McMillanElite :: Training Blog - 2009 Postings
Entry #177 Hmmmm….now for someone who could pretty much talk to a wall for a good hour and be totally entertained, I find myself blanking on what to write about this blog. Everyone has pretty much left town for the Holidays. I am unable to go home for the first time ever. I’m trying to not listen to “I’ll be home for Christmas” too many times, it seems to be on the “repeat” button in my head anyway.
Entry #176 Winter isn't exactly my favourite time of year. I used to get sick every year at the same time, but after 3 years of living in Florida I thought I had rid myself of my annual illness. My first winter in Flagstaff I was sick three times but I was lucky enough to stay healthy all of last year. I'm now back fighting a nasty cold and I'm eager to get back to full health as there is only so much Dog the bounty hunter I can watch in a day. This is the part of the job that is the most frustrating for me because I can't do anything about it. If I'm injured at least I can cross train and still get that rush of endorphins that I look forward to when I wake up every morning. I am heading to the gym everyday to sit in the steam room and try and loosen up some of the gunk that is clogging me up. The only thing I can do is look at the positive side of this and know that my body is getting some recovery before I start to get back into hard training and getting ready for my first marathon. The town is gorgeous right now with the second big dump of snow that we got yesterday and there are blue skies so the visiting skiers must be having a nice time up on the mountain. I hope everyone out there has a wonderful Christmas and enjoys some quality time with their families. Lemon
Entry #175 The McMillanElite 2009 racing season ended with a bang! In the last two races of the year, Andrew Middleton won the Tucson Half-Marathon and the Women’s team took 2nd place at the Club Cross Country Championships. Both are amazing accomplishments given that: 1) Middle has struggled with injuries for the past 18 months and this was only his third race completed in that span of time; and 2) we have a women’s team full of talented athletes, but I would guess the number of them that say they thrive in cross country (especially a short 6k cross country race!) is closer to zero than the five you need to score! The women wanted the win badly and trained so hard as a team throughout the fall and gutted it out that day with some very competitive teams. Unfortunately, they fell just a bit short of their ultimate goal. Knowing this group of women as I do, while okay with 2nd place, the race left a fire in their collective belly to come back next year and win that trophy. This is all to say that there is so much potential in women’s racing. I would love for more of the amazing female athletes graduating from college to consider the impact they could have in both the short and long-term on US distance running and beyond—and stay in the sport. We want women (and male, of course!) athletes to know about the opportunities that exist for competitive running after college. Since we can’t directly contact athletes still in college due to NCAA compliance, I would like to encourage those who do know these athletes to pass along this link from the USATF Foundation on distance training groups around the country: USATF Foundation: USA Distance Project Centers. While I have my own personal favorite, there are many great training groups out there! Well, time to wrap this up since there are presents to wrap! Happy holidays, everyone—here’s to great racing in 2010!
Entry #174 The first significant storm of the year hit us just a bit over a week ago, leaving Flag covered in just over 2 feet of snow and ice. This has made training in the past few days a bit challenging, and the treadmill has become a valuable resource. I've been spending a decent amount of my time, roughly 80 miles worth, of my training since Monday at the Flagstaff Athletic Club, safe from having to worry about slipping or getting injured outside in the elements. Technology has played a big role in being able to get through basically running in place for a few hours a day without becoming completely mentally fried, and I owe a lot to my ipod shuffle and the dozen or so flat screen tv's that hang all over the gym. It's safe to say I've watched more episodes of Sportscenter recently than just about anybody in America, so if you're looking for a day by day, hour by hour, breakdown of the Tiger Woods scandal, just let me know.
Entry #173 Hi all, Just arrived back to Flagstaff a day or two ago after a nice racing weekend in Sacramento, California. California International Marathon. I went into the race a little on the sick side, not 100% confident in victory, and questioning things a bit. Well, I was pleased that as soon as I left for the race things started to go my way.... Friday, I flew out of the Flagstaff, Arizona airport for the first time in my life. The airport only opens security 30 minutes before the flight leaves so I figured I would arrive at about that time. Well, as things go, I was a little behind and walked into the airport about 17 minutes before takeoff. Sounds bad, but, at flagstaff there is only usually one flight every couple hours so there isn't really any delays if you have your boarding pass already printed and only carry-on. I walked in the front doors and saw security still open so I hit the restroom. I was thinking that there wasn't a bathroom on our small plane and I better make sure my hydration state could make it the short flight to Phoenix. Anyway, I walk out of the bathroom and the steel gates are closing at security. I let them know I'm supposed to be on that flight and they proceeded to continue to close up the gates. My fault... I know. Well, I crashed a couple hours upstairs in the sunshine at the airport and then US Airways re-booked me onto a later flight. And the rest of the travel day went well. I arrived in Sacramento and caught my shuttle to the Sheraton Grand in downtown. After saying hello to my roommate for the weekend, Nate Pennington, I headed out for a little 5-6 mile shakeout run. I found my way to the wrong side of the tracks as they say and it started to turn dark but all worked out well. Ended the run with a couple strides and headed back to meet the roommate and his teammates and their coach Lisa Rainsberger (Boston and Chicago champion) for dinner at PF Changs restaurant. After enjoying some tastyness the roommate and I headed to the elite hospitality suite to get some gatorade and snacks to stay fueled up. We met some of the race hosts and were able to check out an elite entry list and find out who our competition might be for the weekend. It is always interesting because when you look at an elite entry list everyone has their best times. But, the thing is that not everyone runs that time on race-day and the personal records on the sheet might be from years ago. However, it is nice to get a feel for how the race might go and things to consider while racing on race day. The next morning I went for a 4-5 miler with my roommate and his teammates and did some strides. Then headed back to the room for some stretching and up to the elite suite for a bagel or other snacks. Next up was the course tour so that I knew in my head what terrain and surroundings would look like the next day. It was a point to point course and we took about 2 hours to drive out to the start line (1/2 mile from the famous Folsom Prison-Johnny Cash) and drive the entire route finishing at the California state capitol steps in downtown Sacramento. Rolling hills for 13-15 miles and then mostly flat after that. Wide road mostly and only a few turns. Mostly I learned that I didn't want to hammer myself through the hill the first 13 and be done with my race at that point. So, the course tour taught me to be aware of the work needed in those early miles and that too much speed/effort might destroy my legs (quads/hams) for later in the race. I met a couple other elites on the van ride and stayed hydrated up. Next up, was picking up the number at the expo which was right across the street from the hotel. Had some lunch at Wolfgang Pucks on the way over there. Then I headed up to the elite suite to pick up some more fuel and got hit up for an interview by the local news station. After that I headed back to the room and chilled out a while before heading to the restaurant downstairs for pre-race pasta. Back to the room, watched a little of a Tom Cruise movie that just happened to be on. Lights out a little after 8p.m., as we were getting up at 4a.m. the next morning (3 hours before race start). RACE DAY... Up at 4:20 for coffee, oatmeal and shower and packing the bags to catch a race shuttle to the start leaving at 5:00a.m. 45 minute bus ride out to the start and then hanging out in the pre-race elite area with warming tents and a spot for our bags. It was about 28 or so degrees so it was nice to have this amenity. Got to say hello to a number of old friends from the racing scene who were racing as well. Out for a warm-up about 35 minutes before the start for an easy 10-15 minutes of loosening up. And, deciding finally which shoes to wear. I had to choose between a super light weight pair I wanted to wear and the Adizero Mana I had worn in my last two races. In one of those my feet had hurt so I wasn't sure what to do. Eventually, I decided that if it was going to hurt it really didn't matter which shoe I wore, I would just have to tough it out. I went with the ADIZERO PRO with a little Japanese/Chinese symbol on the back. And, was it a good choice. I am a minimalist as for shoes while racing. The lighter the better because they feel more responsive to me. The lower heal of the shoe did cause my calves to be a little sore 6-7 miles into the race but the calves held up the rest of the way. As for the race itself, I went out with intent to run 5:10-15ish for the early miles. I wanted to set myself up to feel good later in the race and hopefully run about 2:15 for the finish time. First mile 5:17 and pretty much relaxing... couple more in the 5:10 or so range. Then a mile or two at 5:04 feeling pretty comfortable. During the 5:04 mile, the racing had started. Mike Morgan was out in front with Josh Cox 100 meters or so back. Then a pack with 3 foreign born athletes and my roommate Nate Pennington who had ran a 4:50 something to separate from my pack of 3 which included me and 2 foreign born athletes. So, I was in about 10th place and trying to stay relaxed as we were averaging 5:09 pace. Right on pace! And, I was feeling like I could have gone with the move but thought I was running with the top guy and we were just being smart. I thought later in the race we would catch back up to the front runners. By mile 7 or so I started to get a little anxious to catch up my pack to the next pack of 3, but just stayed relaxed as we were still running 5:10 pace and the leaders were not gaining much/if any ground on us. By 10 miles I couldn't be patient anymore. These guys in front were just dangling out there.... I felt good.... and I wanted to put myself in position to win. I started working to catch up to the next pack and 1 of the 2 guys I was running with jumped in behind me. We mentioned to each other "We must catch", "We trade off" and such. It was a bit windy and working together might give us enough to catch up. Well, I felt pretty good and led the next 2 miles as we were catching up, and I was getting excited that the race was going to come back together. The next pack was catching Josh Cox as my pack of 2 was catching them. And with only one guy off the front, Mike Morgan, we might be able to work together as a pack and catch Mike. That meant that I would be running with the leaders and have a chance to win. We caught up at 13, and I went right by to see if anyone would respond. They all jumped in behind me and so I relaxed a bit and tried to take my turn drafting in the back of the pack and resting up for when the move was made to go for the win. After a couple miles, we dropped Josh, or so I thought. A mile later or so, Josh comes blowing by in a strong move to the front. I guess he stopped for a pit stop, I later found out. This was at about 20 miles and Josh's move stung us all out. I found myself in 6th place still running right at 5:10 or faster and a gap to the 5th place guy. I started just trying to run 5:10's the rest of the way and hoping that they might come back, as I didn't have it to go with the move. Next mile, check still a good pace. Keep it going. Next mile, 5:29! Oh, crap! I'm starting to slow. I have a good time going. C'mon, Trent! One mile at a time.... C'mon... Keep it going. 5:23, 5:25, 5:20 something the rest of the way. Finish time of 2:16:30. I held it together. I just hadn't had the mojo when the move came or enough to close the last 6 miles on the day. After the race, I hobbled around with tight legs and thankfully had some refueling breakfast food and massage from the race organizers in the post-race VIP and elite athlete area. And, the rest of the day hung out with running friends from across the country and new friends who were in Sacramento for the same reason as I... to take part in the CIM! I was happy with the race as I went in not confident in winning and not sure about 5:10 pace. But, during the race, I actually felt very happy at 5:10 pace and truly felt confident in my abilities. I mean I was leading the pack and talking at the same time. It was a feeling I needed to truly tell me about my abilities as a marathon runner. My Personal Best was 5 years ago and bested my 2nd fastest time ever, 2:19:57, so this race made me feel like I ran another solid performance and felt good doing it. I've been training so well this last year and it's nice to race near to my fitness level, which doesn't always happen in the marathon. I'm excited to start training again when the body heals up from this marathon and I get to see the training effect of running a marathon at 5:12 pace. Flight home was interesting as well, as I had to stay in Phoenix near the airport on Monday night. Flagstaff had received 24+ inches of snow, closing the airport and the roads were closed with accidents. I actually got on a shuttle van ride in Phoenix that turned around and came back to the airport after driving 40 miles north towards Flagstaff before we got the word about the road closures. Anyway, hope you enjoy the story of my racing weekend. This weekend look to follow the McMillan Elite ladies as they race at club cross country nationals in Kentucky!
Entry #172 I hear we’re getting snow early this week. So far this winter, we have only received a few inches. Snow tends to make training a little interesting here in Flagstaff. Fortunately, we have Sedona less than an hour away. I’m personally excited to get snow. I’m also excited that we (the women’s team, Trina, and Greg) head to Kentucky this weekend for the U.S.A. Club Cross-Country Championships. The girls and I are definitely excited and ready to go. I’ve never been to Kentucky. In my mind, there are horses and racetracks everywhere. I grew up riding horses and am excited to see as many as I can even through a van’s window. There is a chance that I’m setting myself up for disappointment. As for me personally, training is coming along well. I went home for Thanksgiving and had an amazing time seeing and catching up with family. I ate dinner in my paternal grandmother’s traditional Navajo Hogan and laughed with family. Everyone gets laughed at or picked on at some point during big family dinners. As soon as I walked in, my uncle said to everyone, “The Dietitian is here. Watch your portion sizes.” Everyone laughed and I was grateful to get my part in being made fun of over and done with. My cousin, on the other hand, had it much harder. She decided to bring her new boyfriend and the family grilled the both of them (Begay family initiation). It’s always a little tough when training is intense around the holiday season. While I was home for a few days, I realized how much I sometimes take it for granted to be around people who understand what I’m doing. I suppose you realize these things when you step outside the running bubble for a little while. My running bubble includes everything about my life in the present that involves running (friends, coaches, training location, etc.). I always find it a little tough because I have to make adjustments. I’m on someone else’s time schedule and most times running is not their schedule. Some of those adjustments I have to make include changing running times or missing out on things to get my runs in. I have to admit that while I was home, I was a little grumpy running because I was missing out on some family fun. My grumpiness made me wish I was back in Flagstaff where fun activities are scheduled around running. In my times of grumpiness when running is chosen over other enjoyable things, I remember that my lifestyle as a runner is a choice, not a sacrifice. Having this attitude helps me to not feel so negative. It also helps me knowing that what I do today (no matter what day) is going to make me better tomorrow or in two weeks. My family is also very understanding and supportive. Most times they make adjustments for me, too. I guess it’s all about making compromises and having balance. My teammate and roommate Trent ran in the Cal International Marathon today. He placed 6th and finished in 2:16. We are all proud of him. The Mountain House hopes he comes home soon so he can help with snow shoveling. :) Thanks for reading.
Entry #171 I enjoy Thanksgiving for many reasons: visiting with family, the food, college football (Hook ‘Em Horns), and the opportunity to reflect and give thanks. This past week, my wife and I made the trip back to Texas for an extended break, one which was very much needed. Our families took us in and fed us far too much. In the midst of all the travel between families, I had the opportunity to test the legs in a Turkey Chase in Corpus Christi, on the Gulf Coast of Texas. The Corpus Christi Road Runners have put this race on for years but this was my first time in six years to toe the line. In my pre-race warm-up I lost contact with the course but thankfully found the race director, Clent Mericle, who graciously took the time to draw the route on the sidewalk with a rock. Overall, the race went well and I achieved the objective of improving my performance with each race. This weekend, my trusty training partner, Trent Briney, is racing the Cal International Marathon. After watching this guy tear through workouts all fall, I know he is in peak shape, very likely the best shape of his life. This is a guy who is due for a big race, this weekend will be the one. As far as training goes, I couldn’t be more pleased. Each workout seems to be building on the last. This morning, I worked through 16 quarters with Brett, Jordan and Martin. Each taking turns in the lead, we steadily cranked the effort and times down. It was an awesome experience to be feeding off the energy of the group, knowing we are making each other better. It wasn’t a competition, no half-stepping or clipping of heels, just a solid effort, getting the work done just as we do week in and week out.
Entry #170 T-2 weeks to Club XC...My, how the time does fly by! When the women's team got together and talked about Club XC for the first time, it seemed as if we had plenty of time to prepare, and now, all of a sudden, it's almost here! For me personally, training started to come together just in the nick of time. I'm still feeling a little unprepared, but it's at the point where I can't question my fitness, and I have to just get out there and race tough. Our team is ready and excited to go out and compete with the best teams in the country. I'd like to take a step back and congratulate the Chiba Ekiden team. Everyone in our group ran very well, and I'm still amazed that our group sent four of the six selected. That is certainly a tribute to how well our group has performed this year. Thanksgiving week was very low key, as most everyone was either racing or home. I had a lovely Thanksgiving meal with the Painter family, who were kind enough to invite me over. Thank you Trina for a wonderful evening! Since I didn't get to home for Thanksgiving, I am very much looking forward to being home for Christmas. Winter has started creeping into Flagstaff, but overall we have been very lucky with the weather. Keep your fingers crossed winter continues to hold off a little longer! Until next time...
Entry #169 Well, it's about 1 in the morning as I am trying to adjust to the eastern time zone after returning from Japan yesterday. Sleeping for 15 hours last night probably wasn't the best idea, but at least now I have a chance to write my blog for the website. As I mentioned before, I had spent the weekend in Japan with a few of my teammates to compete in Chiba Ekiden. The beginning of the trip wasn't the smoothest as our car was broken into the night before our flight and all of my things were stolen (computer, camera, USA gear, ipod, everything). All I was left with was my passport, wallet, phone and the clothes on my back. Obviously, not going on the trip wasn't an option, so I departed to Japan with the bare essentials and a police report. Luckily, we have an amazing sponsor in Adidas and a rep that is second to none in Eron Osterhaus. Eron was able to set me up with my favorite pair of flats before race day. A big thanks to him and Adidas for that. Besides the initial drama, the trip was fairly low key. Our team was great to hang out with and the mood was always light which is always nice in a high pressure setting. Although we didn't get to see much of Japan while we were there, I still enjoyed representing the USA and competing internationally. As for the race itself, I was extremely satisfied with our team's performance. I don't think we were favored by many (besides us) to finish in the top five, and it's always nice to surprise people. That's about all I have to say for now. I'm going to see if I can get a little sleep so I can be fully awake to see the Broncos get their butts handed to them tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving.
Entry #168 I write this blog from Japan, where Ian, Andrew, Jordan and I are for the 2009 Chiba Ekiden. It’s Sunday here and we race tomorrow afternoon. We arrived Friday night to the Nihon Aerobics Center where we are staying for the entirety of our trip. This place is awesome. The girls and boys each have our own cabin, which smells eerily like a sauna, and has 2 bedrooms and a kitchen/living area. We eat all our meals in ‘Bistro NAC,’ which is a dining hall with Japanese and Chinese food, rice has become my new best friend. This center has a track, indoor pool, woodchip running loop, what Ian is convinced are bocce courts, heated toilet seats and so much more. The walls inside the main lobby are covered in signatures of famous athletes from all over the world who have trained here. They take great care of the athletes and this is truly a special place. While I’m here I can’t help but miss my teammates back in Flag who I’ve been training with for the past 6 weeks as we prepare for the Club Cross Country Championships on December 12th. I often neglect training details in my blog, so I want to touch a bit on how the women’s team has been working out as of late, especially since we were all able to sync up training schedules. Workouts have included long hill circuits of about 2 miles each and we’ll do 3-5 reps. We’ve done short, steep hill repeats of just under a minute and those of you who read Lemon’s blog have a good idea of what that workout’s like. We’ve done several steady states varying from 6-10 miles (yeah Paige!), mile repeats and 1-minute fartleks on the grass with hurdles, to get the full XC simulation. Some highlights of this training block for me have been watching Alvina, Emily and Paige absolutely dominate the steady state a few weeks ago. Another is running down to Biff’s bagels on Thursday mornings in a big pack, including honorary team member Courtney Burrell. Finally, pretty much any easy day in which I’m accompanied by Jaime. Prior to Jaime’s arrival I pounded out most easy days on my own, fortunately she recovers at a similar pace and I now often have company on those days. She’s always positive and pointing out how lucky we are to be able to do what we do in such a beautiful place. She’s right. Few people have opportunities like this in life and I’m very fortunate!
Entry #167 When I first came to Flagstaff, I kept track of how many weeks I had been here pretty easily. My thought was that once I didn’t know how many weeks it had been, it would feel more like home. I am now at a place where I couldn’t tell you exactly how many weeks I’ve been here. While I still miss my friends and family, I do not feel as new here in Flagstaff anymore. As I mentioned in my last blog, I coached cross country at the middle school this year. The season ended on Halloween with the state championships in Phoenix. It was a fun day. I loved watching my athletes run hard and have fun. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to work with a truly incredible group of students. While their high energy levels can be exhausting, their excitement for life is contagious. Running has been a little bit tough for me lately as I struggle to find my rhythm. Racing on the roads feels much different than racing cross country in college. My performances so far this season have been disappointing, as they have not been an indication of my fitness. Workouts are going pretty well, so for now my goal is to keep putting in the work and hope that something clicks soon. The women’s team is gearing up for Club Cross Country Nationals and I can’t wait for that! Several of my teammates are heading to Japan this week for the Chiba Ekiden! Good luck Lindsay, Jordan, Ian, and Andrew! I know you will do a great job representing the US. Also, good luck to my college team – NAIA cross country nationals are next weekend!
