsay set her new personal best of 16:24. One of the awesome things about being on a team is the feeling of pride for your teammate’s accomplishments and sharing the feeling of victory.

On the other side of the country in Manchester four more of our men amplified the team’s successes when Martin claimed his Thanksgiving Day victory, with Carlson, Lemoncello, and Cele working as a strong team close behind him. Trent did not miss out on the glory and also won his local turkey trot.

An up and coming trotter to keep your eye on is Angus McMillan. With the help of his personal trainer Courtney Burrell, his first steps are due any day now. Similar to each of us on the team, he has been building his base. He has quickly advanced from scooting, to crawling, and is now freestanding with assisted baby steps. His focus, determination, and resilience are to be admired. Soon his hard work will pay off, and we will all share in his triumphant victory.

I feel like fall flew by almost without me realizing how many changes occurred through the base phase. Now we can continue to take joyous strides forward with the holidays, a new teammate, recruits, championship races, and recent successes. As we begin to wrap up phase one and advance to the second phase of training there is a calm feeling of confidence for moving forward because of the strong foundation the team has successfully built for winter and spring.

Entry #79
Week of November 24, 2008
by Andrew Middleton

Amazing results poured in on my cell phone Thursday morning. Greg was texting me, super excited as he should be, to announce all the PR's and great finishes our team recorded on Thanksgiving Day. On the East Coast, Martin Fagan took home the top honors at the Manchester Road Race. He was followed by a trio of McMillanElite athletes, Andrew Carlson, Andrew Lemoncello and Celedonio Rodriguez finishing 4th, 5th and 8th respectively. I was definitely thrilled to hear my training partners took four of the top eight spots at such a high quality race. Several thousand miles away on the West Coast, McMillanElite athletes took to the streets of San Jose, California, criterium style, in a invitational elite 5k Road Race. What followed was Four Road 5k PR's and Three All-Time (both road and track) 5k PR's. Major congratulations to Jordan Horn and Becky Guyette; they obliterated their previous personal best by over 14 seconds each.

I am really excited about the progress our women's team is making this fall. With the racing by Becky Guyette and Lindsay Allen in the past few weeks, it is clear that they are on a mission to run fast, not just this fall but on the track in the spring as well. Not to forget Paige Higgins' amazing 7 minute PR at Chicago. To add to all of this, another super-talented, experienced elite has joined them to create a solid training group the likes of which Flagstaff has never experienced. Alvina Begay has been in Flag longer than most of us on the team and knows her way around town, but it was awesome to finally have her join McMillanElite to reach a new level of fitness.

Outside of the running sphere, my part-time work with McMillan Running Company has given me great opportunities to flex my creative abilities and stretch my mind in ways I could have never expected. Last spring Greg approached me with the idea of creating a core routine for runners. Several months later, the Runner's Core Routine DVD was delivered. It is a great follow-along workout program that includes the same exercises that McMillanElite athletes do several times each week. Core strength is a major aspect to our training at McMillanElite and we would not be able to reach the level of fitness we have without utilizing this core routine. You can check out the DVD at www.mcmillanrunning.com/coredvd.htm

Next in news, we have a new sponsor on board with McMillanElite. The Houston Marathon has been very supportive of our group from the beginning and has now stepped up their commitment in the form of the Houston Marathon Foundation. You can read all about the new sponsorship here: Houston Marathon Foundation. We really appreciate all our sponsors do to make this amazing training group possible. It is because of their generosity that McMillanElite runners are making huge strides in becoming the top in our field.

Thanks to everyone who makes their way to read our blogs each week. If there is anything you would like to see added to the site or questions for our bloggers to answer, send us a line and we would be glad to make it happen. Have a great week!

middle

Entry #78
Week of November 17, 2008
by Alvina Begay

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

Entry #77
Week of November 10, 2008
by Tracy McMillan

Exciting news this week as we add another female to our women’s team. It is great to have Alvina Begay on board; we’ve known Alvina for a couple of years now and she brings strength and experience to the team. The women’s team is shaping up just like the men’s, with excellent breadth and depth across the distances, and with a nice mix of more experienced women a few years removed from college and young talent fairly new to the post-collegiate training/racing scene. It is great to see them all training together and I admire the dedication they have and how they help one another each day as they travel this path.

Since this will likely be my only blog during the holiday season I wanted to take a moment to give thanks to all who support the team: thank you to our many sponsors who provide the resources it takes to develop world-class athletes; thank you to our friends who are there to remind us that although this journey is challenging at times, it is worthwhile; thank you to our families, who are always there to guide us, pick us up when we fall and cheer us to the finish line; and finally, thank you to the athletes, for being great people that I am continually proud of in so many ways, and for living this dream with the McMillan Family. Happy holidays, everyone.

Coach's Blog Week of November 19, 2008 by Greg McMillan

Marathon Recovery by Greg McMillan Just how to recover from a marathon is a common question at this time of the year. With Twin Cities, Chicago, Marine Corps and New York just completed, every marathoner is anxious to get back to training and ‘not lose fitness’. Yet, we all know that the marathon takes a lot of out us so proper rest is required as well. It’s the balancing of these two desires that is key in marathon recovery. For Cele (and Trent, Paige and Bri), I couldn’t be happier with how their marathon recovery has gone. All are now 4-5 weeks post-marathon and I thank them for their patience as we went through the marathon recovery phase. It’s not easy as an elite athlete (or for those of us who are ‘sub-elite’) to hold back when we just want to get back to training and feel fit again. (Isn’t it amazing how a week of decreased running makes you feel so out of shape?) Because they were patient, each is now feeling fit again and ready to attack the next training cycle. No aches. No pains. And, the legs are starting to feel frisky. The breathing is easy and the fitness that was built in the marathon phase has been carried over into this next phase. We start this training cycle at a higher level than we started the last one and are excited for our next key races. For their recovery, we used the program that I wrote about in Running Times last year. The link is here http://runningtimes.com and it overviews what I advise for the first two weeks after the marathon. I have found this program to work wonders. First, it allows the athlete time to rest and heal. Second, it allows them time to decompress and enjoy ‘normal’ life without the burden of running. Third, it keeps them from pushing too hard just when the legs are healing. As the article states, there is still damage to the muscles even after the soreness is gone. Following this training program ensures that you let the muscles fully heal yet you still get in some running to maintain your base fitness. Once we completed these first two crucial weeks, we begin the reverse taper and reintroduction of base building. In week 3 post-marathon, each athlete performed a stride workout (8-10 x :20 stride w/ 1’ recovery jog) just to get a feel for faster running. Each also performed a light steady state run of 4 miles. I hesitate to label each run as a workout as the effort is very light and the ‘workouts’ are just to gently reintroduce some faster running. It’s not uncommon to feel very unfit in these workouts. You will feel like a shadow of your pre-marathon self but these workouts are important. They begin the awakening of the body. In another week or two, the body will be fully ‘awake’ and ready for full training. Trust me. Also in this 3rd week post-marathon, we add a medium long run of 90 minutes. This provides a nice endurance stimulus but nothing so long as to deplete the muscles. The 4th week post-marathon is similar to the 3rd week except that the volume increases another notch and we add a fartlek workout (8-10 x 1’ on w/ 1’ off) in place of the steady state. Strides are still performed and the long run increases to 105 minutes. It’s usually sometime in this 4th week that you start to feel like a runner again. That was certainly the case with Cele and the others. Each suddenly started to have more bounce in their strides. They looked smooth running and they were anxious to get back to full training. With the month completed correctly, we were able to balance the healing and fitness retention goals. We were able to recharge the batteries and get excited for the next training cycle. Each has big goals for 2009 and I’m confident this marathon recovery program has given them the proper platform from which to jump to the next level.

Entry #76
Week of November 10, 2008
by Celedonio Rodriguez

Here we are once again. I've been training hard the last two weeks as I finally came around from the residual nags and pains of the marathon, putting together solid weeks of 105-115 miles per week. Furthermore, there have been changes in the Mountain House. We lost a roommate to Cooper 1, but we gained a playing partner for Gil to play Y2K3 (basketball video game) with after runs. The house as a whole has benefited from the arrival of Trent, he brings many attributes to the house, but more important than anything else is his dedication to the sport and the zest to enjoy life to the fullest.

Today I'll try to let you into a little aspect of my running mixed with the social unity of runners that can be found in Flagstaff...We had our first snow dump last Monday 10th. That was a great day! So many emotions, realizations, and self-growth took place the entire day from morning till I laid down. The team received an e-mail the night before telling us that Monday's run would be on our own. That morning Gil and I headed into town along highway 180, because 'someone' did not want to run in the snow covered trails. I, on the other hand, can't see what could be better than having the cold wind hitting my face as I hear the snow being crushed underneath my sole with every step I take. All at the same time trying to avoid the falling piles of snow flakes that have been caught on the branches of pine trees which fall
down with the shaking of the branch by a brisk gust of wind. But that's what I would have liked to do instead of running along the highway and seeing a Pathfinder on the side of the road being towed away because somehow over night it managed to use a tree as a break. I just hope no one was hurt!!!

click to watch the race

Later that day I did make it out to the Fort Valley trail system and put in six more miles. The snow was gone but that did not deter me from getting the pleasure of running in such a breathtaking place. I was feeling rested from the morning run so I ran as the trail dictated and enjoyed the run, maybe a little fast...The day of running was not over yet.

This day many of us had three runs! The McMillanElite team met up with about fifty members of the Flagstaff running community at the NAU track for a one mile silent run in honor of our teammate, husband, role model, and friend; Ryan Shay. I was reminded of how simple life is and how important friends and family are to cope with life's harsh realities. I've heard that in life we can't choose our family, but we can choose our friends. And I could not be more proud to say that the entire running community in Flagstaff is an extension of my family, a family I'm thankful has allowed me to be part of theirs.

Entry #75
Week of November 3, 2008
by Lindsay Allen

There is always something exciting happening here in Flagstaff! I'm sure Greg and Tracy can attest to the constant commotion between travel, racing, training and team gatherings. We 'tracksters' just returned from a fun-filled weekend in San Diego where we competed in the San Diego Track Club Cross Country Championships in Balboa Park. All 10 of us piled into one big van and we headed out for California.

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!

Click to watch McMillanElite prepare for their first XC meet of the year

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 #74
Week of November 3, 2008
by Charlie Serrano

* Long Sigh * Ok, where to start? Well, I guess a few things have been going on since I last “blogged” and I'd be lying if I said everything was fine n' dandy. Since my horrible run at the San Jose half a few weeks back I've had some real inconsistent training and I think I may have hopped back into the higher mileage too soon after the race. I had been dealing with tightness in both legs that carried on for quite some time and am currently fighting a calf issue that just won't go away. I'm starting to speculate whether it may be a fatigued calf, rather than an extremely tight calf. It seems as if I cannot catch a break up here with my recovery after runs and workouts, and seeing as my decision to move up here is probably my only real shot to improve AND still be able to afford food and gas without having to mooch off the parents, I'm determined to turn things around and I won't let this little setback be the end-all-be-all, so to speak.

Other than that, Greg and I have talked and altered my workout/training regimen to better coordinate with my recovery cycle and the next big race that I'll be shooting for is the Houston Half. So, that's the running aspect of the blog covered.

As far as work goes, I've quit my job at Home Depot after about two weeks of working there and have got in with this married couple that own a business called, “Inconcrete.” They deal with the production and installation of custom concrete counter tops and they are the coolest bosses ever! They let me eat while working, listen to music in the shop, let me take breaks if I need them, come in late if I need to, and even trust me enough to let me work by myself when no one is there. And I make more than I did at HD.

Alright, we've got the work and income section out of the way, so that leaves us with entertainment and joy/joyness next. To boost up my joyness levels, I continue to play a ton of Call of Duty on Xbox Live, hangout with the roomates and watch movies, browse the world wide web, and eat. Aaand, that's pretty much it, hope everyone had a happy Halloween and have a jolly Thanksgiving. :0)

-Charlie

Entry #73
Week of October 27, 2008
by Matt Clark

It's hard to believe that it's been almost 3 months since my last blog here for McMillan Elite. I guess a lot has happened in that time though. My base training phase and adaptation to living and running at altitude seems to be going pretty well, and I'm happy with the way Greg set everything up to help ease me into the program. It definitely took some time, but I'm starting to get the hang of the higher mileage and longer workouts like steady state runs. Training with such good runners everyday has been a great learning experience. This is by far the most high quality group I've ever had the opportunity to work out with, and seeing the impressive racing results that many of our people have had so far always keeps me wanting to train harder and get to the next level.

I'm living at the Cooper house now, with Lemoncello, Jordan, and Brett. Also, Wicket and Tazzy, the two dogs have been pretty welcoming to me. The guys over here have been great so far, and seeing them living the lifestyle of a professional runner each day has helped to teach me many things about what it takes to get good. I have a long way to go though as far as my ping pong skills go, but since I'm doing secret practice sessions I plan on ruling the household in that aspect pretty soon.

This weekend I'm heading down to San Diego for a 4 mile cross country race to make my McMillan debut. Brett, Jordan, Ian, Giliat, Lindsay and Becky are also going, so it's a quality group to say the least. I'm excited to see where I'm at with all the work that's been put in over the last few months, and also want to experience running at sea level for the first time in a while.

Entry #72
Week of October 27, 2008
by Paige Higgins

Well it's been a great last few weeks. My marathon at Chicago went really well. I was happy that four months of total dedication to the sport I love came together that day. It was invaluable to me to have the support of my family, who came out to cheer. Greg, Tracy and Angus made the trip out as well for Bri and I. Angus is the greatest traveling almost-one-year-old I have ever seen. Such a happy kid! It was really nice having him there the morning of the marathon. I had so many things running through my head. Then I saw Angus, just chillin’ in his stroller, looking a bit like "why the hell am I up so early?" but taking it like the rockstar he is (he actually is a rockstar, I just finished making his guitar for his Halloween costume!).

Anyway I would like to thank everyone and especially my family, Greg and Tracy for coming out and cheering for me not only in the marathon, but for the past four months. You guys are the best and none of this would even be close to possible without your love and support.

So after a pretty long trip home (It took about 5 hours longer than expected, but I was just so darn happy nothing could've ruined my day) we all were happy to be back in our hidden haven of Flagstaff. I took some time to enjoy sleeping in, eating cake, drinking wine, and enjoying not running for a few days. My body on the other hand didn't appreciate it; I got sick. No worries though, Rob and I had Vegas to take on!

Now when Vegas comes to mind I can imagine it is followed by words like: gambling, dancing. "Classic Vegas" is not my style. Rob and I did it "Paige style." We went to three of the most fabulous shows I have ever seen: La Reve, The Phantom Spectacular, and Mystere. They were all such beautiful displays of what the human body can express and achieve. La Reve took my breathe away. We stayed out late finding amazing food (I still dream about the chocolate cake we ordered the last night), looking at the beautiful architecture and lights of the city, and just enjoying each other's company. I had a blast dressing up trying to look pretty for Rob (thanks for the dresses Linz!!!) and holding his hand. We didn't spend one penny on gambling. It was one of the best trips and most memorable times I have ever had.

I'm now getting back into the swing of things, excited for what is to come, thoroughly satisfied with my down time. I get to cheer on my teammates as they really start to get fit and ready for their big races. Once again thank you to all the people who love, support and care about me. Like Greg said, "this is the first step"… I'm excited and ready to see what's to come!

Entry #71
Week of October 20, 2008
by Giliat Ghebray

Hello world. This is my second installment out here in Flagstaff. Things have been going pretty well for me training and racing wise. I am averaging more miles per week than I ever have and I feel very little fatigue. Greg's training methods have been strengthening my aerobic capacity at an amazing rate and I am eager to see what the future will bring.

My first race some weeks back was an 8k competition down in Tucson, Arizona. I placed second there to Brett and ran a personal best. I just couldn't believe I could run my first race of the year at such a quality rate. The second event was a 5k race over in Santa Monica, California. After leading much of the early stages I placed second and ran a road PR. Although slightly disappointed by my result I still came away with a sense of achievement.

I am already way past where I was this time last year - a period of running I considered to be my best. I am happy my athletic endeavors have been going well so far and hope to continue to race at a high quality. The only hitch I have found in life out here is my job situation. It's hard coming from a strong job market back in the Bay Area to one not so steady in Flagstaff. I am sure I will figure something out hopefully in the near future. Well, that is it for now and I hope to continue to make my family and friends proud as I continue to scale the steep mountain of athletic success.

Entry #70
Week of October 20, 2008
by Trina Painter

Routines
There is something about having a routine in your life that brings order and peace. Most people whether they admit it or not function better under a regular routine. From infants to teenagers to distance runners, it is beneficial to all. It has now been several months since the new athletes have arrived in Flagstaff to join the team. Everyone seems to have settled nicely into the rhythm and routine of our weekly training of distance runs, core and circuit workouts, steady states, leg speed workouts, long runs and even our weekly team meetings.


The Beginning and the End
While I do feel like my own life has more of a routine now, it is still a bit hectic as I work with two teams: my high school cross country team and the McMillan Elite team. This past week the regular season ended for the high school runners with a meet in Holbrook, Arizona on a gorgeous fall day. The varsity squad will compete in the regional meet this coming Saturday. I am hopeful that both the boy's and girl's teams will qualify to move on to the State Meet, November 8th in Phoenix to battle for team titles.

While it is the end of the season for my high school team, it is the beginning of the racing season for the Elite team. Almost everyone has raced recently with great results. It is encouraging and fun to see the team running so strong off of our fall training. Impressive running at the Great South 10 mile Run in England this weekend where Martin Fagan took 2nd in 46:58 and Andrew Carlson was 6th in 48:08. One of our goals is to have top ten finishes in all of the races that we compete in and so far we're accomplishing that this year!

Most of the team is now preparing for a cross country race in San Diego in November. In December, we are sending a full men's team, for the first time, and Lindsay Allen and Becky Guyette to Spokane, WA for the USATF Club XC Nationals. Paige Higgins and Brianna Torres are finishing their marathon recovery phase and are anxious to get back to their regular training programs again. We hope to field a full women's team next year at USATF Club XC Nationals!

Racing Bug
Watching everyone else take off to race recently, I even got the racing bug this month. I convinced my family to make a quick trip to Tucson with me two weeks ago so I could race in the Carondelet Get Moving 10 miler. David, Hannah and Chloe even got in on the action and participated in the 5k. I was happy with my race, as I was able to pull off the win, but I wished that my legs had felt better during the race. At my age, (42), I am just happy to be able to still race and do well sometimes (editor's note: Trina is too modest; she's still got plenty of kick and competitive fire in her)!

adidas Visit
This past week we also had Eron Osterhaus and Scott Schilter from Adidas in town for a few days. They ran with the team and did very well with the altitude. They also showed us the current and new line of shoes. They did a great job explaining all of the technology that goes into each model and answered all of our questions. It was an amazing and in depth presentation that got all of us thinking about the shoes that we wear. Even as professional runners we all learned so much about our most important piece of equipment, our shoes, and how they impact our training and racing. It is crucial that you are wearing the right type of shoe for your running form for optimal performance and injury prevention. Keep an eye out for some of the new Adidas shoes to be unveiled in the next few months; your feet are in for a treat! We are so grateful for Adidas, their commitment to McMillan Elite and to producing the best shoes for everyone from beginners to professional runners.

Team Dinner
After the shoe presentation the whole group made our way downtown to Big Foot BBQ for a delicious team dinner. My girls enjoyed eating peanuts and tossing the shells on the floor, while the adults enjoyed the scrumptious fried okra, sweet potato fries and BBQ. The entertainment for the evening was provided by Angus as we watched him eat his first pickle!

Entry #69
Week of October 13, 2008
by Becky Guyette

Today I fly back home. The past four months has been the longest that I have been away from the Treasure Valley in the last 11 years. I am imagining it will feel surreal to be there as a visitor and see all the changes.

Living in Flagstaff can sometimes have an unreal feeling as well, like I am living in a parallel universe or on a vacation in running paradise. I love the trails, team, and Flag but the cliché 'living a dream' really seems to accurately describe my feelings.

Thinking back to the way I lived in Boise I always had someone to help take care of me whether it be my family who would always be there (even if it meant coming to jump my car after I accidentally left the lights on...again), or a roommate who did the cooking (most likely out of fear of the house burning down), or friends who supported and understood my Becky ways. When I left I questioned how I was even going to survive and deal with not having my network of loved ones around.

Having to depend more upon myself in Flag has helped me grow in a lot of ways and I feel as though I am maturing as both a person and a runner. I find myself seeking ways to learn things I have always wanted to know, taking more responsibility for myself, and working towards achieving personal goals.

I have Paige and Lindsay to thank for a lot of my growth; both have been role models in different ways, probably unknowingly. I respect Paige's discipline, and Lindsay's constant awareness. Not to mention they are both amazing cooks, which inspires me to try harder because normally what they are eating looks a lot better than what I have made for myself.

My abilities as a runner are developing by learning how to listen to my own body and doing what is best for me. I really appreciate the encouragement and patience that I have received from Greg and Trina in workouts as they try to help me raise awareness and figure how to take control of my running.

There are still times when I mess up and do something that is completely 'Becky' and I feel frustrated at myself but all I can do is take responsibility and focus on improving.

It is amazing how steadily change transpires if we continue to try to better ourselves. I think those transformations are what is helping McMillan Elite excel; everyday as a whole we are steadily building our bodies and focusing on improving. There is a lot of excitement and pride on McMillan Elite as the team continues to progress and have some stellar races. This weekend the team will all be rooting for Martin and Andrew Carlson (making his McMillan Elite debut) racing in England.

When I came to McMillan Elite it was to make advances in my running career and everyday I live and work towards that dream no matter how unreal it feels. Getting to go back home to family and friends is going to be wonderful because I miss them and without their support and encouragement I never would have made it here (I probably would have burned to death while trying to cook pasta, or froze in a parking lot because my car battery was dead).

