2010 Blog Archive

 

Entry #217
Week of December 13, 2010
by Natasha LaBeaud

One last stretch.  One final team cheer.  One chance when the gun goes off. 

Racing seems like it should be a simple routine.  You do the same thing over and over again to prepare.  Train specifically for the event, log those extra miles, lace up the spikes, and throw on a singlet. 

But race day seems to be out of the ordinary. Some magical aura surrounding the moment.  This year’s Club Cross-Country National meet was no different. But instead of just lining up to prove something to ourselves, we lined up on the white chalk for a team.  Everyone wanted to do well, but it wasn’t for selfish reasons, it was for the person in the yellow and blue uniform right next to us.  It was time to show everyone what the word ‘team’ really means—to show just how much a group of people could come together and fight for what it wants.

And I think we raced the best way a team can—by coming together for a common goal, letting our teammates know that we were all there pushing each other along, and by cheering when a teammate had a good race day (and there were more good race days than we could count). 

And while we walked away from this national competition with two team titles, two huge plaques, and two aging trophies, we came away from this competition with so much more.  We all learned just how far we can dig, how strong we are, and how much we truly care about our team.  I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of adidas McMillan elite—this weekend just solidified my sentiments.

 

 

Week of January 24, 2010
by Allie Mitkowski

Allison Mitkowski joined Team USA Arizona in January 2011 as the group's first official executive director. Welcome, Allie!

A few Sundays ago, I dropped my son off at a friend's house so I could go for a run. I
was going long that day – about 10 miles – so I told her I'd probably be gone for an
hour-and-forty-five minutes or so.

"You're really going to run 10 miles?" she said. "That sounds like torture."

With a laugh I stretched my calves and told her it was. Then I kissed my son goodbye
and set off skipping down the road, preparing my body and my mind for the longest
run I'd undertaken in quite some time. I was bone-tired from yet another night of
interrupted sleep (courtesy of my insomniac toddler) and it was finger-tingling cold,
but I was determined to do 10 miles if it killed me. Not because I had something to
prove, but because six people – including a nine-year-old girl – were dead in Tucson
and I was trying to figure out why.

Ten miles should do it, I told myself as I warmed up with a jog. A few minutes later,
I broke into a run, past the truck stop in Bellemont and onto Brannigan Park Road
– my new go-to route for long, flat mileage. It was mid-morning and the sun shone
brightly in the crisp blue sky. After the first mile, I hit my stride and settled into a
nice, easy pace. Shakira shimmed on my iPod, drowning out the hum of the big-rigs
chugging along on I-40. For a fleeting moment it felt like any other run on any other
day, and then an image of the little girl from the nightly news flashed across my
mind. I ran harder, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes.

I knew a good cry was coming, but it didn't start until around Mile 6, after the
battery to my iPod died and my mind had nothing to do but think, which is what I
seem to do best on my long runs anyway. For me, running is not only a way of life –
it's a way to feel life – to ponder its events as they unfold. The day after the tragedy
in Tucson I felt overwhelming grief, especially for the parents who lost their child.
I found myself literally shaking with sadness, anger and despair, and there was
nothing I could do about it. Nothing except run.

Gaining mental balance and clarity through running is something I never anticipated
when I started running competitively in high school. Back then running was just
a sport – a way for me to stay fit while enjoying the camaraderie that comes with
being part of a team. It was only after I stopped running strictly for time and place
that I started to fully grasp the benefits of running – the holistic perks that can't be
seen on the surface. And that's when I started running just for myself.

I tend to run best when I'm tired, stressed or just plain pissed off. After a tornado
ripped through my neighborhood back in October, I spent the days immediately

following the storm sprinting up and down the hardest-hit streets, cursing the
storm as I ran past the rows of banged-up, beaten-down houses. "Bring it on, Mother
Nature!" I screamed inside my head, although I used a word other than "nature"
at the time. "We're still here – you can't beat us!" One afternoon, after about forty
minutes of this, I slowed to a jog to cool down. I passed a gentleman walking
aimlessly alongside the road. "Not much to look at anymore," he said sadly, shaking
his head as I jogged by. And at first glance he was right. The place looked like a war
zone. But over the next few days, as I continued to sprint up and down Tornado
Row, I started to see something other than destruction. I saw neighbors helping
neighbors mend fences and roofs. I smiled at the sight of a father playing in the front
yard of a decimated home with his daughter. I took note of the homes that made it
through storm unscathed, and gave thanks that no human life had been lost. That's
not to say I no longer felt fear over the fickleness of Mother Nature, and when or
where she choses to strike. But each time my feet hit the pavement, I felt grounded
and strong. At least when I went running, I was back in control.

So a few weekends ago, when life took another turn for the worse, I hit the road
running again. But rather than trying to make sense of what happened the day
before in Tucson, I dedicated my run to the people who lost their lives, and for those
still fighting to live. "Run for Giffords" I told myself as I widened my stride. "Run for
the girl. Run for them all." I repeated these words, over-and-over again in my head,
until they formed a mantra to carry me through my run with purpose. And when
my right knee started screaming around Mile 8, I said the words out loud, offering
prayers for each victim between breaths.

I tiptoed over a cattle guard and glanced to my left at the San Francisco Peaks,
marveling at their snow-covered glory. The truck stop came into sight, and I
soon rounded the bend to Bellemont. I slowed to a jog, looping the front half the
neighborhood before heading back to my friend's house to fetch my son. My legs
ached but the rest of my body was calm. I fell into a skip, thinking of what I had said
to the gentleman wandering the streets of Bellemont after the storm, the one who
told me our neighborhood was no longer much to look at. "Gotta run through it," I
had yelled as I passed him on the road. That's what I do now when life hands me things I
don't understand. It may not seem like much, but it helps me get by.

