Archive :: McMillanElite :: 2008 Training Blog January 7 - July 7, 2008 Since that race, I have been on my down time, which consists of no running, but trying to stay active in some way during the day. I think this has been the hardest down time I've ever had to take because I feel like I'm the only one who's doing it. Usually you have the whole college team taking it at the same time, so it's easier to deal with the fact that you are not training, but up here, people are getting fit! It's hard for me to rationalize my time off when I hear that Trent and Middle just had a 22-mile day and they are killing all their workouts, or how Martin got in great shape in about 48 hours. I just keep telling myself that after about 50 weeks with only a few days off, I've earned 2 easy ones. So for now, I have a couple more days to fully rest up before I start the building process again. I feel like the team has gained a lot of positive momentum from this past year, and with the new additions, we have put ourselves in a position to have a big year number 2! Brett
With all the miles ahead of me, I am truly thankful for the awesome training partner I have in Trent Briney. He is my Mr. Miyagi, old and wise, but deceivingly strong and fast. We have been training together daily this spring and I have learned a lot from him already. At times, Trent can get really distracted and speak of crazy adventures he would like to try, but I have been able to pull him back to reality so far. On the other hand, I can get too serious too often and Trent will put a smile on my face and keep my mind occupied for a few more miles. We might be an odd couple of sorts, but when it comes down to getting in a 15 miler on Monday morning, I have no doubt he will be by my side the whole way.
Andrew Lemoncello has also been competing well as of late. In dominant fashion, Lemon has swept his past two races in Europe and even finished third at the European Cup in France. His times are right on schedule and he is poised to a take a top showing at his Olympic Trials for the Steeplechase coming up on July 13th. To top it all off, Lemon is currently gracing the track and field world with his image on the front of Athletics Weekly. Every four years I eagerly wait for track and field to be in the spotlight. Even as a kid, I understood the significance of the Olympic Games. When my cousin accidently unplugged the TV during Michael Johnson’s record breaking performance in the 200m back in 1996 I nearly broke down. Thankfully, they replayed the blazing 19.32-second race several times thereafter and I was able to experience the amazing performance. In my mind, there is no single spectacle of the human experience more poignant and concentrated than the Olympics. Four years is really not that long to wait, especially for something so meaningful. So be sure to make time in your schedule next month for what will be more dramatic than any Law & Order episode, more magical than any U2 concert, more suspenseful than a buzzer beater at the Final Four and more meaningful than any Superbowl, World Cup or Wimbledon Championship combined. Beijing 08.08.08 middle
Middle is back from his honeymoon. And we're all happy he and Casey are here full-time. Greg and Tracy hosted a Texas-themed Flagstaff wedding party for them with all the fixin's (as I imagine they say in Texas, yeah? no?): bar-b-que, baked beans, desserts, etc. Anyway, you get the picture. It was a good time and I left stuffed. Now I have a regular training partner in Paige Higgins and that's pretty nice. We seem to compliment each other well. Since she's trained alone for so long, she's had to be very focused. So she brings that to practice. It's nice to have a sense of purpose injected into my runs while still being able to talk and enjoy the training. Paige helps to keep me mindful of the pace since I can very easily get lost in the beautiful scenery of Flagstaff. And I think I help keep her a little calmer and relaxed as well. A good balance. We both have our sights set on the Chicago Marathon so it's nice to be training with someone who knows exactly what you're going through day in and day out.
So things are in full-swing here in Flagstaff. Thursday bagel runs have resumed. Our running population keeps fluctuating as runners leave in prep for the Trials and Olympics and others arrive to move here or do summer training stints. The nice thing is that the tone is set for a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and that seems to keep everyone happy and training well. Well I'm off to dinner. Paige is making some potpies that I am very much looking forward to and then tomorrow it's back to the grindstone. I can't wait.