Entry #166 Two weeks ago, I got a once in a lifetime experience. I got an invite from the NYRR to come check out the New York City Marathon to see if it might be something I want to do in the future. I flew out there without any idea of what to expect from the weekend, and got blown away by how well these people know how to put on a marathon. My role while I was there was basically that of an athlete who was running the race, only I didn’t actually have to run the race. I got to stay in the same hotel, eat all the same food, go to all the same meetings and even be at the starting line. I experienced everything the athletes do, minus the pain of running the marathon itself. Instead of running, I got one of the best seats in the house – riding along in the lead vehicle for the entire men’s race. I saw every move that was made, the pain on everyone’s faces, and the guts and determination it takes to win one of the biggest marathons in the world. I got to see all the pointless surges made early on and the price the people making them paid. I left with a whole new understanding of the marathon and how it should be raced, which is probably good as I’m heading into my first one in January. The best part about it though, was that I got to see a really good race, plain and simple. There’s nothing that gets you more fired up than seeing the best runners in the world going at it for 2 plus hours and watching one of your fellow countrymen want it so bad and come out victorious. It was 2 hours and 9 minutes that I won’t forget and that I will definitely look back on when my time comes to toe the line. I can’t write about the New York City Marathon and not talk about Mary Wittenberg, David Monti, and Sam Grotewold. These three people put so much effort into that one day and it shows. On race morning, I’ve never seen such cool, calm, and collected people. Everything seemed to run so smoothly, and if there was a problem, it was taken care of quickly and without an ounce of panic. I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me, for McMillan Elite, and for American distance running. They are giving people like me and countless others the opportunity to make a decent living in professional running. Without their support and the support of others like them, our group would not be what it has become today. So thanks everybody!
Entry #165 The sunrises and sunsets up in flagstaff can just be awe inspiring to look at. With colors of purple, pink, red, blue, orange and black, you can get lost in the beauty of the sky and forget yourself in that mental picture. It reminds me of one of my favorite songs by “The Broadways,” which they sing about those people who usually get to see the beauty of those sunrises; who are the druggies, boozers and the crazy people of this world. I know which one I am, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I just wish more people would join me! The summer base training is winding down, where I once again reached my new highest with mileage. Most of the time this year I have been feeling really good with the mileage. Nothing was really bugging me or making me feel like I was going into the well. That changed a few weeks ago when I went back home to see the family then came back to flagstaff. I kept up the miles but felt like a million pounds, then I started to run the way I felt. It was a good reminder that running is a roller coaster ride. Lots of ups and downs, and I need to keep a good head on my shoulders and go with the flow. In a short couple of weeks, myself and some of my teammates get to represent the United States in a mixed-team marathon relay in Japan. When I found out I made the team, I yelled out loud for a long time. I’m pretty sure I scared all the dogs around the neighborhood and made people reach for their phones, just in case something had happened. It’s been a dream for me to wear the red, white and blue of the United States for as long as I can remember, and I will soak up this experience. I hope this is just the next step for me, and I can use this to help make more teams and reach my Ultimate goal in 2012!
Entry #164 At some point in a runner’s career, every runner is forced to deal with an injury, and I’m no different. I had been training with the women’s team and running my best workouts in years as I prepared for the Tufts 10k in October. I had my heart set on winning the master’s race at the US Championship event. Everything was going great until my knee began to hurt about three weeks prior to the race. Like most competitors, I backed off a little and did some icing, but continued to train. I was too close to the race and it didn’t hurt enough to call it off. I felt so strongly that I could make it through the race and then I would deal with the injury. Race day was perfect in historic Boston. It was the perfect temperature with very little wind. The field was full of fast elite women both in the master’s and open races. The sky was clear and the course was fast. I felt really good on my warm up and was more excited to race than nervous. I took off and found myself in front of the other master’s women immediately. I had visions of winning the master’s division for months and I was making it come true step by step. I felt amazing as I ran across the first bridge. I gained energy and more excitement when I saw my teammate Lindsay Allen running so strong in her first 10k as the lead women raced by on the other side of the road after a turn. It was almost exactly at mile four when I jumped and screamed grabbing my knee, thinking “this can’t be happening!” Something in my knee suddenly “popped” and caused intense pain. I couldn’t straighten out my knee or run. I didn’t know if I should sit down or press on. I frantically tried to stretch it out and loosen it back up as I hobbled for a step or two, but was forced to stop again in pain. It seemed like time stood still as crazy thoughts raced through my head trying to figure out what to do and what just happened. The pack of runners that included my main competition, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Patty Murray, passed me and brought me back to reality just as quickly as they went by. I had to go... some thing deep inside of me willed me on, to continue, "maybe it will get better and you can catch back up," I told myself. I felt as if I was running on one leg for the next two miles, grimacing in pain with each step. Just when I thought maybe it was getting a little better, and I put an extra ounce of effort into my pace, my knee rudely responded with giving out on the next step. I played mind games with myself tricking my body into moving over the road and visualizing the finish line one step closer. Finally, I saw the finish line as I bravely did my best to “sprint” it in that long and final stretch. My friends and competitors waited for me in the finish area and asked “what happened?” and “are you ok?” It was difficult to answer not really knowing myself. I recall telling Lindsay I don’t know if I want to scream or cry? I’ll be honest... I did both that day. It’s now been almost four weeks from the race and I’m still not running. My MRI came up inconclusive, so I am doing rehab, rest and cross training. The pain is much better, and I can walk almost normally. I still don’t know what happened and I may never know, but I do know it as one of the worst racing experiences in my entire career. I’ve had tough days before, but never have I had a “mechanical failure” like that in a race. It also gave me perspective not to take anything for granted. To enjoy every run and workout weather good or bad because it can be taken away from you in a heartbeat. I’ve had enough injuries in my twenty plus years of racing to know that my body will heal with time. Thankfully, I don’t think this was a career ending injury, but maybe a reminder to respect my body and not ignore its warning signs. It’s a constant lesson that every runner needs to learn, and sometimes we have to be reminded in harsh ways so that we make the right choices. It’s a narrow margin of error of pushing yourself to the limit in training to get the maximum benefit and pushing yourself over the edge into the pit of injury. Sometimes we get away with it and sometimes we don’t. I know that I will listen more closely to what my body is telling me now and appreciate my daily workouts and future runs even more.
Entry #163 On Monday of this week, we had what I would easily call the most painful workout that we've run. The workout takes you to the absolute edge of your physical capacities (and beyond it for some), and you end up having to walk downstairs backwards for the remaining days of the week because your quads and glutes simply refuse to hold you up after what you have just done to them. Now, any of us could decide not to show up, or end up stopping the workout early, but everyone in attendance got through the minimum amount of reps set to us. We were set six to eight hill circuits which, even as I write the words, makes me feel tired. This workout hadn’t been run for a year now, and I had never run this with anyone else. We have been doing hill circuits over a different course on the other side of town, but they were longer, gentler inclines that didn’t turn us into useless lumps of putty. The whole circuit is around half a mile, and it involves one rep up the hill, some jogging, followed by around ten seconds of striding, a jog downhill and then another stride before you go straight into the next rep. That really doesn’t sound too bad and really, two thirds of it isn’t. It’s the first part of the loop where you suffer through forty seconds of lung bursting, leg deadening agony. It's one of those hills that when you look at it, it really doesn’t convey the amount of punishment that it is going to hand to you. Starting out isn’t actually that bad. The incline is runnable, but and here’s the big but, when you get through almost a third of the hill your suddenly finding yourself looking at the hill face on as it gets a few degrees steeper. At this point, it’s getting pretty hard, but you’ve only been running fifteen seconds, so you can handle it. It's at the twenty-five second point when you start to realize that you may have chosen the wrong sport when you were younger and life was so easy. The only way I can describe the feeling I think most of us felt was pain. Excruciating, horrible, vomit inducing pain. The hill gets steeper yet, and your legs are obviously going into some sort of defense mechanism to stop your whole body from disintegrating. I know I hit the wall every single time at the exact same point on every rep, and the only thing that was going through my head was how on earth was I going to move my body another step, never mind the next ten meters. When you finally finish the hill, you have no choice other than to try and gather any oxygen that is present in the vicinity and as quick as you can. I have never breathed that hard before, and I don’t know if I could start this workout again knowing what is store for us all at the top. Now the kicker here was that Greg stated that this workout was to be done at eighty percent. I don’t care if your going at one percent or a hundred, you are going to be using every ounce of energy to get to the crest of the hill. The best part of this particular workout was the quotes that were spewing out of everyone’s lactic flooded mouths: “Does anyone else’s teeth hurt?!” “My ears are tired!” “Uuueeegghh huuuhuuuu…..there’s last nights dinner!” Anyway, enough of the details about this workout, the less I think about it, the better! Today’s workout of four reps around Buffalo Park seemed infinitely easier, although I was hurting through this session also. Now I’m looking forward to enjoying the last days of gorgeous weather before the impending Flagstaff winter hits us. I hope everyone is training well and are looking forward to the winter season. Lemon
Entry #162 As the two-year anniversary of the death of my friend and former roommate Ryan Shay approaches, I can’t help but remember and go through the emotions of Nov. 3, 2007. Looking back even now, everything is still very clear. I can still remember every single thing that happened that day. I remember waking up super early to see the start of Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials, wishing all of Flagstaff runners luck via text message, sitting in the elite tent hearing an official say that Ryan’s heart had stopped, trying to call Alicia, Tracy telling me that Ryan died, not knowing what to do but go for a run as I sat all alone in my room crying, talking and crying to my parents on the phone, Greg telling me that Ryan would want me to run the New York City Marathon the very next day, and sitting with Phil Wharton in the hallway of the hotel crying, praying, and meditating before going to bed. I also remember everything else that happened in between. It took me a long time to come to terms with what happened. I was angry, confused, and emotional for a while. How could something like that happen to a person who worked so hard, had good morals and ethics, and had all the qualities of a genuinely good person? I still think of Ryan often. I cry sometimes when I think of that day and when I talk about Ryan. I left New York City a different person and with a new perspective on life. I learned about how strong my mind and heart is and can be. I am able let go of disappointing races and training sessions a lot easier now. I can stop, take a breath and appreciate what I have in the present. One lesson a handful of us received that day was the importance of appreciating what we have because something or someone so precious can be taken away from us in an instant. Ryan’s death also showed me the true colors of all the people in my life. Many people showed their support and kindness in so many different ways. Phil Wharton sat with me the night before my marathon just to make sure I was okay after working such a long day. My parents and sister were ready to get on the next plane to New York City just to be with me. Trina Painter called and told me to not hold any emotions in. You don’t forget the people who called and showed their support in difficult times. I see Alicia around town time and again and I think of her often. Her strength, spirituality and faith in a brighter future continues to inspire me. I am also so proud of Stephan Shay. I see glimpses of Ryan when I see and talk to him at races. Many of us in Flagstaff were blessed to have known Ryan. He was an inspiration to us all. In closing, I’d like to share a quote that I came across. “God allows us to experience the low points of life
in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way.
The way we learn those lessons is not to deny the feelings
but to find the meanings underlying them.” Thank You.
Entry #161 I would like to spend the majority of this blog congratulating my teammates on how great things have been going this fall. Just a few weeks ago, Brett and Carlson helped the U.S. to its highest finish ever in the history of the World Half Marathon Championships, 4th place. This was a truly great and pretty historic achievement if you really think about it. Now, today I check my email and find out that the entire men's side of the Chiba Ekiden team USA is comprised of McMillanElite athletes, and that Lindsay will also compete for the women. Really big time stuff that I am proud to even be associated with. It really helps to add confidence in all that we do out here to get to train with these type of people every day. In my spare time, I have been reading a book given to me by Brett entitled "The Ice Man." Brett was a psychology major, and this book looks at the inner workings of the creation of Richard Kuklinski, the most prolific hit-man of all time. See for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xopaCQB4XM0
Entry #160 Identifiable tracks seen while running this week: running shoe, mountain bike, elk (big & small), horse, canine (dog and likely coyote since we hear them at night), and last but not least, raccoon. I wish I could bottle the little bursts of joy that I feel when I plop my foot down next to a raccoon track in the dirt in the trails near our house, so that when I’m lacking motivation to run the next day I could uncork it to get me going. I am here to report that I did not accomplish the running goals I set out for myself this past spring in this very blog. I only specified the goal of racing, but underlying that was the goal of fitness and I don’t feel that I’m there, or even close. Now, I’m just the business manager of the team, not one of the athletes, but still—I am an individual with a desire to be fit, both mentally and physically—so what’s my problem?! While I couldn’t physically run a marathon tomorrow, my barriers are definitely mental, not physical. I need to find my athletic mojo again. For me, athletic mojo is tied to overall happiness and maybe that’s the ticket. I am very happy with the decision made in 2007 to no longer be a full-time professor; but yet I still haven’t come to terms with what I want to do. Being a consultant, part-time instructor and business manager for the team (and mom!) is great, and I at least feel like I’ve been honest with myself about what I don’t want to do, but what do I truly want to do? I know what I really enjoy, but pursuing it along a business path involves a steep learning curve and no true clarity and that right now is scary. So, I will search for clarity through running and yoga. I did yoga classes while I was writing my dissertation proposal and it helped me see each day in a better light, and it helped my running. I hope the combination will work its magic this time too!
Entry #159 Well, hello again everyone! Current training updates and plans... I had to stop in my marathon a couple weeks ago with some ball of the foot soreness and a little slowing just before/after half-marathon. It was a bummer. Usually foot soreness in the marathon for me doesn’t happen at all or if it does it is after 20 miles when it is normal. Anyway, rather than injure myself trying to gut out a performance I made the decision to stop. I’m anxious to have another opportunity to show my fitness that has been really getting in top form all year. I’m in PR shape at about any distance and running workouts that I couldn’t touch/dream of last year. I have been reaching some of my training goals like doing longer workouts at 7000ft. at or faster than 5:00 pace. At altitude it’s a little extra effort to hit that speed. Anyway, I made that jump this last segment and I’m ready to get the race results from it. So, after a week of being down about not finishing or having my day in the Twin Cities Marathon I’ve found my next goals and another opportunity. I’m running in Raleigh, NC in two weeks at the City of Oaks ½ marathon. My mother lives there and my uncle is flying in to run the marathon. The ½ marathon will be good for me to get out there and get the racing going again as I build towards a marathon in December/January. Most likely I’ll head out to Cal International Marathon but we’ll see. Regardless, I’m happy to have set my sights on something else that gives me a chance to capitalize on the gains in fitness this year and the overall healthy state of my body. Weather in Flagstaff has been great. It hasn’t been snowy yet, unlike many other parts of the country. The elk are back in force like they are every fall. The trees are thinning and changing colors. Fall marathon season is here with exciting results almost every weekend. And, the Denver Broncos are having a good season. 6-0 if we can tackle the Chargers tomorrow night on MNF. Last week’s mileage was 40-50 as a down week after running 15-17 hard miles during the marathon in Twin Cities and needing a small mental break too. This week’s mileage was 95 as I needed to get back into the swing of things enough so that I can put in 110+ for the next 6-8 weeks in preparation for a marathon. Ran an easy/medium 18 miler this weekend in 1:56 on A1 mountain road and did an moderate effort 8 by 2min. fartlek last Monday to get the legs moving a bit. This week’s agenda is hills on Monday morning and probably a steady state or some other longer workout on Wednesday. Saturday will be back into the 18-20 mile range up on most people’s favorite run in Flagstaff. “Waterline Road”. It follows a working pipeline that brings water down to the city from the higher elevations on the San Francisco Peaks that form the backdrop of our training site (FLAGSTAFF, AZ). Thanks for following our team! Trent
Entry #158 Every journey begins with a first step. In my case, it was a great first step. After more than a year of battling injuries I finally toed the line and re-started the journey which I committed to two years ago. The event was a small, but well run race in Tucson, the Jim Click Run’n’Roll 8k. The results were encouraging, but left me hungry for much, much more. Thankfully, Bri, and Jaime, and I were treated to first class pre- and post-race hospitality by Bonnie and Dean, great runners, great conversationalists and great people overall. Having a home-like atmosphere goes a long way to easing pre-race nerves. Every aspect was covered, from the first jog when we arrived, to soaking our legs in a warm pool, to a great carbo loading dinner and delicious root beer. Many thanks, Bonnie and Dean, for your great hospitality, we hope we can return the favor the next time you are in Flagstaff. One other great detail about the day was all the text messages from my teammates wanting to know how I raced. It reminded me of how great it is to be a part of a team, especially McMillanElite. This past weekend, Andrew Lemoncello, Brett Gotcher and Andrew Carlson made the trip to Birmingham, England for the World Half-Marathon Championships. It was a great day for Lemon, Brett and AC who both finished very well, with Lemon recording a PR on a tough course. Be sure to check out the new photo galleries of the athletes being added to the Photo Page by local photographer Melissa Dunstan.
Entry #157 This past week I was able to go home and spend time with my WHOLE family…Patrick is home from Afghanistan!! It’s been a long time the Higgins’/Sharkey’s were all together, I think a little over 10 months. That might not be long for some, but for me, it seems like an eternity. My family makes me feel so at ease, comfortable, and happy. Shannon is the originator of my nickname “Paigie”. I always wait for her to call me that. It makes my day every time. Patrick and I spent time together watching bad movies and giving each other sarcastic responses to the other’s questions. Mike throttled people in a cyclo cross race off of zero sleep, never complaining once. Dad and I bonded via a bike/run with me, and Mom had everyone lining up for her foot rubs. I don’t know what she does but it fixes everything!!! Truman, who is now 5 weeks old, dressed up as a bear for us and showed me his “ROAR!!!” (It’s funny for us, not so much for Shannon and Mike at 3am-ha).
I also got to run on the roads I’ve grown up on. I know what stop light changes when and in what order cars are allowed to go. I know to always be careful at the right hand turn of Simms and Kipling because people just don’t look there. I know I like the left side the C-470 trail better than the right, but to stay on the right side on Thursday’s because it’s “Bike to Work Day”. I know to the minute how long it takes to get anywhere on anyone of my runs. My favorite track in town is asphalt with a warped turn on the south end. I decided something last night as I was holding Truman . One of my new life goals is to make sure that Truman will always know he is totally and unconditionally loved; that he knows his family will ALWAYS be there for him. While everyone was finishing up their dinner, I told him I loved him sooooo much, and tried my best to be as “cozy” as I could be for him. This little baby boy, I can’t even put into words… To my family, I love you more than life. I miss you and you are in my heart every day. My family keeps me inspired. I want to be great for them. However I know no matter where I am in a race or in my life, my Mom’s cheer will remain the same…”I love you Honey!”
Entry #156 As I take a short break from writing a paper assessing President Barack Obama’s plan for a healthy America, I can’t help but think of my time spent in Phoenix over the weekend. As much as I complain and dislike the Phoenix heat, I found myself enjoying the warmth of the sun. It's getting cold in Flagstaff. Emily and I drove down to Tempe, AZ on Friday to receive treatment from Dr. John Ball. I have to say that it was one of the most intense and painful treatment sessions I have ever received. Emily saw me squirm and scream. I don’t recall ever being in so much physical discomfort and being on the verge of crying. Despite the discomfort and pain, I walked out of Dr. Ball’s office with more hamstring flexibility. My brother John and his team ran in the prestigious Doug Conley Invitational in Tempe. One of my favorite things to do is go watch my brothers race and be their crazy cheerleader. The competitive part of my personality becomes very obvious while I’m running all over the course and screaming as loud as I can. Jack Daniels once told me, “People are different people when they are in competitive mode.” I can certainly attest to that. I spent the rest of the day with my sister, mother, and nephews. My mom and I had our usual little disagreements, laughs, and heart-to-heart talks. My sister and I shared some good laughs as we ganged up on our little brother John and his stylish vest. I spent some time with my nephews and now know who The Backyardigans are. After listening to babies cry and babble on the drive back up to Flagstaff, I was glad to come home to peace and quiet. After experiencing some quiet for a few minutes, I started to feel sad. Even though my family only lives two hours away, it is still tough when we all go our separate ways. It was also another fabulous weekend of racing for the team. Brett, AC, and Lemon represented the team this morning at the World Half-Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK. They all ran well. Martin Fagan also won the B.A.A. Half Marathon this morning. Congrats Martin!!!! Trina and Lindsay are ready to get crunk in the Tufts 10K tomorrow morning. Good luck ladies and wishing you fast legs and fast feet. In closing, training is coming along. I’m back to running 100 miles a week. Lately, my focus has been to improve my running form and get consistent treatment from Dr. Ball. Until next time, wishing you peaceful and fun runs.
Entry #155 Well, I’m sitting in a plane coming back from the US 10 Mile Champs held in Minneapolis, MN, and I figured this would be a good time to do my blog for the website. Looking back, I was pleased overall with my performance, 5th place with a time of 47:41. Going into the race, my goal was to be in the top three and see if I could be in position to win in the final mile. Although I wasn’t able to accomplish that, I still thought it was a solid effort- just not the breakthrough race I wanted to have. The pace was pretty quick for the first couple miles, and by mile 5, we were all strung out and in the positions we would eventually finish in. The course was definitely a grinder and had plenty of hills, however, the downhill sections were the parts of the course that I found particularly difficult. All the pounding that comes with running down an incline was pretty brutal, and by mile 7, my calves were shot. In hindsight, wearing flats built for 5k-10k might have been a bad idea. Fortunately, there was enough distance between me and the 6th and 7th place finishers that I could just cruise it in without having to dig too deep. Now that I have a couple decent races under my belt for the fall, it's time for putting in some serious miles- a very relative term for our group. My legs are fairly beat up right now so after I gimp through this week, I’m planning to break into the hundreds for my mileage totals for the first time in my life, and I have the rest of October and most of November to enjoy life in the triple digits. The highest I’ll go will probably be 110 depending on how the body feels. My next race is probably going to be over Thanksgiving, so we’ll see how my body responds to all that mileage.