 

Entry #216
Week of December 6, 2010
by Scott Smith

I have become convinced that the brain, like the body, will without proper training also become out of shape. While my body is rounding into good physical shape up here, I have found that my brain isn’t making the same gains as my body. This was brought to my attention when I was on the phone with my girlfriend and she was explaining one of her classes to me, I tried to listen but had to stop paying attention for a little bit because my brain literally began to physically hurt trying to comprehend the content of what she was saying. So to combat my brain getting further out of shape, I have started a steady viewing of the discovery, history, and national geographic channels. This intro is just to serve as a forewarning to the grammar police.

Flagstaff has become a place of many firsts for me. First time living away from the ocean, first time living where it snows, first time having my own room, first time sharing a bathroom with a girl (don’t worry Mom, I’m doing my best to remember to put the toilet seat down), and finally my first blog.

What I’ve learned moving through high school, college, and now post collegiate careers is that you never take off your old jersey, you only put a new one on. I still talk with old high school and college coaches and teammates. It has been really cool to see how many connections are maintained. My brothers middle school P.E. teacher (who was also mine) will still ask him every once in a while how I am doing. After races I'll have various calls and texts from family, old coaches (old meaning previous, not age, just in case Pete or coach Butler happens to read this), and teammates, wondering how it went. The support has been awesome. I have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to continue the pursuit of greatness in a sport I have slowly come to love. Even more fortunate is the atmosphere I have been allowed to continue this pursuit in, I get to run with some of the greatest runners in the country, and possibly the world, every day. People who have achieved things I have only dreamt about, things I hope to achieve someday, and it has been an honor to share the same jersey as them. It seems like an obvious goal that every runner wants to represent their country in some sort of competition, and I get to train with people who have realized this dream. I will always be a Niguel Hills seagull/shark (we changed mascots), I will always be a Dana Hills Dolphin, I will always be a UCSB Gaucho, and now I have the privilege of being a Team USA Arizonian/McMillan Elite-ian, and  hopefully someday I will get to dawn the stars and bars jersey, and I feel like I am definitely in the right place to pursue this dream. 

 

Entry #215
Week of November 29, 2010
by Alvina Begay

Greetings!!

A lot has happened since I wrote my last blog. One exciting thing that has happened is that I signed with Nike in September. I am now a Nike athlete promoting the Nike N7 shoes. If you get a chance, check out the Nike N7 website at http://niken7.com/

I really appreciate Sam McCracken and Suzanne Davies of Nike for making my childhood dream come true.

In other news, winter is definitely here in Flagstaff. We have had about two snowstorms now. The peaks look beautiful covered in snow. Some trails are still run able and tights, long sleeves, gloves, and hats have become the popular clothing choices at practices. My Yaktraks have come out of storage and are now near the doorway ready for snow days.

Last week, my teammates had some great Thanksgiving Day race performances in Connecticut and California. Aaron Braun also represented the USA in the Chiba Ekiden in Japan. Their great performances definitely got me fired up and excited to race soon. As far as racing action this weekend, my teammates Andrew Lemoncello and Fasil Bizuneh will be running the Fukuoka marathon. Good luck guys!!!

Instead of racing, I went home to Ganado and got in some good training. I had a great Thanksgiving Day with my family. I got to run on my favorite trails and spend time with family. For three nights, I fell asleep to the sound of burning wood in the wood stove and woke up to sound of my parent's voices as they talked (in Navajo) and cooked. It was wonderful! Now, I'm back in Flagstaff feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Once again, good luck to my teammates this weekend in Japan and next weekend at the USA Club Cross-Country Championships!!!

Wishing you all Happy Holidays and great runs,

Alvina

 

Week of December 27, 2010
by Trina Painter

“Tis the season.of shopping” was the quote I saw the other day.  I have to admit that during my many ventures to the packed mall these past few weeks seeking the perfect gift, I began to think this was a true statement, but thankfully I came to my senses.  

In the last few days,  I have been the receiver and giver of many gifts and acts of kindness. I have found that while gifts that come in pretty packages are nice, it’s the gifts of time and service that mean the most.  Several of my neighbors sent homemade cookies and goodies to our house, my girls and I made “Magic Reindeer Dust” and some sweet treats for the kids on our street.  Team USA Arizona has also gotten into the spirit of  giving by hosting a lovely “Thank You Dinner” in early December for all of our local sponsors and by donating some gently worn running shoes to a former athlete of mine serving in the Peace Corp.  She is stationed in the Dominican Republic and this is what she had to say:  "Trina, a big THANKS to McMillan for donating so many shoes to the DR! The youth here will be so grateful to have nice shoes to run and play in!"

Times are tough for many people these days with the economy still trying to rebound and prices going up on everything around us.  I challenge you this new year to appreciate the things that you already have and to enjoy the “free gifts” of friendship,  the natural beauty that surrounds you and the simple things in life that we take for granted each day.  Thank you to all of those that have given, time, encouragement, services, financial gifts and more to our team this past year. 

 

Week of December 20, 2010
by Greg McMillan

In 2010, I traveled from California to New York and lots of places in between. I flew west halfway around the world and was doing the same thing going east till an Icelandic volcano got in my way. I met people from all over the world and was frequently quizzed about our training group. Well, quizzed is probably not the best word to describe it. Interrogated would be more appropriate.  They each wanted to know every little detail about the team and what makes it (and this what I learned in talking to them), what makes it not only one of the top Olympic Training groups in the US but a model that other countries are copying in their efforts to raise the level of distance running in their countries. Who knew our little group stuck up in the mountains of Northern Arizona was having such an impact around the world?!

