McMillanElite :: Training Blog - 2010 Postings
Entry #197 At some point in our running career, we all face the question of why we do it. Why do we push our body to the limit, what do we hope to accomplish, and what difference does it make? The answers are different for each of us. Once we find our answers, we are truly empowered to reach our potential. I recently read an interview by Josh Cox on MarathonNews.net that dealt with that question. I found this section especially inspiring and wanted to share it with you: “In November of 2005 my dad was diagnosed with stage four cancer. In the subsequent months, I lived out of a hotel in Houston, Texas, looking after my dad while he was being treated at MD Anderson Cancer Hospital. My dad and I didn’t have the best relationship; we needed that time. My dad was dealt a great hand: looks, charisma, he had it all. He made millions in business, had a big house, convertible Mercedes, the works… but in the end he had a mountain of regrets. Regrets he shared. When you know someone is on their last lap you hang on their every word. In those Texas hospital rooms and in that San Diego hospice room, I really learned how to listen. For the first time, I wasn’t just waiting for my turn to speak – I heard him, loud and clear. He regretted putting work first, not spending more time with the family, failed relationships with his children and most of all with my mom (they divorced after 34 years). It’s tough to put an old head on young shoulders but those months with my dad did just that. In July of 2006 my dad told me to be faithful with my gifts and relationships, pursue my passions, believe in my dreams, and preach from the heart. A week later he lost his battle with cancer. I was looking in his eyes and holding his hand when he took his last breath. That sort of thing changes you, it makes you evaluate and take inventory. Everything was turned upside down. I did a lot of soul searching. Does running matter? What difference does it make? Why am I spending my life trying to lower my time on a clock? For what? What’s the end game? A medal? A record? A team? Money wasn’t the answer, worldly success wasn’t the answer, accolades weren’t the answer – my dad had all that and he died a sad man. He thought he’d have more time to make his life really count but he didn’t. Tomorrow is promised to no man. Tomorrow is a lie. I nearly retired from running and went to seminary full time; I even took some classes. After some time, I came to realize that running does matter. My world view, one that believes that God has entrusted us all with specific gifts and specific passions for specific purposes to fill specifics roles, prescribes that we use our gifts to serve others. I believe that’s the answer. When you use your gifts to serve mankind, when you pour yourself out in service to another, you leave a lasting legacy, one that will outlive your life, your record, or the shine on any medal. Who do people build statues of? Who do streets get named after? Servants. Those who have offered their gifts, maybe even their life, in service. My dad’s illness changed everything for me. What if all my dreams came true? Who would stand to benefit? Would the world be a better place or would I be the sole beneficiary? Tough questions. I made God some promises during that time, promises I’ve dedicated my life to keeping. Being faithful with my gifts and relationships are a huge part of that.” For the complete interview, go to: Marathon News.net I encourage each of you to search within yourselves and to ask “why?” Hopefully the answer you come up with inspires you to be a better runner and a better person.
Entry #196 Change is sometimes uncomfortable. You become used to your surroundings, daily routines, and where you call home. For me home had been Eugene for the last 2 1/2 years and the thought of uprooting myself was not high on the to do list. Then I realized that running is uncomfortable too. Sure you have moments of pure bliss after a perfectly executed workout or exhilaration after crossing the finish line of a race. But for the most part running is uncomfortable. So why do it, many ask? I'm not sure I have the best answer for that but I do know its for those few moments I mentioned earlier. So for me, change was just something that seemed like the next step. This is how I found myself in Flagstaff, 7000 ft. above normalcy and 1200 miles from comfort. After fitting just about everything I own in my Jetta (aside from furniture I left with Ben) and road tripping for 7 days, I arrived here about a month ago, and can honestly say it's been the best 4 weeks I've experienced in the last 18 months. I say that because I am healthy and training. I came in with a warm welcome from the team and a pancake breakfast that I somehow found myself cooking for everyone? I have so much pent up excitement that I'm doing my best to hold the reigns and bide my time. For now, as Greg says it's time to train, train, train! I don't know whether it's the women I run and watch too much Sex and and the City with, the support from adidas, the belief Greg has in me, or the sunshine, but something has changed and I now see that change is good.