ADJUSTMENTS SETTLING INTO LIFE AS A PROFESSIONAL RUNNER TTFN- Paige
This past weekend was an experience that will never be forgotten. On Thursday, May 22nd, Greg and I began our adventure to Ottawa. The first flight was very bumpy and the second flight Greg felt that he was in the private jet that we plan on purchasing. So if anyone has any connections or wants to make a donation that would be fully appreciated! We are thinking approximately an 18 seater, leather interior, and flight attendants catering to our needs. We can dream right? After settling into the hotel, Greg and I went for a run along the river, admiring the architecture along the way. There was one museum that caught our eye. The top of the museum looked like either lava bubbles or mushrooms, we couldn't decide.To finish the rest of a great run, we had a police escort clearing the way for us. It was pretty funny. We did all of our runs along this river, each day seeing something different. Sunday morning at 5 am I began to get ready for the race. Stretching to the American Top 32 on the radio, which was pretty awesome, especially that we were in Canada and that there was actual music on that early. Everything felt right leading up to the starting line. The gun went off and I knew I was really going to have focus on the pace. Right before 3k, I got pooped on by a seagull. It was probably the most disgusting thing that has happened to me, it went on my tanktop and in my hair. Now that I look back and think about it, it's actually pretty funny. The entire race I never felt that the pace was easy, we were up and down with our splits, but the course was hillier than people cared to mention. At the halfway mark the pacemakers stopped and I knew that I needed to stay positive or else it would all fall apart. In the end, my legs just didn't have that spark in them and I felt for most of the race that I was dragging them. I finished, not the outcome that I wanted, but I guess my body wasn't ready yet for that pace and especially with only 6 weeks of training under my belt. But, I'm proud because I did the best I could. We went for it but I just didn't have enough time to prepare. I really want to thank Greg for everything that he did for me. Riding the bike on those long runs, pacing me on workout days, putting up with all of my trash talk before workouts, even though he kicked my butt that day at Buffalo Park, it makes the runs more interesting right? Also wanted to say congratulations to Andrew Lemoncello for a great race and to Andrew Middleton who is getting married this weekend!!!
It is really such an exciting time for our group right now with everybody feeding off each other, just writing it all down reminds me of how lucky I am to be able to train with these guys and ladies day in and day out. Keep watching for more big results in the coming weeks! I also have to give a huge shout-out to the ladies of Flagstaff high school for bringing home an Arizona State title in the 4 X 400 relay last weekend to close out an absolutely amazing weekend where they did great in just about every event....well except maybe for laser tag, but that's another story. It is also an exciting time to be in Flagstaff in general as summer is getting into full swing. The weather has been really nice on a daily basis, which is such a relief after we endured a pretty harsh winter. I am especially pumped for this summer because I have never had a full Flag summer, although I got a little taste of it when I first came last year. I'm told by everyone that has lived in Flagstaff for a while that it is really the best time of the year here and how there is just so much to do. I'm really looking forward to getting out there and exploring the area. I'm also getting tired of beating up on Trent in Wii golf and would rather demolish him in the real thing. Unfortunately I'm writing this entry from back in Michigan where I'm home on a quick family visit, so while the Deuce is quite nice right now as well I can't wait to get back to Flag and get the summer going. Well anyway I'll keep it short this week, it is track season so there's no time to waste reading an overly long blog entry. I'll wrap it up with a few good luck wishes for the upcoming weeks, first of all to Lemon as he heads off the dominate the European steeple scene and also to my boys Frank and LT at NCAA Regionals (and then of course at Nationals.) Good luck guys, and good luck to all of our readers out there….keep training hard, having fun and keep on reading for more big things from McMillanElite in the future!
THE SEASON FUN STUFF THANK YOU That’s all for this week. Hopefully we’ll have some exciting results to update you with in the coming weeks!
Pitchin' Shoes
Around February it was a ten-foot sledding hill in the front yard. This time around, Jordan Horn, assisted by three cups of delicious Café Espress coffee, got the ball rolling on the next backyard project. Jittery Jordan came through with a horseshoe pit of professional standards. Similar to the Top Gun beach volleyball scene, we have begun to form 2v2 games, which provide more excitement to the game. It's nice to hang out in the backyard pitchin' shoes with my teammates, especially since the weather has been great.
New Benefits
Love and Marriage
A Parting Word
"Don't forget who you are, where you come from, or who you represent."
Take it as you will, but I find one can get out of it exactly what they need in just about any given situation.
Thanks for reading, now it's time to train. Be sure to check out the new videos!