So thank you for all of those years of taking care of and loving me. I am very excited to come to visit and hear about all the things that have happened since I left and share stories about my new home and team. Hopefully I won't be the only one noticing changes.

Entry #68
Week of October 13, 2008
by Ian Burrell

A lot has happened since my last blog. Running-wise, our team has been pretty impressive this fall. Highlighting the performances have been Trent and Paige with their huge marathon results. Having seen the training they've put in, it was nice to see them have some well-deserved success. Although the marathoners have taken most of the spotlight this month, there are plenty of other runners on the team that are having a good October. The 5k/10k group dominated a Tucson road race two weeks ago, and also competed well in a 5k in Santa Monica this past weekend. They have had excellent, consistent workouts throughout the fall and their success should come as no surprise. Lastly, our teammate Cele definitely deserves some credit for earning top ten finishes in his last two US Championships and qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. As you can see, the bar has been set pretty high.

As for my own running, we decided to use October as a training month. August and September were filled with a lot of racing and traveling, so this month is being used to establish a solid base. This base phase has been characterized by hard long runs on Saturday and Steady State workouts on Wednesday, both of which have been the most difficult things to get used to since joining the team. However, with running, the training you like the least is usually the best for you, so I just concentrate on keeping my head down and improving every week.

In my personal life, one big aspect has changed since the summer - I'm married. So far, everything has been great. The food is good, and my new roommate is much better looking than any of my previous ones. Joking aside, it's hard to imagine how I would be able to pursue my running career without her. She has done so much for me in the way of support, encouragement, and providing an outlet for when running sucks. I definitely owe her some thanks. I would also like to thank my parents for the support they have given me throughout the years. Without my family, none of my athletic accomplishments would have been possible.

That's about all I can tell you about what's been happening in Flagstaff. We are building more and more momentum with every successful race this fall, and by the looks of everything right now, we should be able to ride that momentum into the track season and beyond.

Hi all,

An exciting last two weeks here in the mountains. Oct. 5th weekend we had practically everyone racing somewhere in America and beyond. Then, as to not let us get a breath, we sent Paige and Brianna to Chicago on Oct. 12th for some racing and we got to follow results of some of the fast USA people who were selected for the world half-marathon team. Our teammate Ian Burrell narrowly missed being on that team and would have represented well. And, some of my old training mates finished well on the ladies side.

All this and my mind hasn't settled down from the good step forward my training has been taking over the last 6 months. Piece by piece I have shed some unfit weight, toned up my core section, and rebuilt the necessary components of my mileage and intensity of running to start to test my body out again.

Marathon Test Oct. 5th - Twin Cities Marathon

I started quite a ways back during the race and slowly moved up starting at about 4 miles into the race. I made a surge to get in with a group so that I didn't have to run alone into the wind. Then, I got tired for a couple miles. I settled in with that group and felt a little better until we started to push again. That was tough until we started to catch the line of people ahead of us and we got into a rhythm of running in our small pack of 4. And, to my amazement we could still see the leaders who were about 1 minute up on us. So, I was starting to get some positive feedback. Slowly we continued to catch people and by 15 miles I declared the chase on. I wanted to hold a small bit in reserve for the last 6 miles, 4 of which were uphill. But, I set out to start my race at that point. Slowly, but surely I would catch the next runner and be able to see another one or two up the road. As, I continued to get the positive feedback, I asked someone what place I was in. 13th they said. Ah man, 3 more people to catch to get top 10. Back to work...Okay, now I'm in 10th. Well, what happens if I get caught? Then I'm 11th and the goal is top 10. Gotta catch 9th. Okay, 8th is up there. And, now I can see 7th and 6th, my two training buddies from Flagstaff. Keep going. And, after that I was just pushing to not get caught by anyone as I didn't think I could catch 5th who was more than a minute up the road with 2 miles to go. Keep pushing, keep working, keep going. And, just then we take this downhill by this awesome looking church in downtown St. Paul, just before the finish. Oh, that downhill hurt because the legs had been cramping for half the race with the wetness sitting on cold legs being the culprit. Almost all the runners were having cramping issues. I knew then that I would have more trouble walking after this marathon than previous ones. I could finally see the clock. 2:19 something. If I could get under 2:20...Kick with 400 to go with cramping legs but a smile as I had reached my top 10 goal and had a chance to go back under 2:20:00 for the marathon. I made it 2:19:56-7 and 6th place.

Oct. 5th in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul was a good test. It was a checkmark to see how I was doing. I needed to know that I had the mental fight that it takes to last a full 26 miles of effort and I needed to know that my body could handle it. The answer was yes, I could. I ran my second fastest marathon to date in conditions that were not optimum. It was 42-48 degrees and it rained perty much the entire race including some sections of pouring rain. To add to the rain we had some wind that varied from usually mild to a moderate push. So, to get to my second fastest marathon in those conditions gave me a great checkmark on my progress. I say progress because I had a downturn in my running the previous couple years and moved out to Flagstaff to have a re-birth of my running. I knew all the progress wouldn't come at once but I needed to see some progress. I got great feedback. The body is so much better/healthier than it was before the move. The transition to a new coach with coach Greg has proven itself. And, the fitness is again improving.

That was the story of my marathon. I also wanted to say I was proud of my teammate Cele Rodriguez in his debut. He went into the race with intent to win and made the move to go after the win. He came up a little shy and slowed a bit late in the race but handled himself well all weekend, showing professionalism and heart all in one. He had been kicking my butt in training and was somewhat disappointed. But, I was most impressed by how he continued to treat everyone well and act professionally and upbeat, taking the positive and looking to the future. Good show, my man! The mark of a champion.

We also had some good performances from the rest of the team training under Coach Greg as the fall racing season began the weekend of Oct. 5th with some speedy 8k's in Tuscon, a good half marathon in Europe for Martin and now with PaigeMo's 7 minute PR in Chicago Oct. 12th.


Trent

Entry #66 Week of September 29, 2008 by Brianna Torres The Chicago Marathon is only days away and right now I'm in Phoenix getting in my pre-race sea level training. When training at altitude, Greg says it's best to race within the first few days or after ten days of leaving altitude to maximize the benefits. Being a native desert-dweller, I do like my oxygen. I try to get in at least 10 days at sea level, if at all possible, before big races. This would be my big race. Something else has been keeping me busy. The day after the New Haven 20k, I started film school at the Zaki Gordon Institute for Independent Filmmaking. I don't think I've ever learned so much in such a short period of time. It's been a challenge to go to school full time and train full time. But I wake up every morning ready to run. I have to hustle a bit to fit everything in but I heard good things happen to those who hustle. This schedule has left me with little time for anything else, but it keeps me out of trouble. And it keeps me happy to be able to learn new things and use my creativity.

I've been lucky because my instructors and my coaches have all been really supportive of what I'm trying to accomplish. Greg and Tracy have been great, encouraging me as an athlete and as a person. Jordan and Andrew C. even volunteered to star in one of my films. So it's a good feeling to know my friends are behind me on this.

I'm ready to go back to Chicago where I ran my first marathon and qualified for the Olympic Trials two years ago. Coming off of last week's races, where the team did so well, it just makes me that much more excited to race. I'm looking forward to lining up at the start next to my buddy Paige. It feels like we've been through so much. We've logged many a mile over the trails in Flagstaff and it feels like I've known her for much longer than four months. Thinking about the starting line, I'm not nervous because I know Paige will be right there. Just like in long runs. Just like in workouts. We've done the work. Now all we can do, is all we can do.

Later. Brianna.

Entry #65 Week of September 29, 2008 by Andrew Lemoncello I have reached a new point in my running career. After running badly in Beijing it made me realize that I never want to feel like that again and I don't want to be in a situation where I don't perform my best. Being surrounded by the best athletes in the world made me take note to how much goes into being a professional athlete. I always thought I did everything right but I knew there was room for me to improve on with all the little one percents that are needed to take my running to another level. I came back to Flagstaff ready to start training again with a more relaxed attitude (I pushed too hard last year and ended being ill a few times) but more focussed than ever.

The best part is that I have an even bigger pool of athletes to train with from when I left. There is now a big group to meet with everyday and we all help push each other so we can achieve our goals whether it's a 5km in the summer or a fall marathon. The old adage of you only get what you put in has really sunk in and I am excited to get back into full training up here at 7,000 feet.

The best part about being back in Flagstaff is the routine. I have been away for the whole summer, travelling to lots of different races and it feels good to have taken a break now and come back here and get back into way of things with the team. Meeting at eight in the morning everyday sets the day up nicely to get enough rest, do circuits and core, a second run and then go to work. Don't get me wrong, I love being back in Scotland and running on the track circuit but I feel so much more at home now that I am back in Flagstaff.

We are getting into an exciting time for the team as everybody has been up here training for a while now and the racing season is starting to kick off. Almost the whole team is away racing this weekend leaving only a few of us to anxiously wait for the results to come in. This is the other great part of having a team dynamic, we motivate each other with our results. If one person does well, we all feed off of that and get excited to race again.

Good luck to all the team that are running this weekend and to any of you out there reading this who have races coming up.

Lemon

Entry #64 Week of September 22, 2008 by Lindsay Allen 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.

In other news, we had a great team meeting and dinner on Monday. Complete with Trina's motivational speech, Tracy's top-notch pasta bake, and a giddy Angus smiling the entire evening. It's great to be able to sit down with the team in a context outside of running and just relax. I've also been working with Tracy's environmental consulting business, which has been a superb experience for me and will be a valuable asset in my career after running. I've also been helping out in the new store Brett mentioned in his blog. 'Local Color' just opened up in downtown this past weekend and we had a great time setting up the store and now working there, which I've found is a great way to relax after a long run or workout. It's always nice to be able to take your mind off of running every once in a while. We sell prints and lots Flagstaff gear - mugs, shirts, books, you name it, we probably have it. By now my family should know what to expect this coming holiday season.

That's about it up here, be sure to look for us in coming results and thanks for all the support!

Entry #63 Week of September 22, 2008 by Brett Gotcher 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

Coach's Blog Week of September 22, 2008 by Greg McMillan

McMillanElite adidas athlete, Ian Burrell, finishes 5th in US 5K Championships Ian Burrell's pro career has started with two top 10 finishes in US Road Championships. The 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American placed 5th in the US 5K Championships in Providence, RI on Sunday. This performance comes just three weeks after his 8th place finish in the US 20K Championships in New Haven, CT - an event that was twice the distance he had ever raced. Two top 10 finishes in his first two US Championships as a professional certainly indicate great things to come for the Colorado native who graduated in May from the University of Georgia where he was a multiple SEC champion and NCAA All-American. Ian will continue his drive toward the US Track and Field Championships next summer while competing in several road and cross country races this fall and winter. Upcoming Races McMillanElite adidas athletes will be in action at the following races in the coming weeks. 5 October - US Men's Marathon Championships (Twin Cities Marathon, Minneapolis, MN): Andrew Middleton, Celedonio Rodriguez, Trent Briney 5 October - Jim Click Run 'n Roll 8K (Tucson, AZ): Brett Gotcher, Jordan Horn, Giliat Ghebray, Becky Guyette, Lindsay Allen 5 October - Rock 'n Roll San Jose Half-Marathon (San Jose, CA): Charlie Serrano 12 October - Chicago Marathon (Chicago, IL): Brianna Torres, Paige Higgins

Entry #62 Week of September 15, 2008 by Tracy McMillan I thought I would write a bit about the 3 constants in my life right now - family, team and food (no, I am not pregnant again but I do love food!). Family: We had a wonderful summer with lots of family and friends visiting. My mom and stepdad just left last week, and now we are in recovery mode until the holiday season and more visitors arrive. Greg treated me again to a wonderful birthday this week. For some reason, this birthday has made me feel old. Maybe it is having a baby when you're 37?

Or hanging around early 20-somethings all the time who didn't just have babies and are fit and trim?! I'm working on the fit and trim part. Angus and I are now doing a mom & baby exercise class in beautiful Buffalo Park - Stroller Strides! I am shocked at how sore I am sometimes - it is quite a workout! The first time I went I thought "why do I want to work out around all of these crying babies?" (not Angus, of course...:-)). But you know, there is a nice camaraderie that has developed amongst the moms, and I find myself now confident to ask questions about being a new parent to the other women rather than just searching for answers or support on the internet. It's nice. Plus (leading into my second constant), I think the team gets a kick out of seeing all of us moms and babies in strollers when they do their Wednesday workouts at Buffalo Park!

Team: Everything with the team has been exciting so far. It is incredible how we've essentially doubled in size this summer. We finally became complete last week with the return of Lemon. Everyone is here now, and it is wild to see the team runs - such a big group. However, with the training underway another emotion arrives as well - race anxiety. Not them - me! I get so nervous when they race! I want them to do so well, for themselves, for the team, for Greg. Of course, they do as well. In the past I traveled to races as often as I could but that decreased somewhat this year with the pregnancy and the baby. Now I am forced to endure restless nights and early morning searches of the message boards, waiting for the first word of results (the downside of living in the west!). Luckily, the U.S. 5K Championship race started at 11:15am east coast time this past Sunday, so we got to sleep in a bit (great race, Ian!). This is just the team - how in the world will I be if/when Angus competes in sports?!

Food: Finally, food. I am a self-admitted foodie. I love food - preparing it, eating it, sharing the experience with others (this surprises my mother who claims I hardly knew how to boil water growing up). One of the things I love about the team is the group dinners. Sometimes we do potluck, but other times I just make the whole meal because I love thinking through the menu and striving to prepare a meal that is healthy, fresh and nutritionally well balanced for them (there may also be some deep-seated control issues popping up here...). However, this has become more challenging as the team has grown. The menu options change when you go from feeding 8-10 athletes to feeding 20-25! So, as I prepare for another team dinner next week, I am making a request to all those who read our blog: if you have a good main meal recipe to serve a group, please pass it along! Remember the criteria above: healthy, fresh and nutritionally well balanced (carbs, protein, fat). You can send it to me at tracy.mcmillan@pphpartners.com. I'm making dinner Monday night so any ideas are appreciated! Have a great weekend.

Entry #61 Week of September 15, 2008 by Andrew Middleton Two thousand three hundred ninety-four miles of training later, I find myself shaken, but not broken, by a nagging injury. It is the sort of unexpected tragedy befit of a made-for-Hollywood movie in which the band of misfits whose unexpected rise to the top find themselves bogged down by an ambiguous by-law thus disallowing their participation in the championship match. Like the previously mentioned misfits, I too will overcome the barrier that is only temporarily holding me back. I, like the Little Giants, Average Joes, et al, have a plan and the benefit of the best six months of training in my life, and it is getting me back on the road sooner rather than later.

It is not easy to write about running when running itself is not going well. As runners, our confidence comes from recent workouts, from looking back on our logs and noting improvement from races. Without this, we must look to other sources. The other day, I watched as my teammates completed one of their final Fast Finish Long Runs in great form. As I found out, confidence in one's self can come from the achievement of others, especially those you train with day in and day out. It might seem a strange source, but as it is, it is the only one I have at the moment. I know as soon as I am healthy, I will be right back there with them and that is all the confidence I need right now.

Outside of running, I have found the difficulty of being a single parent. My wife, Casey, traveled to Reno for a weekend conference, thus leaving me with our ten-pound fuzzy bundle of joy, Scooter. I can't complain, however, as quirky and strange as he might be, the only complaint I have is that he is like an old man with a prostate problem, it takes him forever to use the bathroom!

Tonight, I am initiating Burger Night at the Middleton residence. On the menu: Pesto Provolone Burgers with Tabouli and Black Beans. Other recent dishes have included Pesto, Potato, and Parmesan Pizza, Panko Fried Chicken and Tortilla Encrusted Tilapia. Good food is like a high-octane fuel for race cars or jets, the better your fuel, the faster you will go. And if it tastes great, then that's even better!

This past weekend, newcomer Ian Burrell posted his second top-ten USATF Championship finish in the past three weeks at the US 5k Championships in Providence, Rhode Island. Everyone else has been turning in great workouts as well and the mileage keeps coming as we all look to a great fall season.

Thanks for visiting McMillanElite.com to check up on your favorite post-collegiate team. Be sure to look for us on the roads and fields as we demonstrate our gains in fitness and continue to improve.

andrew middleton

Entry #60 Week of September 8, 2008 by Paige Higgins Hi Everyone, This week was one for the books. My legs were happy to get back into some solid miles after a down week following New Haven. Wednesday Bri and I had a really, REALLY good workout. Bri inspires me more than I can put into words, not only in running but also in all further aspects of life. I am so proud of her. I always have a little more to give and push a little harder when we workout together. Greg biked with us on our workout, which was awesome. He gives me a sense of peace, relaxation, and confidence, which in turn helps me run better workouts (40 seconds Greg...how much you wanna bet ; ) ).

When I got home, I found a box filled with my big sister Shannon's homemade cookies. Then I received another package with the racers I will wear for Chicago. About an hour later Bri and I got a formal invitation to be part of the Elite field at the Chicago Marathon. Becky and Lindsay weren't home and it was probably a good thing because I think I was spastically running around the house yelling at the top of my lungs for a good 10 minutes. It was a "dream come true" phone call to say the least. I was riding off a high because the day before I was able to talk to my brother Patrick, whom I am so proud of. He is currently an Army Special Forces Infantry Officer in Germany. I laugh thinking back to when I threw a frozen Cadbury Egg at his head and almost gave him a concussion. Now he's in charge of an entire unit and I'm hoping he has a freezer full of those apparently effective little tranquilizers to keep him safe...ha. Other really fun things for the week included an absolutely delicious team pizza party courtesy of Lindsay, and talking to my Mom about the possibilities of getting my own place up here one day (Anyone who knows me could've probably bet I wouldn't have ever left Colorado, but now Flagstaff is what I think of when I think "home").

Every week I only further appreciate what I have been given and try to do my best to earn it for the runners who haven't been given this gift - runners and all athletes who have to hold down a full time job while still trying to pursue their dreams. Props to all you out there, I humbly tip my hat to you. Sorry I always end up rambling in these things, but thank you to everyone who supports this program and this team, you have given me what I only thought I could dream of...I'm doing the best I can to respect and honor this gift. This is the last blog for me before Chicago, so a special thanks to my family, friends, and teammates who have been there through it all, the good times, the injuries, my moodiness (stubborn? ME?), my quirks...all of it. My official "thank you" will physically manifest itself on October 12th. I'll be running for all of you...

Everything I have,

Paige

Entry #59 Week of September 8, 2008 by Jordan Horn "It was a day that I will remember forever...the loss of life on all sides was way too much, but the worst thing about it all; is it will be pushed into the back of peoples minds only after a couple of years...It's human nature to push the bad things away, but it is sad when people forget about what actually happened." -Joe Hanley in Studs Terkel "The Good War" talking about D-Day The September 11, 2001 attacks are my generation's John F. Kennedy assassination and like JFK's assassination most of us know what we were doing at that very moment. Sadly, if you were my age, most of us on the west coast were sleeping when it all started. There were a few of us that were up doing things and my original blog was about that, but out of the sad and dark moments of the anniversary of the attacks came supreme happiness on the next day September 12, 2008 for the Horn Family. My brother's wife gave birth to their first child, a boy by the name of Brody Horn.

He is a looker! Finally a good-looking kid with the last name of Horn! Good job and congratulations Jesse and Tiffany.

Running has been going great even though I have been sick. I've kept up the miles and have had the most consistent base training in my life. It is easy to run that much and that fast when you have the guys that I train with. Everyone has their days and it shows, but it's good when you're in the hurt having the boys pull you through a run or a workout. Things are looking good for the runners in Flagstaff; everyone from the McMillanElite group to the local runners that we run with on Thursdays and the runners at NAU.

I just want to say thanks to everyone that has helped me and the rest of the team through our individual journeys as runners, as members of McMillanElite, to becoming the best that the United States can offer. Thanks Jesse, Zordon and the rest of the U.S. military for giving me the opportunity to chase after my dreams of becoming an Olympian!

Entry #58 Week of September 1, 2008 by Trina Painter Fall in Flagstaff is one of my favorite seasons and it is definitely in the air in Flagstaff. The mornings are beginning to feel crisp and a little cooler. The cross country season is officially under way and the fall marathons are approaching quickly. I am looking forward to getting out my long sleeve shirts, running gloves and running on the trails laden with the colorful display of golden Aspen leaves that will arrive in the next few weeks

There's something about the cooler weather that seems to spark an energetic friskiness and playfulness in everyone from my dog, Samson, to the kids at the elementary school to the McMillan Elite runners. This morning was a perfect example of that. The team did two different workouts this morning: a fartlek workout at Buffalo Park or 2k repeats on Trina's Loop. Overall, they all had great workouts and felt really good today. The temperature was perfect, the wind was still and they were fast. The marathoners are putting the final touches on their training before Twin Cities and Chicago while the rest of the team is building towards some fall road races and Club Cross Country Nationals.

The majority of the team moved their long runs to Friday in order to put in some major community service hours at The Peaks XC Invite on Saturday. There were over 1,200 high school runners and 51 teams from Arizona and Gallup, NM that competed in six races followed by two college races. It was a true example of the elite running community of Flagstaff coming together to serve the local community and give a little back to the sport. McMillan Elite was out in full force helping with parking, finish line, trail bike for each race, course marshals and overall encouragers and cheerleaders. Mike Smith did a fabulous job as the announcer, Alvina Begay helped sell t-shirts, Dr. Jack Daniels, Alicia Shay, Phil Wharton and Vince Sherry also were present cheering and lending a hand where needed. Adidas also sent some great gear to award the top finishers in each race. Thank you to everyone who came out, helped and cheered!