Entry #154 Fall is typically my favorite time of the year, and fall in Flagstaff is proving to be no different. The weather is getting cooler, and while for many this is a sign of the coming winter, I tend to live in the moment and enjoy the crisp mountain air (although, it does make ice baths in our garage a little less enjoyable). The only thing I have missed here are the beautiful fall colors of the east coast. Back home, every direction you turn is covered with the vibrant oranges, yellows, and reds of the leaves (and the leaf tourists making the trek from the city to our back door, the Skyline Drive). Cooler weather isn't the only thing fall brings; a lot of the major road races are upon us, along with a lot of great performances from the McMillan athletes. Although I haven't been able to race as much as I would have hoped, it has still been rewarding and encouraging to see my teammates reap the benefits of all of their hard work and dedication. Just recently, we had a total of four athletes finish in the top ten at the US 5k Championships. Switching gears, running is just as emotionally tough as it is physically demanding. When I stop and look around, I realize how many runners are inevitably having a battle with their own body, whether it be a slight, nagging nuisance or a full-blown injury. We are constantly treading the fine, red line of going too far and trying to figure out the perfect balance to prevent ourselves from falling head first over that line. With that being said, I think Dr. John Ball is quickly becoming a huge asset to our team, in that he is able to cure those little quirks that no one has been able to figure out. I know those of us who have turned to him for help are more than grateful and thankful for his time and effort. A big congrats is due to Ian, who capped off another US Championship race with a another top ten finish (5th at the 10 mile champs). Also, it's a great tribute to McMillanElite that we are sending three athletes to the World Half Marathon Championships in London next weekend: Brett Gotcher, Andrew Carlson, and Andrew Lemoncello. As I mentioned, fall racing is officially here!
Entry #153 This past weekend, one of my best friends, Jon Pierce, tied the knot with Anna Willard. I was lucky enough to be given the best man honor for the wedding, and it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. It was really nice to go relax after months of hard training and preparing for that big day at the 20k. That’s not to say I didn’t get some amazing runs in along the way, but everything seems more enjoyable when you know all your hard work is paying off.
Being the best man was a great experience too. Jon has been a very good friend to me over the years, so I was happy to try my best to take care of him that weekend. Let me tell you though, those two have their act together. They were in Europe for 2 months, got back the week of the wedding, and somehow pulled it all together perfectly. Needless to say, there wasn’t a whole lot I had to take care of except driving him around and holding on to the rings (which was extremely nerve-racking). I did feel very VIP though. I got to sit at the main table at the reception and give a toast, which went over very well I might add. All in all, good people spending time together in a beautiful place makes for a great time. It was definitely a little hectic at times, but somehow I left feeling more refreshed than ever. Thanks guys!
Entry #152 Last weekend marked the first of what I hope to be many US Road Race Championships in my running career- the US 5k Championships. While I’m disappointed with my 10th place finish, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of pride when I received my medal and looked at the line of women finishing ahead of me. I was honored to be with such a talented group of female distance runners. This race gave me precious experience and lots of motivation for the rest of the fall, especially Tufts, the US 10k Road championships in 2 weeks. While I’ve never run a 10k, I’ve never felt more prepared. For this I credit my team. Recently there has been much chatter among the running community as to the benefits of training with a group. This was Greg’s vision years ago, he created a group of elite athletes to train together every day, making one another better. Many people consider running THE individual sport, but I believe you’ll reach success much sooner when you’re not solely focused on pushing yourself. Rather, you’ll benefit by pushing others and allowing yourself to be pushed back. I want to talk about all the things I do to better myself as a runner and how it’s made easier, and often possible, because of my team. I consider the big players in a runner’s development to include training, stretching, massage, eating right, sleeping, resting and recovery. When it comes to workouts and substantial runs, I depend on my training partners. Since I last wrote in, I’ve run 3 straight weeks of 100 miles, very few of which I did alone. Jaime, my new training partner, always keeps things positive and we’re fortunate to have very compatible training styles. Trina is my savior when it comes to toughing things out. When I get tired, Trina pulls me along, helping me to times I’ve never run before. I’d be lost without you guys! Recovery might seem like a pretty individual concept, but I’ve found that’s not always the case. We have an ice bath in our garage, perfect for dipping your legs in after a hard effort. This was no problem in the summertime; the 52-degree water almost seemed refreshing. However, with fall creeping in, it hasn’t come so easy. This is where I need extra motivation, Trina will be joining me at Tufts so our new motto is to ‘tuft’ things out. In this case, we ‘tuft’ out a much needed ice bath on a not-so-warm day last week. My legs were grateful. Finally, eating right, a seemingly simple concept, which often becomes difficult after a looong day. I’ve been known to get lazy and eat chips for dinner when I lose steam, but dinner should be a time to properly refuel and relax. At our house, we often cook for each other to ensure we’re all well taken care of. Popular Cooper2 menu items include calzones, quesadillas, chili, meatballs, salads, and soups. Tonight Paige is making her infamous grilled cheese sandwiches and corn chowder, it’s just 10am right now and I’m already full of anticipation! My challenge for the rest of the fall is to include more rest and relaxation time into my life. I’ve become better at kicking back and watching TV, but I still I tend to overstuff my days; it’s genetic (thanks Mom!) I love my jobs and often rush around, finding myself exhausted at the end of the day. Many of my teammates have mastered the art of recovery; again I’ll look to them for help. So thank you to everyone at McMillanElite who makes it a truly great environment for success!
Entry #151 BEFORE I woke up about 8am east coast time and went for a little walk around the hotel. Around ten, everyone (Greg, Ian, Lemon, Jaime, Lindsay and myself) met up in the lobby to run the course and do some strides. Ian explained it the best, “It’s not a hard course, but it’s not really an easy course, it’s just kind of like, in the middle.” After the run, some of us headed over to the store to pick up some food. We didn’t know how far the store was, so we hopped on the hotel shuttle, to find out that it was about 400 meters away. I picked up the usual, some bananas, bagels, a little peanut butter, and something to drink. You might think that we travel to all these places and see cool things, which is mostly true, but we need to rest the legs, so most of the time is spent sitting around the room saving the legs. So today is easy to write about. Ian and I are watching television in the room waiting for dinner, and nothing much else is going on. Dinner will be fun, sitting around with all these really fast people just trying to fit in and be known. Well, I'm going to stop writing and focus on being lazy... AFTER
Entry #150 As I write this, I am sitting on the floor of the Chicago airport. We are delayed because there is a “foul smell” on the plane. Waiting for them to find a new plane provides a perfect time to write my blog… Earlier today (Sunday), I ran my first post-collegiate race – the USATF 5k Championships in Rhode Island. It was exciting to stand on the line wearing my new adidas uniform, surrounded by some of the best runners in the country. While Providence was beautiful and the trip itself was a lot of fun, the race didn’t quite go the way I’d hoped. After doing nothing but base training since arriving in Flagstaff, my legs didn’t respond when I attempted to run at a faster pace than I had in months. Overall, it was a good learning experience and a reminder of what it feels like to push your body. I am very proud of my teammates Lindsay, Jordan, Lemon and Ian. It is humbling to be part of such a talented team. My parents surprised me and came to watch the race! Mom and Dad, thank you so much for all your support and for making me feel so loved. The weeks leading up to the race have consisted of some of my highest mileage weeks ever strung together. While I didn’t race very well, I am confident that this base training will pay off in the spring. Outside of running, I am settling in nicely in Flagstaff. This weekend marks the eighth week since I made the move. A few weeks ago my friends Jenny, Whitney, Olivia, and Mandy came to visit. We had a blast going to the creek, hiking through the lava caves, and just eating, talking, and laughing together. Girls, I am so glad I had the chance to show you around my new home and I can’t wait for the next time I get to see you all! Last weekend we had a recruit, Kellyn Johnson, come and stay with us. I am very pleased that she will be joining us when she finishes up school this winter! Kellyn, welcome to team! I am the cross country coach at Flagstaff Middle School. I love the time I spend with my team. The excitement they have for running is refreshing. When I was in middle school, we didn’t have cross country. It is fun to see the way it starts out, and to be a part of it. I am thankful for the tremendous support I receive from the administration at Flag Middle, as well as some of the parents (especially Trina, thanks!!). I’d like to give a shout out to my college team. The APU women ran great on Saturday, with 5 girls under 18:00 for the 5k course. Jacky, you are always an inspiration to me and I am thankful for the time we had to train together. And to the rest of the girls, I love you and I miss you, keep kickin’ butt! Still awaiting either another plane or for them to find a way to “de-smell” this one…looks like it might be a long night in Chicago. As I end, I want to say thank you to my family and friends for all the love and support I constantly receive. I love you all, thanks for all you do for me!
Entry #149 After spending the last month doing my running at home on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, I arrived back in Flagstaff this past Sunday feeling refreshed and ready to get back into some serious training up here at altitude. I think the time away just helped me to prepare and really get fired up for the upcoming year. It was very easy to get in a bunch of miles while away though, since I'm always excited to hit all my old routes and trails, especially in the summertime. I would say I split the majority of my time between the trails on the Otis Airforce base in Sandwich, and the Trail of Tears in Marstons Mills. Both are always in great shape, and one can easily cover between 10 and 20 miles there, whatever the day calls for really. I also went back to an old staple, hitting runs at Hyannisport and Wianno golf courses. Both are beautifully manicured courses located right on the ocean, and luckily the people in charge have no problem with me bombing right down the middle of the fairways as long as I don't bother the golfers. My first week home I was a groomsman in my friend Tommy's wedding, and they had their reception held at a place right on the harbor in Onset. Great location and a great time, as it was great to see a bunch of family and friends there. I spent the majority of the trip just going to the beach, hitting friends' pools, and catching up with people who I'm unable to see for the better part of each year. All in all, a great trip that left me feeling happy and focused.
Entry #148 It’s 7:46 p.m., and I’m ready to go to bed. I’m tired, I admit it! It’s been a busy week for me. It started with hosting one of the largest high school cross country meets in Arizona last Saturday. McMillanElite and adidas sponsored The Peaks Invite this year and made it extra special for the runners. We had super cool adidas awards for the top runners, and most of the McMillan team was on hand working the finish chute and handing out awards. Thank you to everyone who helped at the event. Then, I had a super good workout with Lindsay on Wednesday at Buffalo Park. We did a steady state run that was supposed to be between 6-8 miles. Neither of us felt particularly good that morning, so we decided to take it easy and start out around 6:40-6:50 for the first mile. Well, that didn’t happen as we cruised through the first at 6:30 pace and dropped it from there. We did decide to stop after 6 miles as Lindsay woke up feeling a little sick that morning. I thought it was a solid workout for both of us, all things considered, but Lindsay had her heart set on doing 8 miles that day and talked me into doing one more two-mile lap with her after a short recovery. The last lap ended up being our fastest lap of the day. We were both tired but very excited with the workout. It was by far the best I’ve felt and run in a long time. I’m really looking forward to racing at the Tufts 10k in October with Lindsay and Emily. Later that day, I drove a van full of middle school cross country runners (including my daughter Hannah) to their first meet of the season in Cottonwood, AZ. I was so tired from the workout earlier, I could barely run around to cheer for the team, but enjoyed watching Hannah and her teammates race. Saturday had me loading a bus at 6:15 a.m. with my high school x-c team for a meet in Prescott. After the meet, I drove with my family to Phoenix. It was a short visit, but we were able to visit with some family, and I ran in a 5k Sunday morning as a tune up for the Tufts 10k in October. I didn’t run as fast as I had planned, but given the week I had, I’m just thankful that I made it to the start and finish line!
Entry #147 The summer is now ending, and this means that after 3 months of some of the best training of my life, it is time to start racing again. I was hoping to kick off the season with a bang at last weekend's Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach half marathon, but this was not to be. I have been suffering badly the last couple of weeks with stomach pains that have kept me off of work, so I went to the doctors where it seemed like he extracted half of my blood supply for a battery of tests he wanted to conduct. I went into the race with a positive attitude and wasn’t thinking about any of things that had gone wrong in the week leading up to the race, but in the end, the race ended up being what I would normally consider tempo pace, so at least I got a good workout out of the weekend. I was luckily still selected for the World Half-Marathon Championships, which has been my aim since I started back training, so I have a month to get back into the groove that I have been riding the last 3 months. I am still very confident I can do well, as I have hit higher mileage and faster times than I have in the past, so my race merely indicated to me that there was more something wrong with me rather than me not being fit. I will also be racing the road 5km in Providence next weekend as a sharpener for my legs before the championships. I don’t think I have ever run a 5km on the roads so I’m quite excited to see how I fair against America’s best. A big congratulations goes out to my house mate Brett for his first USA championships. Hopefully this will be a springboard for a long and successful career for him and the first of many championship titles.
Entry #146 So, I was supposed to write a blog the week before the World Champs. Middle was nice enough to prolong it until after the marathon. The last few blogs I wrote were followed by me either getting sick or injured. I’m hoping I’m going to break the streak with this one! It’s been about 2 weeks since the World Champs. It was a surreal experience. I ran with women who I respect and admire. At one point in the race, I ran through the Brandenbourgh Gates with a Japanese and Korean marathoner. We in no way, shape, or form could have a decent conversation with each other, but we were running as one, running our best we could for our countries in one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. At one point I was running with a Kenyan woman. She was suggesting I should run on the two rows of cobblestones on the road via elbow. I was not to happy with her at the time, but the next day during the tour I learned that the cobblestones were where the Berlin Wall once stood….pretty…freakin…cool. After the race, I was able to tour Berlin. I went full swing “tourist” with my parents. We hopped on 3 tours, went to the top of the Television Tower, ate at awesome restaurants (although not as good as the dinners Terri McManus made for us at her house!), and learned so much about the city which I was running in yet failed to look up at and appreciate. Once again, super cool. As much as I loved experiencing what Europe had to offer, I was pretty happy to come home to the states and my family. Patrick is coming home in 5 weeks, and my sister and brother in law are going to have their baby soon. It’s going to be a welcome home for Patrick, and an overall “welcome” for the newest member of our Higgins family (well…Sharkey, but Higgins is in there!). I also got to catch up with all my friends in Colorado and had a great time. I have so many people to thank it would take up another blog! To my team, family, and friends…thank you for all the emails, text messages, letters, and phone calls. YOU got me through this and I am incredibly grateful. I’m pumped to see what my team can do this fall, they are looking good!!! The McManus family, thank you soooo much for letting us into your home for two weeks and for Terri cooking rock star dinners, you guys are the best. To adidas, thank you for your hospitality, generosity, and support. To USATF, thank you for making sure I was safe, settled, and ready to go on race day. Greg and Tracy, thank you for giving me a wonderful first experience in Europe and being there every step of the way. To Dr. Yuri Lewicky…thank you for working a small miracle. I literally wouldn’t be running right now had it not been for your unparalleled skill and care. To everyone that has ever made a wish for me, or cheered me on…thank you. I might be the one running the race, but I’m never alone. It would not be possible without the wonderful support I am surrounded by in my life. My victories are yours. [NOTE: Paige's nephew Truman James Sharkey was born on September 4th]
Entry #145 It’s my turn to write the blog and I don’t know where to start. We just returned from spending 4 weeks in Europe preparing Paige for the marathon at the World Championships and then witnessing the event in Berlin. It was a great time, and I actually blogged throughout the stay so you can catch up on nearly all of our activities (I still have a couple of entries left to complete the trip!) here: http://mcmillanfamilyadventures.blogspot.com/. I am still trying to get my energy back and get oriented to life back in the USA 5 days after returning. Here are the things I’ll miss about Germany: 1. Smaller cars, narrower roads, bike paths, Woonerfs, playgrounds (rail too, but we didn’t use it this trip at all): I’m a transportation planner by training and one that advocates for multi-modal transportation systems. As a whole, we fail miserably at this in the United States. We are a car-centric nation that loves our big cars and have a transportation system built pretty much for that mode only. In my other job as a consultant, I work hard with many other folks around the country to make walking and bicycling possible and safe for schoolchildren in the US. While we’ve made progress and more kids are using these modes and rediscovering the joy and freedom of doing so, we have an uphill battle to get our Senators and Congressman to support the idea that these things matter (if it matters to you, let your representatives know!). Yes, roads and bridges are important but so are sidewalks, bike paths and better-designed street networks. Evidence is beginning to mount that these items can reduce congestion, auto emissions and increase physical activity—a very good thing for an overweight nation like ours! In Germany you learned to share the road in places where there weren’t off-road alternatives for walking and cycling, but in so many places there were. These paths lead you to local stores, schools, playgrounds, work places, etc. Our host in Herzo, Mike McManus, rode his bike to work at adidas World Headquarters every day and I bet he never touched a surface street except to cross it—awesome. 2. User fees: OK, this is still the planner in me talking. I am a proponent of user fees. You want it? Well, pay for it. Don’t want it? You don’t have to pay for it. This is a fairly logical way to keeps costs, use and waste in check in everything from roadway use to shopping carts! Toll roads are an obvious example that we are seeing more and more of here in the US (I grew up in the Northeast and lived with them all my life, but they were a relatively new phenomenon in CA when we arrived in ’97, and in TX in ’04!). While people think we pay for roadways via the gas tax, the tax hasn’t increased in years while the cost of maintaining and building roads has, so we’re nearing the end of that road pot of gold that we’ve lived on for so long. Two not so obvious examples from Germany that I loved were “renting” a shopping cart and paying to use the toilet in a public location. First, the shopping cart: all the shopping carts are locked together at the market and to get one you insert a Euro into a slot. It releases the lock, you use the cart while shopping and when you’re done, if you return the cart to where they are collected and locked together, you get your Euro back. While this is not necessarily a straightforward user fee, it is the same general idea and the market does not have to pay an employee to run around the parking lot and beyond to collect carts, because everyone wants their Euro back! OK, on to public toilets. We quickly learned to carry 50 cents (euros) with us in case you needed to use a toilet. While some folks grumbled about this, I thought it totally made sense. Hey, do you want a bathroom available and a clean one at that? Well then, pay for it! There have been plenty of times I’ve made a quick exit out of a US restroom for fear of what I might catch while in there! So I’ll gladly pay to use a toilet if it helps to employ someone to keep it sanitized. And if we were in an establishment where we were purchasing something (e.g., gas station, McDonalds) you got your money back because you were contributing to their business. Simple as that. 3. Toilets with a dual flush option: I promise, this is the last toilet reference! We are beginning to see these in the US but they are fairly common in Germany. Pick your flush mode based on how much water is needed to get it down the drain. Enough said! 4. And finally, something related to running! The smell of fresh baked bread on a morning run: there are wonderful bakeries/cafes that open first thing in the morning and the smell of the fresh baked bread wafted out their doors, making me regret I didn’t put a few Euros in my running shorts! Bread-making lessons begin this month at home!
Entry #144 Well, its that time of the late summer/early fall where the race season begins for most of us on the McMillanElite crew. Some are starting off their fall racing season next weekend with ½ marathons or 20k’s and most of these people have had great summer training so it will be fun to break out of training mode and start racing. I am maybe just a couple weeks away from starting my fall racing season as well. I am pretty fit from some solid summer training during the last 2 months. The two months have blown by in the blink of an eye as the consistent mileage between 105-125 keeps being put in the books. My marathon based endurance is doing real well as I have put in weekend long runs the last 5 weeks of 20 miles, 22, 22, 22 and 22 again last weekend. My workouts (i.e. tempo runs, steady states and fartleks) have been solid and better than what I have previously ever done at altitude, so I feel ready to start pushing it a bit as we enter into the racing section of the fall. We haven’t yet fully decided which marathon and lead up races we are going to tackle but I’m excited to compete with others and myself in pushing my body. I’ve had some fun during the last 2 months as we had a visiting runner from Scotland, Martin Graham, living in the house. He leaves to go home tomorrow but his fitness and spirits I’m sure have benefited greatly from his training stint here. He’s been my training partner since day 1 of arriving in town when he could barely keep up due to the altitude, hills and catching up on fitness. Now, after he has spent 2 months dedicated to working hard and smart with his running, taking naps and staying rested he is making great steps forward. His long runs have become week by week stronger and longer. His speed sessions have finally adapted to the altitude and training with faster training partners like Andrew Lemoncello and Brett Gotcher among others. And, his tempos and steady states just continue to build upon each other each week. I want to applaud his dedication to running and send him off with good tidings as he heads home to Scotland to race in the next couple of weeks and start back up his studies at his university. Many a days after I returned from work he would join me for Old Farts Loop (4 miles), The usual Ft. Valley Loop (6 miles), and sometimes as he got excited he would do afternoon 10 milers so he could set his mileage personal best of 130 miles. Exciting to share our running journey and aspirations with others... Although, we all have different ability levels and different goals, sharing in that journey is so fun and so rewarding. So, thanks Martin! And, oh yeah, he likes to play Texas Hold-Em Poker so we played a good bit during our downtime from running... It was good to have a buddy for one of the things I like to do when I want to be competitive or chill out away from running. Congrats to our McMillanElite teammate Paige Higgins in her first World Championship finishing in 30th place in the marathon. More to come from her for sure!