One of the things that was so cool was having the women I train with in Flagstaff there. Michelle, Alvina Begay and I (the locals) had all really bonded with our new visiting training partners, Desiree Ficker, Molly Taber, Chris Lundy and Jen DeRego. Even though we all have different sponsors I felt like we were a little unit of our own, doing long runs together and hanging out. I made shirts for the aforementioned women training in Flagstaff with a big F on the front for Flagstaff in the Boston Red Sox font to give a nod to the city. We started calling ourselves Team F and we felt like a team. The morning of the trials Michelle, Greg and I walked to the designated waiting room before they bring us out to the start on Boylston. We got in, sat down and waited for the rest of our posse. As everyone showed up, I felt more and more at ease. On the warm-up, it was so nice to have everyone together. Molly was making us laugh and we were all in good spirits. It was such a difference from my first marathon in Chicago where I was flying solo the entire time. This made me realize that this experience is so much better when shared. Sure there is the element of personal fulfillment, but when you have your friends there, it makes it so much more enjoyable. Even on the course, we had a good-sized Flagstaff contingent there. It just felt like all our people were there for us. On the bridge my friends Weldon, Robert and Bruce chanted "Bri! Bri! Bri!" really just making me laugh as I headed back towards Boylston Street. Turning that corner, down the historic finish of the Boston Marathon it was amazing to just see the streets packed with people screaming and cheering. I have never been in a race with more crowd support. The city of Boston is incredible when it comes to supporting running. Continuing on down Boylston, the athletes run under a huge American flag big enough to cover my house. For that whole middle lap of the course, after halfway, I was literally smiling and laughing. It was such a cool experience. I was so happy that I had gotten to the half-way point and felt good, since I struggled a bit in the first half. I told myself to just get to half-way and believe I'll feel better and I did. I had prepared myself to expect to feel good and bad and know that that's part of it. I also kept repeating a line from one of my favorite movies growing up, The Neverending Story: "I will not die easily. I am a warrior". During the hard parts I wasn't so smiley, but I did keep pressing and keep trying. It wasn't as fast as I wanted to run, but I did PR so I'm happy with that. This was only my second marathon and I really feel like I've learned so much from it and can run faster. Everyone has to sacrifice some thing to train for a marathon. Also it seems those closest to people training for a marathon end up sacrificing as well. In my case, no one sacrificed more than my best friend and husband Carlos. As an athlete himself, he understands what is necessary to succeed and supports me in so many ways. After the race, sitting in the tent, tired and in pain I thought "I just want Carlos." It seems like we had both been working towards this moment for a long time and I'm so glad he was there to share it with me. Of course no one does this alone. So many people contributed to me being at the Trials. I am very grateful to my friends and family and my Flagstaff family that lent so much support. I feel very lucky to have these people in my life. So for now I'm on downtime. My legs feel pretty good. I know this is due to the help of my friends Phil Wharton and Dr. John Ball. Immediately after the race I asked Carlos to take me to Phil's room where he and his dad Jim and his friend Jimmy had it all set-up for us Flagstaff ladies to start our recovery. He gave me a light stretch and some massage, fed me some miso soup and stuck me in the ice bath. I took two days off and felt so much better. I went to see my friend John Ball about some residual soreness and he fixed me all up with his usual combo of ART and Graston and I feel good to go. I'm starting to think about whats next for me. Doing things like taking road trips with friends, eating cheeseburgers and milkshakes (since I usually don't mix calcium and iron to keep my iron levels up), chips and nachos. Crazy, I know, but as Sloane says from Ferris Bueller's Day Off "Sooner or later, everyone goes to the zoo." So I'm a feather adrift in the wind and that's fine with me for the moment. Right now as I write this blog, I am sitting in my hotel room looking out at the spectacular view from the 34th floor in Boston. I just got a massage, my legs feel good, but I just can't believe that the Olympic Trials are over. Days of preparation, aches and pains, excitement, anxiety, and nervousness, all done. I remember going down to Sedona for a long run and helping Greg with the water and Gu as he only has two hands. We would encourage Brianna, Alvina, Molly, and Desiree with Greg's many different accents, usually a German man repeating "strong in your mind, strong in your body." It always got a smile out of the girls. We also blasted music from Greg's ipod, every song that he played I had never heard of (Chubby, you're old). One by one, the girls headed off to Boston to prepare for their race. These past couple of days athletes and friends have all been sporting new Adidas gear or the new look: a red Adidas bag slung over one's shoulder. On Saturday, I got to meet Eron, who had new Adidas gear waiting for us. Thank you again Eron for all of your hard work. Well, today's race went well for Brianna as she had a minute PR! I was not the best pacer for Brianna because at mile 3 we were a little off so I wanted us to get back onto track, but got carried away with the field and found myself surrounded by athletes such as: Deena Kastor, Blake Russell, Mary Akor, and Elva Dryer. After I dropped out as planned, Brianna focused on what she had to do and succeeded!!!! Surprisingly after the race many of the women were walking faster than snail pace and without limping. As much as I would have loved to finish the race it was such a great experience to be surrounded by America's finest athletes!!! I'm happy to be healthy and now ready to get to full training and racing. Once again, congratulations to Brianna, Alvina, Brooke, and Desiree.
It doesn’t stop there; Brett then took us to his home, which is in a beautiful location near a beach which was quite nice. Brett’s parents put on a buffet which included very large Watsonville strawberries, which some were covered in chocolate, it was a good time! I want to thank Brett’s family for having all of use over there, so thank you very much Terry, Loree and Lia! This past week and the few weeks before have been hard ones for me. Thought I am getting the work done for the most part everything has felt flat. If you do not know what that means it’s like there are twenty pound weights on my legs and no bounce in my step. In the past when I have felt flat everything has gone wrong but this time the work is getting done but it is not coming as easy as I would like. I know I am fit, I just need to get free of my mind and just run hard. Like my old sprint coach use to tell me, “track is like a roller coaster; there are ups and down and you just have to enjoy the ride!” The training was pretty normal with a couple of easy runs except for the workout on Friday. It was the hardest workout I have ever done and it was at 7000ft. We started with a 2 mile tempo and then jumped into 6 x 800 meters at 5k goal pace. It was a very hard workout and I was all over the place with my pacing. The one good thing that I got from the workout was to try push though those hard patches, which I did my best. The Sunday run was great not because of where we ran, but the fact that we got to run with fun people. We even picked up some guy that was camping out on the side of the trail and wanted to run with us. That is what Flagstaff is all about! I want to wish everyone running the U.S.A. women’s Olympic Trail in the Marathon this weekend good luck. Have fun in Boston!