Entry #195 “Happiness and Success equate with a philosophy of life and attitude, not with a destination. There’s nothing magic about the locations, runners go there because a lot of other runners have gathered there and have a social life, not because of the utopian environment.” - Joe Vigil. The past couple months have been pretty hectic for me in terms of traveling, racing, relocating, and trying to restructure my life. I have recently settled down in Flagstaff, Az, and have joined up with McMillanElite/Team USA Arizona and am representing adidas. My initial impressions of the team – Awesome. My initial impressions of Flagstaff – Beautiful. Now, after being here for a month, I am glad that I can still say that my feelings are still the same. Everyone is happy here, there are a lot of elite athletes coming and going, meaning that there are new people to run with and hang out around every week. The most exciting part, for me, is that I get to train at altitude, which is something that I have only been able to do during high school and college summer camps. Those were some of my most enjoyable memories in running, basically just being out in nature, exploring new trails and seeing all sorts of animals everywhere I run. I’ve already seen six elk this week, one of which was literally walking on water. I wish I had brought my camera with me last Sunday to prove it, but true story, I saw an elk walking across a lake, literally 100 meters from shore and in no more than ankle deep water. Just amazing. It’s been great the past few weeks to train with the team. Everyone here makes Flagstaff even more enjoyable by adding their own quirky attitudes to the runs. Things are both laid back and intense at the same time, it reminds me of how much fun I had training in high school and college. It is extremely motivating and uplifting to have such a positive attitude from everyone. The group feeds off of each other really well, and I am thrilled to be a part of it now.
Entry #194 First and foremost, I would like to welcome Nick and Stephanie to McMillan Elite and Team USA Arizona. They are the newest members of the team. Welcome Nick and Stephanie!!! I had the opportunity to meet and get to know Stephanie when we were representing the USA in the Yokohama Ekiden in 2008. She was very fun and exuberant about the sport of running. When I found out she was coming to Flagstaff, I was super excited. The Flagstaff spring season has been interesting. We got a dusting of snow last night. The temperatures go up and down. Three days ago, it was a nice 60 degrees, warm and not windy. Yesterday (Monday), it was 50 degrees, cold, and windy. I keep turning off the heat in the house and then find myself turning it back on. I go back and forth between wearing shorts and capri tights. Growing up in northern Arizona, I have to remind myself that this is a typical spring. I had a talk with a friend who coaches a high school track team on the Navajo Reservation a few days ago. In talking to him, I realized that much hasn’t changed in high school running on the Reservation, ESPECIALLY when it comes to runners who have and show talent. From my perspective and experience working with high school runners, families can sometimes get overly involved in the sport of their children. This is a good thing, but it is also sometimes a bad thing. I’m going to touch on the negative side of parent over involvement. Some parents, especially those who competed in the same sport as their child often times think they know everything about that sport. Some parents see and notice talent in their children and then try to coach them or offer advice in how to perform. Some parents might get so used to their children winning that they don’t know how to react when their child doesn’t perform as expected. Parents may not know it but what they say and what they do when it comes to their child’s sport can be detrimental. Parents might think they are offering words of encouragement or showing their love by trying to help, when in fact, it is doing the opposite. I am familiar with all of this too well because I felt the pressure to win and excel in running from my dad from grade seven till my freshman year in high school. My dad would try to train me outside of practice, tell me to win every race, and “be tough.” The pressure I felt became very overwhelming and became a heavy weight. One day I got so angry that I told my dad to “back off” and to “leave my running alone.” I remember that conversation clearly. I felt awful and sad for talking to my dad like that but it was one of the best things I did for my running. After that, he kept mum about my training and running. He then realized that I wanted to train hard and win on my own. Now, he tells me to be careful and to train smart. I have been in the sport of running since I was a child. I have seen many families get too involved in their children’s running to the point where runners don’t love or want to run anymore. Young runners start to feel the pressure to win every race. They are already labeled “the next Billy Mills” at such a young age. It is especially hard when runners have success at such a young age. For parents who may be reading this, please understand that runners already put a ton of pressure on themselves. Talk to the coaches about how you can be supportive and offer encouragement. When high school runners approach me for running advice, I advise them to listen to their coaches and to have fun. Parents, also try to make your words of encouragement as positive as possible. You can say things like, “Just do your best. You can do this. You are strong,” or “Have fun out there.” When the body and mind start to get tired in a race, it is so easy to think about the words you hear around you all the time. If words are negative, thoughts will be negative. If words are positive, thoughts are positive. It is okay to take a step back and let young runners learn and figure themselves out. Since high school, my parent’s attitude towards my running has become – We are here for you in any way you need us to be because we know that this is what you want to do. We do not want to be or get in the way of what you are trying to do. For young runners, it is okay to say how you feel to your coaches and family. I have asked my mom several times not to act like a psycho cheerleader at my races. She does her best not to. She still embarrasses me by yelling “Go baby!” during my races. If you let people know how you feel, it takes that extra weight or pressure off to perform. You will enjoy the sport of running even more. My brothers have asked me for running space and I give it to him. They call me when they need help or advice with running. Thank you for reading. Good Luck to Paige in Boston, Lemon in London, and Martin in Ireland!!!!