Entry #57 Week of September 1, 2008 by Celedonio Rodriguez Hello to everyone catching up on their weekly McMillan Elite soapbox. I have been in Flagstaff for over a month, and everyday has energized my love for the sport and desire to achieve my goals. I'm extremely thankful to the group, the sponsors, and mostly to the people who have encouraged me along the way to chase down my dreams. There are too many people to mention, but they are family members in Santa Rosa, CA., friends in Alamosa, CO. as well as supporters and friends in ABQ, NM.; now a coach, my teammates and physical support group in Flagstaff.

As I mentioned before, I have been here for over a month and loved every trail and run we have done. Being away from the team atmosphere for over two years has made me realize the benefits of training with other runners. McMillan Elite has a group of runners who push each other thus creating an optimal training environment. I'm excited for things to come, and if the 20k is a indication of the racing season ahead for the other guys in the group we will be a TEAM to be dealt with.

For your reading enjoyment click here:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/cele

Coach's Blog Week of September 1, 2008 by Greg McMillan

Off We Go Year 2 for our new group is off with a bang. Not only have all the athletes arrived and gotten settled in, but we are already hitting the roads. A group headed to the US 20K Championships in New Haven, CT on Labor Day. In their first races for McMillanElite, Cele Rodriguez, Ian Burrell and Paige Higgins all placed in the the top 10. Cele's 5th place was very solid and shows he is coming into form as his debut marathon approaches. Ian's 8th place was very impressive. He, at only 23 years old, held his own in his first race over 10K and showed that he is poised to challenge for national titles in the future. Paige, like Cele, is in marathon training mode but was still able to get in the top 10. I expect good things from each of them as we head into the fall. As you've seen, we are not just a training team but a racing team. It would be easier to not put ourselves out there but that's not our style. We want to race. We want to challenge ourselves. It doesn't always go right but we keep at it. That's what runners do. You keep trying. Expect to see us on the roads frequently as we head into fall and we'll keep you posted on how it goes. Greg

Entry #56 Week of August 25, 2008 by Becky Guyette Running is considered an individual sport, glamorized as a lone wolf fighting against a whole pack of competitors. For me I feel very different because I am not a lone wolf. In fact I have a whole pack of amazing teammates, coaches, family, friends, sponsors, massage therapists, trainers, and community behind me. McMillan Elite is more than a group of people that all live separate lives that show up to practice against each other. It is a family and everyone truly cares and inspires one another. We get together to celebrate life’s joys like birthdays, weddings, watching races, or just to enjoy each other’s company. Our extracurricular activities don’t compromise our goals as runners, and somehow our diverse group of runners strikes a balance to make a positive, well-rounded team.

On Monday half of our team went to race in the New Haven 20k Championships and I felt like a part of me was racing with them. I was so excited to have them all compete because I see the dedication that each one of them lives every day. I have seen the choices they have made and the hard work they have put into pursuing their passion for running. We came out with some awesome performances with Cele, Ian and Paige all placing in the top 10!

Running can be a lonely sport but having encouragement during the tough times and people to celebrate with in the great times are an exceptional experience. It is exciting to have the team starting to compete as we move forward into the racing season with marathons just around the corner for some, and others with their focus set on championship races, or testing out new territories. Everyone is working so hard and while it is the individuals that make up McMillan Elite there is a pack behind each of our lone wolves helping us towards success and I feel so thankful and lucky to be a part of it.

Entry #55 Week of August 25, 2008 by Charlie Serrano Well, it's been nearly a month since I made the move here to Flag and it's already been quite the learning experience. I've found out that I'm anemic, I've found out that jobs are not easy to find (no matter where you live) and I've learned to not run with Andrew Carlson and Jordan Horn when they're having a "good" day. I never would've thought that I was anemic, especially because I'm not the type that discriminates against red meat. But, I'm now supplementing with Ferrous Sulfite Elixir (liquid Iron) to keep my iron levels up and I'll we'll see whether I need to keep or up the dosage when I get tested again in a few weeks.

As for the job search, I just got hired at Home Depot but haven't actually started yet, although I'm pretty eager to start working, mainly because my funds are beginning to vanish. One thing that I noticed about being up here at 7000 ft. is that you really have to respect the altitude, while my regular aerobic runs have gotten much easier to handle, my workouts haven't been the greatest. I think it's mostly due to trying to run with the guys rather than paying attention to my body and the effort given during the beginning of the workouts. I'm more accustomed to starting a workout at a slightly conservative pace and then progressively notching the pace down, whereas here, they start out at around the goal pace and I think by doing that, in conjunction with the altitude, it puts my legs into shock, making it difficult for them to recover and pretty much ruins the rest of my workout. After talking with Greg about it, we felt that maybe trying to get a more substantial warm up before the workout might serve me better. Meaning, I should try and be more thorough with my stretching and do more strides to get the lungs open a bit before I start.

Other than that jazz, everything else has been all gravy. My roommates are cool, they don't get mad at me when I play Call of Duty hours on end. The weather has been pretty nice so far, not too much rain, although the thunder storms here are way cool. And I really enjoy hanging out with the rest of the team, it's like being in one big happy family, where everyone is overly fit and no one is opposed to nap time.

Before I go, I'd like to devote the rest of this blog to thank everyone that has helped me get to this point, either financially or emotionally. I want to thank my parents for being so supportive and understanding of my decision to do this, without them there's no way that I could've kept up the training needed while still trying to make ends meet financially. All other relatives and siblings that continue to cheer me on in my chase for glory. Gary Towne, Tyler Graff, Vern Ruiz, and Steven Springhorn, for helping me grow and develop as a runner and a person. Foot Pursuit, for helping me out with gear and travel during my time out of college. P-Boi and Scotty, for being great training partners. All the runners, guys and gals, on the Chico State X-country and track team. Liz, for putting up with all the days that I might have been cranky due to the higher mileage weeks and understanding why I chose to move here. And last but not least, Erin, my sister and biggest fan.

See ya,

-Charlie

Coach's Blog Week of August 25, 2008 by Greg McMillan

Well, That Was Interesting Arthur Lydiard said that only 10% of Olympic competitors are prepared to compete at the Games. Only 10% are fit, healthy and have the skills (physical and mental) to cope in the pinnacle event in our sport. I guess our lackluster performances in the Games can then be taken with a grain of salt - at least we have the company of 90% of the competitors (especially the US track and field team). While just making the Olympic team in the first year out of college was quite an achievement for Lemon and Martin, it was still important to make the Olympics a positive experience. For Lemon, that meant qualifying for the final in the 3,000m steeplechase. It seemed he was ready. Under the watchful eye of his Scottish club coach, Ronnie Morrison, Lemon's preparation for the Games while in Scotland and in the pre-Olympic camp in Macau was solid. He seemed ready to run well enough to get to the final but knew it would take a very strong race to get there. From the gun, he felt flat. No go in the legs. Was it nerves? Was it the excitement over the Games? Was it simply a big jump up in level of competition? Who knows. The bottom line is that we didn't get it done. While there are many positives that we can take from the experience, we still need to get to the point where we can compete at a consistently high level. Consistency will be our focus going forward. For Martin, the goal was top 20 and maybe even top 12. He's talented enough to run that well but it would be a challenge given that the Olympic marathon was only his 2nd marathon. His training in Japan was very good and if he could tolerate the weather, then he had a shot. Prior to the race, the consensus was that the race would be won in 2:11-2:13 and top 20 would be around 2:20. The race was expected to unfold similar to the women's marathon where the pack would come through halfway at an easy pace then the fireworks would start. For Martin, who is a front-runner and can easily get drawn into running too fast, too soon, this would be perfect. He could sit in the back of the lead pack, come through half-way in 1:07-1:08 after a slow first 10K then hold on as the heat and humidity took their toll. It was a good plan right up until the gun went off. As you saw, the men's Olympic Marathon was not normal. It was not relaxed then fast. It was aggressive. It was fast from the gun. It challenged everyone's race plan. For Martin, this was probably the worse case scenario. He would easily get sucked into running too fast, too early just like everyone else. And he did, running 15:00 for his first 5K (2:06 pace) and 30:19 for the first 10K (2:08 pace). WAY too fast, yet he wasn't alone. The large first pack saw everyone going through way above their pre-race plan. As I followed the race online, I knew the outcome before he reached 15K. He would have to drop out. The fast early pace, the heat and humidity and the marathon distance would become too much to take. Am I unhappy that he had to DNF? No way! I am not the macho “must finish” type. Running too hard in hot conditions has ruined many great runners and at 24 years old, Martin has many great races to come. Instead, I follow the advice of my friend and 1988 Olympic Marathoner, Mark Conover, who advises “live to race another day.” Are we seeing a change in how the Olympic Marathon is run though? I suspect so. In the 1988 Olympic 5,000m run, John Ngugi from Kenya single handedly changed how the Olympic distance track races are run. In Games prior to 1988, the 5,000m and the 10,000m were tactical affairs with the pace dawdling in the early stages then someone surging in the last 3rd of the race then a big sprint at the end (think 1972 Olympic 5,000m). Occasionally, someone would try to make the pace fast, but invariably they would simply be the pacemaker for the kickers, setting a nice smooth fast pace. Ngugi changed all of that. With only 2 and a half laps of the 12 and a half lap race gone, he surged and not just a little surge, a huge surge. He ran 58.2 (3:52 mile pace) for his next lap and 2:32 for his next kilometer (2:30 per km is 4:00 mile pace). The field didn't know what hit them and Ngugi opened up a 30-meter lead. He went on to win handily and ushered in the current fartlek-style of racing in championships. Did Wanjiru's run in Beijing do the same for the marathon? It seems likely. After all, we are seeing the same thing in big city marathons. Athletes are simply going for it (think 1st Avenue in the New York City Marathon where in the last few years the leaders have dropped sub 4:30 miles with 8 miles of running still to go!). It's not a stretch to suggest that a more aggressive style of marathoning is coming. While World-Record attempts will likely include smoother pacing, I suspect you will see more and more fartlek-style marathoning. The pace will be fast from the start and athletes will repeatedly surge. Fartlek marathoning may become the norm in big city marathons and seems will likely become the norm in Championship races like the Olympic Games and the World Championships. After all, if they are willing to run like they did in the heat and humidity of Beijing, what will they do next year in the in the World Championships in Berlin and in 2012 in the London Olympics - both places where the weather is expected to be more conducive to marathon running? For our group, we are happy that Lemon and Martin made it to the Olympics. They are now and will always be Olympians and that is the highest honor in our sport. But we still have a lot of work to do. We must train smarter. We must train more consistently. We must race better. We must race more aggressively. We must get ready for what is to come over the next four years, which I suspect will be another step up in the quality and depth of distance runners around the world making the medal stand an even harder task than it currently is. Time to get to work.

Entry #54 Week of August 18, 2008 by Lindsay Allen 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.

Entry #53 Week of August 18, 2008 by Matt Clark With both the Olympic games getting underway, and moving 3000 miles across the country to live and train in Flagstaff I can definitely say that the last two weeks of my life have been a pretty exciting time. Luckily, everyone here in Flagstaff and back at home helped me to make a smooth transition to my new location, which I'm very thankful for.

These first few weeks have been pretty standard, moving into the new Mountain house (which is such a nice place, thanks Trina), getting adjusted to the training schedule, and settling in with the new team and community here in Flag have eaten up just about all of my time. So far I've been really impressed with all of the places we've run, and am very excited about the amount of great areas to train. I sure won't be getting bored with the scenery anytime soon that's for sure.

Being able to not only watch the Olympics over the last few weeks, but also see athletes that I know and have even lived with get to compete on the highest stage has been a huge inspiration to get rolling and really start training hard again. The nightly broadcasts from China have definitely added to the competitive fire and will continue to help me to chase my goals while I train up here in the mountains.

Entry #52 Week of August 11, 2008 by Brianna Torres The other day I was in my kitchen making dinner and watching the Olympics and it donned on me: people I know are at the Olympic Games right now. That is so cool! Quite a few Olympians lived or trained in Flagstaff in their lead up to the Games and it was cool to hear Flagstaff get mentioned a few times. So that is super exciting and inspiring and we all seem to schedule our days around watching the Olympics. Even the commercials are inspiring. I hate to admit that I've been moved by a marketing campaign, but the truth is I have. The Olympics are set on such a grand stage and it is what we as athletes all aspire to. I could write a novel about inspirational role the Olympics play in our lives, but I'll just say this: it would be an honor to be a character in the unfolding story of the Olympic Games.

While friends perform on the biggest stage half a world away, it's "make it work time" here on the mountain (and yes I am a huge Project Runway fan). Friday about half the team participated in physiological testing through the High Altitude Training Center, administered by Jack Daniels (only half the team because the treadmill broke during Jordan's test. We've all had fun teasing Jordan about but it really wasn't his fault. No, really it wasn't). I felt so lucky to be Jack Daniel's lab rat. Jack is great to be around because any attribute that would be a disadvantage in running, Jack knows of an exception because he's tested so many runners over the years. We were all a little nervous for the test since none of us had taken it before. But Jack was very calming, explained everything to us and answered all of our questions. It'll be a great benchmark for our fitness and it will also give us a better indication of training paces at altitude. He explained it is less about the numbers and more about doing the best you can with what you've got.

Lindsay arrived this week bringing the womens team up to four girls. Lindsay is a great addition to the team. I've gotten to know her over the past year when she would come to visit and I was really happy when she decided to join our team. Now I have three unique, intelligent, talented women that I am happy to call my teammates.

Paige and I are super excited to start racing in a few weeks at the New Haven 20k championships and then Chicago Marathon. It's been great having Paige to do all this arduous training with. The training is so rigorous and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like that a bit. But when it gets to be a grind, knowing that someone is right there next to you working just as hard as you are, and pushing you to be better and tougher, doesn't necessarily make the work easier, but it makes it worthwhile. That's what Paige does for me. That's what my teammates and coaches do for me. They give this work a little more purpose and meaning. And they make me laugh. What more could I ask for?

Alright. I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted.

Brianna

Entry #51 Week of August 11, 2008 by Giliat Ghebray My name is Giliat Ghebray and I recently joined the McMillan Elite to pursue my dream of becoming a professional runner. These past few weeks in Flagstaff have really brought back my true love of distance running. Having multiple trails to choose from on a daily basis ensures that I can take in the beautiful scenery that surrounds the city. The altitude was a rough experience at first but I feel like I am progressing nicely. There are occasional days, however, where I feel I am taking in a little more 'thin' air.

I made the decision to move to Flagstaff back in May of this year. After finishing a subpar 5000 meter race at the Stanford Cardinal Invitational I called up Greg and discussed my athletic dreams. This was followed up by a visit in which I was immediately taken aback by the endless amount of great trails available in Flag. I let Greg know of my deep desire to improve my running and we both agreed that joining the McMillan Elite would be a beneficial move.

Since moving out to Flagstaff I have been able to train with a great team of people. The runners on the team all have a positive outlook for themselves as well as for the team as a whole. Throughout my running career I have had trouble finding people to train with - an issue that was quickly resolved on my first training run out in Flag. I am very excited to be surrounded by great runners who meet together nearly every day to get in workouts. I know that I have made the right decision in moving out to a new area to better myself as both a runner and a person. I am excited to get out and race as I continue to increase my mileage and rev up my fitness.

I can't wait to put on my adidas uniform and represent the McMillan Elite to my fullest potential. I am sure this is going to be a great year with lots of ups and hopefully very few downs. I just want to extend a thank you to Greg, Adidas, and the Flagstaff community as a whole for making my transition here go very smoothly.

Entry #50 Week of August 4, 2008 by Trina Painter Hi, my name is Trina Painter. I wear many hats throughout the course of my week with one being an assistant coach with McMillan Elite. The others include; wife to supportive and wonderful husband, David, mother of two beautiful girls, Hannah (11) and Chloe (8), master’s runner, attendance secretary at Sechrist Elementary School and cross-country coach at Flagstaff High School. It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and the new school year starts this week. The teachers are preparing their classrooms, the stores are busy with back to school shoppers and my kids are excited to get to know their new teachers and see their old friends. It seems that this time of year is also the busiest for me personally with all the hats I wear demanding extra hours out of me at the same time.

In spite of all my never ending list of the things that need to be done, I still manage to find time to watch the Olympics in the evenings. There’s nothing quite like the Olympic Games. I love watching the intensity and high level of athleticism in all the sports. I admit, I don’t normally watch sports like badminton or wrestling, but in the Olympics even these sports manage to capture my attention and keep me up late to see the results. As I watch the events, I sometimes find myself deep in thought where my own Olympic dream is hidden away. Even though it’s been twelve years (1996) since my last Olympic Trials, there is something so special and intense about the quest to make the Olympic Team that it never dies. It rarely shows itself anymore, but being around the McMillan athletes and watching the Games awakens my dream more frequently these days.

Every time I watch the Opening Ceremonies, it always brings a tear to my eye. It brings me back to the last time I came so close to making the team and the intense emotion that you feel at the end of that pursuit. I participated in four Olympic Trials during my running career and dedicated my life to the pursuit of that dream. It is something in me that I really only share with the few other athletes that have chosen the same path. I can still visualize myself marching in the Opening Ceremonies. I can see myself in the USA uniform and on the starting line with the best in the world. I can feel the energy of the crowds, but soon realize it’s still just my dream. I came close to making the Olympic Team twice having one of the fastest times going into the Trials, but placing a disappointing 5th (1992) and 6th (1996) in the 10k finals.

As I watch the Games and realized in my own career, so many of the medals and top spots are determined by fractions of points and seconds. What sets one athlete above the other at that level I ask myself at the end of each competition? Did they train harder? Were they blessed with a genetically superior body? Did they have a better coach? Are they mentally stronger than the others? Are they driven by hardship or emotional passion that has changed their life? What sets them apart when most of the others are all training just as hard?

These are the questions that we also examine in Flagstaff each day that we prepare to train as a team. Greg, Tracy and I discuss what it takes to make a champion often. The entire McMillan Elite Team is set up to give the athletes every advantage that they need in order to succeed and become a Champion and an Olympian. We train at both high and low altitude with purpose. While we do a lot of workouts together, we also modify workouts for each athlete when needed to personalize and optimize their training. We have a “Professional Athlete Series” to further develop and prepare the athletes for their careers in sports. We do physiological and blood testing to monitor their training and find any areas that need attention. We do core workouts and drills to focus on ancillary training and become stronger and more efficient. We carefully choose races that fit into the four year plan for each athlete. We offer housing, travel, massage and health insurance financial assistance, to allow the runners to focus on their training and get the proper rest and recovery it takes to move to the next level.

We strive to provide the best training environment for the athletes to help them reach their potential and make an Olympic Team. We focus on the details that we feel will make the difference and put them on the podium. In the end, I realize that part of my role at McMillan Elite is to pass on my experience to both feed my own Olympic dream and help the dreams of the younger athletes become reality. Whether we realize it or not, we all share this intimate and emotional dream with each other. We have a special bond of suffering and an unspoken understanding of each other and the choices we make in our lives. We share the “Olympic Dream” that many desire, but few are willing to pursue and dedicate their lives to. It gives me goose bumps and makes my heart beat faster when I watch the different athletes push through the pain of an intense workout, run a personal best, make sacrifices both large and small each day for their training and move closer to our Olympic dream. When I watch the athletes competing in Bejing, I am reminded why both these young athletes and I chose this path. Why they are delaying their careers, moving to Flagstaff and physically pushing themselves to the limit and beyond. It is the pure and simple pursuit of being an Olympian that both pushes and pulls one to train harder and longer day in and day out. Be sure to watch as two of our own compete in the Bejing Games, Andrew Lemoncello in the steeplechase and Martin Fagan in the marathon.

Entry #49 Week of August 4, 2008 by Trent Briney Flagstaff in the summer…Thunder and Lightning at an elevation where the thunder makes a bit more noise than at sea level. 7000ft. to be exact. They say here that if "The Peaks," the famed backdrop here in Flagstaff have clouds by noon that we are going to get wet sometime later in the day. If not, the sun is usually powerful enough to burn off the clouds. The rain makes for cool evening temperatures and as some of the McMillan Elite go into the last 6-8 weeks of our marathon training, we can begin to feel the fall crispness refreshing our legs. Mornings can be cool and relaxed overcast or a hot sun bath.

Anyway, here is an example of some of the McMillan marathon training that I did this last week with my marathon teammates Andrew Middleton (Middle) and Celedonio Rodriguez (Cele). Cele just arrived in the last week or two and has been an energetic joke teller during some of the longer runs, in addition to being a fit and talented newcomer to the team. One of his jokes involved us listening to a really long joke where the point was that 2 out of 3 people like cheerios over pancakes. They must not have been the pancakes from Café Espress in Flagstaff. The other point was that we were ridiculous enough to listen to the whole joke. The joke was on us! Needless to say, 20 minutes of a run were completed during the telling of the joke.

The training…

130 miles (Highest for me in quite a while…1-2 years or so)

Monday AM - We’ve been meeting as a team at the track on NAU’s campus. Everyone has different workouts, but we start together. I was to do 1 min on 1min off fartleks, but I asked Greg if 400 meters on, with equivalent time rest(70-75 seconds) off would be okay. I ran for 45 minutes before getting back to the track and switched to flats and started my workout. Cele and Middle were doing different things because I have an upcoming race on the 17th and they don’t have one for a couple weeks. I started in 72’s and sped up to 68’s by the end. I mentally struggled a good bit today but toughed out 14 repeats before going for a warmdown and totaling 14-15 miles on the morning.

Monday PM - CORE workout at Greg’s house at 5:00pm. and then I ran home 5-6 miles. The body and mind were toast, so I jogged. Cele ran with me, but then sped up.