Taking time off again is not going to be easy. Because I’m now a professional athlete, I depend on running for so many things. Running for me gives me a chance to free my mind and share the love of the roads and trails with my teammates. So I’m obviously going to miss this, which makes it even harder to accept. But I can now learn from my mistake and fortunately I do have time before Beijing. Having a great team around me for support also helps and I feel very fortunate to have such great friends around me. But on a more positive note, the other lads and girls are very fit and training well. I’m very excited for the lads, as they now get ready for the track season. It’s very upsetting not being able to train and be part of their preparation but I have no doubt they will achieve their goal of getting the A Standard for the Olympic Trials. I’m also very excited for the girls as their Olympic Marathon Trials are soon approaching. So, it’s a very exciting time for the team and I will be in full support even if I can’t train with them. I’m very proud of the improvements they have made over the last year and I really can’t wait to recover from this injury so I can once again train with them. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Desiree Ficker and the Indiana Elite team the best of luck as they leave Flagstaff. It was a pleasure to have trained with them and they will be very much missed.
How does one solve a slump? Last fall after racing the Olympic Marathon Trials in New York city I was considering moving into the business world and beginning my post-running life. I didn’t want to continue to perform at a non-satisfactory level and try to do it with a body that had some lingering hamstring and achilles issues. I was starting to think that a normal life of working, playing golf and hanging out with friends and family was close. Anyway, I visited the Flagstaff community in December and returned back to Detroit still considering hanging up the professional runner shoes. In January, I was invited to view the movie “The Spirit of the Marathon” with a group of people who I knew from working with some of them the previous year while coordinating youth activities for the Detroit Marathon. So, my girlfriend and I headed to Ann Arbor because the movie was only showing in select theatres. The movie was based on 6 different levels of runners training for the Chicago marathon, from elite to first-timer and from young to old. It was an exciting watch, in that, I was nearly as elite as the elites in the movie and I had worked with first-timers when I lived in Detroit. I worked in a running store and did some coaching of youth and adult runners/athletes on the side. So I had a lot of contact with all levels of runners. It was fun to work with people who had very different goals from me because they share the same excitement for achievement but just come from a different place. Anyway, the movie introduced me to some novice runners and mid-range runners and 2 elite runners. Deena Kastor (who I know a bit)- (she is the top American woman marathoner) and a top level Kenyan elite athlete whose name escapes me at the moment. It brought their stories to life. It brought the excitement, triumph and commitment of running a marathon into the big screen movie theatre with great music and videography. During the movie it showed some of the things elites do at the marathon and the places we go. I remember back to my two times to Chicago and how exciting it is to be in the press room, on the front line and running the downtown streets of a huge city with the adrenaline flowing and the body primed and ready to compete. So in the midst of thinking about hanging up my competitive running shoes this movie brought me back to the talent I have and how much fun it is to use it on some of the biggest stages in running. The Boston’s, Chicago’s and New York’s among other great big city marathons. If you’ve run a marathon or are thinking about running one I would definitely see “The Spirit of the Marathon.” I walked out of the theatre knowing I had to do that again, and decided then to go ahead and move to FLAG. I believed a change might reinvigorate my running. I trained with a training group in Michigan for six years and prior to that lived in Colorado Springs, altitude-6000 feet, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I believed getting back to the mountains where I loved to run would help. I believed the altitude wouldn’t hurt and that it has its physiological benefits. I believed the core workouts and circuit training with the adidas guys would help. I believed the outdoor and welcoming culture of Flagstaff would help keep me in the right frame of mind. I knew I needed some of these positives to help get me back into the shape I wanted to be in and provide an enjoyable atmosphere while working to achieve that fitness level. I enjoyed Detroit, the culture there, the hard-working people, the community support and being in a different part of the country other than the west but it was definitely time for a change back to the mountains of the American west. What is it like in Flag? Getting to work with