Entry #193 For this blog, I’m going to write about the people that help keep us healthy. I learned recently that marathon training can take quite a toll on your body, and without the help of a few people, I most likely would not have even made it to the starting line. As we push our bodies closer and closer to it’s limit, little things (or big things) are going to pop up. That’s just a fact we have to deal with. It’s how we deal with it that determines how good we can be. First off, we have Greg McMillan. Yes, he is our coach, but he does much more than just coach. This winter seemed particularly bad, maybe because it was or maybe because I was freaking out that I had to train for a marathon during the thick of it. Either way, I didn’t take it so well. I remember coming to a breaking point and feeling like it was just about time to throw in the towel. I was losing it until Greg told me I should just go to Sedona for a week or so. He got in contact with Phil Wharton who got in contact with someone he knows in Sedona and before I knew it, I had a place to stay for as long as I wanted. A simple solution to what I thought was an unfixable problem. Ten days of training on soft surfaces later, I was back on course and felt like a new man. Next we have our massage therapists. There are many here in town, and for me, this person was Dana Bosselmann. I recently found out that Dana is moving in a bit of a different direction from massage, into holistic lifestyle coaching. Luckily she is still going to be doing some massage work on the side, but this made perfect sense to me. Not only could she mend muscles that felt like they were torn in half, but she also managed to impart little bits of wisdom that could help me in many other aspects of my life. She was the total package, covering both the mind and body and helping me with the little things that could keep my body in one piece while I was going out every day and trying to rip it apart. And last but not least, we have the one and only Dr. John Ball. I recently got in a little trouble with John when apparently, I classified him as something he is not in an interview. He was obviously just kidding around with me, but I realized that I actually didn’t know what I should call him. Doctor? Chiropractor? So I asked him, “Well what should I call you when people ask about you?” His reply was, “A lot of people like to call me Jesus.” I laughed, but realized I was perfectly okay with it because this man heals people. I ended up finding his business card at the front desk so I can now tell you that he is a Chiropractic Physician, specializing in Active Release and Graston techniques. No matter what he’s called, I honestly believe I would not have made it to the starting line without his help. He is stationed in Phoenix, about 2 – 2.5 hours south of Flagstaff, but the drive seemed minor when I knew I was going to see him. He has this amazing ability to find the source of the pain so he can nip it where it counts. He doesn’t treat the symptoms. He takes them into consideration and then finds the underlying cause. I was having some calf issues during the week leading up to the Houston Marathon. It wasn’t feeling so good, even on my easy days, so I was beginning to worry about how it would feel 20 miles into a marathon. I was running out of options as the race was only a few days away, but John was able to squeeze me in a few hours before my plane left Phoenix. I got to Houston, relying on nothing but hope that it would feel okay. I should have known better. I didn’t feel anything in my calf the entire weekend and the race was a success. I couldn’t believe that I could go from limping through runs to feeling nothing after seeing John for about 30 minutes. Thank you, Jesus. There are definitely many more people out there that help keep our group healthy and I want to extend a huge Thank You to all of them. A lot of people think running is purely a solo sport. And while it can be in many ways, it wouldn’t be possible without the help of so many people.