Mileage: 20

Tuesday AM - Cooper 2 to Cooper 1 to Bri’s and up Shultz to Ft. Valley Trails to FS Rd. up 5 min and back the same way. Ran by myself after starting with the others. Very easy, but legs feel tired/beatup. MUST SLEEP MORE and BE MORE MONKLIKE. J 12+ miles.

Tuesday PM - After Work - easy cheesy on Shultz Pass from 2nd parking lot-by myself. 4 miles. Monday eve. and Tuesday I was worried about Wednesday morning workout and how I needed to run faster than my 400’s on Monday. Mentally challenging 2 days.

Mileage: 16

Wednesday AM - NAU track 3w/u, 4w/d, 10 by 800 meters. YASSO 800’s Supposed to be equivalent rest at sea level but we took 3 min. rest because of the altitude. This workout is sometimes a good predictor of what you can run in the marathon. I was worried that my 71 avg. on Monday would not fare well today. But, sometime Tuesday I decided that I was going to compete with my teammates on number 1 and see what happens from there. Our first repeat was 2:20 and I felt okay so it helped me to relax into the workout from there. Middle, Cele and I took turns leading. Cele was up and ran 2:17, then me 2:19, 2:19, 2:19, 2:17, 2:17, 2:15, 2:13, 2:11. So, average was about 2:16 for the workout predicting a 2:16 marathon. Again, it’s a prediction workout and just gives an estimate. But, I was relieved that my Monday workout was just an off day after running a hard long run on the previous Saturday. I was overworried when I should have realized I was just fatigued still on Monday. So, I had more rest by Wednesday and I had 2 teammates to run with. Both had helped me feel better about todays efforts than Mondays. 15+ miles

Wednesday PM - Did some leg exercises at the Wharton Health Experience, www.whartonperformance.com and then ran home for my second run. 5.5 miles After the run the team headed to Greg’s house for our weekly Mon/Wed. core workout.

Mileage: 20.5

Thursday AM - Bagel Run w/ Niko(Suny-Cortland) and Harlen(NAU runner). Ran very easy-legs quite tired. Ft. Tuthill up the FS Rd. and back. The bagel run starts at Biff’s Bagels every week at 8:00a.m. It’s a community run where many of the locals and elites come to do a little bit of a social run. 12 miles

Thursday PM - Baderville, just toward the Grand Canyon on the way out of Flagstaff. I went elk hunting….well sorta. I hit the trails in search of elk, who frequent the area but as dusk fell I decided I no longer wanted to be running through the woods just in case a band of coyotes or a startled elk wanted to make me their play toy. I headed back to the roads and a coyote poked his head out of a culvert(those metal things the water goes through under the road). Very nice temperature tonight, peaceful run. 5+ miles

Mileage: 17

Friday AM - Moderate first 43 minutes, easy second 43 minutes. Cool trail area from Campbell Mesa out to Fisher Point. Ran mostly with Cele and Middle as the others had less mileage today. Body fatigue a bit after 75 minutes of running. One of my favorite places to run in Flagstaff as 20 minutes in there is a canyon descent and ascent of 5 minutes with good scenery. Once you are past that you run along the Walnut Canyon rim. Walnut canyon is a state historic park with Indian heritage and preserved cave dwellings.

Friday PM - 6.5 Miles exploring the forest trails below Snowbowl, elevation 9000 feet. We ran down from 9000 to 7000 with the last bit turning into a hike after we had run for 45-50 minutes. With Cele, Rob Krar, and Ben (from Edinboro, DII school).

Mileage: 19

Saturday AM - LONG RUN. Supposed to be 12 miles then 6-8 race effort, which up here is 5:20-5:40 pace on a loop near Greg’s house. Felt good until we hit the race effort stuff. Cele and Middle were doing really good and I had to make a stop for the bathroom. I ran a couple miles at 6:00 pace or so and then shut it down. I marked it up as a bad day and figured I would get in a solid effort next weekend at the Americas Finest City Half Marathon while Cele and Middle were here in Flagstaff going for a long slow run. Plus, my last couple long runs had been real solid. Just switch the workout one week. 19.5 miles

Saturday PM - not really supposed to run but wanted to get the mileage above 130 so I went for an easy 4.5 miles with 2 of the Pennsylvania 12, as the Flagstaff locals refer to them. 12 college runner kids in a house near Greg’s that came to Flagstaff for some summer training for July and August.

Mileage: 24

Sunday AM - Home to MOUNTAIN Rd. guys house to Ft. Valley trails and up rd. 11 minutes or so then back down to 180 and back to my house. Kept it easy to moderate with Cele. 75 minutes or so.

Sunday PM - with Ryan Mulcahy from Suny-Geneseo in the Cheshire neighborhood. Felt perty decent. Temperature was cool again from the rain.

Mileage:13.5

As summer is getting ready to end, and fall is coming we are polishing off the marathon training with a couple more high mileage weeks and starting to work on marathon race pace training and getting fast. I’ve been working on base and mileage for a good number of months as well as getting my core and past injury areas sured up. So, now it is time for the fun stuff, racing.

Entry #48 Week of July 28, 2008 by Andrew Lemoncello Normally I’m not really a fan of roller coaster rides but these last few weeks has been the best ride I have ever been on. The summer started out very well with a good run at the NYRR Healthy Kidney 10km and a week later my fastest ever opening time in Hengelo, Netherlands. This helped to get my head into the right place for the heavy summer racing program I had lined up. After three weeks of great training I headed to Prague where it seemed like everything I had done was coming to pieces as I had the worst race I’ve had in a long while and finished fifteen seconds behind where I was hoping.

Fortunately the next weekend was the European Cup in Annecy, France where I knew a tactical affair would be on the cards. After a well-judged run I managed to pull a few places back on the last lap and get third with Great Britain winning the team title. That again got my head back into the right frame before I hit another two races over the next week, winning them both.

So...(breathe!).... after four races in sixteen days I had a couple of weeks to get my body ready for the Olympic Trials. Everything went very well with my confidence sky high and my legs feeling great. I traveled down to the trials knowing I was going to do well and felt very relaxed. As I was running I felt very easy and was ready to for a hard kick. Unfortunately visions of the previous years race came into my head where I kicked from 500m to go and winning by a good margin. I tried this again but after coming over the last water jump the dreaded lactic kicked in. I got over the last hurdle, still leading but I had just towed two of my rivals along with me and they took inspiration from my body slowing up and came flying by. Well, the leader did. With one meter to go my former team mate from FSU used a sprint type dip to beat me by 0.05 and push me out of the first two automatic qualifying places. It didn't hit me right away that I had just screwed myself out of the Olympics but once I was sitting in drug testing and fellow competitors were filling out their kit forms it sunk in....HARD. I was tearing up and I hardly said a word for the next two days.

The guys that beat me weren't going to the games because they hadn't achieved the A standard time but I had. The stipulations of selection were a top two placing in the trials and the achievement of at least two A standards. My only hope was to run fast enough before the next weekend and try to convince the selectors that I had just messed up. The only race available was the Paris Golden League which I assumed was almost impossible to get into. It turned out that this wasn’t the case as my agent called me on my way to spend some time at the Adidas headquarters in Germany that I would be running there three days later. I quickly realized that this was my opportunity to prove something to the selectors and prepared myself to run fast. Standing on the start line in Paris was a great feeling as I knew I could run fast and all the disappointment that I gone through the previous week had really helped focus my mind on what needed to be achieved. That was crucial as my race became more of a time trial than anything else as I was left to run on my own after the lead pack moved away on the third lap. I had got into a good rhythm and managed to run perfect splits and a one second PR but more importantly I was two seconds inside the qualifying time. I was happy but couldn’t celebrate as I still didn’t know if it was enough to secure my spot in Beijing. Luckily I got the call the next morning giving me the nod to run in the Olympics so I spent the next hour and about forty dollars calling friends and family.

So that brings us to the present day where I am in the holding camp in Macau, South China with the rest of the team before we head into the village three days before our individual events. Training has gone well and I really looking forward to competing in the Bird Cage stadium. My race on the sixteenth is going to be the biggest moment and opportunity of my life so be sure that I am not going to leave anything on the track. I am looking forward to catching up to my house mate and fellow Greg-coached athlete, Martin Fagan, once I get to the village and maybe taking in some other sports such as beach volleyball or synchronized swimming! As good as this summer has been traveling around Europe and racing a lot, I am looking forward to getting back home to Flagstaff and training with all the new team members who have joined since I left at the end of May. Sorry this was a long blog but its been quite a full summer!

Click here to read all of Andrew Lemoncello's Blogs

Coach's Blog Week of July 28, 2008 by Greg McMillan

It's a bit of a 3-ring circus around here at the moment. We have marathoners in the early stages of their fall marathon training. We have several track guys who have finished their seasons, taken their mandatory breaks and are now back in the base phase. And, we have new athletes arriving weekly. They're settling in and getting comfortable with their new surroundings, new coach, new teammates and life after college. We also have visiting athletes that come and stay plus more recruits checking out our group. All in all (and like a circus) it's quite fun and exciting for everyone involved. Lately, we seem to have only written about racing but for most of our group, the focus now is on training. For our marathoners, they have just completed their first week of the marathon phase. As per Lydiard, we completed a base phase then a hill phase prior to the marathon phase. I described the way we do the base phase in an earlier blog but to recap, we do a leg speed session once per week, a steady state run once per week and a long run on the weekend. Leg speed sessions usually involve a series of strides run as ins and outs on the track (e.g., 10 laps of 100 on 100 off). This keeps the body ready for fast running without any build-up of lactic acid - a big no no in Lydiard base training. The steady state run builds to 10 miles at marathon effort which is 50-60 minutes for the marathoners. The idea is to run at the fastest aerobic pace and just shy of the aerobic threshold which is different (and 15-20 seconds per mile slower) than the anaerobic or lactate threshold. Aerobic threshold running is the key to maximizing the effects of the base phase and once per week seems to work well for most athletes though some more experienced runners can handle 2 steady state runs per week. The long run builds to 2-2.5 hours and is done on hilly courses and at an easy pace. For the marathoners' hill phase, we again adapt Lydiard's concepts. We use three types of hill workouts and rotate them so that we do each workout 2-3 times. The first workout is on our Chevron Hill (named because a Chevron station sits at the base of it). The hill takes 40-60 seconds to ascend and is very steep and paved. With this hill, we work on Lydiard's explosive ankle flexion and driving the body up the hill. Speed is less important than technique and we push strongly against the ground to drive the knees forward and practice good arm swing. After a brief jog at the top, the athletes head halfway done the hill where they do a stride in a side parking lot. Next, they continue down to the bottom of the hill for another stride then hit the hill again. We start with 6-8 reps and build to 10-12. Leg strength, good mechanics, heavy breathing and lactic acid tolerance are the outcome we're hoping for. The second hill workout is done at Buffalo Park and has been shown on Flotrack. It is like a Lydiard hill circuit in that we run up a moderate grade, dirt trail for 600m then do multiple strides before running back down briskly. At the bottom, more strides are completed before we head back up the hill. The total loop is just over 2 miles and we start with 3 loops and build to 6 loops. Lastly, we do a Rosa-inspired hill climb. When I coached the Discovery USA team, we did a 20K run that included 10K of continual uphill running from 4000 feet to 6000 feet of elevation. So, we do a warm-up then a 10K hill climb to the top of Mt. Elden. The dirt road starts at just over 7,000 feet and ends at 9,600 feet. It is a very tough run but we've seen very good fitness jumps from it. After building the base and mileage and completing the hill phase, they are now in the marathon phase which includes high mileage and lots of marathon-specific workouts. We'll keep you posted on how it goes. The greatest risk is that they will peak too soon so we're trying to hold them back since each is feeling very fit right now. For our returning track runners, each took 2 weeks of no running or just easy jogging for up to 30 minutes a few times per week. My hope is that they took more off days than running days in order to recharge the batteries. Most took trips to see friends and family and lived like a 'normal' person for a couple of weeks. Now though, we are back to building the base like we did last year. I'll make a couple of adjustments to what we did last year but essentially, we'll just bump the mileage up 10-20% and include leg speed, steady state running and long runs. I always like fun test workouts and low-key races so we'll do some of that as well. For our new runners, each undergoes a strict altitude acclimation phase which lasts 4 weeks. The first 7 days are very gentle as the body adapts then the next 21 days are a gradual return to normal mileage and the beginning of the base phase workouts. Being smart when arriving at altitude pays big dividends so we take it gentle at first. We also recognize that for new athletes, there is a lot of life stress. Most have just graduated, packed up and moved to a new place, changed coaches, training systems and teammates, found a new job and many other new stressors. We respect this and the altitude adjustment month is as much for non-running activities and stress as it is for the running. After this acclimation period, each runner and I sit down to map out the next 4-12 years. Then, they begin the training. In our group, we have 3 areas of focus that each athlete falls within. One group is purely track focused and everything points toward next spring and summer. They may race some short road races and cross country but the focus is squarely on indoor (if we do any meets) and outdoor track. Another group is track/road. The main goal is still the track but longer (and more frequent) road races plus cross country are included. This group will likely move to the marathon in a year or two. The last group is our marathon group. While they'll race some road races, cross country and track, the focus is squarely on marathon performance. Well, there you have it. A bit more on what our training is like. I'll try to focus on our training concepts in future blogs which will hopefully be posted each week. If haven't noticed, we are going to 2 athlete blogs per week plus a coach's blog. Your feedback has been great and we've listened. More blogs, more videos and more training insights. You got it! Thanks for visiting and keep the feedback coming. Greg PS: As our group grows in order to help more athletes, our limited resources are strained. If you enjoy reading the blogs, watching the videos and following the group, we'd love to welcome you as part of our extended family. Your donation has a direct impact on the athletes. If you or your company would like to sponsor our group, just let me know.

Entry #47 Week of July 28, 2008 by Tracy McMillan At first I didn't know what to write in this blog. My days are not as exciting as the athletes' or Greg's, at least in terms of running activities. I do the more mundane activities for the team—booking travel, paying bills, generally trying to make sure we all have our ducks in a row with non-training stuff. Things mostly go smoothly but we have had ups and downs during this first year, so what I thought I'd write is a thank you to my team.

First, thank you all for being great people. We always said that we didn't just want talented runners; we wanted talented runners who are good people and I think we achieved success in that regard. I can't think of a better group of folks to spend my days with and I'm always proud as you head out to races because I know that no matter how the event goes the race will enjoy having you because of your good spirits. You make promoting the team easy, and make our lives fun.

Secondly, thank you for being understanding and helpful in so many ways as Greg and I took on the challenge of becoming parents this year. From the minute Angus arrived in our lives you've greeted him with smiles and laughter and he is such a good-natured little boy because of his daily experiences with all of you.

Finally, thank you for your patience, support and participation as the team has developed over the past year or so. Obviously you can't have a running team without athletes but you've all contributed so much more than just your race performances over this period of time. In so many ways, we couldn't do this without you.

Some people wonder what motivated Greg and I to form this team. There are so many reasons, too many to list in this blog, but each day I am around the team I am reminded of the most important one. It is a labor of love, and I truly love my new extended family—all of the members of McMillanElite.

Entry #46 Week of July 21, 2008 by Ian Burrell The past couple of weeks have been full of excitement for the McMillanElite and myself. Perhaps the most thrilling moment came Saturday morning when Greg and Tracy announced that Andrew Lemoncello would be competing in Beijing for the UK. This news, coming only days after Martin's departure for Europe en route to the Olympics, was inspiring for everyone and may have instigated one of the fastest long runs I have ever done.

While Martin and Andrew are chasing their Olympic dream, the rest of us are at different stages in our training. Most of the 5k/10k group is coming back from a break and working to build the miles back up. The marathon group is in the heart of their training, and in the past month, they have probably logged more miles than I have put on my car. They are all looking exceptionally strong in workouts and should have solid performances in their fall marathons. In addition, there are about 4/5 McMillanElite athletes that have not yet arrived in Flagstaff. It's shaping up to be a great fall and hopefully an even better spring.

Personally, the decision to join McMillanElite was all about getting back to the roots. I was born and raised in Colorado, and after spending five years at the University of Georgia, I was anxious to get back out west, back to altitude, and back to the norm. The amount of trails in and around Flagstaff is staggering, and I couldn't be more pleased with my decision to join the team. So far, the runs have been a little more intense than I'm used to. With so many talented runners, there is always someone who feels good and wants to push the pace. It's fun knowing that if I just hang on to the other guys, I will be able to get into the best shape of my life. This is the most optimistic I have ever been about an upcoming season. I honestly feel that Flagstaff and the McMillan team create an ideal atmosphere for anyone who takes running seriously. By the time you read this, I will have already finished my first race as a McMillanElite athlete. I run Saturday at the "prestigious" Colorado Springs Classic 10k (I needed to get some things from home and hopefully the earnings from this race can finance the gas). At the very least, we'll see what kind of shape I'm in.

[NOTE: Ian won the Colorado Springs Classic 10k this past weekend in his personal record time for the course]

Coach's Blog Week of July 28, 2008 by Greg McMillan

It's a bit of a 3-ring circus around here at the moment. We have marathoners in the early stages of their fall marathon training. We have several track guys who have finished their seasons, taken their mandatory breaks and are now back in the base phase. And, we have new athletes arriving weekly. They're settling in and getting comfortable with their new surroundings, new coach, new teammates and life after college. We also have visiting athletes that come and stay plus more recruits checking out our group. All in all (and like a circus) it's quite fun and exciting for everyone involved. Lately, we seem to have only written about racing but for most of our group, the focus now is on training. For our marathoners, they have just completed their first week of the marathon phase. As per Lydiard, we completed a base phase then a hill phase prior to the marathon phase. I described the way we do the base phase in an earlier blog but to recap, we do a leg speed session once per week, a steady state run once per week and a long run on the weekend. Leg speed sessions usually involve a series of strides run as ins and outs on the track (e.g., 10 laps of 100 on 100 off). This keeps the body ready for fast running without any build-up of lactic acid - a big no no in Lydiard base training. The steady state run builds to 10 miles at marathon effort which is 50-60 minutes for the marathoners. The idea is to run at the fastest aerobic pace and just shy of the aerobic threshold which is different (and 15-20 seconds per mile slower) than the anaerobic or lactate threshold. Aerobic threshold running is the key to maximizing the effects of the base phase and once per week seems to work well for most athletes though some more experienced runners can handle 2 steady state runs per week. The long run builds to 2-2.5 hours and is done on hilly courses and at an easy pace. For the marathoners' hill phase, we again adapt Lydiard's concepts. We use three types of hill workouts and rotate them so that we do each workout 2-3 times. The first workout is on our Chevron Hill (named because a Chevron station sits at the base of it). The hill takes 40-60 seconds to ascend and is very steep and paved. With this hill, we work on Lydiard's explosive ankle flexion and driving the body up the hill. Speed is less important than technique and we push strongly against the ground to drive the knees forward and practice good arm swing. After a brief jog at the top, the athletes head halfway done the hill where they do a stride in a side parking lot. Next, they continue down to the bottom of the hill for another stride then hit the hill again. We start with 6-8 reps and build to 10-12. Leg strength, good mechanics, heavy breathing and lactic acid tolerance are the outcome we're hoping for. The second hill workout is done at Buffalo Park and has been shown on Flotrack. It is like a Lydiard hill circuit in that we run up a moderate grade, dirt trail for 600m then do multiple strides before running back down briskly. At the bottom, more strides are completed before we head back up the hill. The total loop is just over 2 miles and we start with 3 loops and build to 6 loops. Lastly, we do a Rosa-inspired hill climb. When I coached the Discovery USA team, we did a 20K run that included 10K of continual uphill running from 4000 feet to 6000 feet of elevation. So, we do a warm-up then a 10K hill climb to the top of Mt. Elden. The dirt road starts at just over 7,000 feet and ends at 9,600 feet. It is a very tough run but we've seen very good fitness jumps from it. After building the base and mileage and completing the hill phase, they are now in the marathon phase which includes high mileage and lots of marathon-specific workouts. We'll keep you posted on how it goes. The greatest risk is that they will peak too soon so we're trying to hold them back since each is feeling very fit right now. For our returning track runners, each took 2 weeks of no running or just easy jogging for up to 30 minutes a few times per week. My hope is that they took more off days than running days in order to recharge the batteries. Most took trips to see friends and family and lived like a 'normal' person for a couple of weeks. Now though, we are back to building the base like we did last year. I'll make a couple of adjustments to what we did last year but essentially, we'll just bump the mileage up 10-20% and include leg speed, steady state running and long runs. I always like fun test workouts and low-key races so we'll do some of that as well. For our new runners, each undergoes a strict altitude acclimation phase which lasts 4 weeks. The first 7 days are very gentle as the body adapts then the next 21 days are a gradual return to normal mileage and the beginning of the base phase workouts. Being smart when arriving at altitude pays big dividends so we take it gentle at first. We also recognize that for new athletes, there is a lot of life stress. Most have just graduated, packed up and moved to a new place, changed coaches, training systems and teammates, found a new job and many other new stressors. We respect this and the altitude adjustment month is as much for non-running activities and stress as it is for the running. After this acclimation period, each runner and I sit down to map out the next 4-12 years. Then, they begin the training. In our group, we have 3 areas of focus that each athlete falls within. One group is purely track focused and everything points toward next spring and summer. They may race some short road races and cross country but the focus is squarely on indoor (if we do any meets) and outdoor track. Another group is track/road. The main goal is still the track but longer (and more frequent) road races plus cross country are included. This group will likely move to the marathon in a year or two. The last group is our marathon group. While they'll race some road races, cross country and track, the focus is squarely on marathon performance. Well, there you have it. A bit more on what our training is like. I'll try to focus on our training concepts in future blogs which will hopefully be posted each week. If haven't noticed, we are going to 2 athlete blogs per week plus a coach's blog. Your feedback has been great and we've listened. More blogs, more videos and more training insights. You got it! Thanks for visiting and keep the feedback coming. Greg PS: As our group grows in order to help more athletes, our limited resources are strained. If you enjoy reading the blogs, watching the videos and following the group, we'd love to welcome you as part of our extended family. Your donation has a direct impact on the athletes. If you or your company would like to sponsor our group, just let me know.