Entry #143 All the ups, none of the downs. Such great happenings to report here in Flagstaff. First, and foremost, Paige Higgins, in her usual way, demonstrated her extraordinary grit racing the World Championships Marathon this past weekend in Berlin. Facing the best female marathon line up the world has to offer, warm weather and a shortened training phase, she made her way through the pack passing many runners on her way to a 30th place finish in the entire world. Paige, your hard work and dedication to the sport and the team is inspiring. Thanks. My running is picking up, along with my confidence and hunger to race. After several months of what I term “shaky” running, I can finally relax and know my fitness is back, my workout times are dropping, and the injuries of the past are behind me. Of the events in the past few weeks, many things come to mind: the visit of my younger brother, Thomas; the team’s motivational meeting with Burt Gershater; and Trent’s birthday. Thomas’ visit helped me to get out of the office and do some of the touristy things I have never experience in tourist-rich Flagstaff. The Lava Tubes, Slide Rock and disc golf filled our days with plenty of action and fresh air. As he enters his freshman year of High School, I am glad to know he could spend his final few days of freedom here in Flag. Burt Gershater, our team’s sport psychologist, gave a great talk on fighting back the negatives, those pesky thoughts that enter our mind at will, taking with them the positives we have so long fought to maintain. I’ve heard many ratios respecting the mental vs. physical aspect of sport; without going into a full-blown exposition, I will simply note that it is obvious our mental attitude affects our physical performance more than we like to believe. Thanks, Burt. Finally, Trent Briney’s birthday bash. Of the desserts laid out on the dining room table, not an inch of table’s surface was to be seen. After dessert, the obligatory game of Catch Phrase was assembled. Am I the only one who thought Penelope Cruz was in Spanglish?
Entry #142 I will start my blog with congratulations to my McMillanElite teammate Paige Higgins and former college teammate Desiree Davila. They both ran in the Women’s World Marathon Championships this morning in Berlin Germany. Congratulations!!!! Paige placed 30th and Desiree placed 11th. I woke up at 2 am this morning and watched the race until I fell back asleep. It was awesome seeing Paige and Desiree wear red, white, and blue. Watching Paige train and crank out 120-140 mile weeks training for Worlds and then racing has been so inspiring. My 110+ mile weeks feel like peanuts compared to what she was doing for preparation. Paige took representing the U.S. seriously and McMillanElite is proud to call Paige our teammate and friend. I am currently about to start my last week of high mileage. Training is going well. This last month, I have run my highest mileage consistently. Going into week two of 110+ miles, I started to experience, “mileage irritability.” I have experienced, “mileage irritability,” during past training phases, but I never gave it much thought. A couple of weeks ago, I read a blog that Desiree wrote and she mentioned, “mileage irritability.” I thought she did a great job describing and capturing the symptoms. Desiree describes “mileage irritability,” as, “premenstrual without the puffiness.” I laughed immediately because there is truth to a change in tolerance of all sorts of things when training is intense and long. I have found myself being easily irritated by a lot of little stupid things like a guy at the grocery store wearing strong cologne, people updating their facebook status every hour, being called “honey,” all the receipts in my purse and car piling up, or someone being overly positive and smiling too big. It’s ridiculous, I know. We celebrated Trent’s Birthday on Tuesday. After dessert, we all played three rounds of Catch Phrase. Maybe it was the sugar from the dessert or the big bright pink couch in our living room, but everyone got loud and super competitive. The women’s team won the tie-breaking round in total dominance. Runners in Flagstaff take Catch Phrase and Scrabble very seriously. Don’t be surprised if you find or see both games in every running house. Be prepared to play the games when you attend festivities that involve runners in Flag. Word on the street is that Fasil has a special name for his Scrabble board and pieces, “The Black Onyx.” In closing, I want to thank Trina for doing her best to be Greg while he was in Germany. She did a fabulous job doing fluids during long runs and timing workouts. Thank you Trina. I also want to thank her high school coaching staff and Jordan’s parents for helping out with fluids as well. Thanks a bunch!!!
Entry #141 Greetings from Berlin! Where to begin? I've had the opportunity and privilege to accompany Paige and the McMillan family (at one and a half, Angus is one well-traveled little boy!) to Germany for the World Championships. We left Flagstaff August 1st for our first destination of the trip: Denver, Colorado. In Denver, we stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Higgins and got to see Paige's old stomping grounds, including where she would do her 4:30 a.m. runs (thank goodness those days are over for her!). The Higgins made us feel right at home, and it will be good to see them again here in Berlin!
Next stop: Herzogenaurach, Germany. After 48 hours within arrival to Herzo, Paige and I finally got settled into the Ramada, compliments of Adidas. Luckily we were able to get out of the hotel every evening to join the McManus family and the McMillans for delicious, home-cooked meals. We (Andrew, Lindsay, Paige, and I) do dinner together often in Flag, so this felt more like home to us. A tremendous thank you to the McManus family! Surprisingly, we both adjusted very well to the time change and got back into our normal routine quickly. Running in Herzo was perfect for both us; Paige had perfectly paved bike trails, and I had pristine, crushed gravel trails that weaved in and out of the forest areas. This was my first time coming down from altitude since moving to Flagstaff in February, so it was great to run fast again, yet be able to recover! Before leaving Herzo, I had one of my first harder workouts since coming back from an injury earlier this year. I did 5 x mile and was pleased that I was able to progressively run faster on each interval. I felt it was a good start to the fall with the prospect of many more solid workouts to come. Plus, it's not everyday that there is a photo shoot of a Jaguar and an Alfa Romeo going on directly on the track. Nothing like having fast cars for a little inspiration!
We also got the grand tour of Adidas headquarters (and access to the Adidas track), which was certainly inspiring. It was great to hear the history behind Adidas and what's in store for the future. Adidas has done so much for our group and in turn, has allowed many of us to continue to live out our dreams. Also, Ian and Lindsay made it onto the walls of one of the Adidas rooms! Our group certainly is making an impression! On the 17th, we made the five-hour drive to Berlin. After getting spoiled to the relaxing atmosphere of Herzo, the hustle and bustle of Berlin was a bit overwhelming upon arrival. We've since figured out the best route to the Tiergarten, which is a large park with paved and soft-surface trails throughout. Once again, Adidas has continued to spoil us. Greg and I have been able to acquire VIP tickets to the World Championships almost every evening to sit in the Adidas sky box, which came along with all kinds of perks, such as free drinks and food. Thanks Adidas! When we arrived in Europe, we thought Eurosport was great, with thorough coverage and detailed commentary, but seeing the meet live definitely tops all!
Paige is starting to feel good, and she's been rocking her workouts. She's definitely ready to go! The marathon course is a flat 10k loop, which is great for us spectators, who then have more opportunities to cheer on the USA women as they hopefully race to a team medal! Be sure to send she and the USA team lots of strong positive vibes on Sunday the 23rd! I've enjoyed the experience, but it will be nice to go home and see my family in Virginia next week before heading up to New Haven for the US 20k Championships, where I will open the fall season after a year off from racing. Signing off from Berlin...
Entry #140 Break time, Whooooooooo. As you may have guessed, I am currently on some much-needed down time from running and am fired up about it. I obviously enjoy running and love to race, but it’s always nice to take some time off to refresh the body and mind. Because Flagstaff is relatively close to my home in Colorado Springs, I decided to visit the family during my break. It had been a while since we had last spent time together, and a good friend of mine was getting married so I was pretty excited to get back. The wedding was awesome, and it was great to see some of my old friends that I don’t get to see that often.
After the wedding, my family and I went camping for a couple days and climbed two of Colorado’s 14,000ft mountains (14er’s), a typical vacation for us. Growing up, I was never too found of these outings, but I’m pretty thankful that my parents persisted on dragging us out to the mountains. I am extremely fortunate to have grown up with the people that I did. My dad has a sense of humor that is even dryer than mine, and he never fails to crack me up. My mom is one of the most supportive people I know, and is always fun to be around. As for my sisters and I, I guess we’re just chips off the old block. With regard to my season, I can easily say that the US 10k Championship in Atlanta was the highlight. Coming into the race, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I knew I was in good shape, but I had just come off of a couple of races where I experienced breathing difficulty due to allergies and asthma problems, so I didn’t know if it was going to be the same story or if I was going to finally break through. At the two-mile mark, I had my answer. We came through in 8:49, and I couldn’t have felt any easier- no wheezing, no shortness of breath, nothing but smooth sailing. After the two-mile split, all I can remember from the race were the masses of people cheering on the side of the road (there’s nothing like racing on the 4th of July in the South) and sprinting like hell to kick down two Kenyans on the downhill finish. It was the race I had been trying to have for about three months, something positive to build off of and carry into the next race on the hopes of stringing a couple solid performances together. The US 7-mile Championship was next on the list, three weeks later, and we knew exactly how to prepare. We simply duplicated the training from the 10k, and I was feeling pretty good come race day. At the starting line, I was confident and ready to give the top guys in the race a run for their money. The gun went off and… I ran like crap. After the first mile, I knew I was in for a long day. My legs didn’t have any pop, I was wheezing like someone who smokes two packs a day, and some little kid along the course asked his mom if I needed an ambulance. I managed to place 10th, but mentally I was pretty disheartened. I thought I had finally turned a corner after the 10k, but instead I found the same problems I had faced for the majority of the track season. So I suppose my break came at just the right time. Now I can refocus mentally and try to get ready for the fall season. The two priority races on the schedule are the US 5k and 10- Mile Champs. Fall is usually better for me allergy-wise, so we’ll see if I can have two consecutive good races.
Entry #139 LIVING THE LIFE For as long as I can remember, I have been living in a house or dorm with other people. From growing up in a house with my parents and sister, to college life and now the “real world”, there have always been other people. I’ve been very fortunate with the roommates I’ve had though, so it really has not been a bad thing (it also turns out my family at home is pretty easy to live with too). This month is going to be a little different. With Greg, Tracy, and Angus over in Germany for most of August, I got the call to house sit at their place. Their house is only about 4 or 5 miles from where I normally live, but it feels like it’s in a whole other place. The neighborhood out here consists of massive houses scattered across a meadow, all with amazing views of the peaks. Each house sits on about a 2-acre lot, so privacy is not really an issue, and backyards seem to be endless. I wasn’t sure how I’d respond to such solitude, as I’m used to Jordan and Matt singing their way through the house on a daily basis, but so far it’s been pretty nice. So what do I do out here? Well, there is no cable TV, and that scared me at first. Luckily, Greg left me hours of race footage from all the big races in history, many that happened before I was even born. I’ve also reconnected with a lot of music that I haven’t listened to in years and even brought the old guitar out for some good old-fashioned entertainment. A typical day out here usually starts with a steaming cup of coffee, followed by a little work, a little rest, and ends with a very healthy dinner on the back porch while the sun goes down. Oh yeah, and lots of running.
The best part about being out here is the effect it’s having on my running. Right now is a very important part of the year, as I get to log more miles and harder workouts than ever before in preparation for some key races and my first marathon. With that, however, must come a lot of rest. Under normal circumstances, I would feel the need to fill my time in between runs with some type of activity. I’ve realized from being out here that sleeping is a great activity. Sitting down, also an amazing activity. My life gets to completely revolve around running and what needs to happen to make it better. A great man I know called this “going to the cave,” a really nice, big cave in my case. Either way, it’s perfect for what I need to do right now, and at the rate I’m going, Greg and Tracy might have trouble getting me to leave. I really believe in the training we do this time of year because it constantly tests you and pushes you to your limits. Hopefully being out here for a while and trying to do all the right things will allow me to push my limits to another level. This is what it’s all about! Finally, talking about pushing limits to new levels, it would be wrong not to mention Paige and the upcoming World Championships Marathon. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone as ready for a race as Paige is for this one. Her workouts have gotten to the point where they are actually mind-boggling and from what I’ve heard, everything is going to plan over in Germany. Go get ‘em Paige!
Entry #138 It would be an understatement to say that running has its stressful moments. Whether we realize it or not (and most of us certainly realize it!) preparing for and completing a race takes not only a huge physical, but often more importantly, a mental toll on us. I spent the track season preparing for the USA Outdoor Championships. While I did everything possible to make it a success, come race day I didn’t have the race I was hoping for. As relaxed as I tried to stay going into the meet, I got worked up with anticipation and wasted energy worrying about my body not feeling as fit as I would have liked. This imperfect ending to my season in no way overshadowed how pleased I am with its entirety. Upon my arrival to Flagstaff, if you told me what I would accomplish my first year here, I would have probably laughed in your face. But now I can sit back and smile. It’s been an amazing year.
My season didn’t end with an achy body or physical burnout, but mentally I needed to check out for a little R&R. That’s just what I’ve done this past month. I took a brief hiatus from actual running, and a much more extensive one from thinking about races, examining my training, and worrying about mileage. This was made easy with a few birthdays, a camping trip to Lake Powell, some evenings on the town, and a slew of friends coming to visit. First came my college teammate, Leah, who stopped in for the week on her way to grad school at Duke. She was a blast to hang out with and wowed my roommates with her superb culinary skills. Next came my high school coach, Chuck. We got in some great runs and he was able to meet with Greg and discuss training philosophy to his heart's content. Finally, this past week my sister Ashley and our friend Laura came through Flag on their way to Georgia Tech, where Ashley will be attending grad school. Our week was filled with cooking, running, TCBY, and a trip to the creek. There’s nothing as great as having close friends and family around.
Amidst all my visitors, I was steadily increasing my mileage and was able to ‘accidentally’ equal my highest mileage week to date. It’s invigorating to run 90 miles in one week without even thinking twice about it. The week began with possibly my best long run at altitude, and midweek brought another surprise as I had my best steady state workout yet. Nine years of serious running have taught me that I run well when I’m happy and balanced, and this past month has exemplified that. It really stressed the importance of a mental break, in addition to the physical one we all take. As backwards as it sounds, if you become too focused on one thing you have the potential to lose sight of it. If running is something you love, ensure that it is always fun. When it becomes a chore, reexamine, redefine, and refocus. Finally, Paige, rock the house. You never stop inspiring me and I’m excited beyond belief for you to take on the world. xoxo
Entry #137 Family time and getting back at it!
After the disappointment at the USA Track and Field Championships, but a great learning experience, I decided to head home to see the family. I was planning to head home anyways but had a little extra incentive with my brother getting two weeks away from Iraq. His wife was already in California with their child Brody so I was really excited for the trip. I had a blast with my family, they are always fun and show me a good time. They let me cook for them and I hope they enjoyed the food. Some of my best friends, whom I consider brothers, had some time off and I was able to spend time with them. We went to the Thursday night fair in Upland where we got to hangout, eat good food and catch up with each other. I always have good times with my friends, they give me all their love and support me in what I’m doing even though we don’t get to hangout as much as I’d like! The visit was too short but the track season left me hungry for more.
I was happy to come back to Flag because that’s when I could sit down and think about the good and bad things that happened for the year. This year there were a lot of good things that happened so I can take a lot of positive from the year. After I sat down with Greg to talk about the year ahead I got really excited for the things to come. With more miles than I’ve done in the past, faster and longer workouts, the whole shebang this year will be even better than the last! Other than that there isn’t much to talk about other than Paige and company heading over to Germany to take on the world! Good luck! “You acted like I was a book…like you can open it, figure me out by skipping ahead…but there’s chapters that I haven’t even read…” None more Black
1. What is your favorite movie? That is too hard of a question to answer because I love to many movies!
Entry #136 Hello! My name is Jaime Canterbury and I am the newest member of McMillanElite. My running career began 8 years ago when I was a freshman at Dana Hills High School. After a fairly average high school running career, I went on to run for Azusa Pacific University. I loved the coaches and the team at APU. Under the coaching of Preston Grey, I made sizeable improvements each year. I graduated in May and recently moved from Southern California to Flagstaff. The decision to come was an easy one. I keep saying that this is a runner’s paradise, and it’s true! The gorgeous Flagstaff scenery, the positive team environment that Greg and Tracy have cultivated, and the Adidas gear made it impossible to turn this opportunity down. Not to mention the fact that the McMillanElite athletes have been running so well! After visiting the team in June, I knew I had to come. I have been here for one week and I love it so far. It’s been a busy week of running, team activities, and fun. As soon as my family and I arrived last Saturday evening, we went straight over to the McMillan’s for a sendoff dinner for Paige (she’s off to the World Marathon Championships in Berlin). Sunday afternoon I said goodbye to my family and got settled in. A few days later, the team had a visit from Lorraine Moller. Lorraine won an Olympic bronze medal in the marathon and is a former Boston Marathon winner. It was so great to hear her words of wisdom. She is a powerful and dynamic speaker, I think we all walked away with something valuable. She even passed around her Olympic medal for us to hold! We also had the opportunity during the week to share with the Flagstaff High School cross country team at their camp. I had the pleasure of being on the runner’s panel. It was fun to answer the questions that the team had. Training this past week has consisted of trying to adjust to the altitude. The adjustment is definitely tough, but it is going well. I was very pleased to finish my long run on Saturday feeling good. It has been great to run with such a talented and fun group of girls. Outside of running, I have already gone out to two movies, taken a trip to the creek in Sedona, and spontaneously drove out to the Grand Canyon. My roommates and I also went to the Navajo Festival of Arts where we got to experience the rich Navajo culture. If you’ve never seen Hoop dancing, you’re missing out! I want to give a shout out to my new roommates, Martin, Alvina, and Trent. Thanks for being so kind and welcoming, and for all the great family dinners! Also, thanks to all my friends and family at home for being so supportive, it means the world to me. Thanks Mom, Dad, Jeremy, Paige, Ben, and Jenny! And Preston, I couldn’t have gotten here without you. Thanks! I am so excited for this opportunity and I can’t wait to see what the future holds! 1. What is your favorite movie? Legends of the Fall
Entry #135 I've been laying pretty low this past month or so since Outdoor Nationals in Eugene. It was great to get out to that meet for the first time and see what USA's is really all about. It was also cool to be part of a race that many considered one of the meet's best. After that I took a week off from running to just heal up a bit and get my energy back after the year of training and racing. I stayed here in Flag and was treated to the most pathetic fireworks display I had ever seen on the 4th of July. Actually, it was the first time I'd ever been away from home on the 4th, and they make a pretty big deal of it there. Not too much to report other than that right now. I'm just building my mileage back up, feasting on big steak ommies at IHOP, embarrassing myself at Chinese buffets, and this weekend I made the shot to Vegas where I got absolutely hot on the blackjack table and sizzled the Filipino dealer named Eugene for a while before going over to the roulette table and getting colder than the dog Lester Diamond himself. 1. What is your favorite movie? Fight Club
Entry #134 It’s been a very eventful week full of ups and downs. On Monday, I was able to run a great fartlek workout with Emily and Alvina. I did 10 of the 12 x 1 minute pick ups. I was a bit cautious as I had a terrible run on Saturday. I had to cut it short and took Sunday off. That seemed to do the trick though as I felt good doing the workout. Monday evening, we were inspired by our first session with Burt Gershater . He will begin to work with the team to help them with the mental aspects of their racing and training as they prepare for the next Olympic Games. Tuesday, I ran really easy with my high school team. I was pleasantly surprised that I felt pretty good after the fartlek workout. My achilles has been sore for the past month and it always seems to hurt a bit more after harder runs, but it was in check today which was nice. Wednesday, I was able to keep Emily company on part of her workout. We did 3 x 2 miles together around the dirt loop at Buffalo Park. I stopped at that point to keep my achilles from hurting too much, but she went on to do 2 x mile to finish up the workout. This was a tough workout, but we stuck together and helped each other out. Later, the team did a circuit workout at NAU just before the skies opened up with a torrential downpour. Most of the McMillanElite team had already left, but I was still there and took cover with a few high school runners until they were picked up. When my two daughters and I finally left, the rain had slowed, but not stopped. As I got in the car, I realized that my youngest had left her window open! Her seat was soaking, but we got it dried out. As I was leaving, I saw Trent and Alvina come in from their run absolutely soaking wet. They had gotten caught in the monsoon downpour that included a little bit of painful hail! They still had smiles on their faces though and seemed to enjoy the inclement weather. Thursday was another easy day of running for me with my high school team. I was also busy doing some last minute details to prepare for the first adidas McMillanElite High School XC Training Camp. I’ll be in charge of the camp from Sunday until Friday while the McMillan athletes will come and run with the kids and give presentations on various aspects of training, racing, drills, shoes, mental prep and nutrition. Friday, I had a nice run with Trent and Emily. Then, I did some major grocery shopping for the camp. We had two flat beds and one cart at Sam’s Club and I’m not done yet! We will be cooking all of our own food. I was supposed to get my new kitchen countertops today as well, but was disappointed that it was delayed yet again. Something about the wrong color glue. At least I have Paige’s autograph signing session tonight at a shop in downtown Flagstaff called Local Color to look forward to. Saturday morning I ran really easy for an hour on my own, followed by a delicious team dinner at the McMillan’s to wish Paige good luck at the World Championships’ marathon. We also welcomed our newest female runner, Jaime Canterbury, to the team. She arrived from California today with her parents who are here to help get her settled in the Mountain House. We are all so excited to finally have her in Flagstaff. Sunday, I’m off to X-C camp! I hope we have an exciting week full of great training, motivational speakers, yummy food and lots of fun. I also hope my countertops are installed before I get home on Friday! 1) What is your favorite movie? Facing the Giants 2) When you're not running, what is your favorite pastime? Baking and being with my family 3) What high school cross country team do you coach? Flagstaff High School
Entry #133 July 12th. The day I hoped would never come. It may seem silly to some, but to me the passing of my dog Glory will always be hard to cope with. Most kids had siblings to grow up with; I had Glory. From summers in the creek and field, to winters sledding, she was my all-around partner in crime and never left my side. Needless to say, training at the beginning of last week was a little harder after I got the call from home, but I know she had a full life. Emily
Entry #132 So it’s the middle of another summer, but this year, instead of being in the thick of the track season, racing around Europe and chasing times, I am staying in Flagstaff and starting from square one. My track season lasted all but a month this year with PBs in 1500m, 5km and 10km, but then I decided to go home to the UK and get a few races on the road which turned out to be somewhat exhausting. The two road races I did in Manchester and London were pretty much a disaster because I was so jet lagged that even getting to the start line was hard work. Arizona and the UK are on the exact opposite schedules with sunlight and I suffered badly with the change. After nine days of being exhausted and not sleeping I spoke with Greg and we decided it was best for me just to take my yearly break and get ready for the next big championship, the World Half-Marathon Championships in Birmingham in October. This was a big relief because it meant for the first time in many years I could enjoy the summer weather and get a long, full endurance base. I am now 6 weeks deep into my training and I still haven’t hit the really hard, lung bursting workouts that characterize training at 7,000ft., but running lots of miles does make me happy though and it is so easy to do so in the mountains and trails up here. My first race back isn’t until September 6th so I still have another two months of training but I have already had some promising runs that remind me why all the training is worth it. I am doing much of the same training that I did for much of last winter and all the hard work paid off with being able to progress in training in racing just how I wanted. Breaking 28 minutes for the 10km felt great, but again, it was always going to be a stepping stone towards my longer term goals of running the London Marathon next year. Typical training for Lemon this summer: Monday: 80-90 minutes total with 10-12 x 1' on 1' off fartlek or 10-12 laps of 200 on 200 off strides In addition to these primary runs, Lemon adds 6 secondary (double) runs of 30-40 minutes in the afternoon for a total of 13 runs per week. Total weekly mileage is 110-120
Entry #131
I am sitting on a plane flying home from the U.S. Track & Field Championships in Eugene, OR. What fun! As always, it was great spending time with our adidas family. We also had the good fortune to see two of our other sponsors at the race—NYRR and Houston Marathon Foundation. There were some fantastic distance races on both the men’s and women’s side; great tactical racing and some amazing finishes. The Schumacher group sweep in the men’s 5,000m was impressive—I hope they all are able to get the standard they need to go to Berlin for the World Championships. On the McMillanElite side of things, I am so proud of our athletes that competed over the past few days in Eugene. Jordan and Matt raced really well in the men’s 5000m. It isn’t easy performing on that bigger stage, particularly when it is your first time, but they did a great job. Jordan put himself in a good position early on and Matt really made some good moves in the middle of the race, enabling him to finish in 13th place. Not bad for a guy whose qualifying time was about 30th on the list!