people like Phil Wharton who specializes in active isolated movement exercises to help stretch out the body and balance the muscles, getting to see runners and train with Team Germany and Canada training at Northern Arizona University’s High Altitude Center, Jack Daniels the famed distance coach working at the high altitude center at NAU’s track, going on a Wednesday morning community bagel run with 57 high-level runners training to be their best, seeing the achievements of the many people like Renee Metvier, Martin Fagan, Fasil Bizunah, Lopez Lomong, Alicia Shay, Peter Gilmore and many other elites training in Flag, the social gatherings like Easter Sundays’ brunch at one of the elite’s house where 50 adult runners had an easter egg hunt in the local park with prizes like massages and meals and candy of course organized by the running Mayor of Flagstaff Mike Smith who knows almost everyone in town runner or not, the visit of teams like Team Indian Elite who has been in town for a month training in the altitude here and will be missed as they left town today, the good job all the elites here do cheering each other on and trying to link up for run. The trails and views while running around town are perty sweet. I haven’t seen many of the great trails yet as Flag had one of there biggest years of snow in recent memory but the main trails around town have “opened” as the runners say and piece by piece the sunshine is melting the trails farther and farther into the mountains. I took my first mountain journey on Sunday and really enjoyed it running through a creek made by the snowmelt at the higher elevations. That’s probably a long enough blog. But, I did my first race in months and my first track race in quite a while on Saturday at Arizona State University in Phoenix. I ran a 3k as a test run for some pacing duties coming up at some of the track meets where Mr. Hanlon, Mr. Horn and Mr. Gotcher are going to go for “A” qualifiers for the Olympic Trials over the next month and a half. It was a good outing and I hit my goal of 8:30 by running 8:25. It is a good start after 3 months of very light mileage in November/December/January. It means that I can give it a good go of pacing for these guys as we go through the upcoming track seasons excitement. With Coach Greg I have been working on just trying to get the body in balance and have positive days. It has been nice. I’m not really trying to be in my best possible race shape by next week, I’m just trying to build or rebuild week by week the fitness and body. Forward progress… Have a nice Spring everyone! :-)
I feel just like Martin did when he was back in Ireland - although im back in my home country and training where I grew up, Flagstaff is still definately my home now. I miss waking up to the sight of the snow capped peaks and breathing the mountain air. And of course I miss the family of friends I have in Flag and their constant support. Being back in Scotland where I only have my old coach to turn to about training really highlights how important everyone in McMillan Elite has become in my new life in Flag. Greg and Tracy have brought such a stability to all of our lives that it is so easy to live and train happily everyday. The trials race itself was a strange experience for me as it was my first XC race in a year and a half and luckily for me nothing went badly wrong! On the days leading up to the race I was feeling terrible and not too confident about my fitness but luckily I felt a lot better the day before the race and that got me in the right frame of mind for competing for a place on the team. Training has been going well enough since I have been back at sea level but there has been something missing and it wasn't until after my race that I worked it out. During the race I felt as though I had no change of gear and was just plodding along. The moment I finished I knew that it was actually being in that race was what I needed as I just looked at it as more of a training run as I was confident of making the team. I now have the edge and drive that I have been looking for and have been missing I think mainly because of having such an inconsistant winter of training due to illnesses. I am truly looking forward to every single run now until the Olympics. I just needed to flip the switch. The day after the race I actually took my first day off in a long while as I was exhausted from the race and from sitting in a bus for the next 8 hours to travel back to Scotland from England. This turned out to be the best thing I could have done as I felt really good for my long run the next day (a lot better than I did for the race). From here on out I will be just training hard and preparing to do my best in the World Champs. I am really excited for the event as its the first time Scotland has had the event for 30 years and they are expecting around 20,000 spectators. As the only Scot running the champs there is some pressure but I am looking forward to the challenge. As the commentators from the trials race said as we finished crossed the finish line, "Now these guys have to go from the toughest race in the UK to the toughest race in the world!"