Entry #45 Week of July 21, 2008 by Paige Higgins Things are pretty great here in Flag right now. If you can't be inspired by what is going on, you're not going to find it anywhere else. We just found out the other day that Lemon made the UK Olympic Team in the steeple. He will be joining Martin, who just left last week to go on and claim a National Championship before the Olympic Marathon. I'm really looking forward to watching them race and compete at the Olympics, they're great guys and I'm so proud of them!

Greg posted in his last blog "there is something in the air;" he couldn't be more spot on. I really came to realize that during last week's long run at A-1. Greg and Tracy were at every few miles with our bottles waiting, which on a long run is more cherished than gold. The girls started out a little before the boys so we wouldn't be so stretched out this time. We did an out and back, then another few miles to add on as needed. Bri, Becky and I were going at a really strong pace and feeding well off each other. It's a great dynamic, because in the course of 22 miles, you are going to feel good and bad at different points. If we ever get separated, it's not competitive, it's a positive push. More of a "do you wanna come?" or a "good job, keep on rolling!" Anyway, Becky showed us how tough she is by running with Bri and I her entire run, even though she's only been here a week. As the boys passed us, they gave us a "good job" and we returned the encouragement. It felt effortless, and at mile 22 I was still pumped and wanted to go more. The support makes all the difference in the world. Such an amazing team, everyone is here to help each other. I am thoroughly looking forward to getting my butt kicked this week on the Chevron Hills by Bri, she's awesome at them and pushes me more than I could ever do alone.

I would also like to make a shout out to two unofficial members of our team, Angus (Greg and Tracy's son) and Courtney (Ian's fiance). Courtney has come out to all the long runs, helping us with water, encouraging us as she drives or bikes by. Even if you're feeling like crap, you just can't help but smile when you see this happy little blonde girl smiling at you as you pass by. Thanks Courtney ;)

Angus, though only five months old, is showing every single one of us up when it comes to core/circuit training. He can hold a V-up longer than anyone on the team, and he can't even crawl yet! He's always in tow at the long runs with Tracy and Greg, and as far as I know he hasn't complained once (although Tracy and Greg might argue that, I'm not there at 3am!). So thanks Angus!

O.k. this is getting too long so I'm outta here. Like Greg said, something is happening up here, something big, and as far as I'm concerned, we're going to come in like a hurricane for the Olympics and then in October…Twin Cities and Chicago better get ready!!!

Entry #44 Week of July 14, 2008 by Becky Guyette 7am last week I was loading up my car for my move out of the Treasure Valley (Boise) in hopes of finding legitimate riches in Flagstaff. My mom took my picture as I jammed my body in the only remaining crevasse of my car, and bid me good luck. As I drove away it occurred to me how close to dying my dreams had become. I started to realize the stages I had gone through. First there was denial of the fact that I was giving up running for a career. Next came anger: I had gotten to the point that I was so angry I was not running that I could no longer even look at running information or talk about running without getting upset. Then I started to bargain with myself and tell myself that soon I would have time enough away from work to get back into training and competitions. I knew the depression had sunk in when I sat on my couch one morning at 9am eating clam chowder with crushed pretzels sprinkled on top, drinking a cold Corona. I was overweight and without a care for my body, almost in acceptance. It was the final stage of dying, acceptance that was inundated with a feeling of regret that tormented me.

In my office at work I had written on a green sticky note a quote that a friend had told me that really struck me: "The only regrets you have in life are the risks you do not take." I regretted not continuing to run. I knew in my heart there was more.

So I risked it.

I went into work (before I knew where I was going) on the day my boss was giving me a raise and put in a months notice. I subleased my apartment, moved in with a friend, and drove down to Stanford to watch the women's 10k American record be set. From there it was a month of exploration and travel to different training groups and locations to finally find home.

7am this morning, recovering from my near death experience, I went for a run in the beautiful mountain trails in Flagstaff, with a feeling of thankfulness, joy, and assuredness. My dream's more alive than ever.

Coach's Blog Week of July 21, 2008 by Greg McMillan

It's July 19th at 10PM and I should be asleep but I'm not. I'm still reeling from today. Saturdays are our long run days and today was a particularly fine one. We ran our old standby A-1 Mountain Road and several of the new athletes had very good runs. They are starting to get acclimated to the altitude and are all excited for the upcoming year with the expanded group we have. The marathon group also ran particularly well and are building steadily toward the fall. But before we even got to the start of the long run, I received the call I had hoped for. It was Lemon on the other end of the line. He was calling from France where he just raced a PR the night prior to let me know he had been selected for the UK Olympic Team. What a thrill! We are so proud of Lemon. He deserves it. Good luck in Beijing! Speaking of a Beijing-bound athlete, I also received a text from our other Olympian, Martin Fagan, who had flown to Dublin to run the Irish National Championships. Though in the middle of marathon training, he won handily in less than ideal conditions, even letting someone else lead (which hardly ever happens with Martin). The goal was to win as easily as possible as to limit the disruption in his Olympic preparation and that mission was accomplished. He'll do one more training run/race before Beijing and I look forward to heading to Japan in a couple of weeks to help him with his final marathon prep for the Games. We are also excited to have our latest athlete arrive in town. Giliat Ghebray arrived last night and it's great to see him again. We've been excited for his arrival since his recruiting visit three weeks ago. Giliat is a great person and also fast runner (13:42 for 5,000m) and he's a great addition to our track-focused group. Welcome Giliat. He's pumped and we're pumped and now I must hit the hay. Angus likes to wake between 3 and 4AM so I better get some precious sleep before then. There's a buzz growing in our group. Something is in the air. Stay tuned as we work toward continued success in year 2. G-Mc PS: If you have a kilt, wear it tomorrow to celebrate Lemon's success. The Celtic Festival is going on in Flagstaff right now so I may just go and get one myself!

Entry #43 Week of July 7, 2008 by Brett Gotcher 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!

Brett

Coach's Blog Week of July 14, 2008 by Greg McMillan

A driving force behind the resurgence of US distance running is the New York Road Runners Club. Period. While they don't publicize it often, they give several grants each year to US post-collegiate groups. Their support plays a key role in helping our runners advance to the top of the podium. We are one group that they have helped this year and without it, we could not provide the key injury prevention plan for our athletes. Extremely grateful is not a strong enough statement to express how they are directly helping our athletes. And, you can be part of it too (and get to run the 2008 ING New York City Marathon and enjoy some VIP perks as well). Here are the details from NYRRC: The New York Road Runners Champion’s Circle is an initiative by NYRR to support U.S. post-collegiate and Olympic Development training groups around the country. Your $2500 donation is directed to fund long-term development of professional USA distance runners to prepare them to compete successfully in domestic and international competition. This donation entitles you to guaranteed entry into the ING New York City Marathon 2008. For more information, please visit http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/about/champs.php If you love the sport and are looking for a way to make a direct and profound impact on our emerging elite athletes, please take part in this program. And, please pass the word along to your running friends. The more money raised, the more help for the athletes. And that, my friends, is what it's all about. Greg

Entry #42 Week of June 30, 2008 by Andrew Middleton My life has finally settled down. Getting married, a honeymoon and moving into a new house in three weeks really put my training and dedication to the test. Now, with no more boxes to unpack or wedding plans to make, I can once again start training with a purpose. Greg and I decided it was time to avenge my disappointing race at Chicago last year where I dropped out after 21 miles when the temperature reached a record 88 degrees at 9 am. The goal now is the Twin Cities Marathon, which is also this year’s U.S. Championships. Training has been great so far. I am pumping out the miles while staying cool in the wonderful Flagstaff summer. More importantly, I’ve been healthy and happy which no doubt lead to better training and better racing. This is going to be a great Marathon training phase.

With all the miles ahead of me, I am truly thankful for the awesome training partner I have in Trent Briney. He is my Mr. Miyagi, old and wise, but deceivingly strong and fast. We have been training together daily this spring and I have learned a lot from him already. At times, Trent can get really distracted and speak of crazy adventures he would like to try, but I have been able to pull him back to reality so far. On the other hand, I can get too serious too often and Trent will put a smile on my face and keep my mind occupied for a few more miles. We might be an odd couple of sorts, but when it comes down to getting in a 15 miler on Monday morning, I have no doubt he will be by my side the whole way.

This past weekend, Brett Gotcher culminated his first year at McMillanElite with a strong race at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. It has been awesome to train with and watch Brett run this year. He has responded tremendously to Greg’s training and this next year will really be his time to shine.

Andrew Lemoncello

Andrew Lemoncello has also been competing well as of late. In dominant fashion, Lemon has swept his past two races in Europe and even finished third at the European Cup in France. His times are right on schedule and he is poised to a take a top showing at his Olympic Trials for the Steeplechase coming up on July 13th. To top it all off, Lemon is currently gracing the track and field world with his image on the front of Athletics Weekly.

Every four years I eagerly wait for track and field to be in the spotlight. Even as a kid, I understood the significance of the Olympic Games. When my cousin accidently unplugged the TV during Michael Johnson’s record breaking performance in the 200m back in 1996 I nearly broke down. Thankfully, they replayed the blazing 19.32-second race several times thereafter and I was able to experience the amazing performance. In my mind, there is no single spectacle of the human experience more poignant and concentrated than the Olympics. Four years is really not that long to wait, especially for something so meaningful. So be sure to make time in your schedule next month for what will be more dramatic than any Law & Order episode, more magical than any U2 concert, more suspenseful than a buzzer beater at the Final Four and more meaningful than any Superbowl, World Cup or Wimbledon Championship combined.

Beijing

08.08.08

middle

Entry #41 Week of June 23, 2008 by Brianna Torres Everybody is set and getting ready for something big. Recent Stanford grad and incoming McMillan Elite athlete, Lindsay Allen, has her steeple prelims Monday. Brett has the Olympic Trials 10k at the end of this week. Martin is getting ready to do some races in prep for his Olympic marathon in Beijing. Lemon is gearing up for his UK Trials and racing well in the process. While, Paige, Middle, Trent and I are all getting ready for our fall marathons (and running up Mt. Elden, but more about that in a bit). Yes very exciting things coming up for our ever-evolving group. The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. We now have three new team members: Giliat Ghebray from Cal, Ian Burrell from Georgia, and Matt Clark from Clemson. And soon, in addition to Paige, I'll have another McMillan Elite female to train with: Becky Guyette. Paige and I are anxiously awaiting her arrival.

Angus in his Texas attire

Middle is back from his honeymoon. And we're all happy he and Casey are here full-time. Greg and Tracy hosted a Texas-themed Flagstaff wedding party for them with all the fixin's (as I imagine they say in Texas, yeah? no?): bar-b-que, baked beans, desserts, etc. Anyway, you get the picture. It was a good time and I left stuffed.

Now I have a regular training partner in Paige Higgins and that's pretty nice. We seem to compliment each other well. Since she's trained alone for so long, she's had to be very focused. So she brings that to practice. It's nice to have a sense of purpose injected into my runs while still being able to talk and enjoy the training. Paige helps to keep me mindful of the pace since I can very easily get lost in the beautiful scenery of Flagstaff. And I think I help keep her a little calmer and relaxed as well. A good balance. We both have our sights set on the Chicago Marathon so it's nice to be training with someone who knows exactly what you're going through day in and day out.

Mount Elden Peak - 9,300 ft.

Paige, Middle, Trent and I are the fall marathon crew and we had one of our marathon-specific training runs up Mt. Elden. I've heard about epic runs and people forging the 10k course from top to bottom, to reach the peak at 9300 ft. No problem. Yeah right. I could barely sleep the night before. The run was very hard, but not necessarily because we were pressing, but because we climbed 2600 ft. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I reached the top and the view was amazing.

So things are in full-swing here in Flagstaff. Thursday bagel runs have resumed. Our running population keeps fluctuating as runners leave in prep for the Trials and Olympics and others arrive to move here or do summer training stints. The nice thing is that the tone is set for a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and that seems to keep everyone happy and training well. Well I'm off to dinner. Paige is making some potpies that I am very much looking forward to and then tomorrow it's back to the grindstone. I can't wait.

Coach's Blog Week of July 1, 2008 by Greg McMillan

Things just keep getting better and better. I am very excited to announce some new members of our group: 1) Giliat Ghebray is a huge talent from the University of California. He's run 4:02 for the mile, 7:56 for 3,000m and 13:42 for 5,000m. He'll be arriving in Flagstaff in mid-July. 2) Ian Burrell is a 3-time All-American, 2-time SEC Champion and 13:45 5K runner while at the University of Georgia. As a native of Colorado Springs, Ian is excited to resume training at altitude. Ian and his fiance, Courtney, arrived in Flagstaff tonight (6/30/08) and will be getting married in August. 3) Matt Clark is an All-American at 10,000m, ACC 10,000m Champion and 10,000m record-holder while at Clemson. Matt has run 13:57 for 5,000m and 28:49 for 10,000m and is eager to continue his rise in the sport with us here in Flagstaff. On the women's side, we welcome: 1) Paige Higgins: US 25K National Champion (already in Flagstaff and training hard), 2) Becky Guyette: 3-time Big West Champion (arriving in a week or two), and 3) Lindsay Allen: Stanford Steeple record holder (4th at NCAAs and arriving in early August). Stay tuned for more athlete announcements as McMillanElite heads into Year 2 with a full head of steam!

Entry #40 Week of June 9, 2008 by Paige Higgins Hi! This is Paige Higgins. I joined the McMillan gang about 9 days ago, and so far I can't believe I'm here. It's a surreal feeling to have one of your dreams come true. I no longer have to wake up at 4am to get workouts done before work, or worry about lack of sleep, which is the biggest thing I was missing in Denver. So far everyone here has been so supportive, so positive, and Flagstaff is just a beautiful city. Since last week was an "adjustment week" for me, i.e. lower miles, I had some extra energy to take my bike out and ride around town. It's just such a welcoming place, and I couldn't be happier or more sure that this is the place to be to make it to the next level in my training.

ADJUSTMENTS
So far the biggest shock to my system is the altitude and the sun. Today we started my first phase getting prepared and ready for Chicago. We started practice at 8:30, which is late for me. I usually get up no later than 6am to start a run because I'm not the greatest in the heat (I guess for our long run saturday I was covered in white salty sweat when I got in...I didn't get to see cause by the time I got home it was all about shower and eating!!). Bri and I went out for an 80-90 min run, and by the end I was dizzy and thought I might black out. It was so weird, because my legs felt fine, but the sun up here is sooooo strong it gets to you. I got a little burned on Saturday's long run as well, so I was a little smarter today and hit up the 45 SPF!!! I think I've got about a gallon of water/powerade in me now and feel much better. I gotta recover here soon so I can go out and get in another 30 mins this afternoon, then come home to make dinner for the team. Sara Mitchell (who is staying with us for month during a break in her PhD studies) and I are trying to impress. We're making Chicken Curry Crepes. We want to start off with a good impression, but it got a little expensive so next time it's going to be spaghetti!! ha
Anyway, today was a little hard, but I have really good days as well. Yesterday I ran my favorite run thus far, it's on Schultz Pass road. It's a dirt road that goes up until you want to go down or until your legs decide they're not going up anymore!! The key of 7000 ft I've discovered (the HARD WAY!!) is to start off slow and build into it. If you start out at regular pace, you feel like crap after about 10 minutes and spend the rest of the run trying to recover. I've been stupid a few times to say the least but when I'm smart and I head up Schultz, I feel like a rockstar. Then, when I turn around I try to open up my gate and pick it up a bit. I want to shout out to Bri right now because Greg said the otherday I was "half stepping" her. I want to apologize and thank Bri for being so patient with me, I'm not used to running with people. I'll get better at it, I promise!!

SETTLING INTO LIFE AS A PROFESSIONAL RUNNER
Outside of running, I'm really enjoying just getting to know the town, getting to know my team, and reading a book or napping with my cat Boston sleeping on my stomach. Right now I'm reading "Lone Survivor", a book about Navy SEALS. My brother just left for Germany for the Army, and I love the comraderie the soldiers speak of. There are things in there that inspire me when I run. It's about strength, toughness, and a deep desire within to be something bigger than yourself. It's also about never leaving someone behind, to grow and work together, push each other and help one another in all situations, no matter what. Anyway, we've got an amazing view outside our front window and there's just an amazing sense of peace and relaxation. I miss my friends and family in Denver, but I couldn't be more happy or more grateful to be in the situation I'm in. It's hard, it hurts, and I've got a lot to learn, and that's exactly the way I wanted it to be!!! I'm so pumped and excited to see what my team and myself as a runner will do this upcoming year. But I promise we've got something special going on up here. You can feel it!!!

TTFN-

Paige

Coach's Blog Week of June 2, 2008 by Greg McMillan

Things are hopping. We've added two more female athletes to our roster - welcome Paige and Becky! (We'll have photos and bios up for them as soon as Middle returns from his honeymoon.) Lemon is doing well and looking forward to more European races. Martin is in full swing getting ready for the Olympics and Trent is finding his stride as we head into summer. Bri is back to full training after her break post-Trials and Michelle will now take her break and then return to join the women for our summer/fall campaign. Brett, Jordan and Hanlon headed to the Jim Bush Meet in LA and came away with 2 PRs. We knew it would be a time trial and it was. I'm proud of them for working together, taking turns leading, and for Brett and Jordan to come away with PRs.

Entry #39 Week of May 26, 2008 by Michelle Gallagher Halfway through April and all of May were filled with great workouts, and positive feedback. I was back on the track doing key workouts as well as and long runs at A-1 and 222 to prepare for the Ottawa Marathon. I think Trent may have found his new favorite place to run as the views are spectacular and the entire time he keeps saying how great the trail is or "this is so cool." After being injured and sick I lost a lot of proper training, but did the best I could with the time that I had. Greg and I practiced a lot at marathon pace. On Wednesday, I had my last workout before the race on Sunday and it went very well. I felt that I was getting the pace down and starting to believe that I can really have a shot at running 2:37. Thank you Trina for doing the workout with me. It was great to run with you. I also wanted to thank Tracy for helping me out on those long runs. Making sure I got enough water and Gu.

This past weekend was an experience that will never be forgotten. On Thursday, May 22nd, Greg and I began our adventure to Ottawa. The first flight was very bumpy and the second flight Greg felt that he was in the private jet that we plan on purchasing. So if anyone has any connections or wants to make a donation that would be fully appreciated! We are thinking approximately an 18 seater, leather interior, and flight attendants catering to our needs. We can dream right?

After settling into the hotel, Greg and I went for a run along the river, admiring the architecture along the way. There was one museum that caught our eye. The top of the museum looked like either lava bubbles or mushrooms, we couldn't decide.To finish the rest of a great run, we had a police escort clearing the way for us. It was pretty funny. We did all of our runs along this river, each day seeing something different.

Sunday morning at 5 am I began to get ready for the race. Stretching to the American Top 32 on the radio, which was pretty awesome, especially that we were in Canada and that there was actual music on that early. Everything felt right leading up to the starting line. The gun went off and I knew I was really going to have focus on the pace. Right before 3k, I got pooped on by a seagull. It was probably the most disgusting thing that has happened to me, it went on my tanktop and in my hair. Now that I look back and think about it, it's actually pretty funny.

The entire race I never felt that the pace was easy, we were up and down with our splits, but the course was hillier than people cared to mention. At the halfway mark the pacemakers stopped and I knew that I needed to stay positive or else it would all fall apart. In the end, my legs just didn't have that spark in them and I felt for most of the race that I was dragging them. I finished, not the outcome that I wanted, but I guess my body wasn't ready yet for that pace and especially with only 6 weeks of training under my belt. But, I'm proud because I did the best I could. We went for it but I just didn't have enough time to prepare.

I really want to thank Greg for everything that he did for me. Riding the bike on those long runs, pacing me on workout days, putting up with all of my trash talk before workouts, even though he kicked my butt that day at Buffalo Park, it makes the runs more interesting right? Also wanted to say congratulations to Andrew Lemoncello for a great race and to Andrew Middleton who is getting married this weekend!!!

Coach's Blog Week of May 12, 2008 by Greg McMillan

Lemoncello in Hengelo Big congratulations to Lemon on his opening steeplechase of 2008 at Hengelo, Netherlands. His previous best opening steeple was 8:34 and we thought something in the low 8:30s would be a great start to his track season. But, his workouts are really going well as we now enter the track training and we are very happy with the 8:28 opening race (just 5 seconds off his PR). This bodes very well for the rest of the season which we hope will culminate at the Olympic Games in August.

Entry #38 Week of May 19, 2008 by Michael Hanlon Welcome back to another thrilling edition of the McMillanElite weekly blog! For starters this week there are some congratulations in order. Much like the Detroit Pistons and Red Wings, there are a few athletes on our team that are just on fire right now. Brett Gotcher, first of all, decided one huge 10k PR in a season wasn't enough, so he lowered his time again down under the 28:30 barrier at Stanford two weekends ago. The following weekend our newest team member, Page Higgins, became a national champion by winning the US 25k Champs in beautiful Grand Rapids, Michigan (or "Grrarrapids" in the proper Michigan accent.) Then just this morning (Saturday), Andrew Lemoncello went out and snagged himself a Top 10 finish in an absolutely loaded field at the Healthy Kidney 10k.

