McMillanElite :: Training Blog - New Blog Every Monday and Thursday! Entry #190 After a two and a half year hiatus in Ashland, Oregon I’ve returned to Flagstaff. I drove the UHaul into town just before the New Year to find that not much had changed since I left; at least the things that mattered most to me. The endless miles of trails, downtown’s ambiance, the desert sun and, most of all, the people who make Flagstaff the running epicenter of the world were all waiting for me. Instantly, I felt like I had just put my arm around the shoulder of a long lost friend. It is good to be back. I arrived in Flagstaff with the sole purpose of immersing myself in the running world here. Greg asked me back to assist with his on-line coaching business; a career path that I’ve always wanted to pursue and develop. I had hoped that one of the side benefits of that offer would be to assist with the Team he’s worked so hard to create. I had no idea how that would go. As it turned out, not only Greg, but also Tracy and Trina, have all welcomed me warmly as a staff member of the Team. Then there’s the Team members themselves; these ladies and gentlemen have heaps of talent, dedication, fearlessness and are downright good people. All of their stories are inspiring. Only two months have passed since my arrival. There has been a slue of impressive results turned in weekly from each team member. My head spins just thinking about it; it’s difficult keeping track. This bodes well for the rest of the year and beyond. We’re all excited here! The Team has also welcomed me into the circle. I feel more like a peer than an “assistant coach” when I work with the group. I’m taking as much away as they are from each workout, meeting and interaction. The learning curve is huge in our sport and we are all consistently learning, growing and improving. It is great to be a part of it all. Personally, as a runner who still strives to compete at the best of my abilities, this is the perfect milieu to surround myself with. It’s March; the birds are singing, the snow’s melting and my shorts have come to the top of my dresser drawer once again. I look forward in continuing to support the Team’s progress to success and using that inertia to further some of my own running goals and growth. It’s gonna be a great year!
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!).
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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!
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