I tried hard to answer all of their questions.  I talked about the training philosophy. I talked about athlete selection. I talked about blood testing, therapy, racing tactics, core training and visualization. I talked and talked but what I quickly realized is that the reason this team is so successful is its spirit, its vibe, its mojo, its chemistry. And this, dear reader, is impossible to describe in words.  I might as well try to describe what the Grand Canyon looks like. Words can't do it justice.

Each athlete in this group has a burning desire to succeed. Each wants to be just a little bit better than the day before. They all share a passion for excellence.  What seems like the impossible to most seems attainable to them because of their commitment to hard work over time.  In fact, I’ve learned that the most important ingredient for success for talented, driven and passionate people like the men and women on this team is opportunity.  The training group provides this opportunity and each member stokes the team's fire of desire for success. Each adds to the spirit of excellence. Each brings a unique and beneficial mojo to the group. The bond, the chemistry this group has is incredible.  You can see it in the team pictures from Club XC. They truly enjoy sharing their days together.  The opportunity is theirs and they are seizing it.  It's hard to describe just what it is but I sure do enjoy my front row seat to the hero's journey that each athlete is on.

Thanks to all our supporters who made 2010 our most successful year. We'll need your support as we enter 2011 - the pre-Olympic year - as well as in 2012. London is calling and we are hopeful that Olympic dreams come true here in Flagstaff.

 

Week of November 29, 2010
by Trina Painter

As I'm writing my blog it's starting to look a lot of Christmas both outside and inside! It's been snowing almost all day and the ground is white with fresh powder. My family put up our Christmas tree today and we enjoyed holiday music as we decorated the house. My kids love this time of year and I must admit, so do I.

Starting with Thanksgiving, I have been thinking of all the things I have to be thankful for in my life. My husband and children are at the top of my list alongside the rest of my family and my health. Then, I begin to think of the many people that I get to work with, run with and have fun with. While, I am also blessed with many nice "things" it's the people I share my life with that matter most.

 

Most of the athletes went home for Thanksgiving to spend time with their families and do local races. While it was only for a few days it caused me to realize how much I miss having them all around. Sometimes you don't appreciate things as much as you should until they are gone. I did appreciate Alvina and Emily that stayed in Flagstaff this week. They both had great workouts in tough weather at Buffalo Park. Way to go ladies!

Now, I'm looking forward to the many activities that will take place this month as we head into the holiday season. Some of my fa

vorite ones are the Jingle Bell Run, Luminaria Walk, Cookie Exchange, Club Cross Country and Christmas morning with my family. I hope that this holiday season is full of warm surprises and that each of you take the time to look around and appreciate what and who you have in your life.

 

 

 

Entry #214
Week of November 22, 2010
by Lindsay Allen

I’m sure you’ve all heard the cliché that laughter is the best medicine. I had always believed that it was just a saying, but it’s actually proven that laughter boosts energy levels, strengthens the immune system, reduces pain, and actually protects your body from the harmful effects of stress. Awesome! This makes me particularly happy because I never go a day without a good laugh, or 10, thanks to my new teammates.

Moving up to Flagstaff was an exceptionally hard change for me. The altitude, the cold, the small town, but the overwhelming adjustment was that I wasn’t a part of a large women’s team as I had been in both high school and college. I told myself, ‘This is the life of a professional runner.’ I became adept at working out on my own and had success in the sport, but I constantly missed teammates. You can’t have themed runs, hearty ‘family’ dinners, and workout challenges with only one or two girls.

 

Flash forward to this year when several girls joined the fun up here in Flag. I think they get tired of me telling them how happy I am to have them here. It’s truly an honor to be in the company of such motivated, like-minded, fun-loving ladies. In the few short months since they all came, we’ve had numerous coffee and Diablo Burger dates, regularly made each other decadent breakfasts and dinners, hosted countless themed dinner, most recently ‘fakesgiving’ and make your own sushi night. More importantly we take care of one another. We prepare each other ice baths, buy food for the sickies, grab a friend when you’re going to do core and hold one another accountable for ‘the little things,’ that will turn us all into exceptional runners.

 

I am grateful for the time I had on my own where I learned valuable lessons about myself and the sport, but I prefer the constant laughter on our team reminding me of how lucky (and healthy) I am now.

 

 

 

 

 

Entry #213
Week of November 8, 2010
by Aaron Braun

 

Entry #212
Week of November 1, 2010
by Megan Duwell

Settling into Season

We are now experiencing our first “season” as the leaves and temperatures are turning. Coming from Minnesota, I instinctively came in categorizing everything within Arizona to involve heat, dryness and tumbleweeds. However, the new athletes are all quickly learning that the 7000 ft altitude of Flagstaff not only creates a great training environment, but it also creates chilly morning frosts, and blustery Fall winds. But while we see the leaves starting to blow in a crazy whirlwind, we are all starting to feel the exact opposite. No whirlwind-like feelings in our lives- the new McMillan athletes have really settled in, becoming aware of not only the ecosystem’s seasonal patterns, but the seasons patterns of our lives. Now that autumn is upon us, everyone is settled into homes, workouts, part-time jobs and overall routine.

Right now, I am in the “season” of base training. I just had my first road race in early October, debuting in the Women’s 10k Road Race Championships in Boston. I learned a lot and enjoyed competing as part of Team McMillan Elite who raced down a team title! As the fall season transforms to winter, so will our training. I’m coming to learn that there is a time for everything. A time for miles, a time for hills, a time for speed-work, the list goes on. While seasons and training change, our team is focusing on keeping the little things constant. Icing, stretching, massage, foam-rolling…all the little things that can make a big difference.