It is really such an exciting time for our group right now with everybody feeding off each other, just writing it all down reminds me of how lucky I am to be able to train with these guys and ladies day in and day out. Keep watching for more big results in the coming weeks! I also have to give a huge shout-out to the ladies of Flagstaff high school for bringing home an Arizona State title in the 4 X 400 relay last weekend to close out an absolutely amazing weekend where they did great in just about every event....well except maybe for laser tag, but that's another story.

It is also an exciting time to be in Flagstaff in general as summer is getting into full swing. The weather has been really nice on a daily basis, which is such a relief after we endured a pretty harsh winter. I am especially pumped for this summer because I have never had a full Flag summer, although I got a little taste of it when I first came last year. I'm told by everyone that has lived in Flagstaff for a while that it is really the best time of the year here and how there is just so much to do. I'm really looking forward to getting out there and exploring the area. I'm also getting tired of beating up on Trent in Wii golf and would rather demolish him in the real thing. Unfortunately I'm writing this entry from back in Michigan where I'm home on a quick family visit, so while the Deuce is quite nice right now as well I can't wait to get back to Flag and get the summer going.

Well anyway I'll keep it short this week, it is track season so there's no time to waste reading an overly long blog entry. I'll wrap it up with a few good luck wishes for the upcoming weeks, first of all to Lemon as he heads off the dominate the European steeple scene and also to my boys Frank and LT at NCAA Regionals (and then of course at Nationals.) Good luck guys, and good luck to all of our readers out there….keep training hard, having fun and keep on reading for more big things from McMillanElite in the future!

Entry #37 Week of May 12, 2008 by Brett Gotcher RECOVERY I had a bit of a slow week over here at the Cooper house. Lemon, Greg and I returned from Palo Alto on Monday evening and I think everyone was a little tired from the late races and early mornings. This week was going to be all about recovery for me. I typically don’t feel that great the week after a 10k on the track and this week was no exception. My legs were feeling pretty junky, but the worst thing of all was that I was having trouble sleeping. Now don’t get me wrong, I love racing at Stanford, but I think racing about an hour after my normal bedtime may have messed me up a little bit. Luckily, Greg went easy on me with the workouts and the runs, so I was able to make it through the week with just a little lingering tightness and a few nights of less than stellar sleep

THE SEASON
So far, this season has been a blast. I’ve got to go back to my old stomping grounds twice and ran personal bests both times, and I even got to run a fun little 1500 down in San Diego. I told myself coming into the season that I just wanted to keep progressing, even if it meant just a little at a time. It’s really hard to be patient when some of your peers are running huge PR's and are getting Olympic A standards, but I can see Greg’s vision and I understand that my best years may be down the road a bit. My other goal coming into this season was to make the Olympic Trials. I think, with my time, it may be a long shot, but I’m not going to lose hope just yet. Now we just have to play the waiting game…

FUN STUFF
Even though I was feeling a little off this week, my friends and teammates were able to bring some fun into my life. On Tuesday night we hosted a BBQ at our house to bring everyone together one more time before people started to head out all over the world. Middle cued up some great burgers and the horseshoe pits got a lot of action. We said goodbye to Jordan on Thursday as he headed home for a race or two, and then Hanlon headed out on Friday for a little stint back in the Ace Deuce. Lemon and I will be traveling to New York soon for the Healthy Kidney 10k and then he leaves for London right after that where he will continue his run at the UK Olympic team. Probably the biggest departure of all will be Middle’s in another week or two, where he will head home to marry his lovely fiancée. After the wedding and a nice little honeymoon at some exotic destination, Middle will return, but will no longer be in the Cooper house. It’s going to be a sad day when he moves the last of his stuff out of his room. Even though he’s only moving about 5 houses down from us, we’re still going to miss him dearly. We love you Middle!!

THANK YOU
I also want to take this time to give a big thank you to all the people that are sponsoring our group. It’s really cool to know that people believe in us and want us to succeed and that they will lend us all the support we need to get to the top. With adidas providing us with everything from gear to housing, the New York Road Runners giving us funding for massage therapy, and local people like Phil Wharton and Austin Baillie of Wharton Performance and the Center for High Altitude Training, we are living a distance runner’s dream!! And of course, we can’t forget the man with the plan, Greg McMillan, who coaches us for free and puts up with our antics on a daily basis. Thank you everyone!!

That’s all for this week. Hopefully we’ll have some exciting results to update you with in the coming weeks!

Coach's Blog Week of May 12, 2008 by Greg McMillan

Fasil, James and Andrew – Models for Emerging Elite Runners I like Fasil Bizuneh (who lives here in Flagstaff). I like James Carney (who trains in Boulder). And, I like Andrew Carlson (who trains in Minneapolis). Not only are they nice guys, they are also great models for emerging elite athletes like the ones in our group. First, none of these guys were superstars in college. They were good but none stood out. Their 10,000m times were 28:46, 28:48 and 28:56 for Fasil, James and Andrew, respectively. Good times for sure but, each knew he could be great, not just good. He just needed to do the work and post-collegiate programs were the ticket. In 2003 after finishing their collegiate eligibility, Fasil and James joined the Big Sur Distance Project (a post-collegiate program coached by legendary coach Bob Sevene), each spending three years doing the work. Andrew joined the Team USA Minnesota post-collegiate group after graduating in 2005 and has been doing the work there ever since. Today, some 3-5 years later, they are great. They are always contenders in every race they run. Fasil, now 28 years old, is consistently in the top 5 at National Championships and lowered his 10,000m PR to 27:50 this year. James, now 30, is our 2008 National Half-Marathon Champion and ran 27:43 for 10,000m last year. And Andrew, now 25, is our 2008 15K National Champion and has run 13:32 for 5,000m. Was it a straight line up to the top? No way. There were lots of good races and lots of bad races. Each runner, however, shows the path for emerging elite athletes. This path involves a few years of doing the work and building toward the future with the inevitable good seasons and bad seasons that characterize athletes trying to be the best. It’s just the way it is for emerging elite runners; expecting otherwise is ignorant. Sure, if you’re a superstar in college, you can make a fairly quick transition to racing to win national championships and other high profile events the first year out of college. You’re likely to also have a six-figure endorsement deal so finances aren’t a concern. Not so for the emerging elite runner. Life often involves a part-time job and time spent doing the work as the skills are developed to compete on the national level. As James says in the July/August issue of Running Times magazine, “I like to think I give hope to guys who come out of college and don’t have super-fast PRs. You’ve got to have perseverance, and if you stick to it long enough, you can have success.” You do give hope, James. You and Fasil and Andrew point the way for our runners. It will take some time, and part of this time will be tough. However, if young runners stay in the sport, if young runners put in the 2-3 years of training after college and if they continue to believe in themselves even when they aren’t yet the best, the results will come and we will have yet another crop of former emerging elite athletes like our role models who are now at the top of the heap.

Entry #36 Week of May 5, 2008 by Andrew Middleton May has arrived, spring is in the air, the trails are open and the weather is fair. After a frigid winter with abundant snow, Flagstaff is beginning to look as it did when I settled here last July. The past few weeks I have been exploring the trails north of our house in the San Francisco National Forest. I've found myself taking unmarked trails, exploring new territory, all the while steadily climbing to higher altitudes that strengthen my lungs and punish my legs. At times I may feel slightly unaware of my location, but as it is said in The Lord of the Rings "not all who wander are lost." I feel I have invigorated my running by seeing new sights and testing my abilities.

Pitchin' Shoes
The Cooper House has a penchant for fun around the house to fill the void between runs and workouts. Last fall it was ping-pong and Guitar Hero. Not long after, the Wii kept us occupied.

Around February it was a ten-foot sledding hill in the front yard. This time around, Jordan Horn, assisted by three cups of delicious Café Espress coffee, got the ball rolling on the next backyard project. Jittery Jordan came through with a horseshoe pit of professional standards. Similar to the Top Gun beach volleyball scene, we have begun to form 2v2 games, which provide more excitement to the game. It's nice to hang out in the backyard pitchin' shoes with my teammates, especially since the weather has been great.

New Benefits
We are very fortunate at McMillanElite to have the sponsors and coaches who provide us with all the tools necessary to perform well. This past week our new benefits package was announced. It has been amazing to be a part of this developing group and it just keeps getting better. Coming out of college it is hard to imagine there would be a group that would meet all the needs of a post-collegiate distance runner. Greg and Tracy have poured their lives into this team; in less than a year an amazing training group was formed and all the resources have been provided. Our sponsors have also been amazing to trust us in our vision and help us toward our goals. adidas, McMillan Running Company, New York Road Runners, the High Altitude Training Center at NAU and Wharton Performance have seen the amazing potential we have here in Flagstaff and have given tremendously in helping us pursue our goals. You can read more about the benefits here.

Love and Marriage
In less than four weeks I will be beginning a new chapter in my life. For the past five months I have been looking forward to one day. Usually that day would be a race day. However, this time around it's an occasion more important than any race I could ever run. I'll be marrying my lovely fiancée, Casey. I must thank her now for the sacrifice she has made the past ten months. Had she known we would be apart this long, she may not have let me go. But thankfully she has been, and will continue to be, my most important fan and supporter.

A Parting Word
If there were one thing I took away from my Head Coach at the Univ. of Texas, it would be this simple quote:

"Don't forget who you are, where you come from, or who you represent."

Take it as you will, but I find one can get out of it exactly what they need in just about any given situation.

Thanks for reading, now it's time to train. Be sure to check out the new videos!

Entry #35 Week of April 28, 2008 by Brianna Torres Since April 20th at approximately 10:44 am EST I am a feather adrift in the wind. My life was completely planned up to the Womens Olympic Marathon Trials. Every run, workout, race, meal. All a structured path that led to the biggest race of my life, thus far. Sitting in the technical meeting in the ballroom of the Sheraton, I got a little choked up. Maybe because it was the first moment I had to stop and take in where I was: among all these female athletes each with a different path to the Trials. All working so hard to get there. It doesn't matter how talented you are, a marathon is hard work. Maybe it was all the work and sacrifice I put in and it was finally here. It was definitely a goal realized to qualify for the Trials and I think that was the first moment I had to sit and take it all in. Riding the escalator out of the subway into the Boston streets I could feel this giddiness rising inside me and the energy of the city, of the Trials and of the Boston Marathon. All I could think was "I'm here. I'm here!"

One of the things that was so cool was having the women I train with in Flagstaff there. Michelle, Alvina Begay and I (the locals) had all really bonded with our new visiting training partners, Desiree Ficker, Molly Taber, Chris Lundy and Jen DeRego. Even though we all have different sponsors I felt like we were a little unit of our own, doing long runs together and hanging out. I made shirts for the aforementioned women training in Flagstaff with a big F on the front for Flagstaff in the Boston Red Sox font to give a nod to the city. We started calling ourselves Team F and we felt like a team.

The morning of the trials Michelle, Greg and I walked to the designated waiting room before they bring us out to the start on Boylston. We got in, sat down and waited for the rest of our posse. As everyone showed up, I felt more and more at ease. On the warm-up, it was so nice to have everyone together. Molly was making us laugh and we were all in good spirits. It was such a difference from my first marathon in Chicago where I was flying solo the entire time. This made me realize that this experience is so much better when shared. Sure there is the element of personal fulfillment, but when you have your friends there, it makes it so much more enjoyable. Even on the course, we had a good-sized Flagstaff contingent there. It just felt like all our people were there for us. On the bridge my friends Weldon, Robert and Bruce chanted "Bri! Bri! Bri!" really just making me laugh as I headed back towards Boylston Street. Turning that corner, down the historic finish of the Boston Marathon it was amazing to just see the streets packed with people screaming and cheering. I have never been in a race with more crowd support.

The city of Boston is incredible when it comes to supporting running. Continuing on down Boylston, the athletes run under a huge American flag big enough to cover my house. For that whole middle lap of the course, after halfway, I was literally smiling and laughing. It was such a cool experience. I was so happy that I had gotten to the half-way point and felt good, since I struggled a bit in the first half. I told myself to just get to half-way and believe I'll feel better and I did. I had prepared myself to expect to feel good and bad and know that that's part of it. I also kept repeating a line from one of my favorite movies growing up, The Neverending Story: "I will not die easily. I am a warrior". During the hard parts I wasn't so smiley, but I did keep pressing and keep trying. It wasn't as fast as I wanted to run, but I did PR so I'm happy with that. This was only my second marathon and I really feel like I've learned so much from it and can run faster.

Everyone has to sacrifice some thing to train for a marathon. Also it seems those closest to people training for a marathon end up sacrificing as well. In my case, no one sacrificed more than my best friend and husband Carlos. As an athlete himself, he understands what is necessary to succeed and supports me in so many ways. After the race, sitting in the tent, tired and in pain I thought "I just want Carlos." It seems like we had both been working towards this moment for a long time and I'm so glad he was there to share it with me. Of course no one does this alone. So many people contributed to me being at the Trials. I am very grateful to my friends and family and my Flagstaff family that lent so much support. I feel very lucky to have these people in my life.

So for now I'm on downtime. My legs feel pretty good. I know this is due to the help of my friends Phil Wharton and Dr. John Ball. Immediately after the race I asked Carlos to take me to Phil's room where he and his dad Jim and his friend Jimmy had it all set-up for us Flagstaff ladies to start our recovery. He gave me a light stretch and some massage, fed me some miso soup and stuck me in the ice bath. I took two days off and felt so much better. I went to see my friend John Ball about some residual soreness and he fixed me all up with his usual combo of ART and Graston and I feel good to go. I'm starting to think about whats next for me. Doing things like taking road trips with friends, eating cheeseburgers and milkshakes (since I usually don't mix calcium and iron to keep my iron levels up), chips and nachos. Crazy, I know, but as Sloane says from Ferris Bueller's Day Off "Sooner or later, everyone goes to the zoo." So I'm a feather adrift in the wind and that's fine with me for the moment.

Coach's Blog Week of April 28, 2008 by Greg McMillan

PR's Just a quick note to say congrats to the athletes setting new PRs. Brianna set new PRs at 10K and half-marathon in her preparation for the Olympic Marathon Trials where she set a new PR in the marathon. Jordan ran a PR in the 1500m, Lemon ran a PR in the half-marathon and Brett ran a PR in the 10,000m. Things haven’t all been rosy, of course. We’ve certainly had our failures but hope to make the necessary changes in training and racing over the next few months so that every athlete sets a new PR and takes a small step forward as we head into year 2 of the program.

Entry #34 Week of April 21, 2008 by Michelle Gallagher The last time it was my turn to write the blog I was dying of the flu and battling an injury, but now I am healthy and back to training like a true runner. After the snow melted, the trails opened up and I got to experience firsthand the beauty of Flagstaff. At work, they all think I am crazy because I run so much and that my next goal is to go to the Olympics. Sometimes I sit back and wonder what if this dream actually does come true? There are days when I don't want to get out of bed or feel tired on a run, but then I think about my dream and it's what keeps me motivated to become a better runner.

Right now as I write this blog, I am sitting in my hotel room looking out at the spectacular view from the 34th floor in Boston. I just got a massage, my legs feel good, but I just can't believe that the Olympic Trials are over. Days of preparation, aches and pains, excitement, anxiety, and nervousness, all done. I remember going down to Sedona for a long run and helping Greg with the water and Gu as he only has two hands. We would encourage Brianna, Alvina, Molly, and Desiree with Greg's many different accents, usually a German man repeating "strong in your mind, strong in your body." It always got a smile out of the girls. We also blasted music from Greg's ipod, every song that he played I had never heard of (Chubby, you're old). One by one, the girls headed off to Boston to prepare for their race. These past couple of days athletes and friends have all been sporting new Adidas gear or the new look: a red Adidas bag slung over one's shoulder. On Saturday, I got to meet Eron, who had new Adidas gear waiting for us. Thank you again Eron for all of your hard work.

Well, today's race went well for Brianna as she had a minute PR! I was not the best pacer for Brianna because at mile 3 we were a little off so I wanted us to get back onto track, but got carried away with the field and found myself surrounded by athletes such as: Deena Kastor, Blake Russell, Mary Akor, and Elva Dryer. After I dropped out as planned, Brianna focused on what she had to do and succeeded!!!! Surprisingly after the race many of the women were walking faster than snail pace and without limping. As much as I would have loved to finish the race it was such a great experience to be surrounded by America's finest athletes!!! I'm happy to be healthy and now ready to get to full training and racing.

Once again, congratulations to Brianna, Alvina, Brooke, and Desiree.

Entry #33 Week of April 14, 2008 by Jordan Horn With much confusion and some forgetfulness on my part there was no blog last week. Sorry about that but thankfully there is going to be one this week! I will start by recapping the week that was lost because there was some great action under the California sun. There might not have been any sun during the race, but during the day the weather was so great I did not want to leave that out. Brett Gotcher in his first race of the year (not counting the 3000m where he stopped and try to walk an elderly lady across the track) lit up his old college track running the 10,000 meters in a time of 28:39. Not too bad for his first time out this year and it was easy to see that faster times are coming for the Goat soon enough!

It doesn’t stop there; Brett then took us to his home, which is in a beautiful location near a beach which was quite nice. Brett’s parents put on a buffet which included very large Watsonville strawberries, which some were covered in chocolate, it was a good time! I want to thank Brett’s family for having all of use over there, so thank you very much Terry, Loree and Lia!

This past week and the few weeks before have been hard ones for me. Thought I am getting the work done for the most part everything has felt flat. If you do not know what that means it’s like there are twenty pound weights on my legs and no bounce in my step. In the past when I have felt flat everything has gone wrong but this time the work is getting done but it is not coming as easy as I would like. I know I am fit, I just need to get free of my mind and just run hard. Like my old sprint coach use to tell me, “track is like a roller coaster; there are ups and down and you just have to enjoy the ride!”

The training was pretty normal with a couple of easy runs except for the workout on Friday. It was the hardest workout I have ever done and it was at 7000ft. We started with a 2 mile tempo and then jumped into 6 x 800 meters at 5k goal pace. It was a very hard workout and I was all over the place with my pacing. The one good thing that I got from the workout was to try push though those hard patches, which I did my best. The Sunday run was great not because of where we ran, but the fact that we got to run with fun people. We even picked up some guy that was camping out on the side of the trail and wanted to run with us. That is what Flagstaff is all about! I want to wish everyone running the U.S.A. women’s Olympic Trail in the Marathon this weekend good luck. Have fun in Boston!

Entry #32 Week of March 31, 2008 by Martin Fagan It has been a very difficult week for me. After finally getting back into shape since my last injury, I now have to take more time off. As all of you know, getting back from time off can be very tough. I came off my first marathon back in January banged up. At first I felt devastated, but I soon came to realize that it was probably for the best and it was my body telling me it needed a rest. After an extended time off, I struggled back running again. I think with the thought of preparing for the Olympics, I became a little too excited and came back too quickly. It’s especially hard to hold back when there is such a great buzz up in Flagstaff at the moment. Everybody is training hard for the track season and in such good shape. I guess I got carried away with myself and got caught up in the buzz.

Taking time off again is not going to be easy. Because I’m now a professional athlete, I depend on running for so many things. Running for me gives me a chance to free my mind and share the love of the roads and trails with my teammates. So I’m obviously going to miss this, which makes it even harder to accept. But I can now learn from my mistake and fortunately I do have time before Beijing. Having a great team around me for support also helps and I feel very fortunate to have such great friends around me.

But on a more positive note, the other lads and girls are very fit and training well. I’m very excited for the lads, as they now get ready for the track season. It’s very upsetting not being able to train and be part of their preparation but I have no doubt they will achieve their goal of getting the A Standard for the Olympic Trials. I’m also very excited for the girls as their Olympic Marathon Trials are soon approaching. So, it’s a very exciting time for the team and I will be in full support even if I can’t train with them. I’m very proud of the improvements they have made over the last year and I really can’t wait to recover from this injury so I can once again train with them.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Desiree Ficker and the Indiana Elite team the best of luck as they leave Flagstaff. It was a pleasure to have trained with them and they will be very much missed.

Entry #31 Week of March 17, 2008 by Trent Briney My first blog from the place people call FLAG. I moved out from Michigan in early February to train with Coach Greg McMillan and be surrounded by the adidas guys of McMillanElite along with the rest of the Flagstaff running community. I am a 29-year-old runner who has been specializing in the marathon since 2003. After having some success and personal records in 2004-5, I had struggled a bit to continue to perform up to my expectations. I was in a slump.

How does one solve a slump?

Last fall after racing the Olympic Marathon Trials in New York city I was considering moving into the business world and beginning my post-running life. I didn’t want to continue to perform at a non-satisfactory level and try to do it with a body that had some lingering hamstring and achilles issues. I was starting to think that a normal life of working, playing golf and hanging out with friends and family was close. Anyway, I visited the Flagstaff community in December and returned back to Detroit still considering hanging up the professional runner shoes.

In January, I was invited to view the movie “The Spirit of the Marathon” with a group of people who I knew from working with some of them the previous year while coordinating youth activities for the Detroit Marathon. So, my girlfriend and I headed to Ann Arbor because the movie was only showing in select theatres. The movie was based on 6 different levels of runners training for the Chicago marathon, from elite to first-timer and from young to old.

It was an exciting watch, in that, I was nearly as elite as the elites in the movie and I had worked with first-timers when I lived in Detroit. I worked in a running store and did some coaching of youth and adult runners/athletes on the side. So I had a lot of contact with all levels of runners. It was fun to work with people who had very different goals from me because they share the same excitement for achievement but just come from a different place.

Anyway, the movie introduced me to some novice runners and mid-range runners and 2 elite runners. Deena Kastor (who I know a bit)- (she is the top American woman marathoner) and a top level Kenyan elite athlete whose name escapes me at the moment. It brought their stories to life. It brought the excitement, triumph and commitment of running a marathon into the big screen movie theatre with great music and videography.