Entry #192 Temperatures are rising in Flag, snow is melting on a daily basis, and trail running is becoming more of a reality. A piece of the urban trail has cleared up and I’ve heard rumors of other trails being open. We’ve survived the worst of the winter (I hope) and it feels like an accomplishment in itself. I write to you following a crazy, fun-filled week up here in the mountains. The week kicked off with an AlterG fundraiser at the McMillan’s. We currently have one on trial in Flag and we’re hoping to raise the funds to keep it here, with the help of those with a vested interest such as the hospital, therapy centers and other professional runners. They put on quite a spread, as people came to see what all the fuss is about. A machine that allows you to defy gravity while running?! No big deal. A special thanks to Jimmy Bean for coming out to educate people on the many uses and benefits of the AlterG. On Thursday, Sam Grotewold from the New York Road Runners popped into town for our second fundraiser (Run to 2012) and took the team out to dinner at Taverna, a hot spot Greek restaurant. Tracy and her fundraising committee have been working tirelessly to plan the ‘Run to 2012,’ a night of socializing, raffle prizes, good BBQ and both a silent and live auction at the Orpheum. What a night it was! We had a great turn out of supporters and generally awesome people from the community. I would have paid just to see Mike Smith, auctioneer extraordinaire, work the crowd and get people to buy the athletes for various services. He was talking faster than the crowd could keep pace with and getting arms to go flying in the air as prices climbed. Epic bidding wars ensued, proving a very lucrative night for our team. Finally, we have all heard of the term double dipping. Awkward kids, unaware of social norms, double dip in the guacamole at parties. But have you guys heard of triple dipping? Well Mrs. Trina Painter did just that at her race this past weekend. She ran the Cooper River Bridge Run, finishing 10th overall, 3rd American, and 3rd master. Earning her prize money from all 3 categories. We call that baller-status in the sport of professional running. Props to Trina!
Entry #191 Winter is slowly leaving Flagstaff as the snow drifts are slowly being transformed into streams and puddles by the warmer temperatures. In a recent drive back from Phoenix, I noticed many creek beds normally dry as a bone were raging with snow run-off from the mountains. It’s amazing how green the desert can get with a little water. The departing snow has made life a little less stressful for my house because now we can finally let the dog in the back yard without having to worry about her climbing the snow banks and jumping the fence. It seemed like every time I dug a trench to keep her in the yard, she found a new way to get out. Thankfully, she made it through the winter unscathed although I’m sure my neighbors are getting sick of being asked if they’ve seen Chilidog run by. After a disappointing winter running-wise, I decided to take about a week and a half of down time to let the body and mind recover. My legs had been sore for a little over a month from early February to mid-March so a period away from running was necessary. Today was my first day back, and the legs felt ok, as you would expect on an easy, 7 mile run after 10 days completely off. Hopefully the break will translate into rejuvenated legs and a successful spring on the track and roads. In other news, our team is getting ready for its first major fundraising event on Friday. There will be live and silent auctions and plenty of great donations to bid on. Of course, the main event will be when we auction off drum lessons by yours truly. I just hope we hired enough security to keep the masses in check when I do my Keith Moon impression on stage.
Entry #190 The past two weeks has been a whirlwind. It started with moving out of Cooper 2 and into Cooper 1. Moving is always a pain no matter how well you try to prepare and organize. A couple days later, I was on my way to Fukuoka, Japan for the 24th Fukuoka International Cross Country Meet. The race didn't go as well as planned, but it was a great experience and I learned a lot about international travel and racing. I thought I had done a decent job handling the travel, but I think it caught up to me on race day. The Japanese are so organized and they take excellent care of their foreign athletes. I was also able to do a little sight-seeing run before I left on Sunday morning, so I got see a few Temples throughout the city.
I thought I was ready to come home for some recovery time, but that was before I found out I'd be driving back into the snow! This is the longest period of time I've spent in my new home and it's nice to get back into the normal routine of daily life in Flag. Well, of course there is the slight inconvenience of the latest round of snow to contend with...spring has to be just around the corner!
Entry #189 We had an awesome team dinner the other night. It had been some time since our previous get together, so it was great to see everyone in one place. Winter always seems to scatter everyone about. People racing, taking trips home, going down to Sedona or other warm weather locations. It was a great evening, with Greg giving us a great toast and much needed reminder of how much we have accomplished in the past year. A great addition has been made to the team’s training capabilities here in Flagstaff. Last week, Jimmy Bean, a representative from AlterG brought us a P200 AlterG Trainer (video here). The potential seems limitless in the application of this tool. It has so many different uses, speed training, rehab, prehab, post-race recovery, pre-race recovery … the list goes on an on. It is always amazing to see, and use, something so new to our sport. In my training world, I have been ramping up the intensity going into the L.A. marathon next month. Trent Briney has been a great training partner for this race and having him show up to help with my workouts takes off a major load of stress. We push each other well and feed off each other’s successes and strengths. What I am really excited about is the quality of my workouts. Greg really knows how to get a marathoner to come around at exactly the right time. With all the miles under my legs, I know that come race day, I will be a rocket ready to take off. Along with the great workouts, my therapy team of Geoffrey Bishop and John Ball have done an amazing job of keeping my legs moving. My last attempt at a marathon ended before it ever started with a prolonged injury. This time around is different. I am very grateful for the attentive and educated hands that have helped me train at the level I know will help me reach my goals. One last note: mark your calendars for March 26th – Team USA Arizona will be hosting a fundraiser at the Orpheum Theater here in Flagstaff. It will be a great night of food and fun. Check out the website here for more details: (Run to 2012!).