Lindsay showed everyone that she is one of the top steeple chicks in the nation. She sailed through her semi and then in the final she put herself in a position to compete for one of those top three spots. Others had better race day legs than her on Sunday but she still placed high in 7th. Again, not bad for someone who didn’t make it to the final last year in this same event! Plus, Lindsay ran faster in every steeple race she competed in this year than her personal best from last year, and dropped that PB from 10:01 to 9:40.83 (she also dropped her 5K PR by about 40 seconds!). Not a bad spring…
Things will now get a tiny bit quieter for a few weeks around McMillanElite. Several athletes are taking a much-deserved break, or are just starting to run again after taking one. Ian is still racing and will make some road race appearances in July (Peachtree, along with AC and Trina; and Bix7). Paige continues to put in the miles in preparation for the World Championships marathon on August 23rd, and Emily is starting her base build-up for her fall racing. She’ll join us over in Germany for a few weeks in August to help Paige in her final race lead-up. I’m so looking forward to that trip; my next blog will likely be written from Herzo, adidas headquarters! I’ll also post updates on our German adventure to the McMillanElite fan page on Facebook. If you belong to Facebook and aren’t yet a fan of ours, please look us up! (here) Before I sign off on this week’s blog, I want to thank the Painter family for watching Angus while Greg and I went to Eugene. It sounds like he had a great time with them but I’m sure they are tired! It was nice to have some Greg and Tracy time but we missed him dearly. He’ll be with us when we return to TrackTown in 2011! Now I better take a nap to get some Angus energy…
Entry #130 We had some of the younger runners from the adidas McMillanElite competing at the US Championships this week including Jordan Horn, Matt Clark and Lindsay Allen. They all stuck their noses in the action and got some great experience for their future running careers. Next week we are sending some runners off to the July 4th Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia. The weather there in summer is usually hot and the competition for Ian Burrell and Andrew Carlson should be hot as well with the race serving as the US Mens 10k Road Championships. Ian is having a homecoming of sorts as he spent his college years attending the University of Georgia. As for my running, I am coming off an early summer break and I am beginning the buildup to fall marathon season. I am not sure yet which marathon to go after with New York being the US Championships and many of the top Americans headed there. I’d like to mix it up with that kind of competition this fall. Other possibilities are Toronto (fast course), Detroit, Vegas, California International, and Houston. Regardless I am looking forward to putting in some higher mileage weeks and getting the marathon body ready. Yesterday’s run was awesome as visiting runner Tim Jeffries and I headed up to the backside of the peaks here in Flagstaff. This area is known as the inner basin and mountains on 3 sides surround you. It was an easy recovery day so we just went to take in the scenery and get in some miles. Just 6-8 miles being the plan, we decided to head up the inner basin trail which starts at 8500 feet and 3.9 or 4 miles later you arrive at 11000 feet and not quite tree line. The trail basically goes up what would be a glacial field at higher elevation except that it has some trees. It is a wider trail most of the way and a good bit rocky but that made it feel like a stair climber with a great view. The last 5 minutes we got into some single track trails, my personal favorite and basically ran straight up the side of the mountain for a couple minutes. Since I grew up in the front range of the Rocky Mountains I was perty in tune with what pace I needed to ascend. However, Tim was going in and out of pushing with determination and saying things in his head like “Are you kidding me!”. He’s from sea level and really did incredible on this run. We carried no water but at our turnaround one of the hikers we passed offered us some Gatorade and we gladly accepted. We took in the view and stopped my watch at 53 minutes before turning back down the steep trail for what surely would be a quicker descent. Sure enough, 30 minutes later we were back at the bottom of one of my most scenic Flagstaff runs to date. Sometimes people think this type of running serves no purpose but it comes highly valued in my book. It isn’t something that I do everyday but every once in a while a dose of high altitude scenic running at an easier pace just refills my passion for being healthy, fit and fast. I can’t do this type of running as I near a race and need to be more specifically trained but during base building it keeps my motivation high and gets in some enjoyable mileage at the same time. On another side note, I just want to encourage people out there to look outside of yourself and find something good, admirable or incredible about someone you spend time with. Borrow that good, admire it and help it to fuel your motivation to rise to your own individual success in your life. I have teammates and friends that I look up to for their abilities and mindsets about certain things. It invigorates me knowing that I too can be as strong, persistent and passionate. One passion that continues to come up in my athletic endeavors is the pureness of being the best athlete that we can be. Can I do more? Can I eat better? Can I train smarter? Can I recover and rest better? Can I do what I must? Can I be a better athlete than I am right now? If so, then train and go get it! This is why McMillanElite is a great asset. We surround ourselves with these types of people. And, as a bonus we live in Flagstaff where we continue to have visiting runners with equal ambition. We have that always important support crew of family, Coach Greg McMillan and family, Coach Trina Painter and family, and the adidas family as well. Best of luck out there, Trent
Entry #129 Greetings! I’m writing this blog as I sit in the back seat of my parent’s truck with my parents as we drive home from town. The truck is filled with groceries for the week and food for the animals. I am reminded of an old scene of five kids sitting in the back seat of the truck and/or van fighting or laughing. Every runner has special people in their lives who keep them going and grinding along. These special people keep your dreams alive and provide true meaning to life. In this week’s blog, I’d like to share with you some of the special people in my life. I decided to go home for the weekend and spend time with my family. It is the first time since Christmas that the entire family has been together. Perfect timing for Father’s Day! My brother is back from Dartmouth College and I am coming off my spring racing season. When I got home, I was really excited to see my nephews. I’ve only been able to keep up with their growth and development through photos, phone calls, and stories. My nephew, Chase, has grown so much and I was surprised that my nephew Ryder missed me (I had to rebuke him the last time I saw him for throwing a temper tantrum). He gave me a hug. I was able to talk to my parents and get caught up on all the happenings in our small town. I got the latest scoop on relatives. As I talked to my parents, I was able to observe all the changes that have occurred since my last visit – T&R Market is no longer attached to the feed store and Western Warehouse in the mall is out of business. When I’m alone with my parents, I am able to share everything on my mind. My dad understands my lifestyle as a runner and my mom understands my lifestyle as a healthcare professional. I think it’s a good balance. My dad’s first language is Navajo so he speaks mostly in Navajo. My dad’s family is very traditional in the Navajo culture. They support me being a runner. It is always humbling to visit family members on my dad’s side. I have an uncle who doesn’t have running water in his house. His kids have to haul water from the nearest windmill, which is about 2 miles away. My aunt Ruby always gives me a big hug when I see her and my other aunt Louise makes me yeast rolls. The biggest thing I appreciate about my dad’s family is their sense of humor and the love they have for one another. My mom was the first person in her family to graduate college. She worked hard and continues to. She taught me that it is okay to be different and that I didn’t have to live up to the expectations of my culture right away. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my maternal grandpa. My siblings and I were close with him. He drove us to school, our orthodontist appointments, and practices. He also helped me mark miles and he would drop me off in the middle of nowhere to run home. My grandpa wasn’t like the other older traditional men in the community. He had a television, VCR., Nintendo, telephone, and a bread box full of sweets. We loved visiting Chei Chei (Grandpa in Navajo language). Just being home, I feel rejuvenated and ready to get back to hard training. When I go home to Ganado and visit family, I find and see purpose in being a professional runner. Some days, I get angry and frustrated with the expectations of my Navajo culture. It is hard living in two worlds striving to succeed. I have been fortunate to have great support from family, Greg and Tracy McMillan, The Painters, Billy Mills, teammates, adidas and many friends. Through all their support and love, I have been able to keep my dream alive despite challenges. On another note, I love running in my adidas Glides. They provide a lot of cushion and I love my shoes well cushioned. I also want to thank Scott, Craig, and Chris of adidas for giving us a tour of the adidas headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Thank you Scott, Craig, and Chris!! We had a blast. We appreciate your support. Trina continues to inspire all of us with her strong racing performances. She set a new Master's National Record in the 3K at the Portland Track Festival. Some of my teammates will also be competing in the USA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. I wish them great and fast races. Rock it out and represent!!!!
Entry #128 It has been two years since I made the move to Flagstaff, Arizona. Looking back on my experiences thus far, I find not all has been as I would have hoped. Yet running is part of my life, so how can I expect anything different? Life does not happen as planned. But above all, I have advanced. Emotionally, physically, and spiritually. In running, one must always be moving forward. With arms pumping and legs driving like pistons, pushing you ever closer to your goal. The same applies to life, regression is not acceptable. We learn to crawl, then walk, then run, and run we must! After a difficult winter, I have emerged in the springtime a new runner. Months of rehabilitation and treatments left me sore. The first few runs back left me doubtful. The first run on Waterline Road gave me a glimpse of deep fatigue. And the first steady state recharged my drive to succeed. Watching my teammates achieve their goals this spring has been a tremendous boost to my running as well. From Jordan knocking 30 seconds off his 5k personal best, to Lindsay running personal bests each time she stepped on the track, to Paige and the realization of her dream of being selected to represent the U.S. at the World Championships, it has been an awesome spring. I am grateful to be a part of a team, that in such a short time period, has already made its mark on U.S. Distance Running. It is a sure testament to the level of dedication all around, from Greg and Tracy, Trina, and every member of the team. I see everyone doing the extra one percents to make this the best training environment around. The year is halfway through. With six months left to 2009, I am eager to finish the year right. It is time to set PRs, be competitive and do as my father has told me before every race, “put yourself in a position to win.” I am on the sidelines no more, and it is time to set out and do exactly what I have had planned. middle
Entry #127 As of June 4th, 2009 I have been part of McMillan Elite for one year. I promised Greg and Tracy that I would give them all I had, and then keep going. This year has shown me so much more than I could’ve ever expected...
Entry #126 Summer has almost arrived and with it, brings some of the most important races of the year for our group. Headlining, of course is US Track Nationals where we’ll be sending several athletes to compete. This is the biggest meet of the year for many on the team. It’s the most significant national championship in our sport, and a chance to make a statement on a national level. Needless to say, we’re all gearing down, doing everything we can to be at our best for the upcoming weeks. I can easily say that this has been the most intense stretch of training I have ever been through, not so much because of the volume or speed of the training, but because of what is at stake. Running fast and placing high at USA’s can open the door to many new opportunities so you want to make sure you are ready to go. The attention to detail, making sure to do all the little things right is at a premium. Currently, I am on a bit of a taper and am getting ready for a 5k in Portland this week. I won’t be alone as Brett, Jordan, Matt, Lindsey, Becky, Alvina and Trina will also be racing this weekend. Brett and I will be the McMillan contingency in the 5k, and most everyone else will be doing shorter, tune-up races for USA’s. Personally, the goal is work to run a solid qualifying time that will be good enough to get into the fast section at nationals should it come to sections. I’ve been feeling pretty good as of late and have had some solid workouts so hopefully that will translate into some good races. After a frustrating spring, I could really use a good race right about now.
Entry #125 Summer is arguably the best time of year. It brings warm weather, breaks from school, and generally puts people in a good mood. Summertime in Flagstaff is no different. With summer comes constant excitement to work, the team, and running!
I work at Local Color, a print/retail shop in downtown Flagstaff. There, summer brings a slew of tourists checking out the Red Rocks in Sedona and passing through on their way to the Grand Canyon. While the language barrier often poses a problem with foreign tourists, it’s great to meet people from all over the world who are excited by what I’m privileged to experience on a daily basis. The team has been taking advantage of the nice weather as well. We take every opportunity to grill outdoors, enjoy the sunsets, and go down to Sedona to hang out in ‘the creek.’ I got to experience Chilidog’s first swim, the masses of teal and gold colored crawdads at Beaver Creek, and eat some fried chicken along the water. I could spend every day lying under the sun and splashing around.
Summer also marks graduation, meaning our team will soon grow in size as college graduates decide to continue running and join our team. We’re looking to mount a lethal women’s team come the 2009 Club Cross Championships, reminiscent of our men’s team last year. Jaime Canterbury visited us this past weekend and was able to experience some high quality team bonding at the McMillan’s. Greg’s pulled pork set the tone as we sat around a bonfire talking about ‘bears’ for hours, I could bearly handle it! We hope Jamie had a great time experiencing our running lifestyle and lively team.
[Have a question for the McMillanElite Athletes? Let us know, email us here and we would be glad to give it an answer in the next blog!]
Entry #124 I’ve been up in Flagstaff for almost 2 years now and I’m still learning more and more about running and how my body responds to different kinds of training and racing. It’s amazing! You’d think after 11 or 12 years of running, I would have figured this stuff out by now, but as we continue to push ourselves in our training and our racing, we have to continue to keep tabs on how the old bod is doing. This is what keeps it fun. I think it means that we are still progressing, that we are training harder and racing farther than we’ve ever done before. Of course, setbacks are bound to happen as I learned last month, but if you approach it properly, I think you can come away much stronger and much smarter. Last week was a particularly interesting week of training as we held the first annual Sedona Mile. The field was looking very strong, but as the race crept closer and closer, some people began to realize that maybe this race was going to be a little forced into their schedule and that they should reconsider. It was definitely a smart move because we never want to force anything, but that left the race as a head-to-head battle between Ian and myself. Now if you know Ian, you know the man has some wheels. He started playing mind games with me on the Wednesday before the race when he dropped two 56-second 400’s at the end of a very hard 16x400 workout. It was safe to say, I was scared. Turns out though, Ian’s a pretty mellow guy. After a relaxing drive down to Sedona, we flipped a coin to see who would lead the first lap and then just traded off from there. Of course, he absolutely blasted me the last 400, but we both ran solid and got that good hard effort we were looking for. I think it’s pretty important to keep the training fun by throwing things like the Sedona Mile in there. It keeps things fresh and takes your mind off the fact that what you’re doing is really hard and will hurt badly.
Entry #123 The past six weeks have been filled with many highs and lows for me. I got word that my Grandmother of 89 years had about four weeks to live after her battle with lung cancer had spread to her brain. I was fortunate enough to travel back to Missouri with my Mom to visit her for a week. It was a sweet time of reminiscing and a difficult time as I watched my Grandmother’s health decline. Each day the simple tasks and pleasures of life became major obstacles and areas of pain for her. It was just two weeks later that I returned for her funeral. Her death made me realize that I need to be grateful for the people in my life and not to take people and things for granted. As I reflected on this, I came to realize that as runners and athletes in general, the main focus is usually on the athlete. It can be a very selfish sport if we let it. I want to dedicate this blog to those who support and work behind the scenes for McMillan Elite. The spouses that sacrifice their lives for the furtherment of their loved one’s career, thank you David, Tracy, Casey and Courtney for always being there, understanding and sharing our dream. To the families that put up with our crazy running and eating habits at family gatherings and delaying events so that we can go to a race or get a long run done. To the sponsors that are essential to our success but are never thanked enough, without you we couldn’t reach the level of success that has come our way. I want to challenge each of you reading this, to tell someone how much you appreciate them this week. The start is uphill and I found myself with two of the other master’s women looking at Joan Benoit’s back as she surged early to gap us in the first 800m! I could see Colleen and the Ukrainian woman up ahead and realized I was now in a race of who wasn’t going to get last in the master’s field of 6. I decided I would rather be in the race in front of me and put a surge of my own in as we entered the park and approached the first mile. I felt Carmen and Paula try to go with me at first, but then I was alone and it became a chase for me trying to close the gap on Joan. I tried to run strong on the uphills and push the pace and increase my stride rate on the downhills, but Joan was just too strong. I finished in 4th, 5 seconds back from Joan and 10 seconds ahead of Carmen. Colleen beat the Ukrainian by 1 second for first and second masters. I was content with my race, finishing 26th overall in the field, with a time of 17:33. I’ll be honest, I had hoped to be in the top 3 and closer to 17:00, but still a good day at the office. I’m not taking anything for granted anymore. I’m now looking forward to racing a 3k on the track in Portland in two weeks to try it again.
Entry #122 Running is a choice. It is a choice I make twice a day. Doing core is a choice I make twice a week, along with all of the other little things like making times for naps, stretching, and healthy meals. Living this lifestyle is the life I choose to make my body the best it can be. It is something that I love doing, enjoy doing, and hope to always do. Injuries on the other hand are something I would never choose, but recently experienced. In the past I had always felt like injuries were a taboo subject. Never knowing how to talk to someone experiencing an injury for fear that maybe I was on the verge of one and even being near someone or talking about an injury would somehow infect me. Or maybe they were just being weak, and talking to them would cause me to start whining too. Not to mention the guilt when talking to someone who is injured, because to talk about running is like calling them in the dead of winter from your Caribbean cruise, while they are stuck in Fargo, North Dakota. I always tried to find ways to justify something that caused their injury in a way that did not apply to me like: they didn’t do this, they did too much of that, or some other anomaly that only applied to them like genetic differences. I understand now that my worries about injuries were complete fallacies, and really none of those methods above could have prevented or caused my injury. When the pain came I found myself questioning why? What did I do wrong? Questioning simple things and never coming up with a definitive answer. Not knowing what I could have done different to change my circumstance. It just was. I felt like a bomb had gone off on my plans and now I was faced with a choice of how to handle my unexpected situation. I sat watching my teammates compete and yearning for the same opportunities. Flabbergasted by the body and how every part of my being could be fit, and just one minute piece with a little inflammation could pause it all. I had no idea how long it was going to take to heal which left my life on a swinging pendulum of hope, every night going to sleep hoping that I would wake up pain free and healthy. With each ticking week another opportunity to race gone but also another week toward recovery accomplished. Back and forth went my emotions. I did not know whether it was better to be angry or optimistic. I did not know whether to ignore the pain; trying to push through risking making things worse and hope that it would magically go away. Or to listen to my body and let it rest; trying to keep faith that things happen for a reason and that soon my chance would come again. I had feelings of anxiousness and confusion, counteracted by trying to find acceptance, and relax in my time off. I focused on total recovery to be both mentally and physically rested by the time I was racing again. I tried to do the very best I could and continue to do the little things like naps, and big things like hours of mind numbing cross training, always trying to remain positive. I ended up choosing to follow the doctors orders of rest(thank you Charlie) and talked with my coaches about how I was feeling and sought out ways to cope(thank you Greg, and Trina for listening and caring). I made new friends at the gym (Thanks summit fitness staff for not kicking me off when I exceeded the 30min time limit...everyday). Life is full of choices some we choose to make, others we are faced with. While I would never choose to be injured I am thankful for the perspective I gained from the experience like: bad things never come at a good time, when people are going through something hard it is easy to place blame or avoid them until you are experiencing it your self and when things are hurting give it time to heal. I am fully recovered and back at 100%. I am no longer watching the hands of time spinning in uncertain circles, now my time is coming to me in splits as I run laps around the track preparing for future races! Feeling grateful to have the option to run again, this is the life I choose everyday. I will always do the little and big things because I love it, I enjoy it, and want to be the best I can.