During the movie it showed some of the things elites do at the marathon and the places we go. I remember back to my two times to Chicago and how exciting it is to be in the press room, on the front line and running the downtown streets of a huge city with the adrenaline flowing and the body primed and ready to compete. So in the midst of thinking about hanging up my competitive running shoes this movie brought me back to the talent I have and how much fun it is to use it on some of the biggest stages in running. The Boston’s, Chicago’s and New York’s among other great big city marathons. If you’ve run a marathon or are thinking about running one I would definitely see “The Spirit of the Marathon.” I walked out of the theatre knowing I had to do that again, and decided then to go ahead and move to FLAG.

I believed a change might reinvigorate my running. I trained with a training group in Michigan for six years and prior to that lived in Colorado Springs, altitude-6000 feet, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I believed getting back to the mountains where I loved to run would help. I believed the altitude wouldn’t hurt and that it has its physiological benefits. I believed the core workouts and circuit training with the adidas guys would help. I believed the outdoor and welcoming culture of Flagstaff would help keep me in the right frame of mind. I knew I needed some of these positives to help get me back into the shape I wanted to be in and provide an enjoyable atmosphere while working to achieve that fitness level. I enjoyed Detroit, the culture there, the hard-working people, the community support and being in a different part of the country other than the west but it was definitely time for a change back to the mountains of the American west.

What is it like in Flag?

Getting to work with people like Phil Wharton who specializes in active isolated movement exercises to help stretch out the body and balance the muscles, getting to see runners and train with Team Germany and Canada training at Northern Arizona University’s High Altitude Center, Jack Daniels the famed distance coach working at the high altitude center at NAU’s track, going on a Wednesday morning community bagel run with 57 high-level runners training to be their best, seeing the achievements of the many people like Renee Metvier, Martin Fagan, Fasil Bizunah, Lopez Lomong, Alicia Shay, Peter Gilmore and many other elites training in Flag, the social gatherings like Easter Sundays’ brunch at one of the elite’s house where 50 adult runners had an easter egg hunt in the local park with prizes like massages and meals and candy of course organized by the running Mayor of Flagstaff Mike Smith who knows almost everyone in town runner or not, the visit of teams like Team Indian Elite who has been in town for a month training in the altitude here and will be missed as they left town today, the good job all the elites here do cheering each other on and trying to link up for run.

The trails and views while running around town are perty sweet. I haven’t seen many of the great trails yet as Flag had one of there biggest years of snow in recent memory but the main trails around town have “opened” as the runners say and piece by piece the sunshine is melting the trails farther and farther into the mountains. I took my first mountain journey on Sunday and really enjoyed it running through a creek made by the snowmelt at the higher elevations.

That’s probably a long enough blog. But, I did my first race in months and my first track race in quite a while on Saturday at Arizona State University in Phoenix. I ran a 3k as a test run for some pacing duties coming up at some of the track meets where Mr. Hanlon, Mr. Horn and Mr. Gotcher are going to go for “A” qualifiers for the Olympic Trials over the next month and a half. It was a good outing and I hit my goal of 8:30 by running 8:25. It is a good start after 3 months of very light mileage in November/December/January. It means that I can give it a good go of pacing for these guys as we go through the upcoming track seasons excitement.

With Coach Greg I have been working on just trying to get the body in balance and have positive days. It has been nice. I’m not really trying to be in my best possible race shape by next week, I’m just trying to build or rebuild week by week the fitness and body. Forward progress…

Have a nice Spring everyone! :-)

Entry #30 Week of March 10, 2008 by Andrew Lemoncello Half of my mission is now complete. Step 1 - Qualify for the World XC championships. Step 2 - Run well in the championships and make the Scots proud! It is good to be home and racing on the domestic scene in the UK again. Being in the states for the last 4 years has kept me away from appearing regularly in British results but luckily I have been doing well in enough in the US to not be completely forgotten about at home.

I feel just like Martin did when he was back in Ireland - although im back in my home country and training where I grew up, Flagstaff is still definately my home now. I miss waking up to the sight of the snow capped peaks and breathing the mountain air. And of course I miss the family of friends I have in Flag and their constant support. Being back in Scotland where I only have my old coach to turn to about training really highlights how important everyone in McMillan Elite has become in my new life in Flag. Greg and Tracy have brought such a stability to all of our lives that it is so easy to live and train happily everyday.

The trials race itself was a strange experience for me as it was my first XC race in a year and a half and luckily for me nothing went badly wrong! On the days leading up to the race I was feeling terrible and not too confident about my fitness but luckily I felt a lot better the day before the race and that got me in the right frame of mind for competing for a place on the team. Training has been going well enough since I have been back at sea level but there has been something missing and it wasn't until after my race that I worked it out. During the race I felt as though I had no change of gear and was just plodding along. The moment I finished I knew that it was actually being in that race was what I needed as I just looked at it as more of a training run as I was confident of making the team. I now have the edge and drive that I have been looking for and have been missing I think mainly because of having such an inconsistant winter of training due to illnesses. I am truly looking forward to every single run now until the Olympics. I just needed to flip the switch.

The day after the race I actually took my first day off in a long while as I was exhausted from the race and from sitting in a bus for the next 8 hours to travel back to Scotland from England. This turned out to be the best thing I could have done as I felt really good for my long run the next day (a lot better than I did for the race). From here on out I will be just training hard and preparing to do my best in the World Champs. I am really excited for the event as its the first time Scotland has had the event for 30 years and they are expecting around 20,000 spectators. As the only Scot running the champs there is some pressure but I am looking forward to the challenge. As the commentators from the trials race said as we finished crossed the finish line, "Now these guys have to go from the toughest race in the UK to the toughest race in the world!"

Entry #29 Week of March 3, 2008 by Mike Hanlon Greetings from Flagstaff!!! The snow is finally melting, the trails are beginning to open up, and track season is nearly upon us. There's so much going on out here so let's just right into it! Ups and Downs The life of a professional runner is full of ups and downs, and this is something I've definitely been learning the hard way since moving to Flagstaff this past summer. Unlike the CCHA Champion Michigan hockey team sometimes you just have bad days, and for me the US Cross Country championships was one of those days.

Running poorly at that race was crushing to me because it was a race I had been pointing to since the day I first talked to Greg and I really felt like I was in solid shape going into it. In the aftermath of such a bad race the only thing you can do is to look to your friends help you through it, and in that regard I'm reminded how lucky I am to be a member of McMillan Elite. I'm not sure what I would've done without the amazing support I got from the entire team, from our adidas rep Eron to Greg, Tracy and Trina and of course my incredible teammates. Nobody judged me negatively based on that one race, but rather helped me figure out what went wrong, and before I knew it I was out of the downswing and onto one of what I think is one of the best upswings of my running career.

Track is right around the corner and since San Diego, our training has begun to shift from grinding it out on the road to pounding workouts on the track. Being more of a track guy it is a change I'm really excited about and I think the whole team is feeling good about the change in seasons also. In my opinion the training we've done the last three weeks represents the best running we've done collectively since we started the group last summer. The four of us from the Cooper house have been nailing every workout, Michelle is getting back to running some decent mileage, Lemon is off to defend his homeland at World XC and Brianna and Martin have re-appeared in Flagstaff from extended absences. The tide has definitely turned, and I think we're hitting our stride just in time for track season.

J-ville and NYC

Before getting into track season however there is a little business we have to take care of on the roads. On Saturday Brett, Middleton and Brianna raced the US 15k champs in Jacksonville, and the results showed the great training we've been doing. Brett finished a solid 10th (9th American), showing once again that he is the king of the 9-13 mile range as this is his third top ten in three such races. Middle and Bri also had solid races with 18th and 25th place finishes respectively. Now it is Jordan and my turn to represent McMillanElite at the US 8k championships this coming weekend in the Big Apple.

It is also an exciting time to be in Flagstaff as we have many visitors in town. Two of the best endurance athletes in the country, Peter Gilmore and Desiree Ficker, are living with us and it is amazing to watch them in action. Team Indiana Elite is also spending a month here in Flagstaff and it's been really cool having them out here as well. They're a fun group of guys and girls and it's really interesting learning from a program that's so similar to our own.

Well I guess I better wrap up this blog entry as it's been a pretty massive one by my standards. I hope you all enjoyed it and stay tuned for Martin Fagan next week as he describes how he was smuggled back into the States (I can't reveal any more just in case Homeland Security is reading this, but let's just say a very large suitcase and a lot of flexibility…..) See you all next week!

Coach's Blog Week of March 10, 2008 by Greg McMillan

2 Down 2 to Go Part of the master plan for the young runners in our program (the Cooper House guys) has been to spend the fall and winter working on strength and exposing them to longer distances on the roads. Maybe it was unfair of me to put them in every US road championships, taking on longer distances than each had ever run and going up against seasoned pros but I felt the experiences would help them down the line. As of yesterday, two of them (Brett and Middle) completed the first leg of their journey – the last road race before track season. Brett has been amazing. He has had the most consistent training of everyone and his consistency in performance matches this. He carried the banner for our team with his top-10 finishes in each road race he did. I’m very proud of him for his hard work and openness to racing frequently and against the nation’s best. It would not surprise me to find him consistently in the top 5 next year and with a national championship in the near future. He’s that good and with another year of training and this year’s race experiences, he’ll be ready to not run at the back of the lead pack but to be aggressive and take his shot at victory. Middle’s 15K performance was very important. While it wasn’t spectacular, it was solid and we needed that. After a great start to the fall with an 11th place finish at the US 20K champs and a good prep for his marathon debut at hot and humid Chicago (where I stopped him at 20 miles), we’ve struggled. I’ve not been able to fully dial in Middle’s training so we’ve had more than our share of downs. I’m hopeful I can do a better job of matching the training to his strengths and weaknesses as well as the demands and limitations of his event (10,000m). The 15K provides some positive momentum and I’m hopeful we can build on that. Training is not always cut and dry. It requires lots of tweaking but we’ll work together to dial it in. Next up on the road race scene will be Jordan and Hanlon in the US 8K Champs and what a race that should be. The field is absolutely loaded and it should be a great event as every NYRRC event is. For these two young runners, our goal is simple – a positive race. Both are having great workouts so they are ready to run fast, it’s just a matter of smart pacing and being competitive with themselves and their competitors in the final 3K. Then, that will complete their road racing experience and we’ll get ready for track, which will begin on the 21st of March. A Week in the Life - Mike Hanlon March 3, 2008 Hanlon is on fire. After more than his share of rough weeks of training and racing, it seems he has finally hit his stride. It is so satisfying to see a young athlete face tough challenges, work hard and then overcome these challenges. That is certainly what Mike has done. He’s not only worked hard in his run training but he’s made the most gains in several other areas, particularly his core. Now, he’s itching for a good race and I suspect one is on the way. One thing about Mike, he’s one tough runner and a tough runner will always have success. It’s just a matter of time (think Brian Sell). Mike’s training is nearly a mirror image of Brett’s, which I described last week. He does a leg speed workout early in the week then a stamina (lactate threshold) workout late in the week. His volume (and long run) are back to his college levels as we approach track season. He’ll race a road 8K on the 15th of March then we’ll begin track season where he’ll venture into uncharted territory, the 10,000m. Monday AM 8 mile Easy Run   PM 5 mile Easy Run Tuesday AM 8 mile Easy Run Wednesday AM Leg Speed Workout: 8-10 x 300m with 300m recovery jog: 9 miles total   PM 5 mile Easy Run Thursday AM 8.5 mile Easy Run Friday AM Tempo Intervals - 3 x 2 miles with 3-4 minute recovery jog: 11 miles total   PM 5 mile Easy Run Saturday AM 9 mile Easy Run Sunday AM 14.5 mile Medium Long Run with 1 minute surges every 5 minutes during the last 45 minutes of the run Total 81 miles

Entry #28 Week of February 25, 2008 by Brett Gotcher 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
To me, this week seemed to have a lot of change involved in it, but in a very good way. We have had some great new people showing up for training stints before the women’s marathon trials and the track season get underway. Michelle finally has a few roommates at the new women’s house right down the street from us with Desiree Ficker (possibly the all-around fittest person I’ve ever met) and Laura Farley (Team Indian Elite) just showing up. On the other side of town is Molly Taber, also a marathon trials qualifier, and the rest of the Team Indiana Elite guys. It’s really nice to have a bunch of new people coming out here because it mixes things up a bit and I think it brings everyone a little closer in the end. Big group runs have become almost a daily thing, and I don’t even want to go into the dinners we’ve been having. Let’s just say big, random assortments of food and dessert can be very good.

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!

Coach's Blog Week of March 4, 2008 by Greg McMillan

A Week in the Life – Brett Gotcher Brett completed his base phase in the fall and his strength phase in the winter. Now, we are in the stamina (lactate threshold) phase prior to beginning race-specific training during track season. Most weeks in this phase involve some sort of light pace workout (10K pace work) or a leg speed session on Tuesdays then a stamina (lactate threshold) workout on Friday (with some light strides on Thursday). Sunday's long run is now only 90 minutes but we include some faster surges (ala Bill Squires) or a fast finish (ala Gabriele Rosa) to begin to introduce a bit more transitional running prior to the track training beginning. While we increased his mileage by 10-25% in the fall, we are now back to the 80-90 miles per week that he ran in college. The plan is to each year inch up the mileage with some periods of a large increase (10-25%) and other times with a small increase (or no increase) so that his average weekly mileage increases by ~10% a year for the next 4-5 years. Brett continues to respond very well to the training and his race performances have been consistently good since the fall (with the notable exception of the US Cross Country Championships last month where we mistimed our drop down from altitude for the race). What I've learned from our conversations and from watching him train is that he responds very well to the stamina work. Armed with this information, we'll include a bit more stamina training in his track phase as compared with more of a speedster like Jordan who will have more anaerobic work in his track phase. Since we've only been working together for ~8 months, we are working closely to dial in the training that best fits his strengths and weaknesses and builds toward the future. This is the fun part of our group. Year one is filled with a lot of feedback as we determine the best pattern of training that produces the best results and also builds him into the athlete he wants to be in the future. As I've said before, we won't sacrifice the long-term for the short-term but with our open and honest communication, we are having good results now AND have an eye on the ultimate prize in the coming years. Monday AM 7 mile Easy Run   PM 5 mile Easy Run Tuesday AM Stamina Workout: 10x1000m @ 10k Pace with 400m jog: 13 miles total Wednesday AM 8 mile Easy Run   PM 5 mile Easy Run Thursday AM 9.5 mile Easy Run + Strides   PM 5.5 mile Easy Run Friday AM Tempo Run - 4 miles: 9 miles total   PM 4 mile Easy Run Saturday AM 9 mile Easy Run Sunday AM 14 mile Medium Long Run with 1 minute surges every 5 minutes during the last 45 minutes of the run Total 89 miles