Entry #188 The last few weeks here in Flagstaff have brought me much hope – hints of spring are popping up every now and then. We have had some good days of sun and the massive snow piles are starting to shrink. A few more dirt roads are opening up and I have been able to do a couple of runs in shorts! To me, this means that the trails that I love so much are closer to resurfacing. My teammates assure me that it will be still be a while, but for now I remain hopeful. Hope has come in other forms as well. Workouts have been going well and my teammates have had some really great races. Thankfully, we are able to train in NAU’s dome. I have come to love that 300m indoor track. It feels great to lace up the spikes and get some good work in on the track. Lindsay, Trina and I have been able to enjoy some theraputic “relaxation 300’s”. Since I’ve been here, this is the first time I really feel like I am in the groove of training. It feels good to have some consistency (I traveled a lot in the fall). I’m getting fit and excited to do big things on the track this spring. Along those lines, I have to say thanks to my teammates. Watching everyone do the hard work and then reap the rewards is so inspirational. It is what gets me out the door on the days when motivation is hard to find. Thank you Paige, Alvina, Brett, Jordan, Ian, Emily, Middle, and Lindsay. Each one of them has had some awesome performances in the last few months. Seeing the results themselves are inspiring, but to see the work that goes on behind the scenes is incredible. I feel blessed to be a part of this team.
Entry #187 We have finally had some warm and sunny days in Flagstaff, so the massive snow piles are starting to melt. About two weeks ago, we tried to run on a dirt road that we heard was clear, but after 15 minutes we had to turn around. It turned into a thin slick layer of ice and with each step we were breaking through to cold water. I think Jordan got the worst of it! Both of his feet completely submerged. Most of the team is still going to Sedona once or twice a week to run on dirt. Otherwise we are making the best of it here in Flagstaff and looking forward to warmer temps this spring. We have also been enjoying a few workouts on the awesome NAU indoor track. It’s a flat 300m track that provides a great training site for us during the winter. We tend to modify some of our workouts to fit the 300m track so we’ve done repeat 300s and 1500s the past few weeks. We started a new tradition of “Wild Fridays.” We meet at the new Wildflower Cafe for our Friday run. Afterwards, we go inside and enjoy a yummy breakfast. It’s a great way to end a hard week of training. My daughters are so happy that Andrew Carlson is now living in the guest house. They feel like they have a new puppy. No, not Andrew, but his cute puppy named Rocket Man. He and our dog, Samson, are best buds and enjoy playing together. It’s been great to have Andrew and Rocky around. We want to congratulate Emily on her great race at the US XC Trials (11th) and making the NACAC Team. We are also excited to see how fast Jordan and Ian run in Albuquerque at the Indoor Nationals. Good luck to all of you!
Entry #186 The first month and a half of this year has been already so full I’m excited to see what the rest holds. It started with Brett and I running Houston. Fourth fastest debut ever for Brett and a great start for me. Alvina running Rock and Roll Phoenix, running a 5 minute PR!!! Jordan got the “A” World’s standard in the 3k for indoor. Emily and Jordan are racing again this weekend and I’m excited and inspired by both of them. Emily has worked harder and maintained more focus this past year than most people can do over multiple lifetimes. Her dedication to this sport and doggedness through injuries has been an inspirational journey to watch. She is one heck of an athlete and an even better person. Emily…thank you and I hope you dominate this weekend!