I’m really enjoying my first season in Flagstaff, feeling happy and settled with my teammates, my fiancé Paul, and my training and lifestyle.

 

Week of November 15, 2010
by Tracy McMillan

I’ve been wracking my brain lately to figure out what to write about in my blog.  My role with the team is relatively mundane: grant writing, business management stuff, helping athletes who don’t have agents with race coordination and travel.  Not super exciting or inspiring!  But then, the press release about Coach Joe Vigil being honored at Adams State came across the wire…

The piece was inspiring for 2 primary reasons.  One, Coach Vigil is an amazing person and coach.  He continually assists athletes through his coaching and his words of wisdom and more importantly, helps the coaches that hope to follow in his footsteps of success.  I loved seeing he and Greg interact in Chicago last month; he has been a great supporter of Greg’s and thinks well of what we’re doing here in Flagstaff, and that means a lot.  The second reason the piece was inspiring is because of these 2 paragraphs:

“But it was Kastor's accomplishments which brought Vigil global recognition.  Blessed with talent, but not yet completely dedicated to her running (her 5000m PB was only 15:52.80 in college), Vigil convinced Kastor that she could truly be great if she applied herself and followed his coaching.  By the year 2000, under Vigil's coaching, she dropped her 5000m and 10,000m best times to 14:51.62 and 31:51.05, respectively, and won the USA Olympic Trials at the longer distance.  The following year, Vigil coached her to a USA marathon debut record of 2:26:58 at the New York City Marathon, and the extra strength Kastor built from her marathon training set her up for a break-out year in 2002 where she won the USA cross country title, set a national record for 15 km (48:12; lowered the following year to 47:15), won the silver medal at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, set a world best for 5-K on the road (14:54), and a national record for 10,000m (30:50.32).

Those accomplishments set the stage for Kastor's blossoming as a marathoner.  In 2003, Vigil arrived in England for the London Marathon with Kastor, clutching a computer-generated graph which he said showed that Kastor could run 2:20 for the marathon.  She nearly did, running an American record 2:21:16 to finish third.  The following year Kastor won the Olympic bronze medal in the marathon in Athens.” 

Greg immediately sent this to our athletes, particularly the women in our group, because it highlights several things that we preach daily: patience, persistence, dedication, and belief in yourself, the training and your goals.  Deena was an accomplished runner coming out of college but she wasn’t a world-beater.  But Coach Vigil believed in her, and she in turn began to believe more in herself.  A few years later, she was virtually untouchable on the American circuit. 

I’ve come to learn that developing an athlete is a little like raising a toddler.  They don’t go through the Jekyll & Hyde phase (my new name for the Terrible Twos) but it takes time, nurturing, discipline, patience, and caring.  I believe we have a group of women who can accomplish great things.  I think they believe it too, and we’re continually thankful (in this season of giving thanks!) to those friends, family members and sponsors who also believe and that support us along the path toward those goals.

 

Entry #211
Week of October 25th, 2010
by Nicholas Arciniaga

Well, That did not go as planned.

Races hardly ever go as planned. This one was pretty disappointing for me, as many of you may have heard going into Chicago my goal was to shoot for a sub 2:10 marathon. I was still on pace at 10 miles, but unfortunately there was still a long ways to go and I was already rubbing elbows with The Wall. As disappointed as I felt when I finished the race, it took me only an hour or so of sulking to know that Sundays’ race was not too bad after all.

What went wrong? For me to feel ‘flat’ or tired at 2 miles sounds pretty ridiculous, but in reality I still made it to mile 10 for my original goal. After the fact I can look back and see that first off I tapered way too much, it was a lot more than I normally had and that led me to feeling flat. Secondly, My training leading up was great with one exception, since we train mostly at altitude we adjusted ‘marathon pace’ to ‘marathon effort’, which was about 15 seconds per mile slower. So my legs were just not used to running the 4:55-5:00 pace I was hoping for. Good info for next time…

What went right? I finished and even though I blew up, it was not the worst day out there. I still got under the 2:19 trial qualifier and I have no shame in saying that a 2:18 is my worst marathon. Plus it was a great learning experience going forward for what I need for my marathon build up. Even though my race was not great, it was encouraging to see a few other American guys and gals step it up and run very respectable races out there. I’m pretty fired up after this sub par performance to get back out on the roads and get another great marathon performance. Its tough to be patient again, but I know next time I’ll be stronger, smarter, and more prepared.

Next up: A nice hometown Turkey Trot, then Club Cross. Its time to attack the shorter distances again!

Week of November 1, 2010
by Ian Torrence

November 3rd.  I park in a small dirt lot along Route 180 at the turn off for Forest Service Road 151.  The locals better know the road as the Hart Prairie Road.  I ascend into the forest for four miles and as I near the top of the climb the trees give way to an impressive expanse of open country.  With the ponderosa pines now behind, the Peaks come into view.  Ribbons of white snow plunge from the mountains and are split with ribbons of golden aspens all while backlit by the deep blue Arizona sky.  Further on Fern Mountain casts a long shadow across a meadow of grasses and alders.  Its 70 degrees, my shirt’s off and the ever so slightest breeze quickly reminds me of what the high mountain nights are truly like this time of year once the sun falls below the horizon.  It is during the act doing something so simple, like running through the woods, that I often realize things.  I’m truly lucky to have these forests and network of seldom trodden roads to escape within.