Entry #27 Week of February 18, 2008 by Andrew Middleton Once again my blog coincides with a quick visit back to my homeland of Texas to visit family, friends and my awesome fiancée. With lots of wedding planning to do and the unpredictable Texas weather, I had a fun time squeezing in runs between picking out invitations and wild thunderstorms. But there can be no complaints when the next day calls for t-shirts and sandals. Wedding planning is going well, and I am particularly excited about the prospect of having the groom’s cake of my dreams come to life (imagine a replica of the San Francisco Peaks, except made entirely of cake and icing). Back in Flagstaff, the Cooper House Crew soon became re-engaged with an ongoing winter project. After morning runs up and down Mount Elden Road, what began as shoveling the walk and driveway soon digressed into building the neighborhood’s new sledding hill in our front yard. With three of the four Cooper House residents being from states where snow is not an expected part of winter, you can only guess the excitement involved in the construction of this oversized pile of snow. As it progressed, our sledding skills soon attracted the neighborhood sixth-graders and before we knew it we were twelve years old again. Of course, we couldn’t let our pre-teen neighbors out-do us, so it soon became a game of who could get the biggest air off the ramp. As told by the picture included in this blog, the award for biggest air and ensuing biggest flop went to our own Mike Hanlon. With McMillanElite scattered across the globe the past few weeks, I can proudly announce that the team is back in full force. Having spent several weeks at home in Ireland, Martin, who recently secured his spot for the Beijing Olympic Marathon, has triumphantly returned to the states. As it has become tradition, a potluck was in order and this past Sunday was the day; tremendous dishes were prepared by all, including Beijing Chicken (Michelle), Stew (Tracy), and Curry Potatoes (Middle and Jordan). At the end we toasted to Martin’s successful race in Dubai and to a great racing season in 2008. My favorite memory of the night was re-learning Martin’s accent and deciphering the conversations between him and Lemon. These are the nights that I will best remember from this year in Flagstaff. The family bond that I am building with my teammates and coaches are truly solidified when we can meet together to share a meal. It is not the same when a member of this team is not with us, and it was evident these past few months by Martin’s absence. I could really tell that everyone felt a little better seeing and hearing Martin on Sunday. We are all really glad to have him home. Running has been especially tricky the past few months with the high snowfall. From July till November we were spoiled with perfect conditions, amazing trails and clear skies. The past few months have helped me appreciate that a whole lot more. Even so, the running here is surely better that 95% percent than most places even when covered in snow. One of the best aspects of Flagstaff is its proximity to lower elevations such as Sedona and Camp Verde (both at 4000’ or lower). We often make the short drive down the hill at least twice per week for workouts and long runs. Each of these locations can boast their own unique and visually stunning scenery that helps the miles go by. After our Sunday Long Run in Sedona, we made a stop at The Coffee Pot – ‘Home of 101 Omelettes.’ Without hesitation Martin stunned us all by ordering the one omelette we all wanted to try, but dare not order: the ominous #98, Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Omelette. Needless to say, his plate was clean at the end of the meal. On Thursday, the Cooper House plus Trent Briney and Greg drove east to a small community called Twin Arrows. This interstate exit is unmistakably identified by two 40 foot wood arrows standing in the ground. The run was an out and back on the straightest, most out and back route I have ever run. You could see for miles in each direction, and we even managed to spot a pack of coyotes scattering in the distance. With so many unconquered roads to run, I have no doubt we will ever get bored of Flagstaff running. Thanks for taking a minute to check out the McMillanElite Blog. This has been a great way for us to let everyone in on our lives. I hope winter is treating everyone well; be sure to look forward to Spring because I know I am! Andrew “middle” Middleton   Entry #26 Week of February 11, 2008 by Brianna Torres Since my last blog, the McMillan Elite womens team is now two strong: Michelle and me (yeah!). Brett, Jordan and Mike Hanlon all raced USATF Cross Country Championships this weekend in San Diego. Middle is visiting the future wifey and I've been bouncing between Phoenix and Flagstaff for a while now. After the Houston Half-Marathon, I stayed in Phoenix to hang out with my dad before and after his surgery. The procedure went well as is his recovery. So I got some warm sea level training in Phoenix, hung out with my family and came back, eager to train with my new teammate Michelle. Unfortunately Michelle had a run-in with some ice and later that week I did as well. I fell for first time this winter. I've come to realize ice is the enemy and I must guard against it. The fall left me a little banged up and irritated my already strained hip flexor. The next few days were pretty frustrating because the ice and the hills only served to irritate my strain. So I went back to the place of no hills and no ice, my home in Phoenix. Winter in the desert really is beautiful. Most days were in the 60's and sunny. Staying on soft, flat surfaces did the trick (along with a few office visits to my friend, Dr. John Ball) and I was able to get rid of my strain. So back I went to Flagstaff ready to resume training with the team. I met them this Thursday morning at the Cooper house. It was the kind of snowy day that gets me to invent gear in my head. I was thinking I needed some sort of beanie or hat that covered my ears, with a bill and eye shield to keep the snow off my face and out of my eyes. I'll go ahead and add some flashing lights for visibility and while I'm at it I'll have it play "The Chills" by Peter Bjorn and John on loop. If anyone reading this is interested in going into business and manufacturing some of these blinking, singing soft helmets, give me a call. Anyway, I digress. On this run I nearly fell twice. Afterwards Greg suggested I go back to Phoenix until this snow storm passes to avoid getting injured before the trials. I agreed and now I'm back once again in the desert. I had a good workout Friday at Boulder Creek High in Anthem, followed by dinner at my parents (thanks Mom!) and a great long run today from the ASU track with Carlos and our friend Howie. It's nice to have the flexibility to jump between Phoenix and Flagstaff (only 2 hours apart) and find the ideal training environment. That being said, I am hoping the ice melts very soon (like tomorrow) so I can get back to training with my team and everyone in Flagstaff can stay upright. Later. Bri. Entry #25 Week of February 4, 2008 by Michelle Gallagher Since moving to Flagstaff, my time here has been quite the rollercoaster. Two days after arriving, I was on a short run and fell on black ice. I never gave it a second thought because nothing hurt, no scratches, no blood. So I continued to train and tried to get my bearings down. I completed my first interval workout the following week with Greg and Tracy driving right beside me, encouraging me on. Brianna was down in Phoenix with her family, and I was fortunate enough to have my friend Brooke Wells from home to train with. Every night there was something different, dinner at Karma, dinner with Brooke and Jack Daniels and getting to hear his daughter sing, game night at the townhouse, or nights that included ice cream and movies with Brooke and the Cooper house boys. It wasn't until the 17th of January where my uphill battle began. Out on an 80 minute run, I began to have this excrutiating pain in my left leg and was frustrated as to what this foreign feeling was. Greg and I had to revise my training, which included rest and bike training. A week went by and I was still in pain so we decided to see a physical therapist. He told me it was my lateral collateral ligament. The boys all laughed at me when I told them what the doctor said as they thought it sounded like something from a movie. Just as my week was coming to an end and the possibility of running was approaching I got the flu as well as an upper respiratory infection. The house has been quarantined pretty much, no one wants to come over to the house because we are all sick, it's like a chain reaction, Lemon coughs, Mike's friend who came to visit got sick, he coughs, and then I cough. I want to thank Lemon, Fasil, and Mike for taking care of me, always asking if I need anything, and going out of their way to help me. I must say that I have seen more movies this week than I have in the past year. On Saturday, my mom came to visit me in hopes of curing me as well as helping me move into my new house. It is always great to see her. This was her first time to Flagstaff and she was impressed with how "cute" it was. We stopped at many places on the side of the road because she saw something that was worthy of a picture. We both had a busy little Sunday, which started off by meeting Greg at the new house. He gave us the tour and I got to pick out my room as I was the first person there. We shopped a ton for the house, took pictures next to Louie the Lumberjack, hours later we moved everything into the house, and finished off the night eating at Chili's. Tomorrow will be my first day that I will attempt to run so pray for me and wish me luck!!!   Entry #24 Week of January 28, 2008 by Jordan Horn Babies, babies everywhere! No matter where I go I am surrounded by babies! Like Lemon said last week, we have a new addition to the team, Angus McMillan. Yeah Greg and Tracy you have a cute one! Also, back home one of my best friend's girlfriend had a baby boy named Ethan, one of probably many more to come, way to go Mike! I am sure Angus and I will become the best of buddies in the months to come but for now all of my focus will be on U.S. Cross in San Diego. The week ended up being a good one with a little weirdness at the end for the guys and myself. We have finally moved away from the base training phase and more into stamina training which means only a few more months until the speed training phase which is the stuff I enjoy the most. Don't get me wrong I love running and being in Flag makes it better, but nothing beats going fast. (The California Highway patrol would tell you I like going to fast.) We also started a new circuit training program that is being added on in conjunction with the core routine. Some of the stuff makes you feel like you are trying to walk down a fashion runway but Greg said that it came from some of the best runners ever, so I'm game! Wednesday we did some pace running on the NAU indoor track that went really well. The pace that I was running felt really comfortable and I felt like if I had to double it I could have. Friday we were right back at it but this time we went down to Camp Verde for some mile or two mile repeats, depending on our event. This workout also went really well for all that made it down from Flag. We had to leave a couple of teammates back home because the townhouse has a little flu bug. It felt really good to get the legs rolling with some faster workouts after a long period of just running and long steady-states. There are a few things that I am learning up here in Flagstaff that are related to running. When it's cold and raining, wear many layers of clothing and not just for your upper body. If you have any more questions just ask John Little, our local lawyer and Trials qualifier, and he will tell you about the California boy who learned this lesson the hard way. The second thing that I learned and keep learning is that I need to pay more attention while running. I have fallen ten times more than anyone else in Flagstaff, and sometimes twice on runs. I just get caught up looking at random things, sometimes cool but mostly stupid. The last thing is related to the second because it usually ends the same way, me falling. Just because Middleton can run over weak ice doesn't mean that I can. I think it has to do with the fact that I outweigh him by around 70 pounds but I am not sure. We had another guest stay at the Cooper House this week - Scott Douglas, who is a writer for Running Times. If you're interested in what goes on in my mind and all the crazy things that I and the rest of the boys do in the Cooper House, you are going to have to wait because he was here interviewing someone else. He was just using the house for sleeping and answering many bad questions that I had for him. It was nice having Scott over because he is full of information that I would have never learned or heard about. Well, I think I have covered most of what's gone down so I wish everyone well and to keep doing what makes you happy. "If you ignore your heart things will fall apart"-The Evens   Entry #23 Week of January 21, 2008 by Andrew Lemoncello This week was a really good one for me on many levels. I finally finished my base period last week and was able to start doing some hard sessions and I also had a nice return to racing at the 3M Austin half-marathon.     Since I arrived in Flagstaff all I have been doing in training is lots of base work which consisted of running lots of steady miles and a steady state every week. I was hoping to have a nice uninterrupted period of training through the whole of the winter (doesn't everyone?!) but unfortunately I got ill a couple of months ago and it felt like I was starting back at square one. But as ever with training last month I felt a click in my body which let me know that my body had adapted and I was ready to feel good in training again rather than the slogging that I had felt I was doing. After a couple of weeks feeling decent we decided to start on my preparations for the World XC champs and started to get some specific workouts in to get me ready. I am happiest when I am working hard throughout the week and having that lethargic feeling at the end of the day knowing that I have put some good work in. With base work it is quite hard to get this feeling so I was really pleased to be passing out in the middle of the day for a couple of hours and then falling asleep just as fast when it came to bedtime. This week was a bit of a test for me as I had a hard hill session and track workout and then a race at the end of the week. The hill workout with the team went really well for everyone with Hanlon showing us that he is capable of some serious hill speed, Brett was as consistent as ever and Middle seemed to have saved himself to kick our asses on the last rep! I wish I was as tiny as Middle as myself and Jordan (the 6 foot 2'ers on the team) found it hard to lug our bodies up possibly the steepest hill in Flag. But, we stuck it out and felt the burn just as much as the other guys. Steep hills have always been my worst workout so it was good to be surrounded by the guys and to all be pushing each other. The next day brought about some very tender rumps for everyone from the workout so a nice gentle bagel run was in order to ease the pain. The next day I went to the Dome for the first time to do a fartlek on the track and was pleasantly surprised with how good I felt. The one minute reps I was running felt very easy and it didn't feel like I was running at 7000ft so I took that as a good sign for the weekend. I arrived in Austin with no expectations about the race. I wasn't worried about times or who I beat, I just wanted to be competitive and get the instinct back as I hadn't raced since August. The race went out very slow for the first half and there was still a group of about 15 of us through 8 miles so I decided to try and push it on a bit. Arriving at 10 miles the group had reduced to 10 so I figured that it’s only the same distance as a warm down to the finish so I could really start to pick the pace up. Within half a mile there were only 3 of us left and I felt very comfortable leading so just stayed there. Arriving on the finishing straight the 3 of us stayed parallel for a while until the eventual winner took off in a huge burst and took the other African runner with him. I almost just settled for 3rd but I decided that that wasn't satisfactory so I kicked again at 150m to go and picked off the 2nd place runner and just about caught the winner. I finished and realized that I wasn't that tired and that I was never in any aerobic stress during the race. I got a nice big hug from my sister who had driven up with her new husband to watch me race and went for a nice cool down. The race has really put my head in the right place now as I know I am ready to go and give it everything when I return home to try and make the world XC team. Although I initially got frustrated with the new training I now realize it all has a specific purpose and the race put that in perspective for me. Its hard when your heart and head are not in the right place but it is safe to say that I am full of enthusiasm for this next period of training and for the team to be pushing each other everyday again. Now the other big thing that happened this week was that Tracy and Greg had their first child. We had all waited for a few days for the news that he had arrived but I guess he didn't want to leave Tracy right away. The amazing thing was that the day that Tracy went to the hospital was the same day that she was out filming us training so it just goes to show how amazing she is! And the best part about the birth for me was name that Greg and Tracy picked for their first born - Angus Scott McMillan. He sounds as though he has just come straight from the set of Braveheart! The first thing I buy when I get back to Scotland is a tiny McMillan kilt for the little fellow!   Coach's Blog Week of January 21, 2007 by Greg McMillan Prescribed Performance Suppression It may sound strange but there are times in each athlete’s career where he or she must sacrifice current performance ability for long-term benefits. This certainly was the case for our young runners this past fall. In a long-range program like ours – taking young runners straight out of college and developing them into 2012 Olympians – we are open to periods of each year where we compromise race performance in order to acclimate to certain types of training as well as to build specific components of fitness. Our first example of prescribed performance suppression was this fall, our first training cycle as a new team. For the young runners coming out of college, our goal was to build their aerobic systems (specifically the capillary beds, mitochondria and aerobic threshold) and condition the musculoskeletal systems (muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones) in order to handle more volume as we advance each year. This base building went beyond just laying a foundation for success in this initial training cycle in 2008. It was designed to set the athletes up for 2009, which will set them up for 2010, etc. For most of the athletes that meant 10-25% more mileage than they averaged in college. Naturally, this increase in volume required lower intensity than usual and resulted in higher residual fatigue. Both of these effects meant that while the athletes were healthy and “pleasantly fatigued” from the training, racing was a little compromised. There was always a little residual fatigue in the muscles and the legs lacked that zip that we all like as we get ready to race. This period of performance suppression ended with the Houston Half-Marathon and the athletes will now slightly reduce their volume as we begin to enter more race-specific training. Following Lydiard’s principles, we’ll do some hill training and some longer intervals before we get to track season. I appreciate that hard work the team has done and for them tolerating a bit of extra fatigue which slightly reduced their performance ability. I hope to pay them back by setting them up to race fast this spring. The Fagan Flash In July, I received an email from Martin Fagan, the talented Irishman who had just ended his successful collegiate career at Providence College. He was interested in working together as he entered the next phase of his running career. We set up a call, he in Belgium racing in some European meets and me in Flagstaff getting ready to start our group. I could hear in his voice his desire to be great. I could tell that he was ready to “step it up” and make the running lifestyle his everyday lifestyle. My instincts were correct. Martin Fagan is the real deal. He works hard. He does the little things that elite runners must do and I’m honored that he has faith in me. As you probably read, Martin had troubles in the 6 weeks leading into his marathon debut in Dubai. He went through hell, mentally and physically, as we had to constantly change plans, hopes rising and falling and rising again. While this tough period would have destroyed most runners, Martin held firm to his goal – the 2008 Olympics. He was flexible and we found ways around his predicament. He used the experiences to become a better person and a better athlete – now even better equipped to handle adversity. I am so proud of Martin. He put in the work and it paid off. He is now an Olympian – something very, very few humans will ever become. He’s a good role model for our team. He’s a good role model for young runners and he continues to mature as a professional runner as he deals with the increased media attention that comes from being the first Irish Olympic marathoner since 1992! I shook his hand and looked him right in the eyes as I left Portugal to return to the US before his trip to Dubai. It was 3AM and I normally wouldn’t wake him but I wanted to see it. I wanted to see that resolve that all champions have. It was there as I knew it would be and I flew home to Flagstaff knowing that he’d get his Olympic qualifier, knowing that he was taking a step up in the pecking order, knowing that the man was on his way. Congrats Martin. You certainly earned it.   Entry #22 Week of January 14, 2008 by Martin Fagan The last time I wrote my blog I was all set on traveling to Spain to run the European Cross country championships. I also planned on returning to Flagstaff after the race. But that wasn’t to be the case and sadly I had some visa issues and got deported. This was probably one of the worst experiences I have ever gone through. Not only did it foil my plans of running the Houston Marathon, but more importantly, it meant that I could not return to my friends in Flagstaff. It took a while for the disappointment to sink in, but when it did I really did feel hurt and upset. Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful coach in Greg who prevented me from getting too down on the whole situation. So we promptly came up with a plan B to run the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon. During this ordeal I became drained both mentally and physically, but I soon became excited again when Greg offered to travel over to help me in Europe. It was very inspiring of him to do this for me. Greg had brought me too far this season for me to just pack it in. I was also fortunate to have a great support team here in Ireland. They got us hooked up with a perfect training location in Monte Gordo, Portugal. Martin completing a steady state run in Monte Gordo The training would have been impossible to do here in Ireland due to the constant wind and rain. So began the final preparations for Dubai. Having Greg with me in Monte Gordo was amazing. I don’t think I could have prepared for Dubai without him there. He kept me company by cycling along side me on all my runs. I know this couldn’t of been easy for him. The trails were a little more challenging than the trails up in Flagstaff. I believe Greg’s biggest challenge was to keep me positive. By then, I was missing everybody in Flag and it was difficult to stay focused. But he got me through the two weeks, fitter than I have ever been before. So I was well prepared for the 26.2 miles. Also, I was relieved that Tracy didn’t have her baby while Greg was over with me (she was 8 months pregnant). I think this was my biggest fear. Tracy would have killed me if that were to happen. I felt very bad taking Greg away from her, so I guess I owe her big time. When I arrived in Dubai, I was overwhelmed by how new the city looked. There were huge new hotels and other developments under construction everywhere. Not what I imagined the place to look like. I didn’t really get to see much of the city. The days leading up to the race were just spent in my luxurious hotel. The race organizers hooked me up with an unbelievable hotel. I was made to feel like I actually had money and that I was important. I had a butler wait for me with a bottle of water and a towel while I ran. He would also escort me to and from my room every time I left the room. So naturally I lapped this up. But more seriously, I had a job to be done. After some last few words of support from Greg, I was ready to run. For the first time in my career I became scared rather than nervous. I knew that I would be on my own for the most part of the race, primarily because of the number of African athletes entered and the attempt at a new World Record. So the pressure was on to run my own race and not to get involved with what was going on with the rest of the field. But, my natural instincts kicked in as soon as the race got underway. When the gun went off, I quickly latched on to the chasing group and hung with them until 25k. For the most part the pace (2:10 pace) felt relatively easy, but I was starting to encounter spasms in my back and right hip. At this point in the race I had no idea of my splits or time. Mistakenly, I didn’t wear a watch (sorry Greg) because I assumed that there would be clocks on the course and I tried to ask some of the African athletes what time it was. Now everybody in Flagstaff can barely understand me, so you can imagine their response to me – blank stares. I did however know that I was well ahead of my scheduled pace so I took time to stretch and try to relieve the pain in my hip. But the pain for the next 10k until 35k was unbearable. I guess when I saw the 35k mark, I realized that I was nearly there and that I came too far just to give up. So the adrenalin started to flow again and I ignored the pain. From that point it was all a blur to me. I glanced at the time as I crossed the finish line and I wasn’t sure what it read. As I finished I collapsed in pain and was brought to the hospital. So it was an agonizing four hours, not knowing if I had qualified for the Olympics or not. When I got released, I got word of my time and all I can remember is a feeling of relief. I just returned home to Ireland today and it still hasn’t sunk in that I have qualified for the Olympics. This is every athletes dream and I just can’t believe it has come through for me. Looking back on the race, I would have to say that it was both the worst and best experience of my life. The worst because of the pain I was in and the best because I got to be part of the second fastest marathon in history. Maybe in the next couple of weeks, during my time off it will finally sink it. For now, I’m just exhausted and just relieved to have finished the marathon. I will now get fat and be as lazy as I can possibly be over the next two weeks. My other main priority is to get working on my visa so I can get back to Flagstaff. I really do miss the town and the people there, especially my teammates. I have so many people to thank for all the support I have received over the last couple of months and I don’t think I could have made this possible without them. I feel very lucky and grateful to have that support. I just can’t wait to get back training with my team again.   Entry #21 Week of January 7, 2008 by Mike Hanlon Hello everybody and welcome back to another installment of the McMillanElite weekly blog.  Now if I had the blog last week you could’ve read all about Michigan’s glorious Capital One Bowl win in excruciating detail.  Unfortunately for you however I had the blog for this week, so instead I’ll just have to talk about something less interesting like the Houston Half-Marathon. Before we get into that though there is important news to convey.  Our women’s team is now actually a team, as our newest team member Michelle Gallagher arrived in Flagstaff this week.  We’re all really excited to have Michelle out here, especially Brianna as she finally has an everyday training partner.  Welcome Michelle! (click here to view Michelle's bio) This past weekend was the US Half-Marathon Championships, which was an event we’d been looking forward to for several months.  It was a good chance for us to try a longer distance than we were used to in college and test ourselves against some of the best runners in the country.  We had a big crew going out, Brett, Jordan, Middle and myself ran the men’s half-marathon, Brianna and Trina Painter were in the women’s half-marathon and Mike Smith had pacing duties for the women’s full marathon.  Lemon was even there for moral support. Start of the Houston Half-Marathon (Photo courtesy of Spencer Allen) The days leading up to the race were full of excitement. We all piled into the van at 5 AM on Friday morning and somehow made it down to Phoenix without incident, despite Mike Smith having to stop several times on the side of the road and do jumping jacks to stay awake.  When we got to Houston we were re-united with Greg for the first time in almost a month. (He had been in Portugal overseeing Martin’s final preparations for Dubai.)  Needless to say he was full of great stories from his time overseas.  The race organizers treated us really well, from driving us wherever we wanted to go to always having the hospitality suite fully stocked with goodies despite Jordan’s best efforts to deplete it.  I’m already looking forward to coming back next year. The race itself went ok. Brett had a solid 11th place finish and we all learned a lot in our debut half-marathons.  Mike Smith survived his first experience in the high-pressure world of women’s elite marathon pacing and Trina was the big money winner on the day with a second-place masters finish.  Afterwards we all headed over to a family friend of Lemon’s for an excellent post-race dinner, and we even got to take a tour of pretty much all of Houston when we got lost on the cab ride over there.  All in all it was a fun weekend, and one we’re definitely planning on doing it again next year.  See you all next week! Flotrack has some interviews of us from the race: http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/flotrackr/videos.php?a=video_show&show=&vid=18827 http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/flotrackr/videos.php?a=video_show&show=&vid=18817 Here are some more photos courtesy of Spencer Allen: Brett Gotcher Jordan Horn Mike Hanlon Andrew Lemoncello, Junction Jack and Greg   Coach's Blog Week of December 17, 2007 by Greg McMillan Wow in ’07 and Hope in ‘08 2007 was a banner year for my wife and I. Our goal for the last few years has been to give back to the sport I love so much. In 2007, we began our labor of love - McMillanElite. We wanted to create something that helped young people striving to fulfill their potential. We wanted something that honored the runners that have received training programs through McMillanRunning.com. We wanted something that would “pay it forward” and “pay it backward” – something that provided benefit to others who would then go on to provide benefit to even more others and also something that honored those that supported us as we worked to define our roles in life, namely our parents, families, friends, coaches, teachers and mentors. We wanted to complete the circle of giving, helping and loving. The McMillanElite team is the result and 2007 was its birth. “McMillan” is used to honor all the runners that have used the services offered at McMillanRunning.com. They provided the financial resources that got the team started. “Elite” is used not to signify the fastest or the fittest but to signify the pursuit of excellence – your excellence, my excellence, their excellence. To be elite means to be your best and to do the thing that you do well to the utmost of your ability. Once in a while, a new project is greater than the sum of the parts. McMillanElite certainly is. It is something more than just a group of runners. It is a team, a family. 2008 is a big year. It’s an Olympic year. It’s the first full year of McMillanElite. We are excited for 2008. We are hopeful of continued good performances and development of the young people who’ve entrusted their development to us. We are hopeful that we can continue the athletes’ pursuit of excellence and provide opportunities for more emerging elite runners. We are also hopeful that we can provide opportunities for others who love the sport like we do to get involved in supporting the McMillanElite athletes. And in the end, we are hopeful that we will simply keep putting one foot in front of the other, moving closer and closer to our goals, just as every runner across the world hopes to do this year. Happy New Year Greg & Tracy McMillan A Week in the Life – Brianna Torres Brianna is completing her base phase. As I described in an earlier coach’s blog, our team uses the Lydiard base phase and Brianna has now completed 12 weeks of base training, exactly what we wanted. With this base established, she is now ready to transition to the hill phase (also described in an earlier blog) before we begin the marathon phase for the Olympic Trials in April. Bri is making great strides forward and every week we get a glimpse into her new fitness level. She’s running more consistently than ever and she’s built her mileage to the upper 70s, low 80s. This will make it easy to get to 90-100 miles per week (our goal for this training cycle) in the marathon phase just with the addition of a few more double runs and some longer workouts/long runs. We’ll also get a better idea of her base fitness with upcoming races like the Houston Half-Marathon. This will provide the starting point for our pace build up for the Trials. We need to make a couple of big jumps in pace before the Trials and we have good momentum for these jumps. Monday: am - 6 mile Easy Run   pm - 4 mile Easy Run Tuesday: am - 10 mile Easy Run Wednesday: am - 10 miles with 4.1 miles at Goal Half-Marathon Pace (at 'Sea Level'-3000ft.) Thursday: am - 9 mile Easy Run   pm - 5 mile Easy Run Friday: am - 7 miles with 12 x 1 minute 'On,' 1 minute 'Off'   pm - 5 miles Saturday: am - 7 mile Easy Run Sunday: am - 17 mile Easy Run Total Mileage: 80 miles

2007 Blog Postings:

• Brett Gotcher - Week of December 31, 2007
• Andrew Middleton - Week of December 24, 2007
• Brianna Torres - Week of December 17, 2007
• Mike Smith - Week of December 10, 2007
• Jordan Horn - Week of December 3, 2007
• Martin Fagan - Week of November 26, 2007
• Andrew Lemoncello - Week of November 19, 2007
• Mike Hanlon - Week of November 12, 2007
• Brett Gotcher - Week of November 5, 2007
• Andrew Middleton - Week of October 29, 2007
• Brianna Torres - Week of October 22, 2007
• Mike Smith - Week of October 15, 2007
• Martin Fagan - Week of October 8, 2007
• Ben Rosario- Week of October 1, 2007
• Andrew Lemoncello - Week of September 24, 2007
• Mike Hanlon - Week of September 17, 2007
• Brett Gotcher - Week of September 10, 2007
• Andrew Middleton - Week of September 3, 2007
• Brianna Torres - Week of August 27, 2007
• Mike Smith - Week of August 20, 2007

For an understanding of Greg's philosophy of training and coaching, please visit his website www.mcmillanrunning.com. You are also encouraged to read the works of Arthur Lydiard (read everything you can by Lydiard), Joe Vigil (Road to the Top), Tim Noakes (Lore of Running), David Martin (Better Training for Distance Runners), Jerry Lynch (The Total Runner), Gabriele Rosa (Paul Tergat - Running to the Limit), Russ Pate (Training for Young Distance Runners), Guy Avery (past issues of Peak Running Performance) and Ed Burke (Optimal Muscle Recovery) for insight into optimal training and coaching for distance running.

Brett Gotcher

Jordan Horn

Andrew Middleton

Andrew Lemoncello