Entry #185 Lots of the same going on here in Flagstaff right now: more snow, good training and great racing. Andrew Middleton has become the king of the half marathon lately, with a win in Tucson in December, a 4th place finish and new PR at a windy 3M half marathon in Austin, TX in January, and then last weekend another win and course record at the Sedona Half Marathon. All of this is in preparation for his marathon in LA next month. Jordan continues to tear up the indoor track, having raced almost the equivalent of a 4-minute mile at 7,000 ft in mid-January and followed that with a 7:52 3,000m in Indiana, which got him the USATF qualifier for Indoor Nationals and an IAAF World Indoor qualifying time as well on a legal track. He heads to Seattle this weekend to hopefully get that sub 4 at sea level. Emily will also be in Washington State, albeit at the eastern end and braving the elements at US Cross Country Nationals. We wish them both the best of luck! I did a little racing myself in early January, competing in my first snowshoe race! It was only a 5k but it was a lot of fun. The Flagstaff Nordic Center (FNC) hosted the event and Kahtoola was the sponsor. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery as I jogged through the woods on my Kahtoola flight decks (snowshoes). And to top a wonderful day off, I won an overnight stay at the FNC yurt in the raffle! We can’t wait to plan a weekend out there; I’m leaning toward fall when the aspens turn golden. Besides finishing up some consulting projects, shoveling snow, and taking care of a sick 2 year old, most of my activities of late are focused on planning our first fundraising event. The Run to 2012 will be held in Flagstaff on March 26 from 7-10pm at the Orpheum Theater. The event will be for our larger group, Team USA Arizona, which encompasses all the elite athletes that Greg coaches here in Flagstaff, and will benefit not only our athletes but will also raise funds for our community service mission: Reducing Childhood Obesity in Northern Arizona. We have a great planning committee made up of team members and community members and everyone is working hard to make this first event a success. We’re thankful for the donations we’ve received thus far from businesses and individuals in the community for our raffle and silent auction. We’ll also have a live auction with some great offerings! If you would like to donate something to the event, please shoot me an email at tracy.mcmillan@pphpartners.com. And if you live in Flagstaff or want to come visit, we hope you’ll join us on March 26th for a great time!
Entry #184 It has been week two now since my marathon. Downtime has ended, and I am ready to get back into the full swing of training. It felt strange to go from intense training to not running everyday. I took advantage of my two week break by sleeping in, staying up late, and visiting family and friends. I also started the spring semester of graduate school.
I was on pace to run 2:35 until mile 21. I felt bad from then to the finish. I ran the last 14 miles all alone in no man's land. My mind and body were screaming at me to stop. My legs started to feel heavy. I was looking for anything to stay motivated and to keep going. I kept saying to myself that I could do it. I tried to keep from thinking too much about the pain by focusing on positive things like how awesome it would be to finish as the first American and win money. Trent and Trina gave me words of encouragement and different things to focus on to distract me from feeling the fatigue. Looking back now, I know the mistakes I made and I will continue to work towards getting stronger and faster. People also kept complimenting the color of my shoes (Adidas Adios) during the race. They are a very bright yellow.
It was amazing to have Trina, Trina's family, my teammates, friends, and family out on the course cheering and supporting me. Thanks guys! Emily did a wonderful job pacing me. I think she will be a great marathoner someday. Thanks Emily! To have my parents at the finish and to hear them scream in excitement after learning that I got the time standard was my favorite part of the entire event. My family, coaches, and teammates have really been the only ones to see my roller coaster ride of trying to get healthy and fit since 2008. They have been there through it all. It is so true when people say that the tough and rough times make the good times feel so much better and sweeter.
Entry #183 Well, this past week has been interesting, to say the least. The snow started falling here in Flagstaff on Monday and continued through to Saturday morning, ending with several feet of pretty, white stuff. Well, it’s pretty until you have to shovel your way out of the driveway every morning. I look at it this way, we just got some extra strength training in this week!