Entry #121 Greetings, everyone! Well, I was hoping that the next time I wrote a blog I would be feeling fit and ready for the Summer Running Series here in Flagstaff. Unfortunately, shortly after my blog the week of March 23 I had issues with illness, some travel and a busy period of work stuff that I allowed to get in the way of my training. This frustrates me, because I so easily fell back into the old habits I had as a professor. One reason I left academics is because of the impact I felt it was having on my health (or that I allowed it to have) and here I am, two years later, putting my health (and the happiness that physical activity brings) to the side because of really poor excuses (except for maybe the illness). Time for that reality check, which entails a good, fun run in the forest with Amber (our dog). All is well otherwise here in Flagstaff. Angus is more active each and every day, which causes me to have at least a heart attack a day it seems as I see him climb, fall, run, trip, crash, get up and keep going. He appears to be fearless—I guess as mom I carry the fear for both of us! To the moms out there that read the blog, how do you get used to this?! The team is running really well this spring. Lots of race action this weekend with Martin and AC at Healthy Kidney in NYC, Lemon at the Great Manchester Run in the UK and Lindsay and Jordan at the adidas Track Classic in Carson, CA. Greg and I will be at aTC with Linz and the Hornet while Angus stays at home with his visiting grandparents. The frequency of races will slow down after this weekend as folks get back into a few weeks of focused training in preparation for the US Track & Field Championships (with maybe a tune-up race a few weeks out) or begin a rest cycle after a busy spring race season. The exceptions to that will be Emily, who is itching to get going after a careful recovery from a stress fracture and is now starting to run, and Paige, who was just selected for the U.S. Women’s World Championship Marathon team. We are all so proud of Paige, and are excited to have her begin another marathon training cycle in preparation for the race in Berlin in August! I hope to be there to see her run an amazing race.
Entry #120 The warm weather seems to have finally arrived here in Flagstaff and it's really been great lately just getting to go out and run without worrying about freezing. We here have all been starting the process of trying to sharpen up in our workouts as the big races in the season are finally approaching. I can't believe it's the middle of May already, time has really flown by. After all the base work from the fall and winter it is very rewarding to finally be in track season, which the majority of us here have made the main focus of the year. There have already been some very strong performances out of our people, and hopefully there will be many more to come over the course of the next few months. It feels a bit weird resting up and not running big miles anymore as we prep and freshen for our races, but that time is here. In other news I'm trying to avoid a nervous breakdown as the Celtics continue their rough run through the NBA playoffs, as well as hoping they advance further than the Lakers so I can give Jordan crap about how much Kobe Bryant sucks. There once was an awesome band called Death From Above 1979. They only were able to put out 1 ep and 1 true full length album before pretty much imploding and breaking up. That's not much material, especially since their average song length is under 3 minutes. I have found though, that if you look up there live videos, you can often find them doing these really heavy distorted intros that were never recorded.
Entry #119 Hello from Grand Rapids Michigan! Tomorrow, May 9th, Alvina Begay, Cele Rodriguez and myself as well as some off and on training mates from Flagstaff are running the US Men’s and Women’s 25k Championships. I’m here chilling out the day before the race and writing a blog. Here in about an hour we are catching a van that will give us a course tour of tomorrows course. This is important for 2 reasons: Those of us who have run the course before (not me) need to know the course changes and those of us who are rookies to the Grand Rapids course will get to take a look at what the 15.5 or so miles will have in store for us. Elite coordinator, Greg Meyer (The 1983 Boston Marathon champion), has informed us that due to lots of rain major changes are in store this year and a whole new course map has been given to us. The race is called the Fifth Third River Bank run as it is typically run out on one side and back up the other bank of the river running through town. Well, the river is up 4-8 feet and there is mud on some of the streets that us runners would use. The river looks awesome and powerful right now, but the scenery this year will be a bit different due to the extra water. We hear that the course will be a bit tougher, and the rolling hills that start usually at 10 miles into the race should start about 3 miles. I’m excited with the change as it makes everyone rookies to most of the course and I think the hills will help given that I train amidst the mountains of Flagstaff with my Adidas teammates. Training for me has been great all spring and I’ve been running a lot of workouts with teammates who are running very quality times. I’ve had some good races, but not quite up to where my training has been so I have another chance to get a great performance tomorrow. On other notes, Flagstaff has hit the beginning of summer and I wasn’t quite ready yet. It caught me by surprise, but it is a welcome time because so much happens in the summer. All the out of town college kids come up to Flagstaff for some quality summer altitude training and join us for our long runs and the weekly bagel run. This keeps things fresh feeling and fun. In addition, it’s always nice to strike up a new friendship with some of these like-minded athletes that share in our collective efforts to run as fast a possible. The tourists arrive and even though it means busier streets, it is entertaining to watch and helps bring money into the local economy. And, of course, the change brings summer weather. Time to get a tan, run without a shirt, enjoy the monsoon season rains of July/august, go to the higher elevation mountain trails and start running longer in preparation for a marathon. I need to say keep your eyes out for the Denver Nuggets who are rockin’ the playoffs so far. It has been quite a postseason for all the teams so far and I have to say a bit physical. What if I just decided to through an elbow during the race tomorrow or make a hard block out of the shortest way around a corner of the racecourse…. I know, I know, different sports but same thrill of competition. Anyway... Thanks to all those who cheer on running, support runners and share their enthusiasm for the sport.
Entry #118 A lot has happened since my last blog. I ran a 10K at Mt. SAC, had good and confidence building workouts, received a few intense therapies from Dr. John Ball, wrote a 10-page paper on Medicare Reform (single-spaced, 11 point font), and picked up some shifts at the hospital. Some of these things haven’t been exactly fun (like writing the paper or grimacing and sometimes screaming during active release therapy sessions with Dr. Ball), but the results definitely contribute to the saying that “good things don’t come easy, nor do they always feel good.” The feeling of hearing Greg say that my stride is smoothing out made me feel like all those intense sessions with Dr. Ball paid off. Entry #117 A long time coming and faster times ahead... In 2003 on a cold night in Fullerton, California I put on my Fullerton vest and headed toward the starting line. It was going to be my first 5k ever on a track and I already had mixed feelings. In my mind I was going to be a miler, just like every high school distance kid. It is the glory event for distance runners but my coach really wanted me to run the 5k and I said, “let’s do it”! I ran the race the only way I know how and that was running as fast as I could until I was spent. It was the hardest race I had ever done and I fell in love with the distance but it did not love me back. It has taken me six years to realize what I knew as a high schooler; that it is not about times, it’s about competing. I went into the Brutus Hamilton meet with one thing on my mind and that was putting myself in a position to win that race. I didn’t care if there were guys with faster personal bests than me; I just wanted to beat them. I didn’t beat most of them but I was close. That race made me hungry to win, the times are nice but I want that first place, that gold medal! Well, writing a little bit about the race is getting me excited to race again so I should stop, but I want to say thanks to everyone that called, texted and wrote emails. It can feel like a lonely road sometimes but I’m realizing it’s not as lonely as I thought. Happy Birthday MOMMY! Happy birthday ZORDON! Happy birthday JACOB! I’m pretty sure I’m missing some one sorry! "I never tried that, I never tried that but I know I don’t Like it…or maybe I do but I am to into fight!" The Lawrence Arms [NOTE: Jordan ran 13:31 last Friday night for a personal best by 19 seconds, beating an Olympian in the process - Watch his race here]
Entry #116 In my last blog, I wrote of the powerful act of encouragement. This time, I will share another factor that has profoundly aided my return to form: the act of example. The culture of hard work, discipline and perseverance is passed down by the leader to the followers. And is thus perpetuated throughout by the group itself, cultivating into a common mindset of achieving that which is great. I am surrounded by guys and girls who have moved, some of them across oceans, some across states, to be in this beautiful mountain town for a singular purpose. Each of us has a different story, different backgrounds, but we are tied together through a bond of sweat and pain. We see each other hurt on days when running isn’t fun. We see each other fighting through the final miles of a long run. We see each other gasping for air after another interval. We see each other because we are by each other’s side daily, and that has made all the difference. Running is a demanding sport, in the sense that it requires a tremendous amount of perseverance beyond what normal daily activities require. The average person could never imagine the invocation of will needed some days to just step out the door for an hour run. I speak of this not as a hindrance, or a reason for self-congratulation, but as an often forgotten necessity of life: the need for an example. And thankfully, I have been given many teammates which I consider great examples of this perseverance, who have, on more than one occasion, helped me to get out the door for the daily run. As a result of all this, an amazing thing happened this past Friday night. At the Brutus Hamilton Invite, four of my teammates each ran PRs. Having watched Jordan Horn, Matt Clark, Andrew Lemoncello and Martin Fagan train together, it is a great thing to behold when all four reach their goals on the same night. As a rule in physics, an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Well, this ball is rolling hard and fast and I don’t see it coming to a stop anytime soon.
Entry #115 "Man imposes his own limitations, don't set any" -Anthony Bailey I've always lacked a certain confidence when I toe the line of a race. But it wasn’t until this year that I fully understand how this negative thinking hurt my performance.
I have since toed the line of a race knowing anything less than a win would be a disappointment. I have also stuck with a rabbit running a pace equivalent to a 30 second PR in the 5k…why not? It all paid off.
Entry #114 It’s the night before the Sun Angel meet at ASU and I am very excited and a little bit nervous about running my first 5,000m on the track in about five years. I secretly ran in a small 1500m last weekend at Paradise Valley Community College and was reminded of the nerves and pain that come with racing. I had a lot of fun being on the track again and trying to blow some of the dust and rust out of my legs before the 5k. I was actually able to win the race in 4:52. I’m not really doing any training for that short of a race, which was obvious by my even splits and lack of that “extra gear” at the end, but I was pleased with it being my first race back on the track. I have shied away from racing and training on the track for a long time, even though I love it. I tend to get hurt in the process, so I was really happy that I walked away unscathed from the 1500 test race. As my 43rd birthday gets closer, I finally came to the realization that if I keep waiting to be in what I consider “really good shape” that I won’t ever race again! So, I decided to bite the bullet and just go for it. I have tried to be careful and gradually add some track workouts and racing flats to my weekly routine. The team and Greg often tease me about my choice in shoes, as I wear the heaviest training shoes adidas makes for everything: distance runs, workouts and most of my races! I have been able to successfully run a few tempo runs with Emily and mile repeats with Alvina over the past few weeks and have enjoyed training with them. They push me to my limit even though they may not realize it. In a good week, I do half of the mileage they run and it takes me about 4-6 days to recover from a workout with them, while they are ready to go again in about 2-3 days! Oh to be young again. I have so much respect for each of our runners on the team and the volume and intensity of work that they do day in and day out, week after week. Sometimes, we tend to take for granted the level of high fitness that we have when we are training hard. We think that everyone can go out the door and run for an hour or more or do a hard interval session on the track in the morning and run again in the afternoon. We don’t always recognize or appreciate the amount of work that it took to get there. What we do becomes normal and routine, but over the years, I have learned that what these runners do is far from normal or ordinary. So give yourself a pat on the back this week, you are all amazing and what you do is extraordinary! Good luck to Alvina Begay, Cele Rodriguez and Trent Briney in their 10ks at Mt. Sac this week! PS> I ran my best 5k (17:14) since having kids, placed 10th and had a lot of fun racing at Sun Angel!
Entry #113 Setbacks, we’ve all had them. Anyone who runs recreationally or competitively has experienced the agony of not being able to do what he or she is capable of due to injury, illness, or fatigue. We try to minimize these things as best we can, but ultimately they are inevitable. Eventually, we all get sick, hurt, or tired. Although this is something everyone has in common, how we deal with these hindrances is almost entirely individual. In my opinion, it is how we respond to these roadblocks that determines how successful we are in running. For those of you who have followed our team throughout the past year, the success of the group as a whole has been apparent. We’ve had multiple top five finishes at national championships and plenty of pr’s to go around. Though these accomplishments are impressive, I feel the way each individual has responded to adversity is what has made our group special. Almost everyone on our team has gone through a rough patch during the past year and a half, whether it was time off for an injury, battling through illness or just a stretch of bad races. Yet, in each instance the individual bounced back to continue running well (I could go into specific examples, but I don’t want to turn this blog into a novel, and I don’t want to leave anyone out). So of course when things are going fine, every McMillan athlete is talented and well trained and expects to be successful, as should anyone in our situation. However, when things aren’t going our way, we have the resolve and the grit to fix whatever is the problem and return to our original form. Currently, I am trying to find my original form and am hopefully near the end of a “rough patch” that has lasted for about two months. After a promising start to the indoor season, I felt ready to finally make that big splash on the national running scene that I have been pursuing for so long. At the end of January, I ran 7:52 for 3k feeling fairly easy and was poised for a sub-4 attempt in the mile and a solid Indoor Nationals. Unfortunately, a couple sinus infections and a surgery to correct a deviated septum destroyed my Indoor season and is now hampering my Outdoor season. To say I have been boiling with frustration would be an understatement, and I haven’t exactly been the most pleasant person to be around (my poor wife has had to endure a two-month bad mood - sorry honey). All that being said, I still remain focused and determined to turn my season around just as my teammates have done. The track season is long and there are many opportunities ahead. Really, all you can do is simply move forward, continue to give it your all and eventually things will start to go your way again. No one ever said this sport was easy.
Entry #112 I’ve just completed my first week back to altitude after spending about 8 days at the World XC Champs and I’m finally starting to feel normal again. The travel was tough and my sleep got a bit out of whack to say the least, but I’ve now settled back into the routine and I’m feeling more rejuvenated than ever! I would, however, like to take a step back and share a little of my experience from Amman, Jordan. THE TRAVEL
THE HOTEL TYPICAL DAY
One day we went to the Dead Sea, where a bunch of scrawny distance runners got to float for the first time in their lives and take healing mud baths with the mineral rich mud surrounding the sea. Another day we got to head into the downtown area, where we got to walk around all of the street shops and try not to get ripped off by the local shop owners. It was difficult to know how much to pay for things because nothing had prices on them, so the shop owner would just throw out a number that was inevitably way too high. Some people enjoyed trying to bargain with them, others just gave up and forked over whatever was asked. We also got to see some Roman ruins that were just on the outside of the downtown area. There, we got heckled by a crew of local kids that were pretty camera shy. We were always back just in time for the next training session at the same sports complex, which I didn’t mind at all, or a little bit of down time. Then it was back to dinner for a little bit of, yep, you guess it…pita and hummus. I actually ended up craving pita and hummus by the end of the trip, and it’s been tough coming down off that addiction now that I’m back in the states. After dinner, most people just chilled out and used the internet or watched TV. It was a good way to wind down after a long day of activities.
There was so much going on every day that I had to constantly remind myself why I was there: to race! I had felt good throughout the week and was excited at the course preview to find out that it was going to be a killer course. It brought me back to my high school days of racing on hilly, hard-packed dirt. I thought for sure that this was going to play right into my strengths as an altitude runner. However, I guess I didn’t give the course enough respect. The first couple loops of the race were a blast. The pace was fairly slow and everyone was really bunched up. I was probably only a couple seconds out of the lead, but there were about 40 people in between the leaders and me. Once the pace started to pick up, everything changed. People were going by me and I had plenty of opportunities to tuck in and let them drag me along, but I just wasn’t feeling it. My breathing was out of control and I thought that this might be the first race of my life where I have to stop and walk for a bit. The hills were debilitating, and knowing that I still had the steepest hill of all at the finish just ended me mentally. I somehow channeled the power to run the last couple of hills and ended up in 75th place. I was definitely a little bummed, but I realized that it also could have been a lot worse. It was good to see some of the guys on my team run well though. The champ of the day was my roommate for the trip, Ryan Vail. He was the youngest guy on the team but ran the toughest and ended up being the first American, good for 33rd place. It was a brutal race, but definitely an experience I won’t soon forget.
POST RACE
Entry #111 I know injury unfortunately plagues the lives of runners at all levels, but that does not make it any easier to handle. Historically, I’d like to think of myself as a “smart trainer;” I listen to my body, take recovery days just as seriously as workout days, et cetera, et cetera. We are all familiar with the ideal daily routine running at this level requires. However, we don’t listen to those little aches and pains that mean our bodies are trying to tell us something until it becomes a serious injury. At first, you ignore it and keep pushing through in hopes that one day it will magically disappear. Yes, we may ice or take some anti-inflammatories, but we really don’t take the pain too seriously until the day you find yourself trying not to limp through a run, or even worse, just walking around. This scenario sums up my past few months. What started as a niggling discomfort in my shin, back when I was still in Virginia, finally became something more serious that has caused this past month to not progress as originally planned. As it turns out, I’ve had to take some time off from running due to a level two stress reaction in my shin. It wasn’t until the inflammation in my shin started causing shooting pain from my calf up through my hip that I was finally forced to stop being stubborn and face reality. To put a positive spin on an otherwise highly negative situation, I am hopeful that by assessing my personal weaknesses as a runner I can prevent this from happening again. Greg’s plan for every runner who comes to train with McMillanElite is to eliminate weaknesses the first year so that there are no interruptions in training due to injury. Well, I haven’t done this in the most ideal way, but it has made be even more aggressive with strengthening those weaknesses. Different people cope with injury in different ways. Some refuse to cross-train and instead go from running a hundred miles a week to doing absolutely nothing. I’m not sure if I could handle doing nothing, so I’ve learned to make the best of any situation and have embraced cross-training to its fullest (of course, between doctor’s appointments and physical therapy there’s not much time left over). Hopefully, next time I make an appearance I will be back in the swing of running and can talk about upcoming races! I’d like to end by congratulating Lindsay on her great 5k at Stanford, and most recently Martin and Andrew on their races over in Ireland where they both finished on the heels of the one-and-only Paul Tergat. Entry #110 The hardest part of running for me dealing with disappointment. Not the hundred plus miles of training a week, not the core and strength work, not the stretching, eating right or racing. It’s the bouncing back after something goes wrong. Last week I flew to Lisbon, Portugal to run a half marathon and hopefully come back with a big PR and confidence for the rest of the season. Everything in training had been going well and I was really looking forward to the opportunity to prove myself. Unfortunately I had to deal with something that would destroy all my hopes of performing well – Jetlag. I slept for one hour on the overnight flight and then two hours the night before the race! I prepared as normal and put the lack of sleep out of my head as there was nothing I could do about it. It was a very strange feeling once the gun went as I felt like I was running very hard but I wasn’t moving quickly and as the race progressed I was getting slower and slower. After hitting 10km and having run out of energy I stopped and jogged to the finished feeling very disappointed and upset about having to drop out.
Now comes the hard part to deal with – I know I am very fit, I know I am ready to produce some good results but it is my head that has to be trained now to get ready for the next events and to compete hard. I luckily have a few weeks before my next race so I can get my body back into its regular pattern and re-teach my brain how it feels to run comfortably at a fast pace. I also have a coach and teammates who are supportive of each other and we all positively reinforce how good our training has been and how ready we are to run fast. This is one of the great things about having a group to train with day in and day out – we see each other progress everyday and know that our bodies are progressing also. We all learn lessons from each other and get pumped up when we see our friends performing well like they did at Stanford this weekend. After watching Lindsey take 40 seconds off her 5km PR I can’t help but be excited to race again. I hope training is going well for everyone and everything is gearing up well for your upcoming races. Lemon
Entry #109 This is a very big week for both McMillanElite, and Greg as a coach as we send Brett to the World Cross Country Championships as a member of Team U.S.A. in Jordan. The race is being run on Saturday, and to my knowledge this is the first American we’ve had go to a World Championship event. It’s really been something to watch how Brett has come to this point in his pro career so quickly, and definitely has a lot of the guys here excited. Good luck man, and rest assured, I am on top of my dog-sitting game. In other news, spring is here, sort of. The trails and dirt roads are clear of snow again, which is great, but we’re still having a pretty interesting mix of both warm and cold weather. Last week for the first time in my life I actually witnessed a thunderstorm and snow at the same time. I didn’t realize that was even possible, but I guess that’s Flagstaff. The weather has been great down in Sedona which is very close though, and we’ve been able to utilize that place for some good training lately. Other than that, not too much to report up here. We’ve been training very hard in preparation for the next few months which are filled with important races. Hopefully all the work will pay off soon with some good results. After what I considered a pretty rough winter there is finally some pretty decent music coming out, so if you get a chance buy the new album from the Handsome Furs called “Face Control.”
Entry #108 I just got back from an amazing run on the Ft. Valley trails here in Flagstaff. Spring has arrived and the snow is almost gone. The trails are open, except for the occasional stream hopping! The run was great because it really was my first full-fledged run on trails with our dog for quite some time. I’ve been slow to return to a consistent routine of aerobic activity since Angus’ birth.