I’m not alone, however.  There is a sizeable collection of runners in Flagstaff who take advantage of this area’s unique wealth of resources.  One such group is Team USA Arizona:  a group of eighteen dedicated elite athletes with talents that range from the mile to the marathon.

Among other things, I’ve been assisting with Team USA Arizona’s long runs.  Their outings last somewhere between 90 minutes to 22 miles.  Routes with names like 222, A1, and Woody Mountain have all become synonymous with the Team’s Saturday long run.  Each route, like my Hart Prairie run, has it’s own particular set of climbs, descents, meadows and mountain views.  Zoroaster and I chase the team members along these often forgotten dirt roads with water, nutrition and encouragement.  The group usually splits due to different distances and speeds leaving me the challenging task of chasing them all down at the appropriate intervals.  I have found it an excellent way to spend Saturday mornings.  I ride along entertaining myself with my breakfast, camera and tunes.  Then it’s my turn.  When they’re done I’ll retrace the Team’s route, usually not as far and definitely not as quickly, but I’ll still chase their footsteps in the dirt until I’ve had enough.

It is within these dimensions that things stay interesting and exciting.  Some folks like music, movies or a special quote to get them focused and psyched for a run.  I’ve got the real-life thing going on every Saturday morning.  It is truly impossible to not go for a run after you’ve trailed a group like this in a place like this.

 

Entry #210
Week of October 25th, 2010
by Danielle Domenichelli

Adjusting to life in Flagstaff and post-collegiate training has been a fun and rewarding journey thus far.  I am so excited to have my teammates and coaches to help me along the way.  Flagstaff has started cooling down and snow is slowly appearing on the peaks.   Spending the past five years in sunny Santa Barbara means I am a bit of a softy when it comes to weather conditions.  No more running in just spandex and a sports bra. I showed up to the run this morning in shorts and a long-sleeve and didn’t defrost until halfway through the run!  Life in Flagstaff right now is filled with lots of training, hot coco, and preparing for the Halloween season.

Some members of the team are taking their well deserved break, while a majority of us newbies are just getting to the bulk of our fall season training.  The next seven weeks leading-up to the USATF Club Cross-Country Championships includes high mileage and hard workouts.  I am excited to have a large group of women on a similar training schedule and to be focused on a team scoring event.  The team camaraderie pushes me to get the most out of my training, while also making each day fun and entertaining.

Most weeks are filled with group dinners and weekly television episode sessions.  This week a few of us got together to carve pumpkins and watch the MLB playoffs (Our house is cheering for the Rangers and the Giants).  Some people were very artistic in their pumpkin designs, like Jordan who carved an image of Darth Vader.   I wasn’t feeling very adventurous, so my pumpkin was a fairly traditional Jack-O-Lantern.  The team atmosphere is close in and out of training and it was nice to just hang out and enjoy time with friends.

 I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue my running career alongside this talented group of athletes. Being a part of an elite team raises the level of expectations and makes the hard work even more enjoyable.   The team had seven fresh out of college athletes join this fall and it is nice to be experiencing the change together. I enjoy watching their careers take-off and progress just as much as my own.  I am excited that we get the opportunity to train in the beautiful Flagstaff environment and compete all over the world.  I can’t wait to see all our hard work pay off in the races to come.

 

 

Week of November 1, 2010
by Trina Painter

I can’t believe tomorrow it is the first of November.  Where does the time go?  Fall has definitely hit Flagstaff.  There are golden leaves blowing around and frost on the ground in the mornings.  The lows are below freezing causing ice to form on my dog’s water dish, but as the sun comes up, it brings radiant heat with it making it the perfect weather to run in (as long as the wind isn’t blowing). 

We did our first official cross country workout on the grass last week.  The two packs of men and women challenged each other with surges on the grass loops as each runner began to familiarize themselves with spikes and cross country style running again.  The workout turned out to be harder than it needed to be, it was so much fun no one seemed to mind. 

The women’s team likes to keep things fun every once in a while, having what we call monochrome Monday when everyone wears a solid color, but this week, it was “Freaky Friday” before Halloween.  They all dressed up in costume and ran through the streets of Flagstaff creating a bit of a stir.   

While most of the team is heavy into their training right now, several athletes get to race this weekend.  Lindsay, Megan, Shayla, Jaime, Scott and Jordan are all racing in the Phoenix 5k,while, Natasha heads to the Fresno Half Marathon.  Good luck to all of you as you race this weekend.  I will be with my high school team as we chase our own championship dreams at the Arizona State Cross Country Meet on Saturday in Phoenix.

 

Entry #209
Week of October 4, 2010
by Erin Bedell

I have officially been in Flagstaff for 6 weeks now and I have gotten a taste of everything. I have been through some of the bread and butter workouts, including experiencing hill circuits at 7,000 ft and plenty of trips to Macy's the 'famous' local coffee spot. Moving up here has really refreshed my love for running. Having such great teammates to run with everyday is incredibly encouraging. The transition from sea level to altitude is not the easiest one, but with the support from the team and Greg each day has become easier rather than an obstacle. I have already
learned a lot about myself in the short time that I have been up here and become increasingly excited for the future.

This past weekend four of us took a road trip down to Tucson for the Jim Click 8k road race. Marco, Scott, Jamie and I drove down Saturday morning. A quick stop in Phoenix, to allow for a Chipotle break, and we arrived seamlessly in Tuscon. That night we met up with a fellow McMillan athlete, Ian Burrell, for dinner and called it an early evening. The race was pretty low key, but was a good start to the season. Jaime came out on top with me behind her in second place. It was fun to be able to race next to Jaime for majority of the race since we train together most of the time as well. We both agreed it was a solid start to the season, but that we are ready to go back to work and improve on our fitness. The whole team is getting excited for the rest of the Fall season, and bringing that fitness to the track in the Spring.