Running poorly at that race was crushing to me because it was a race I had been pointing to since the day I first talked to Greg and I really felt like I was in solid shape going into it. In the aftermath of such a bad race the only thing you can do is to look to your friends help you through it, and in that regard I'm reminded how lucky I am to be a member of McMillan Elite. I'm not sure what I would've done without the amazing support I got from the entire team, from our adidas rep Eron to Greg, Tracy and Trina and of course my incredible teammates. Nobody judged me negatively based on that one race, but rather helped me figure out what went wrong, and before I knew it I was out of the downswing and onto one of what I think is one of the best upswings of my running career. Track is right around the corner and since San Diego, our training has begun to shift from grinding it out on the road to pounding workouts on the track. Being more of a track guy it is a change I'm really excited about and I think the whole team is feeling good about the change in seasons also. In my opinion the training we've done the last three weeks represents the best running we've done collectively since we started the group last summer. The four of us from the Cooper house have been nailing every workout, Michelle is getting back to running some decent mileage, Lemon is off to defend his homeland at World XC and Brianna and Martin have re-appeared in Flagstaff from extended absences. The tide has definitely turned, and I think we're hitting our stride just in time for track season. J-ville and NYC Before getting into track season however there is a little business we have to take care of on the roads. On Saturday Brett, Middleton and Brianna raced the US 15k champs in Jacksonville, and the results showed the great training we've been doing. Brett finished a solid 10th (9th American), showing once again that he is the king of the 9-13 mile range as this is his third top ten in three such races. Middle and Bri also had solid races with 18th and 25th place finishes respectively. Now it is Jordan and my turn to represent McMillanElite at the US 8k championships this coming weekend in the Big Apple. It is also an exciting time to be in Flagstaff as we have many visitors in town. Two of the best endurance athletes in the country, Peter Gilmore and Desiree Ficker, are living with us and it is amazing to watch them in action. Team Indiana Elite is also spending a month here in Flagstaff and it's been really cool having them out here as well. They're a fun group of guys and girls and it's really interesting learning from a program that's so similar to our own. Well I guess I better wrap up this blog entry as it's been a pretty massive one by my standards. I hope you all enjoyed it and stay tuned for Martin Fagan next week as he describes how he was smuggled back into the States (I can't reveal any more just in case Homeland Security is reading this, but let's just say a very large suitcase and a lot of flexibility…..) See you all next week!
As you may know already, Greg also has a successful online coaching business. He has helped many people out there achieve their goals of running a marathon and beating their personal records by minutes. In this email, he tells us about a woman who has done just this, running a big PR in her latest marathon. However, he also shares with us that she is now working on conquering a new obstacle: cancer. She told Greg that reading our blogs and following our development has actually helped her in her fight against cancer. I never could have imagined having this type of impact on someone, but either way, I feel very honored that someone out there understands what we are trying to do here at McMillanElite and can take something away from it. I just want her to know that the inspiration we gave her has in turn re-inspired me and has shown me that what I do can actually be very important to some people. So thank you! THE WEEK We also made our first trip down to Phoenix for a workout this week. We’ve hit up the Camp Verde and Sedona scene quite a bit, but had yet to make it all the way down to the heart of the valley. Greg wanted to get on a nice track at sea level to do some 5k and 10k pace work, so Paradise Valley Community College was the spot. Despite some warm temperatures and a little wind, the workouts were all very promising and left us hungry to get this track season going. The MVP of this workout was definitely Hanlon as he tore through all the 1000’s. It’s always exciting to see your teammate’s workouts getting better and better, and I think Hanlon got us all pretty pumped to see when he has his big breakthrough race. A good change for me this week was that Jordan recently purchased a new skateboard. This may not seem like it would affect me at all, but after skating around by myself for the past few months, it’s nice to have someone else to cruise around with. Now I know you’re probably thinking how dumb it is for runners to be skating around because we are all so uncoordinated and will probably just end up hurting ourselves, but Jordan and I are different. The truth is, we’re both too scared to try anything stupid or dangerous, so the chances of getting injured are drastically reduced. In all seriousness though, I’m a strong believer in having other things in your life that can help take your mind off of running because it can eat you up sometimes. Being a radical skateboarder is a great way to come back a little more refreshed. The last and possibly the greatest change that has taken place this week is the change in weather. After what seemed like years of snow and ice (I’m a California boy), we finally got some beautiful Flagstaff days. I was even lucky enough to see what a sunburn feels like again! I’m not sure if all the new people brought the sunshine and warmth with them, but whatever it is, I hope it stays. I can see spring coming right around the corner, and you know what that means. McMillan Elite is hitting the track baby!
Back in Flagstaff, the Cooper House Crew soon became re-engaged with an ongoing winter project. After morning runs up and down Mount Elden Road, With McMillanElite scattered across the globe the past few weeks, I can proudly announce that the team is back in full force. Having spent several weeks at home in Ireland, Martin, who recently secured his spot for the Beijing Olympic Marathon, has triumphantly returned to the states. As it has become tradition, a potluck was in order and this past Sunday was the day; tremendous dishes were prepared by all, including Beijing Chicken (Michelle), Stew (Tracy), and Curry Potatoes (Middle and Jordan). At the end we toasted to Martin’s successful race in Dubai and to a great racing season in 2008. My favorite memory of the night was re-learning Martin’s accent and deciphering the conversations between him and Lemon. These are the nights that I will best remember from this year in Flagstaff. The family bond that I am building with my teammates and coaches are truly solidified when we can meet together to share a meal. It is not the same when a member of this team is not with us, and it was evident these past few months by Martin’s absence. I could really tell that everyone felt a little better seeing and hearing Martin on Sunday. We are all really glad to have him home. Running has been especially tricky the past few months with the high snowfall. From July till November we were spoiled with perfect conditions, amazing trails and clear skies. The past few months have helped me appreciate that a whole lot more. Even so, the running here is surely better that 95% percent than most places even when covered in snow. One of the best aspects of Flagstaff is its proximity to lower elevations such as Sedona and Camp Verde (both at 4000’ or lower). We often make the short drive down the hill at least twice per week for workouts and long runs. Each of these locations can boast their own unique and visually stunning scenery that helps the miles go by. After our Sunday Long Run in Sedona, we made a stop at The Coffee Pot – ‘Home of 101 Omelettes.’ Without hesitation Martin stunned us all by ordering the one omelette we all wanted to try, but dare not order: the ominous #98, Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana Omelette. Needless to say, his plate was clean at the end of the meal.