Entry #182 Alvina raced in the Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoenix this past weekend, so naturally a group of us went down to cheer her on. I’ve never seen a marathon live, and let me tell you, it’s amazing! Trina mapped out the race course and road blockages so our 3-car caravan followed Alvina and Emily, her pacer, along the race course where we could cheer at numerous points. I felt like we were in a high-speed chase. We’d back our cars into parking spaces near the race course, As Greg said lovingly before he left for Houston, ‘The marathon’s the worst event,’ in that so much work goes into it and yet so much can go wrong on race day. Luckily, we had 3 people in the marathon this past
Entry #181 It was a great weekend of racing for my teammates – both Saturday and Sunday saw breakthrough performances, demonstrations of developed fitness and true examples of grit. From Flagstaff, to Houston to Phoenix, McMillanElite started 2010 exactly how we left off in 2009 – on fire. At the first indoor track meet of the year, Ian Burrell and Jordan Horn completely disregarded the lack of oxygen in the air and opened up with a great time in the mile, going 1 and 2 in the race. Down the mountain in Phoenix, Alvina Begay locked in her spot for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials with a huge personal best of 2:37:14 at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon. Alvina has been very dedicated to improving all aspects of her running since joining the team and this race is a direct result of that. Congratulations Alvina on your awesome effort! I had the opportunity to be in Houston for the marathon this year and was able to cheer on Paige and Brett at the 20 mile mark of the race. If you have ever run a marathon, watched someone race or heard their battle stories, you most likely know this is where a race can go from good to bad. Accordingly, this is where I positioned myself during my morning run in order to give them any and all of the energy I could impose on their spirits. I gave them the best advice I could conjure up in the short 5 seconds in which it took for them to pass by, hoping it would make an impact on their race, even if only helping them get to the next mile marker. In the end, both Brett and Paige had excellent days with Paige running very close to her personal best and finishing fourth, and Brett running the 4th fastest debut marathon in U.S. history. I’ve seen the way these two work through marathon training, and I’ve been taking notes for my own use leading up to L.A.
Entry #180 The start of 2010 is looking awfully similar to the start of 2009 for me. I’m preparing for a full indoor track season, flagstaff is covered in snow and I am still trying to figure out how the Broncos blew the playoffs by loosing their last three games… again. Granted, if someone told me Denver was going to be 8-8 at season’s end, I would have been pleased, but when you start 6-0 and need to defeat the Chiefs and Raiders to make the playoffs, c’mon. Aside from football, my training has been going well as of late. My body took a little longer than expected to recover from a Thanksgiving race in Japan, but after a week off and another two weeks of light training, my legs are starting to feel normal again. The Northern Arizona Lumberjack Invite (1500m & 800m) will be my first race back to serve as a tune up/speed work out followed by a 3k at the Boston Indoor Games (hopefully) and a 5k at the Tyson Invite. If Boston doesn’t work out, we’ll find another meet somewhere between NAU and Tyson to go for the indoor 3k “A” standard, 7:54. This indoor season will determine the direction of my running career. It will give me a better idea as to whether the shorter track races are something to continue pursuing or if it's time to start focusing on the longer distances on the road. To escape the snow and some of the pressure from the upcoming track season, my wife and I spent the last two week ends in Sedona and Havasu. The warm temperatures were welcome, and it was nice to run in a t-shirt. Sedona, in particular, is one of my favorite places to run. The red rocks and red dirt remind me of home, and the twisted, rocky trails offer a constant stimulus that breaks up any kind of monotony. It reminds me of why I started running.
Entry #181 It was a great weekend of racing for my teammates – both Saturday and Sunday saw breakthrough performances, demonstrations of developed fitness and true examples of grit. From Flagstaff, to Houston to Phoenix, McMillanElite started 2010 exactly how we left off in 2009 – on fire. At the first indoor track meet of the year, Ian Burrell and Jordan Horn completely disregarded the lack of oxygen in the air and opened up with a great time in the mile, going 1 and 2 in the race. Down the mountain in Phoenix, Alvina Begay locked in her spot for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials with a huge personal best of 2:37:14 at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon. Alvina has been very dedicated to improving all aspects of her running since joining the team and this race is a direct result of that. Congratulations Alvina on your awesome effort! I had the opportunity to be in Houston for the marathon this year and was able to cheer on Paige and Brett at the 20 mile mark of the race. If you have ever run a marathon, watched someone race or heard their battle stories, you most likely know this is where a race can go from good to bad. Accordingly, this is where I positioned myself during my morning run in order to give them any and all of the energy I could impose on their spirits. I gave them the best advice I could conjure up in the short 5 seconds in which it took for them to pass by, hoping it would make an impact on their race, even if only helping them get to the next mile marker. In the end, both Brett and Paige had excellent days with Paige running very close to her personal best and finishing fourth, and Brett running the 4th fastest debut marathon in U.S. history. I’ve seen the way these two work through marathon training, and I’ve been taking notes for my own use leading up to L.A.