 

Week of October 4, 2010
by Ian Torrence

Over the past few months most team members have had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Stan Beecham (http://www.thedionysian.com/LRC/stan.html), a sports psychologist.  The sessions are meant to help each athlete process the mental pressures that accompany racing at an elite level.  Our confidence level directly affects our performance, health and drive.  When we are ‘up’ we race and train well.  However, if we are ‘down’ our motivation wanes and we have trouble getting out the door.  It was after my session with Stan that I was inspired to write this piece for Running Times Trail Online (http://runningtimes.com/Trails/default.aspx?CategoryID=11).

via Running Times:  http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=20718

Motivation:  Maintaining Your Mind Motor

Roughly 800 runners registered for this year’s Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run in Colorado.  On race day morning, about 650 of those individuals started and, of those, 363 finished.  More than half of the runners who intended to participate in the race never saw the finish line.  Something compelled 800 people to sign the event waiver and send in their payment.  If it were easy, everybody would have finished this year’s Leadville race, but as we all know, completing a 100-mile race, or any endurance event for that matter, is a tough and trying process. 

Why do we put ourselves through such trials?  What drives us, as distance runners, to consistently subject ourselves to countless hours of training and grueling competitive events?  The reasons vary from athlete to athlete though a common thread exists.  A satisfying race is synonymous with fulfilling pre-established goals. We enjoy the rush of achievement and gain a sense of pleasure from our well-deserved accomplishment.  What happens, however, when that rush becomes rust and the pleasure becomes pain?  How can we motivate and re-focus after the bad days?

Extrinsic Motivation vs. Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation can be classified in two ways:  extrinsic and intrinsic.  Extrinsic motivation refers to external, material rewards.  For runners, examples might be top finishes in a race, awards, prize money, sponsorship or media interviews.  The ultimate outcome, not necessarily the training and racing, drive extrinsically motivated individuals to excel.  This scenario can sustain athletes as long as they consistently win, set records, and nail every workout as planned.  However, this cannot always be done.    How do we move forward if on paper we have failed?

Josh Brimhall, a Las Vegas-based ultrarunner with an impressive, victory-heavy ultrarunning resume, has struggled to capitalize in several of the larger, more competitive 100-mile events. He still continues to strive for that elusive 100-mile win.  “I don’t accept failure easily.  If there’s something I don’t do well, I’ll keep working on it until I get it right or until I know I’ve done my very best.  I’ve yet to do that at the 100-mile distance.”

Stan Beecham, a sports psychologist who has worked with Olympians and is the founder of the Leadership Resource Center (http://www.thedionysian.com/LRC/stan.html) shares, “Unfortunately many competitive runners gauge their worthiness in the sport on their last workout or performance. Most runners are perfectionists.  We become critical of our results and we can easily derail ourselves.  This is a set-up for failure.  We need to understand that impossible days are part of the process.”

Beecham is alluding to intrinsic motivation, which comes from within an individual.  Intrinsically motivated athletes run for the pure joy and pleasure of running without worrying about times or places in competitions.  The love of the sport enables them to persevere during the inevitable ups and downs of training and racing.

Beecham goes on to describe how runners can intrinsically motivate themselves, “We need to remember several things.  Bad days will happen; even elite runners are not immune to this.  More often than not, we are truly doing well, but we think that we are not.  It is important that we preserve our sense of well-being and not become so critical of ourselves.  Do what you must to maintain your enjoyment of running.  Take a day off, take two days off.  Focus on completing your ultimate goal by finishing that race or next training run.  It’s important to find a balance between your motivations and be able to dance back and forth between them when appropriate.  Preserve, protect and understand your fundamental reasons for doing what you are doing, but also strive to succeed and impress.  Understand that a bad day does not make a bad week.  Sometimes simply lacing up your shoes is a victory.”

Ten Tips for Maintaining Your Motivation:

1. Develop Your “Mission Statement”:  Before you dive into any training program, you must develop and define your primary objective.  This objective has to take precedence over all other current running goals.  Your “mission statement” could be a single race like the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, a series of races like the Flagstaff Summer Running Series or an adventure run such as the double crossing of the Grand Canyon.  In order to maintain accountability, you should share your mission statement with others who are important to you including family members and friends.

2. Tiered Goals:  Once you’ve established your primary objective, it’s important to develop a series of goals that will continually motivate you.  These goals should be challenging but realistic and tangible for yourself, not your friends, favorite blogger or running hero.  First, develop a baseline goal, a goal that justifies your reasons for taking on the challenge.  An example of this might be finishing the Western States 100- Mile Endurance Run.  Next, develop your ultimate objective or your “pie-in-the-sky.”  This might be a top- ten finish at Western States.  Finally, determine two or three intermediary goals such as finishing Western faster than last year and getting to the finish line in under 24-hours.

3. Develop a Road Map:  Develop your plan of attack.  How are you going to get from where you are now to completing your primary objective?  This usually comes in the form of a training plan or “road map” composed of daily workouts and races.  If along the way, you encounter injury or illness, you have the ability to re-visit, re-evaluate and modify your training plan based upon your predetermined tiered goals. 

4. Watch It:  The watch can be either a detrimental or beneficial tool.  Seeing the miles and times click by on a GPS watch can inspire some runners during their workouts.  Others, however, become a slave to their watch and get too wrapped up in times, distances and splits.  Run your easy and recovery days without your watch; run by feel and sharpen your sense of internal pacing.