I get a wonderful anaerobic workout from the Stroller Strides class, but my aerobic fitness is definitely in need of some help! Luckily, my husband is a coach, so I’ve asked him for a return-to-fitness program, with the intermediate goal of participating in the Flagstaff Summer Running Series (6 races, most on trails), and the long-term goal of doing a longer distance trail race at a fun destination in the fall sometime around my 39th birthday. Angus started daycare a week ago so I have more time to get the runs in (and one less excuse!). Also, I have some fantastic new trails shoes from adidas to make my feet feel light and ready for the rugged trails! You can see on the home page that right now I’m wearing the Supernova Riot GTX, the Gore-Tex version of their trail shoe, since I’m doing some puddle jumping while running right now! As I mentioned above, life has just changed for me with Angus starting daycare. He loves it, and comes home doing all sorts of fun new things (we just met “Scary Bear” last week!). This change allows me to return to more consistent work in both my consulting and team activities. My consulting work is in the area of public health and community planning. I’ve focused for many years on children’s school transportation and physical activity, specifically on a program called Safe Routes to School that encourages safe walking and bicycling to school. I’m involved at the national, state and local level, and just got back from a great meeting in Washington, DC that really helped to re-charge my professional engine. I also do grant-writing for a non-profit here in Flagstaff that works with adults with developmental disabilities, and some evaluation work with the county health department. I couldn’t manage any of it without the help of Lindsay Allen, who works as my research assistant.
For the team, I am in charge of race communication and travel coordination and will take on a larger role with fundraising this year. Maybe one day we’ll raise enough funds so that I can get paid a little bit! Right now the rewards of great race performances, happy athletes and a happy coach (= happy husband!) is enough. Next time they ask me to write a blog I will hopefully be able to update you on my training and race performances! Until then, enjoy the return of spring!
Entry #107 First and foremost, I would like to congratulate my teammate and training partner, Martin Fagan. Martin set a new Irish National Record for the Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) at the Fortis City-Pier-City Half-Marathon in Hague, Netherlands over the weekend. Congratulations Martin!! Secondly, five of us (me, Trent, Cele, Brett, and AC) also competed in the USA 15K Championships in Jacksonville, FL. The men’s team tied for first place with Team Minnesota, but had to settle for second because Team Minnesota’s fourth runner finished before our fourth runner. Brett, AC, and Trent all ran great races. I, on the other hand, did not run as well. The race after mile three was rough. My hamstrings locked up and I ran the rest of the race in complete discomfort. I am occasionally asked how runners handle disappointing race performances. Every runner is different. Some athletes cry, get angry, swear, laugh, or just want to be alone. I have pretty much experienced all of those emotions. After the race, I went on a cool down run with my friend and physio-therapist Phil Wharton. I expressed to Phil how confused, frustrated, and angry I was with the pain and discomfort of injuries reappearing suddenly and at the most inconvenient times. When I find myself in a frustrating and disappointing time, my parents usually say to me, “Get up, wipe the dust/tears away, and get back on the horse.” After venting, I took a deep breath and decided not to let my performance consume me and fill my mind with negative thoughts. The one thing that the race left me with was determination to get to the root of the injury and get rid of it.
Once I got back to my hotel room, I called Dr. John Ball and made an appointment to see him on Monday morning. Dr. Ball is a chiropractor and former Arizona State University athlete who specializes in Active Release and Graston Techniques. Some of us see him for mysterious injuries. After getting some aggressive treatment from Dr. Ball, I had a talk with Greg and Trina. The treatment and talks with the coaches helped me to re-focus on my season goals. I am now back training and thinking about my next race. In closing, the sponsors and race committees of the 32nd Annual Gate River Run did a great job in hosting the 15K. McMillanElite and Team USA Arizona thank them for their great and generous hospitality. We look forward to going back next year.
Entry #106 Trying to catch a ride on that train! Everyone on the team seems to have a ticket and I am just waiting for my turn. If you still don’t know what I am talking about just look at the results page of this website. Everyone seems to be running fast and it’s about time I step up and earn those three stripes that I wear. It has been a lot of fun watching my teammates run fast times and make National teams but I want them to rest for a little while so I can put on a show. Coming off fall training where I reached new heights, I had my eye set on fighting for an Indoor title, but it was not meant to be. I have refocused and am feeling better from my little injury that made me miss some of my training. Matt and I are going to test our legs a little by hitting the track for a 5K. The 5K just so happens to be at my old college, Cal State Fullerton, which just got a new track, so I am pretty excited to head home and race in front of my family. It should be a fun race, where Matt and I will trade off laps and just run fast enough to really test the legs. This week's workouts have been lighter because of the race but the miles are still coming, because it is way too early in the season to cut those. We started the week with some 900’s on the indoor track starting at 10K goal pace which is 68 quarters on the outdoor track or 51’s for the 300 indoor track. Then we worked it down to the pace we want to run this weekend which is 66’s. The pace felt good and my legs felt fine, now it is just time to get the head ready to race. I think I felt so good on the track that day because of the new gear that I got from adidas, I could tell you about it but I think a video is coming up with that workout on it so you just have to wait to see. I think I will leave it at that so take it easy... “The propagandist’s purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.” –Aldous Huxley [NOTE: Jordan and Matt both ran PR's at the Cal State Fullerton Ben Brown Invitational 5000m, both running 13:50, finishing 1st and 2nd - Results]
Entry #105 Blog of Appreciation Sometimes I look around in life…. And see people creating great things.
Entry #104 This past Saturday was another day of solid performances for the McMillan group. Gil claimed the individual Bronze medal and the team gold at the NACAC championships in Florida, while both Jordan and Matt ran huge 5k PRs (13:50) in their tune-up race. I know I’ve said this before, but good things should be expected this season!
I recently spent a week at home in California to avoid the snow and prepare for the USA indoor championships. Some quality family time and familiar trails was just what I needed to get ready for the big meet. USA’s was a great experience, it was my first major track race since college and gave me great experience and confidence to compete at the national level. The trip was quite an adventure, and after my dad and I narrowly survived an East coast snowstorm, I was eager to get back to training in Flag; little did I know an amazing surprise awaited me.
As I pulled up to my neighborhood, I felt like I was returning to another place. I knew something was different, something was missing…the snow!!! Our yard revealed lovely brown rocks, the sidewalks were clear and most importantly the trails are now open. I was able to run my favorite trail with only a few snow patches to fumble through and some creek crossings to jump over, but I figure that’s just extra steeplechase practice.
Training has been going well the past couple months. I’m feeling fresh and recovered while consistently hitting 90-mile weeks and really enjoying our challenging hill phase. I’m excited to see what the spring will bring with workouts and can’t wait to begin the outdoor season in a few weeks.
I just want to end with a huge thank you to everyone out there that’s supporting my running. My family is tolerant of all my running needs, whether it be providing me with endless amounts of food or letting me jump all through the house while doing my circuit, thanks Mom, Dad, Mikey & Ash. My friends have accepted the fact that I’ll be in bed as their evenings are just beginning, so thank you Kari, Alexis, Kelsey, etc. Thanks Eron for providing us with some superb Adidas gear. And thank you teammates who have gone beyond the call of duty in their support and encouragement. With great coaches and people like this in our lives, it’s no wonder McMillanElite continues to rock the distance running scene.
Entry #103 Hey all. I had a little tune up workout today in preparation for my competition this weekend. I will be running for team USA in the 2009 NACAC cross country championships in Orlando, FL. My run today consisted of a 3 mile warm up, 10 by one min on/one min off, followed by a 3 mile cool down. The on segments are usually run at a quick, yet relaxed tempo. It is just a way to put on the flats a few days out and get in some good leg turn over. I felt fairly decent and was glad to do the workout solo as I could truly run my own pace. While working out I was able to cheer on my teammates who completed an amazing tempo workout. They completed repetitions of three, two and one mile reps at a hard effort with short recovery. They looked strong and powerful and I'm sure gained some confidence for their upcoming races. As for me, I am off to Orlando to bask in the sun and race in 8 kilometers of cross country. It should be an exciting and fun time as I have never been to the state of Florida. On a side note, it looks as if I have gotten a job at a place called Rack Room Shoes here in Flagstaff. The hours have been shortened lately at Michael's and I'm hoping for a better situation at my new job. That's it for me today and the next blog should begin detailing my experiences in Orlando! Peace.
Entry #102 Right now I am sitting by my computer, refreshing it every 30 seconds. I'm waiting to see the results of the 3k Women's USATF Indoor Nationals, where my teammate Lindsay Allen is running. It is 3:55pm our time so I know the race is over (the race was in Boston at 5:40pm), and hopefully I'll know by the end of writing this blog...I'm thinking I'm going to have to write verrrryyyy slowly.
Entry #101 After weeks of cold temperatures, lots of shoveling, icy roads and too many laps on the indoor track at NAU to count, we finally had a spring-like day today! I was so thankful to feel the warmth of the sun and see the many streams of water flowing everywhere from the snow piles melting. There’s always something special about springtime that gives me a renewed hope for the future and a sense of anticipation for the new things that spring brings like fresh green leaves, baby birds and colorful flowers. Spring of course in the US running world also brings about track season! I am so excited to see what Lindsay can do in her race at the Indoor Track Nationals this weekend. Good luck girl! Then, the outdoor season begins and we will be busy almost every weekend with racing. All indicators point towards a lot more personal records being set by everyone on the team this Spring! I think the goal is to keep Andrew Middleton busy updating new prs on the web page every weekend! Speaking of Andrew, the best news we heard this week, was that he was able to run 50 minutes pain free! I’m sure it’s felt like an eternity to him, but we’re all so happy to see him back running with the team and healthy. Injury is one of the hardest things we face as athletes. I always felt like it was harder to be injured and took so much more time and energy going to therapy, appointments and doing extra exercises etc, than the grueling training that I wanted to be doing. Unfortunately, being injured is part of being a professional athlete. We spend a lot of time and energy in trying to recover appropriately from each run and workout through nutrition, rest, massage, active isolated stretching, and core exercises which has thankfully kept most of the team healthy. Speaking of injuries, I managed to get one myself. I ran a local 5k in Phoenix last weekend and came in 2nd. I wasn’t too happy with my time of 18:17, but was even more disappointed that I had to take a down week this past week due to a soleus strain incurred in the race. I am starting to feel much better and was paid a huge compliment by my husband yesterday. He was driving home after hiking and skiing on the mountain and saw me running along the road. When I got home, he said, “You looked like you were moving out there. I thought it was one of the McMillan girls until I got closer and realized it was you.” Thank you David for the ego boost! Last, but definitely not least, we welcomed Emily Harrison to the team this week! She is a real trooper moving to Flagstaff during one of our snowiest winters. She is another great addition to the growing women’s team. She already fits right in with the group, has some cute adidas gear that she brought with her and is running so strong during her first week at altitude. Welcome to the team Emily!
Entry #100 As I sit writing this, I have been in Flagstaff for exactly one week. After a frustrating and disappointing past year, I made probably the biggest, and yet surprisingly, easiest decisions of my life: to move to Flag to train under Greg and with the McMillanElite team. The first week here has been spent recovering from a four day drive from Virginia, adjusting to altitude for the first time in my life, and generally becoming acquainted with my new life. Backing up to the drive out west, I’d like to comment that a lot of time was spent getting to know I-40. Along the way, my Dad and I made a couple detours ranging from visiting a little family history in Arkansas to “standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.” I am very excited for the prospect of where this level of training can take me, and equally excited to be surrounded by such a great group of people who share the same motivation and goals. I’ve been told that winter will be over soon here in Flag, which makes me hope spring comes sooner rather than later, as I have yet to see these mysterious trails that “really do exist!” After having spent the past few years on the trails at UVa, I realize how much I’ve missed them recently. On a final note, I’d like to wish Becky and Lindsay good luck this coming weekend at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships where they will be competing in the 3k. Until next time…
Entry #99 One day you may run, the next day you may not. There are no guarantees in this sport. From the first painful mile of a beginner to the twenty-six mile mark for a marathoner, running can, at its disposal, go from bliss to banishment in the matter of minutes. For me, it came quick and severe: from 130 miles per week to zero in nothing flat. And just as suddenly you can be back out on the roads putting in the distance. Where is the punishment that comes from being banished found in an injury? This is the question we introspectively find ourselves asking each and every day the injury lingers. Was it my form? Did I run too many miles? Did I not stretch well enough? What could I have done wrong to deserve such a dreaded sentence? Beyond this contemplative banter of which we are guilty, one thing remains: the cure. Despite the advancements in modern sports medicine, there are no timetables set in stone for recovery, nor are there clear pathologies for every running injury. I am going to offer today a more unorthodox manner in the alleviation of an injury; something that I know without a doubt aided in my recovery. This method is not the first place we normally look; doctors won’t prescribe it, physical therapy cannot provide it, you can’t get it over the counter, and only a select few know how to dispense it. This wonder I am talking about is simply the act of encouragement. You think, ‘of course, everybody needs to be encouraged,’ ‘a kind word goes a long way.’ But many people in this world are in an unfortunate place where encouragement isn’t felt or maybe even expected. Even so, how could encouragement have helped me in my recovery, it was my groin, after all, that was hurt, not my feelings. This is a question that I myself was unsure of even during the dark days without running. But it all became clear in hindsight. Going from doctor to physician to orthopedic specialist I felt lost in a maze of unanswered questions and misdiagnosis. Despair set in and I felt utterly helpless. That is, until I began to take notice of those around me: my wife, family, friends, teammates, and coaches, even those I hardly know that understood my injury offered words that carried immeasurable amounts of motivation to get back out there and run again. My ‘prescribed treatment’ to everyone, not just runners, is to surround yourself with people who genuinely care enough to offer up encouragement during life’s trials, however big or small. I consider myself very blessed to have such people. For that I am very grateful and now, more than ever, am motivated in my return to form to prove them right. So, now I want to thank to my support group for their amazing encouragement through this small, but very meaningful, trial in my life; foremost my wife Casey, my family, Coach Greg McMillan, Tracy and Angus, the Painters, the entire McMillanElite team, Phil and Ellen Wharton, and anyone else who may not know of their role but are surely known by me. Have a great week, and be sure to look for me on the roads, ‘cause that’s where I’ll be! middle
Entry #98 The fall was fun and full of firsts and getting to experience and adapt to altitude but now is the time of year I look forward to the most. Getting to race on the track! Indoor, outdoor, 200meter banked, or 300/307m flat indoor track. It does not matter, count me in! I remember the first indoor track race we had “The Flagstaff World Championships” (FWC) as Greg referred to them. I was so nervous. I hardly slept the night before. I thought about all of the splits I wanted to run, thought back on previous workouts that were indicators that fitness is building. I was lying awake in bed visualizing goal times both present and future. Big meet or small meet I still care. Qualifying for Indoor Nationals this year was a big deal to me, and I wanted everything to go right at our dress rehearsal for Seattle. The FWC definitely prepared me for different race situations from: working as a team with Lindsay by pacing ourselves through the mile, to trying everything I could to get my fast twitch fibers firing in the 400, or chasing down the leader in the home stretch of the 800m. I walked away that day remembering all the feelings of past racing seasons and scenarios. Feeling ready to go to Seattle, hopeful to run a 9:27 or faster to qualify for USA Indoor Track and Field Nationals, in Boston. When we got to Seattle I was so anxious to race. I knew that this was my opportunity to get the job done. I knew I would have to set a personal record (PR) by at least 21 seconds to qualify for Indoor Nationals. I knew I had to race smart, stay relaxed, and be aware of moves in the race. And although I did not know what was going to happen in the race; I knew I had my training partner, and a lot of people believing in me. I knew the week before Brett had made a huge jump in his half marathon PR and could build confidence off of so many of our teammates who have experienced huge breakthroughs. I knew I wanted to be proud when I came back to Flag and I wanted to do well for my team, adidas, my supporters, and to continue to take steps towards achieving my goals. Once we got there though I just wanted to race, I wanted to know. The gun went off just the same as it has since my first race in middle school and the field darted off. In our race some of the best runners in the country strode out in front of us, but this meet was all about getting a time. I felt very fortunate to have my training partner in the race with me. Lindsay got out better than I did and it took me a few laps to work my way up to her; but there she was right on pace through the mile. After the mile I no longer paid attention to what the pace was. I was only focused on going forward. Lindsay by my side, we moved up and we crossed the finish line together. (Actually she crossed it .19 hundredths of a second in front of me) I took a deep breathe sucking in as much oxygen rich Seattle air as possible. The first words I exhaled where to Lindsay asking her: did we make it? She normally the one that knows exactly what is going on, shrugged her shoulders unknowingly. The race was over now, the sound of the gun, the focus, the determination to push harder than ever before. Thousands of hours of training coming down to seconds...did we do it? We waited. Finally the little gold lights reminiscent of a light brite glowed the glorious numbers 9:17! (11 seconds faster than what we needed to run!) We are going to Boston! The relief and pure joy! It is less than two weeks away from USA Indoor Nationals. Ian, Lindsay, and I all qualified in the 3000 meters that day in Seattle. Ian ran a smoking 7:52 in a very exciting race! This past weekend we had our final tune up meet in Flagstaff. We were lucky enough to have local supporters come to cheer us on. Thank you: Rita, Eddie, Stan, Karen, and family, and Kelsey for taking the time out of your Valentines day to come watch. I don’t know what will happen in Boston. You can never know, that is why we race, but you can count me in!
Entry #97 First and foremost, I would like to say congratulations to Brett, Gil, and Emily for their awesome performances at the USA National Cross-Country Championships in Maryland. Brett placed 7th, Gil was 13th, and Emily was 25th. Each of my team member's 2009 performances have been the results of patient hard work, and they are inspiring and motivating to us all. As I recover from running the hilly Sedona Half-Marathon and completing a case study on the decline and comeback of a business, I find myself thinking about my life in the present. I am currently running full-time, going to graduate school, and working. Its definitely a challenge on some days, but to see the improvement in my fitness and to continue to gain knowledge and skills outside of running makes it all worth while. In college, academics and running both shared my primary focus. Now, running is main focus, followed by work and school. Balance is definitely key. I have to admit that I occasionally choose naps over reading for classes and going to team birthday dinners instead of working on class projects. Because of the choices I have recently made for my running, I find myself with a B (several points from an A) in one of my classes. After a few days of contemplating putting in more work to get an A, I decided that a B is still okay. It also helped to have my friend Chris assure me that B's are still good grades. I also reminded myself that I am no longer in competition with anyone for being Valedictorian. It was a good reality check to have someone be honest and help me realize that I can't be perfect in all aspects of my life. I have come to realize that as long as running is my main focus, some things will just have to be on the back burner. That being said, I promise to make time for fun, family, and friends. I trust that my family, friends, teammates, and coaches will be honest and tell me if my life balance is off. I enjoy doing things outside of running. I work part-time as a Registered Dietitian at Flagstaff Medical Center. Working keeps my mind fresh and helps me see the world beyond running. It also occupies my mind and takes the pressure off of running. One perk of working is that my job provides me with a free lunch and all I can drink Gatoraid from the fountain machine. The cooks usually tell me that I'm too skinny so they give me extra food. I work with five dietitians and they are all different, but they all support my running dreams and goals. My supervisor Sheila reminds me of my mother when she talks about her horses, wears horse print clothes and when she wears her boots to work. Sheila is an excellent boss. After the trials, she told me not to give up on my running dreams. Gayle talks a lot about her daughter and granddaughter living in Africa. We (McMillan Elite team) run past her house almost everyday and she laughs about how skinny we all are. Stacey just had a baby and she is a great mentor. Jodie helps me a lot with pediatric nutrition and I appreciate how she tells me that she prays for me and my running. And Sarah is like the fun older sister that I never had. Some of us (runners) have no choice but to work while we train. We are fortunate to have co-workers and supervisors supporting our running dreams. Our work experiences provide us with funny stores that we share with one another at team dinners. I'm sure that we (runners) are stories to our co-workers and their families as well (Gayle once said to me that she thought we were a bunch of idiots running in shorts during a snow storm!). Alvina Below is a scheduled I followed before the Houston Half Marathon: Sunday: 10 miles Monday: AM: 8 mile steady state with 2 mile warmup and 2 mile cool down Tuesday: 10 miles in the morning and 6 miles in the evening Wednesday: AM: 2 miles on the track with 200 meter strides and 200 meter jogs with 4 mile warm up and 4 Thursday: AM: 10 miles Saturday: 14-16 miles or 2 hours.