Thanks for taking a minute to check out the McMillanElite Blog. This has been a great way for us to let everyone in on our lives. I hope winter is treating everyone well; be sure to look forward to Spring because I know I am! Andrew “middle” Middleton
I fell for first time this winter. I've come to realize ice is the enemy and I must guard against it. The fall left me a little banged up and irritated my already strained hip flexor. The next few days were pretty frustrating because the ice and the hills only served to irritate my strain. So I went back to the place of no hills and no ice, my home in Phoenix. Winter in the desert really is beautiful. Most days were in the 60's and sunny. Staying on soft, flat surfaces did the trick (along with a few office visits to my friend, Dr. John Ball) and I was able to get rid of my strain. So back I went to Flagstaff ready to resume training with the team. I met them this Thursday morning at the Cooper house. It was the kind of snowy day that gets me to invent gear in my head. I was thinking I needed some sort of beanie or hat that covered my ears, with a bill and eye shield to keep the snow off my face and out of my eyes. I'll go ahead and add some flashing lights for visibility and while I'm at it I'll have it play "The Chills" by Peter Bjorn and John on loop. If anyone reading this is interested in going into business and manufacturing some of these blinking, singing soft helmets, give me a call. Anyway, I digress. On this run I nearly fell twice. Afterwards Greg suggested I go back to Phoenix until this snow storm passes to avoid getting injured before the trials. I agreed and now I'm back once again in the desert. I had a good workout Friday at Boulder Creek High in Anthem, followed by dinner at my parents (thanks Mom!) and a great long run today from the ASU track with Carlos and our friend Howie. It's nice to have the flexibility to jump between Phoenix and Flagstaff (only 2 hours apart) and find the ideal training environment. That being said, I am hoping the ice melts very soon (like tomorrow) so I can get back to training with my team and everyone in Flagstaff can stay upright. Later. Bri.
Greg and I had to revise my training, which included rest and bike training. A week went by and I was still in pain so we decided to see a physical therapist. He told me it was my lateral collateral ligament. The boys all laughed at me when I told them what the doctor said as they thought it sounded like something from a movie. Just as my week was coming to an end and the possibility of running was approaching I got the flu as well as an upper respiratory infection. The house has been quarantined pretty much, no one wants to come over to the house because we are all sick, it's like a chain reaction, Lemon coughs, Mike's friend who came to visit got sick, he coughs, and then I cough. I want to thank Lemon, Fasil, and Mike for taking care of me, always asking if I need anything, and going out of their way to help me. I must say that I have seen more movies this week than I have in the past year. On Saturday, my mom came to visit me in hopes of curing me as well as helping me move into my new house. It is always great to see her. This was her first time to Flagstaff and she was impressed with how "cute" it was. We stopped at many places on the side of the road because she saw something that was worthy of a picture. We both had a busy little Sunday, which started off by meeting Greg at the new house. He gave us the tour and I got to pick out my room as I was the first person there. We shopped a ton for the house, took pictures next to Louie the Lumberjack, hours later we moved everything into the house, and finished off the night eating at Chili's. Tomorrow will be my first day that I will attempt to run so pray for me and wish me luck!!!