5. Find a Better Way:  Many times we get stuck in a rut and run the same training routes over and over again.  Branch out and explore a new neighborhood, local park or forest.  Run a new route at least once a week even if that means traveling to get to the start.

6. Look at What’s Underfoot:  Deviate from your standard training terrain.  Try a trail if you normally run on the roads and vise-versa.  Don’t overlook tracks and grass surfaces as well.

7. Find a New Stadium: Sign up for a race you’ve never run either locally or abroad.  Make it a rule to run at least one new race each year.

8. Spice up Your Stride:  Mix it up!  Never run the same workout, time or distance on consecutive days.  Vary your training with fartleks (speed play), tempo runs, track intervals, recovery runs and long runs.

9. Look for New Faces:  Join a running club or seek out a group of runners that you can train with at least once a week. 

10. Read and re-read these five tips from Running Times columnist Greg McMillan:  http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=19113

 

Entry #208
Week of October 4, 2010
by Fasil Bizuneh

Gratitude

I was reading my friend Reid Coolsaet's post Toronto Marathon blog the other day and it gave me goosebumps. For those of you that don't know Reid, he is one of New Balance's Canadian Distance runners. He had a career defining performance last weekend running 2:11:23. In his blog he thanks all of the people who have played a role in his success as well as a play by play breakdown of his race. I found myself envisioning my own future and reflecting on all the people that I myself have to thank for where I am in my life. I then remembered our team meetings that Greg McMillan set up with an Atlanta based psychologist, Dr Stan Beecham. Dr. Stan reminded us to be appreciative of all the excess that we have in our lives. His point was that if all your actions begin from a place of gratitude then everything you undertake will be that much better. Then it struck me - I don't have to wait until I run 2:09 next week in Chicago to be grateful for all the people and situations who have played an instrumental role in what's going to go down on streets of Chicago on 10/10/10.

My parents, Moges and Eyerusalem Bizuneh, who gave up their lives and family to emmigrate from Ethiopia to give me and my brothers a better life than the one they had. Everything I am is because of them. My brother's (my best friends), Amsalu and Ben, who have supported my running career and have been my biggest fans. My girlfriend Kara Mellon, for taking care of me, listening to my problems, loving me unconditionally, and all the other things she does too numerous to mention. My dog, Ras the basenji, for being my only running partner before I joined the group and always being happy to see me when I come home. Greg McMillan has been so generous with his time and coaching from the moment I approached him about joining Team USA Arizona. Without all the hard work and sacrifices that he has made to set up the best road racing club in the US, this opportunity would not be possible. Brett Gotcher, Nick Arciniaga and all the other members of Team USA Arizona who welcomed me as part of their family. They chose not to look at me as a rival to take away from their dream and goals, but as a teammate that could help them to accomplish them. James Carney for relocating to Flagstaff to accompany me for this marathon buildup and for encouraging me through workouts over the past few months and pushing me to places I didn't know I could go much like he did 4 years ago when we were both members of Team USA Monterey. Martin Fagan for being a cool roommate for a couple years and agreeing to pace James, Nick and I in Chicago through the first 15 miles. John Ball, for all the hours of PT service and everything else he's done for me. John Evans, Dan Green, and everyone else at New Balance for sticking by me through all these years of unfulfilled marathon promise. Tom Ratcliffe and all the athlete's of KIMbia athletics for continually setting a standard of excellence for me to live up to. Terry Brahm, Scott Williams, Bill Wilhelm, Mark Chastain, Walt Drenth, Jason Dunn, Corey Ihmels, Louie Quintana, Bob Sevene, Scott Simmons and every other coach that's ever held a watch, yelled good job or given me a pat on the back. Ronnie Buchanan, Juan Chavira, Juan Reyes, Brandon Strong, Roger Cahill, Juan Escalera, Rod Sharpe, Isaiah Festa, J.R. Cox, Dustin Nichols, Johnny Smith, Tim Sweeney, Zach Galindo, Kris Alexander, Jeremy Rasmussen, Fernando Cabada, Aaron Aguayo, Trent Briney, Cele Rodriguez, Michael Smith, Michael Lancaster, Ryan Bak, and all my other friends and former teammates for giving me an ear to speak to and a friend to run with. And finally anyone I've ever raced against for giving me a reason to go faster. The people at Powerbar and Equalibryum for providing additional support to my endeavors.

I just saw the 4th episode of World of Jenks (Fifty Fists) on MTV tonight. It's a documentary style show where each episode follows the life of a young person trying to make their way in this world. Tonight's show featured Anthony Pettis, a 23 year old mixed martial arts fighter who uses his earnings and sponsorships to help support his family. They followed him in the weeks leading up to a make or break fight in his career and concluding with the fight. I could really relate to some of the emotions that he was going through. One of his training partners, Pat Berry, said something that really struck me. He said, "When we step into the cage, we're not going in there alone. It's not the 1 on 1 fight that it looks like. It's a gang versus a gang. I have all of my trainers, coaches, family, training partners, and friends in there with me. So when I throw a fist at the other guy's head, It's really like 50 fists coming at him." All of these people I've mentioned above are my gang. When I hit the streets of Chicago, they'll all be running with me. 50 hearts, 100 lungs, 100 feet and 1 dream.

Without the good fortune that led me to all of these people, there's no telling where I'd be at this point in my life. But with them, I can tell you exactly where I'll be on October 10th, 2010 at 9:39am!