[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 #180 The start of 2010 is looking awfully similar to the start of 2009 for me. I’m preparing for a full indoor track season, flagstaff is covered in snow and I am still trying to figure out how the Broncos blew the playoffs by loosing their last three games… again. Granted, if someone told me Denver was going to be 8-8 at season’s end, I would have been pleased, but when you start 6-0 and need to defeat the Chiefs and Raiders to make the playoffs, c’mon. Aside from football, my training has been going well as of late. My body took a little longer than expected to recover from a Thanksgiving race in Japan, but after a week off and another two weeks of light training, my legs are starting to feel normal again. The Northern Arizona Lumberjack Invite (1500m & 800m) will be my first race back to serve as a tune up/speed work out followed by a 3k at the Boston Indoor Games (hopefully) and a 5k at the Tyson Invite. If Boston doesn’t work out, we’ll find another meet somewhere between NAU and Tyson to go for the indoor 3k “A” standard, 7:54. This indoor season will determine the direction of my running career. It will give me a better idea as to whether the shorter track races are something to continue pursuing or if it's time to start focusing on the longer distances on the road. To escape the snow and some of the pressure from the upcoming track season, my wife and I spent the last two week ends in Sedona and Havasu. The warm temperatures were welcome, and it was nice to run in a t-shirt. Sedona, in particular, is one of my favorite places to run. The red rocks and red dirt remind me of home, and the twisted, rocky trails offer a constant stimulus that breaks up any kind of monotony. It reminds me of why I started running.
Entry #179 Training for a marathon, I’ve come to realize, is a life choice. It’s not something you can just do in your spare time or something that you can fake. Sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in a day to recover from the physical, mental, and emotional strain you put yourself through. And just when you begin to feel a little better, it’s time to go for another run. These past few months I’ve been deep in marathon training mode as I gear up for my debut at the Chevron Houston Marathon. When Greg sent me my marathon build-up plan back in September, I thought he might be playing a practical joke on me. Do people actually run 28 miles? At the time, it was a little hard to comprehend what it was going to take to be good at the marathon. Now that I’ve completed all but the last week and a half of this training, I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. I’ve been training as a serious runner for the last 10 or 11 years of my life. I thought I knew what it meant to be tired. Greg has been reading Andre Agassi’s autobiography and he told me a quote from the book that really struck a chord. Andre was towards the end of a weight session and it was becoming obvious that he was fatigued. His trainer told him, “There is something waiting for you on the other side of tired”. That really hit home because that, to me, sums up what marathon training is all about. Most of the time, as runners, we can push past that tired phase and finish. That’s what makes us good. But this latest training phase was all about emptying the tank, and then running harder. Many times, it felt like the first part of the workout was just a formality. You had to run those first 10 miles in order to get to the last 5, the real workout. This really changed my perspective on how I looked at training. I’d always done the speed work, the mileage, the long intervals, and I felt like I was a pretty balanced runner. Now we added this aspect, and I feel like I’ve discovered this whole new realm of training. I think this is just another step in trying to become the complete runner, what we all strive to be. Finally, I’ve never actually run a marathon before, so for all I know, I could be completely wrong about all this. Lucky for me, my coach knows a thing or two about the marathon, so I think I’ll be okay.
Entry #178 Happy New Year! It seems like the older I get, the faster time goes by. It’s hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone. Our tree is down, the gifts are put away, but we are still eating Christmas cookies and turkey leftovers. My daughters are enjoying a new Wii game, Dance Dance Revolution, and the first two seasons of Gilligan’s Island. We stayed up until midnight on New Year’s Eve and slept in a little bit the next day. As enjoyable as the past two weeks have been visiting family and friends, I am ready for the holidays to end. They are wearing me out! I have strayed off of my normal schedule of eating, sleeping and running to accommodate all of the holiday activities and entertaining. I must admit that as hard as it’s going to be getting up early again when school starts on Monday, I am looking forward to getting back to my normal routine. It’s amazing how much better I feel when I am on a schedule. This is especially true when you are preparing for a marathon. I have watched Paige, Alvina and Brett keep on track with their marathon training through the holidays, the cold and flu season and a lot of snow and bad weather this past month. I am so proud of them for not being distracted or discouraged. They have had to alter their training routes and move their workouts at the last minute when the roads were too slick. They have dodged traffic to get their workouts done on the only clear section of road we could find. They have braved cold temps and made the most of every run regardless of the conditions. They survived the holidays and kept their eyes focused on their goals. While it’s never easy to train for a winter marathon in Flagstaff, I believe it does make you tougher.
These athletes are very well prepared. They have executed a tremendous training program that challenged each of them. They are running faster and stronger than I’ve ever seen them. I am so excited to see how their races go in Houston and Phoenix in a few weeks.
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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