Entry #96 The past couple of weeks have felt a bit like a whirlwind. After a nice break from racing after Club Cross, we all got back from our Christmas “vacations” and jumped right back into it. It seems like we’ve had someone racing every weekend, from Ian dropping 7:52 bombs to Martin almost breaking 61 minutes in the half. The fun just never stops. This past weekend was no different. Gil, Greg, and I headed back east to beautiful Derwood, Maryland for the U.S. Cross Country Champs, because who doesn’t love to run 12k on a hilly, muddy course? In all honesty though, I think the conditions were pretty good for the type of training we’ve been doing, and it showed a little bit in the results. I ended up finishing 7th, just missing one of the six automatic qualifying spots for the World Cross Country Champs, and Gil ran a gutsy race to finish 13th, giving himself a possible opportunity to run for the U.S. at the NACAC Champs. The two MVP’s of the day however, were Greg and Eron Osterhaus, our go-to guy from adidas. I think I saw them a combined 157 times at different spots on the course, and it is very likely that they put in a good 15 –20 k of running that day. In all seriousness though, it was a huge help to have them out there, as they let us know where we were in the race and how everybody else was looking. It also took my mind off the race a little when I saw small children and parents giving this unknown madman the death stare as he charged from spot to spot with four letter words spewing from his mouth while cheering. For the sake of his reputation, I’ll refrain from naming him. But seriously Eron, you’re the man. All in all, it was a good day, and hopefully the first of many more U.S. teams for the McMillan Elite athletes. Although running U.S. Cross is mainly about making that world team, it also served another purpose for us as individuals and as a group. We had so many amazing performances in the fall and the start of 2009 has been even better, so it was a great opportunity to build on our reputation as consistent runners. I think everyone in our group is looking to get that shoe contract that says, “I’ve made it”. I don’t know a whole lot about that stuff, but it seems extremely tough these days with the current situation in the shoe companies. Either way, I think we are heading in the right direction and we’re beginning to establish ourselves in the pecking order. To finish, I’ll give you a little bit of the general routine I go through the day before and the morning of a race like this. Friday Saturday Entry #95 Hello from sunny Texas! I decided to stay down in Houston for a couple of weeks after the half marathon in Austin and stay until my next race, a road 10km in Edinburg, near the border of Mexico. Its been a little hard to gauge how hard I’m running down here at sea level because down here I can be tired and still run a lot faster than I do at altitude. This meant that by Saturday this week I had a little bit of a crash after a good weeks training and ended up logging a 3 mile day! I started my run only to realise that my legs were screaming at me to stop. This wasn’t a good start to what was supposed to be my long run so I decided to stop after one lap of Memorial Park (it’s a 3 mile loop that is a popular running spot in the center of Houston). This actually turned out to be the best thing I could have done because when I woke up on Sunday after a 10 hour sleep, my legs felt great and I was ready to get a good long run in. There are a number of things that I find happen to me when I am doing some sea level training. The first and most obvious one is that I can run a lot quicker. It feels great to run at a quicker pace day in day out and feel easy doing it. The down side to this is that I can get a bit carried away and maybe run a little quick some times. The second thing is that I sleep a lot more. I’m not sure why this is but a long sleep in Flagstaff for me is 8 hours (not including my afternoon nap) where as I can crank out 9-10 hours no problem down here at sea level. Thirdly my appetite changes. I am lot hungrier here but I think that may have more to do with boredom setting in more than anything else. I’ve been having a good time staying with my sister in the good weather but it still doesn’t compare to living in Flagstaff. There is only so many times I can run the same 3 mile loop (I’ve run about 80% of my mileage on it this week) or hit the track on my own now that I have been training with a tight knit group for so long. I am already missing training in a group, running the trails or simply the altitude keeping me in check. The next goal for me is the Lisbon half marathon in a couple of months so I am excited to get back into the hard, long workouts with the guys and take a break from racing for a little while. The team had another set of pr’s this weekend which was exciting for the group as they were all indoor national’s qualifying times for Lindsay, Becky and Ian. It seems like it doesn’t matter what surface we are running on, someone is going to set a pr every time we go out and race. I hope everyone is training well and getting closer to reaching your goals! Lemon
Special Guest Blog! When you are a long distance runner from Norway, one of the annual concerns is where to plan the next training camp. Not because it`s impossible to run and exercise in the beautiful Norwegian surroundings, even though weather conditions during the winter season can be quite unfavorable to say the least, but because Norway is a small country. This means that if you are a long distance runner with international ambitions, you are likely to be the long distance runner with international ambitions☺. Even though Norway have fostered a number of fantastic runners, like Grete Waitz and Ingrid Kristiansen, the relatively low number of athletes with a full-time commitment makes it necessary to go abroad from time to time. The possibility to meet other people to train with, discuss with, learn from and be motivated by – in short – to spend time with people who have the same (crazy..) idea as yourself, that running is the meaning of life, is vital to continue developing and reaching new goals. So – where is it possible to find people with such a (questionable) mentality? My previous training camps have been good, but always connected to some negative sides. In Font Romeu I was the only runner around.. In Egypt I was too busy finding the closest restroom to be able to train properly. Marielyst in Denmark was great, except for one thing – Denmark is the opposite of altitude training with the country`s highest “mountain” Moellehoey at the dizzy height of 170m :-). Still – Denmark is a land of sun, nice people, happiness, hundreds of beautiful trails, and kilometer by kilometer of beaches with tracks perfect for running. But this year altitude was a part of the concept. Many possibilities were considered, including Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia. But I ended up going to - Flagstaff, Arizona! “No thanks – I prefer some heat…” was the common answer I got when I tried to get other runners to join me. But from the Olympic Silver medal team of Race Walkers in Norway, with Beijing Silver medalist Kjersti Plätzer in front, I was strongly advised to ignore such factors, and go to Flagstaff. Today I am glad I did!
Flagstaff is the perfect place for a training camp! Why? There are many reasons for this. First of all – Greg McMillan, his family, and his McmillanElite runners team. It is hard to imagine a more positive and hospitable bunch of people anywhere else! And as I started off writing – what I needed more than anything else, was to meet runners in more or less the same situation as myself. Running can be a lonesome thing to do, (especially when you are from Norway’s west coast), and it is good to talk to somebody that understands what you are trying to say, without wondering what your major malfunction is...I don`t need to run with them every day, but only knowing that they are there, doing the same thing that I am doing, helps. Not to mention the exceptionally nice and helpful way they are doing everything possible to make my stay a good one! Their good results and devoted coach also motivates me to do my best. So: thank you Greg, Tracy, Angus, Trina, Paige, Ian, Chilidog, Trent, Becky, Cele, Gil, Lindsay and the rest of you. I wish you all the best!
Reason number two can be measured in meters. Flagstaff offers high altitude, combined with the possibility to go low if you want to focus on speed on some of the exercises. Sedona – with its magnificent views and splendid trails designed for running – is only 30 minutes away. This move brings you from 2100m to 1300m, and offers one of the most amazing nature experiences one can imagine through a car window with its famous Red Rocks. In Flagstaff, compared to the above mentioned destinations, I don`t have to worry about what to eat. The climate and food is familiar, so the risk of getting sick is far lower than i.e. in Africa. This is something that, in my opinion, is far more important than the possibility to lay on the beach, which seems to be the main factor for many. A lot of training camps have been ruined for European athletes through the years because of this!
I came here together with my husband and my two kids, and was a bit worried that they would have a hard time enjoying themselves. What a waste of energy! Flagstaff offers something for everybody, and the four of us have already started planning the next trip here. My children have been kindly accepted as students at Pine Forest Charter School here in Flagstaff for 4 weeks, which has proven to be, (after the first shivering hours), a life time experience! They are learning both English and other themes like swamps, and have made many new friends! The fabulous Headmaster and teachers at Pine Forest deserves a big thank you! Our kids will miss you a lot! The best part? According to Greg McMillan, we are here at the worst time of year, with most of the trails covered in snow. This means, of course, that I will have to return to experience the rest. Soon...!! Kirsten Melkevik Otterbu BFG Fana - Norway
McMillanElite would like to thank Kirsten and her wonderful family for allowing us the opportunity to share in her training experience in Flagstaff. Best of luck, Krsten, in your upcoming race!
Entry #94 I’d like to start the blog off this week with a congrats to Martin and Lemon who placed first and third, respectively, at the 3m Half-Marathon in Austin. It was a course record for Martin who almost dipped under the 61 minute barrier. Just more good performances out of the group which really has started 2009 off with a bang. It’s really great to see all the base work done in the fall starting to pay off. Personally, I’ve been off to a bit of a slower start this year. I unfortunately strained my Achilles running on some ice a few days before Christmas and had to take it easy for a few weeks after that. I was looking forward to running a few indoor races and trying to put all the fall’s work to good use, but it looks like I’ll be waiting a bit longer for that since I won’t be competing until outdoor. I’ve missed some key workouts and Greg thought it would be best to spend the next few weeks building a little strength back up, which is a good plan. We’re out here to do things right, not to try and rush through injuries and into races if not quite ready. Not much else to report in Flagstaff. The snow is melting a bit just in time for another storm this week, although it hopefully won’t even hold a candle to the dumping we got during December. We’ve had to get a bit creative finding good surfaces to run on since the trails are covered in snow, but luckily there are some really nice dirt roads that the city keeps plowed. They’ve been really helpful in terms of keeping the legs from feeling too beat up from the pavement. It’s been cool to be here in Arizona getting to watch all of the long time Cardinals fans finally get to see their team heading to the Super Bowl, which will hopefully be a good game. Next Sunday we’ll be celebrating Angus’ first birthday and also having a party out at Greg’s to watch the game, which should be a good time.
Entry #93 We just got back from the Houston Half Marathon. I am so proud of Brett and Andrew, they had amazing races. They were the only thing that kept me going as I struggled to get myself across the finish line. With running you experience such great highs, but also have to accept the lows and bad races for what they are and move on. Houston was a very frustrating, disappointing race for me. It was really nice to have my family there though and have my sister and brother-in-law waiting for me in Phoenix once I got home (they ran the Phoenix Rock and Roll...Shannon in the Half and Mike in the full).
I know some people are wondering about training logs...here is an example of what mine looked like for Chicago when I was in full marathon mode: Monday - 90 minutes AM - usually a 30 min warm up, 20*1 min on/off 30 min cool down.
Entry #92 Greetings!!! Happy New Year! The last time I blogged, I wrote about being the newest member of McMillan Elite. This time I get to welcome our latest addition, Emily Harrison. Welcome Emily! I also wrote about how I was adjusting to a new coach, new teammates, and a new training system. Since then, Flagstaff has been hit with several snow storms and my fitness is finally coming around. My Yaktraks and fleeced lined tights (courtesy of adidas) made it easy to handle the snowy, cold days. Other days we drove down to Sedona where there is no snow, its a little warmer, and the rocks are beautifully red. I also competed in the USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston, Texas this past weekend. It was my first race since the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials last year. I ran 1:15.39 and placed 17th. I was very pleased considering that I started seriously training about two months ago. Greg has been very patient in preparing me for the spring racing season. I had some injuries that seemed to take most of last year to heal so racing over 13 miles without injury pain was a huge success in my mind. I followed my race plan exactly. I definitely feel that getting in a few more workouts under my belt will get me where I want to be. It was also so was great to see Amy, Pete, Caroline, Des, Fasil, Magdalena, Fernando and many others in Houston. The weekend marked another round of racing for McMillan Elite. Brett ran an awesome race. He placed third and set a personal best by two minutes!!! AC (Carlson), Trent, and Paige also set PRs. Ian dominated the mile at the Lumberjack Invitational with a 4:11 at altitude (7000 ft.) while Lindsay and Becky went 1-2 in the same event. As far as training, I think I am finally phasing out of the "adjustment period." For the first couple of weeks since joining the group, I felt like I was grinding through workouts and trying to be positive as I struggled through training. It didn't help to get a sinus infection and find that my iron levels were low. It was a huge blessing to have Trina Painter run with me and help me see and find the positives in every run and workout. I got into a consistent routine of eating, sleeping, taking iron, doing circuit, getting massages, and stretching with faith that things would feel better soon. Then one day, like magic, I felt awesome in a workout down in Sedona. I was able to run 1000 meter repeats in times that gave me confidence in my fitness. In closing, I would like to say Thank You to a few special people. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Higgins. Paige's parents traveled to Houston and cheered on Paige and the rest of team. Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Briney. Trent's parents made some of us some delicious green chili burritos before our drive back up to Flagstaff. Thank you to my sister Natasha and her fiance' Jeff for always being great hosts when I train or stay in Phoenix. And lastly, Thank You to the Houston Marathon who always goes above and beyond to support American distance running. You made us feel at home in Houston and we can't wait to go back next year. Until next time...Thanks for reading!!! Alvina
Entry #91 I just want to start this blog out with a shout out to all my homies back in the bay...sup. Well, now that that is over with, on to the blog. Since last writing, quite a few things have occurred here in Flagstaff worth noting. One, we were blessed with some very severe snow storms that often left me wondering how much precipitation clouds could truly hold. Two, the snow eventually began to fade/melt away and turned into a slippery, dangerous thing called ice. You can kind of guess where three leads to. After quite a few runs where I thought I would at the very least break something, I’m glad to say that Flagstaff is starting to come around. With a solid span of sunny weather I no longer fear for my life as I step out the door for a run J. Now let’s get this party started... Training has been going pretty solid since taking a little break after Club Cross (which deserves another shout out to my excellent teammates). After trudging around in the less than ideal conditions for a few weeks I finally feel like I am coming back into my own. Following some deliberation/planning with the great McMillan (aka Gregster) we both decided to forgo some indoor action and continue to work on the strength that has done me good so far. However, I will continue to race sporadically with my first outing being in Maryland for the US Cross Country Championships. I am excited for this opportunity and will try my very best to be able to represent the country at the world championships in March. On a side note, my younger brother traveled out here to spend some time training/visiting with me. I was looking forward to having some family around and glad that he was able to make the trek out here. He has since departed and I was saddened to see him go but I held back the tears like the true champ that I am. He is a strong runner and competes for the golden bears (my alma mater) out in Berkeley, Ca. I know he will have a strong season and can’t wait to see him toe the line in a few months. December also marked a month where my good friend, and former McMillan athlete, Charlie Serrano, decided to leave Flagstaff for the beauty and calm of Southern California. We all mourn his loss greatly but there is definitely a slight envy on my side that he is back in Cali. I miss him but I know that he made the right decision for himself. This program isn’t for everybody and I also look forward to seeing him compete in the spring as well. You’re my boi Charlie! Well, as I write this blog, I am on the cusp of finishing off my highest week of mileage ever...I’ll let that number be a little mystery. I am feeling strong and hungry to compete for some respect out there on the road, track and dirt/grass. I am glad that I have avoided any serious injuries and I hope that those with little aches and pains can come back strongly and with a fire to be the best. Greg is doing something special out here and hopefully we can show the rest of the country the fruits of his labors. While the blog should probably end here, I will conclude with a little insight into team dynamics. As many of you know, our club is sponsored by adidas. We all eat, sleep and talk running while wearing the three stripes from head to toe. However, we have people on the squad who are represented by other companies as well. This makes for quite the multi-company gathering on runs but has not slowed us down one bit. We are all coached by his "Gregness" and know that the ultimate goal is for us to branch out and be able to be self-sufficient runners. It's nice to see the few that already have this opportunity and I’m sure the time will come for the rest of us fairly soon. The BLOG ends here. Thank you all and have a good nite.
Entry #90 We're back at it in Flagstaff and racing is already upon us. This weekend our long distance folk are headed to the US Half-Marathon Championships in Houston and some of us tracksters are racing at the Lumberjack Invite here at NAU. Returning to altitude after a few weeks of being home took some readjusting. But within a few days I had my legs back under me. We made a few trips down to Sedona for workouts including 300m repeats and a 3-mile downhill tempo (which I'd recommend to anyone that needs a little confidence boost!) and long runs. It was nice to be able to avoid pavement and run on some dirt roads. On Monday we did some 1000m intervals back up in Flagstaff and as odd as it sounds, it felt great to have that post-track workout leg fatigue. It just means track racing is that much closer! This past weekend was particularly exciting because Miss Emily Harrison from Virginia was out for her recruiting visit. It was great getting to know her and showing her around Flag. Her trip was capped off with a team dinner at our house with over 30 people, including Norwegian marathoner, Kirsten Melkevik Otterbu and her family who are in town training for a month. We all immediately felt like Emily was a part of the team and we just found out that she'll be joining us at McMillan Elite in our quest for domination! Welcome to the family Emily! Our women's team is growing and I hope it only continues. Be sure to check the website this weekend for results. Thanks for tuning in.
Entry #89 For my blog, here is my last week of training and a note of hello to Colorado Springs, Detroit and my friends in the many states across the US who have been nice enough to help be a great support crew for me over the years of training. I am a 30 year old professional runner who is enjoying going after my goals with the support of you all and the McMillanElite team. This week some friends of mine are in town, Danielle Hunt and Ryan Mulcahy from Geneseo State University in New York. We also have my roommate’s brother Yosef Ghebray who runs at Cal in town and giving us some good company on the runs. We’ve been enjoying running with Magdalena Lewy Boulet, a US Marathon Olympian, the last couple weeks as she has been here doing some altitude training. And, its great because this week marks the first week everyone is back from their winter trips to see family and we’re ready to get back into the routine. So, as always in Flagstaff we are entertained by the stream of runners that flow through town and share the enjoyment for the sport in which we partake. Training Log 1-5-09 to 1-12-09 Monday - AM Workout: Sedona HS Track. 3+w/u, 40 min. warm down, 5+, 5 by 1k with 200 meter jog at Houston half marathon goal pace. Ran 3:00 or 2:59 or 3:01 for the first 4 then went up with Brett G. for number 5 and ran 2:49 high going through at 2:12-13 and 66-67. Ran workout with McCahey and Rob Krar. 11.5-12 miles. Felt good. PM - 35:00 or so running down to Wharton’s by myself. 5 miles. Moderately solid pace and felt decent with a little fatigue from am. MASSAGE then and CORE at MCM. Later. Tuesday AM - Ran from Mountain house down to Trina’s for meeting everyone then ran down to the dog park and up the Kilani dorms hill up to the dirt road area at the top and out to the end and back. Ran with Jordan and kinda chilled after 20 minutes into the run. Good restful run. 12 miles or just shy. 86 minutes. PM - 4+ easy with Gil, Yosef up Elden rd. Wednesday AM Workout: Sedona Jacks Canyon Rd. Tempo Run. 3.75 miles-17:14 total.. 4:33, 4:31, (about 4:35) and 6:56 for next 1.5 miles, 72 last quarter up slight hill. Course is definite downhill but who knows how much that affects the time. Solid run for sure. Ran with the guys for 2 to 2.5 miles and then just behind Brett. 7-8 of us rolling today. 5k PR for the roads because road PR was 14:21. 12 miles. PM - 28:00 w/Mulcahy from Wharton clinic...moderate pace in the neighborhood. Right calf a little sore down low and on the side wrapping into the foot...4 Miles Thursday AM Bagel Run from Biff’s: Worried about right calf prior to run but after 15 minutes things were great. Did a good warm-up stretch with some of the calf exercises from the Whartons. Ran out through college and dome area then down to the left and up the road to Cocinino CC and out to the right to Lake Mary rd. Turned left and headed down the side of Lake Mary. Ran easy most of the way today. Resting after yesterday’s workout and sore calf last night. 73minutes - 10 miles. PM - Ran from Wharton clinic at 5:30pm with Mulcahy and Danielle from Geneseo. Easy jogging out towards Fort Tuthill neighborhood. Legs felt much better after getting worked on from Austin. Gotta keep on the stretching and foam roller and exercises while the winter weather is causing the extra work and we are pushing to be fast. 40 minutes - 5 miles. Did some exercises before getting the massage from Austin. Calf/peronials, etc. Friday AM - 9 to 9.5 miles, 67 minutes...good stretch before for the sore right calf/Achilles area. Started off at a good pace compared to normal. Headed around Cheshire and then up Mt. Elden Rd for 25 minutes. Back down to mountain house. Ran mostly with Brett until 25 min. then slowed and ran with Paigemo. Nice easier pace today. PM - 4 to 4.5 miles, 31 minutes. Ran from mountain house with Danielle up to Schultz pass Rd. and past the gate on the packed snow from walkers and skiers. Easier running and felt real good late in the run. 78 miles so far for the week. Saturday AM - 14 miles in Sedona. South start of FS 525. Uphill with some short downs going out 6 miles and then back 3, then last 3 at faster/goal pace for next weeks race. Conservative first 6-9 miles. Then, ran 4:55, 4:42, 4:55 downhill on the dirt. Solid fast running by myself as others were doing different types of workouts/long runs. Then finished up with a 2 mile warm-down easy jogging. 1:31 total. No PM run as today is Long Run day with a race 1 week away. Sunday AM - 10 miles in 75 minutes on Woody Mtn. Rd. with a good collection of the Flagstaff runners including Jared Scott, Anthony Gallo, Vince Sherry, Wharton, a shoe rep from San Diego, McMillan elite guys, and visiting holiday college kids. Prettty icy running but its an easy day so just getting in some miles. Nice to run with some interesting story tellers...hmmm Gallo. Ha, Legs a bit tired at end of run. PM - 6 miles in 36-39 minutes or so. Up Mt. Elden Rd for 3 miles+ and then back down. Legs and rhythm felt real good. Weekly Mileage: 108. Things have been going pretty well the last two weeks and I’m having a good start to the year and the spring speed season. My first race of the year is next weekend in Houston in the US Half-Marathon Championships, Jan. 18th. Anyway, happy new year everyone and best of luck in your goals this year. A note in closing...As Ricky Bobby from the movie Talladega Nights would say...“Its time to go fast.”
Entry #88 What a crazy last few months, personal records and national championships left and right, it's good to be in Flagstaff! The Trip back to Flagstaff was one of the weirdest I have ever had. About half way home my right eye closed and I could not open it. The fact that I had two dogs with me, one eye and a bad cold made the drive pretty interesting. The next day my eye was blood red, so I have now earned another nickname courtesy of Greg, which is "Pinky." It goes along well with the others: Hornet, Yordan, Horny and super-sexy stud. No one has called me the last one but I'm hoping that it will catch on. It is almost my favorite time of the year, which is track time! We are topping off our great base training phase with some faster stuff, which has its purposes for the bigger picture but it lets me get on the track for a little bit, so I am happy. On Monday I did 300's with Gil and Ian down in Sedona while the half marathoners were doing thousands. I don't know about the other boys, but it felt great to get on the track for those. The way I felt and the way everyone look around me, I think that the men and women of McMillanElite are going to fly this year! Happy New Year! Make it a great one!
2008 Blog Postings: Tracy McMillan - 12/29/08
2007 Blog Postings: Brett Gotcher - Week of December 31, 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.
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