Wednesday we did some pace running on the NAU indoor track that went really well. The pace that I was running felt really comfortable and I felt like if I had to double it I could have. Friday we were right back at it but this time we went down to Camp Verde for some mile or two mile repeats, depending on our event. This workout also went really well for all that made it down from Flag. We had to leave a couple of teammates back home because the townhouse has a little flu bug. It felt really good to get the legs rolling with some faster workouts after a long period of just running and long steady-states. There are a few things that I am learning up here in Flagstaff that are related to running. When it's cold and raining, wear many layers of clothing and not just for your upper body. If you have any more questions just ask John Little, our local lawyer and Trials qualifier, and he will tell you about the California boy who learned this lesson the hard way. The second thing that I learned and keep learning is that I need to pay more attention while running. I have fallen ten times more than anyone else in Flagstaff, and sometimes twice on runs. I just get caught up looking at random things, sometimes cool but mostly stupid. The last thing is related to the second because it usually ends the same way, me falling. Just because Middleton can run over weak ice doesn't mean that I can. I think it has to do with the fact that I outweigh him by around 70 pounds but I am not sure. We had another guest stay at the Cooper House this week - Scott Douglas, who is a writer for Running Times. If you're interested in what goes on in my mind and all the crazy things that I and the rest of the boys do in the Cooper House, you are going to have to wait because he was here interviewing someone else. He was just using the house for sleeping and answering many bad questions that I had for him. It was nice having Scott over because he is full of information that I would have never learned or heard about. Well, I think I have covered most of what's gone down so I wish everyone well and to keep doing what makes you happy. "If you ignore your heart things will fall apart"-The Evens
After a couple of weeks feeling decent we decided to start on my preparations for the World XC champs and started to get some specific workouts in to get me ready. I am happiest when I am working hard throughout the week and having that lethargic feeling at the end of the day knowing that I have put some good work in. With base work it is quite hard to get this feeling so I was really pleased to be passing out in the middle of the day for a couple of hours and then falling asleep just as fast when it came to bedtime. This week was a bit of a test for me as I had a hard hill session and track workout and then a race at the end of the week. The hill workout with the team went really well for everyone with Hanlon showing us that he is capable of some serious hill speed, Brett was as consistent as ever and Middle seemed to have saved himself to kick our asses on the last rep! I wish I was as tiny as Middle as myself and Jordan (the 6 foot 2'ers on the team) found it hard to lug our bodies up possibly the steepest hill in Flag. But, we stuck it out and felt the burn just as much as the other guys. Steep hills have always been my worst workout so it was good to be surrounded by the guys and to all be pushing each other. The next day brought about some very tender rumps for everyone from the workout so a nice gentle bagel run was in order to ease the pain. The next day I went to the Dome for the first time to do a fartlek on the track and was pleasantly surprised with how good I felt. The one minute reps I was running felt very easy and it didn't feel like I was running at 7000ft so I took that as a good sign for the weekend. I arrived in Austin with no expectations about the race. I wasn't worried about times or who I beat, I just wanted to be competitive and get the instinct back as I hadn't raced since August. I got a nice big hug from my sister who had driven up with her new husband to watch me race and went for a nice cool down. The race has really put my head in the right place now as I know I am ready to go and give it everything when I return home to try and make the world XC team. Although I initially got frustrated with the new training I now realize it all has a specific purpose and the race put that in perspective for me. Its hard when your heart and head are not in the right place but it is safe to say that I am full of enthusiasm for this next period of training and for the team to be pushing each other everyday again. Now the other big thing that happened this week was that Tracy and Greg had their first child. We had all waited for a few days for the news that he had arrived but I guess he didn't want to leave Tracy right away. The amazing thing was that the day that Tracy went to the hospital was the same day that she was out filming us training so it just goes to show how amazing she is! And the best part about the birth for me was name that Greg and Tracy picked for their first born - Angus Scott McMillan. He sounds as though he has just come straight from the set of Braveheart! The first thing I buy when I get back to Scotland is a tiny McMillan kilt for the little fellow!
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what began as shoveling the walk and driveway soon digressed into building the neighborhood’s new sledding hill in our front yard. With three of the four Cooper House residents being from states where snow is not an expected part of winter, you can only guess the excitement involved in the construction of this oversized pile of snow. As it progressed, our sledding skills soon attracted the neighborhood sixth-graders and before we knew it we were twelve years old again. Of course, we couldn’t let our pre-teen neighbors out-do us, so it soon became a game of who could get the biggest air off the ramp. As told by the picture included in this blog, the award for biggest air and ensuing biggest flop went to our own Mike Hanlon.
On Thursday, the Cooper House plus Trent Briney and Greg drove east to a small community called Twin Arrows. This interstate exit is unmistakably identified by two 40 foot wood arrows standing in the ground. The run was an out and back on the straightest, most out and back route I have ever run. You could see for miles in each direction, and we even managed to spot a pack of coyotes scattering in the distance. With so many unconquered roads to run, I have no doubt we will ever get bored of Flagstaff running.
The race went out very slow for the first half and there was still a group of about 15 of us through 8 miles so I decided to try and push it on a bit. Arriving at 10 miles the group had reduced to 10 so I figured that it’s only the same distance as a warm down to the finish so I could really start to pick the pace up. Within half a mile there were only 3 of us left and I felt very comfortable leading so just stayed there. Arriving on the finishing straight the 3 of us stayed parallel for a while until the eventual winner took off in a huge burst and took the other African runner with him. I almost just settled for 3rd but I decided that that wasn't satisfactory so I kicked again at 150m to go and picked off the 2nd place runner and just about caught the winner. I finished and realized that I wasn't that tired and that I was never in any aerobic stress during the race.