Thx for reading,
Fasil Bizuneh

 

Entry #207
Week of September 20, 2010
by Marco Anzures

I have only been in Flagstaff for a little over two weeks now, but in that short period of time I feel more than at home. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity I have been given to surround myself by such a diverse and talented group of individuals and the experience so far has been humbling and inspiring. Since arriving, my passion and zeal for the sport have been reinvigorated and I am excited to meet the new challenges that lay ahead and grateful to share these challenges with an amazing group of friends.

Scott arrived about a week ago and ever since we have been using our spare time to fill our very spacious house with the necessary things to make ourselves feel at home. We had a huge garage sale weekend haul after our long run last week and were able to score a decent dining table set and free couch (albeit an extremely dirty couch)! We also had an adventure with our hot water heater a.k.a. cold showers for about a week, but we welcomed the added challenge of braving the in-home elements with adjusting to altitude in stride (pun intended).

This past week a sports psychologist and friend of the team, Dr. Stan, paid a visit. He spoke with us both individually and as a group and while he had many insightful things to share with us I believe his most lasting comment was his reminder that what Greg (Coach McMillan) has created here in Flagstaff with McMillan Elite is something very unique and exceptional. A lot of times we as gifted athletes (myself included) lose sight of how fortunate we are to be able to do the things we do and along with that we may take for granted the opportunity we've been given to succeed. Our everyday routine lulls us into complacency and every now and then we need someone (a Dr. Stan, Greg, or even a friend or family member) to remind us. When put into perspective we have a small window of opportunity to excel and reach for our goals. As such I think we should all keep in mind the words of the great John Wooden when he would speak to his players about grasping opportunity. When handed an opportunity John Wooden tells us to: "Make each day our masterpiece."

With that in mind look for good things to come from us all in Flag!

 

Week of October 4th, 2010
by Coach Trina Painter

For most elite athletes their training schedule is their most important tool that dictates
what they do each day. They refer to it often looking ahead to prepare mentally for
upcoming workouts, looking back to see what they accomplished and looking daily
to calculate and track their weekly mileage. Many coaches like to plan schedules
for months at a time leading up to a big race. The athlete looks at their schedule as a
mountain to conquer knowing that it will produce fast times in the end while making a
mental commitment to do everything on it. Most elites do not like to stray from their
schedule even if it's a minor change in the location or time of a run or an adjustment to
a workout. It's as if the schedule is written in stone and any change or departure from it
can often leave an athlete with a sense of failure.

This is when it's important to know that the schedule should never trump the athlete.
In other words, the schedule was written for the athlete to provide the best training to
prepare the athlete for a given event. But, we all must be reminded that it's just a tool
and guide to be used by the athlete and coach. It can't adjust itself, when there's smoke
in the air or the wind is blowing over 30mph. It also doesn't know when an athlete
may have had a terrible day or is on the verge of injury or illness. This is where good
communication between coach and athlete is critical. It's difficult for an athlete alone to
make the tough decisions about altering their own schedule. They are simply too close
to it. This is when having a coach makes all the difference in the world, to offer outside
advice with inside knowledge of the runner. It takes the pressure off of the athlete and
allows the coach to make the appropriate adjustments when necessary. That is one thing
I really like about how Greg coaches our team in Flagstaff. He knows when to push the
athlete when they need that extra nudge, but also when to adjust or delay workouts when
it's in the best interest of the overall performance of the athlete.

We had a tough few days this past week with almost all of the women's team suffering
from a bout of food poisoning for several days that forced many to take full days off
and cancel/adjust workouts. While others dealt with some aches and pains that needed
more attention than ice to prevent full blown injuries. There were a lot of changes
in the schedules this week, but I think most are healthy again and are back on track.

 

 

Entry #206
Week of September 13, 2010
by Jaime Winslow

The last few months have been full of excitement and change, both for me personally and for the entire team. In early August, I left for Southern California as Jaime Canterbury and came back to Flagstaff as Jaime Winslow. It was an amazing few weeks consisting of seeing friends and family, marrying the man of my dreams, going on a honeymoon to Hawaii, standing next to my best friend as she got married (two weeks after me), and watching the APU football team win their season opener. The excitement continued as I returned to Flagstaff to greet all my new teammates. Each new member of the team brings something positive. I am thrilled to have such amazing girls to train with and to learn from. The adjustment back to altitude after a month of being at sea level has been made easier simply because I am able to lose myself and enjoy running in such a large and talented pack.

This week Dr. Stan, a talented and insightful sports psychologist, came to visit. Two nights in a row he gave our team a presentation. One of the things he talked about is the fact that most Americans live with the mindset that they are not wealthy, when the fact of the matter is that most are. He talked about appreciating what we have and acknowledging that we have everything we need. As a competitive athlete, it works to your advantage to think of yourself in this way. If you are reading this and thinking that you are not wealthy, you might consider that you have access to a computer. Only about 1% of the world's population can say that. Dr. Stan also talked about making every day count. Living intentionally, with the knowledge that our days our numbered. The gift of running does not last forever. It is easy for me to go through the motions day to day and lose sight of that. Dr. Stan gave me a lot to think about and I am thankful for his willingness to share with our team. With a new husband, new teammates, and a new perspective, I am excited to get back into training. Stay tuned for good things to come!

 

Week of September 27, 2010
by Greg McMillan

The Process

Things are certainly very exciting around our training group right now. New members have arrived and are motivated to build upon the success of the veteran athletes. As the new athletes begin their tenure here, I'm constantly thinking about the process. While each athlete is already talented and fast, to reach their peak, we'll all have to focus on the process of building each athlete into a better and better athlete and runner over the next few years. It's reminiscent of that old saying, "It takes a lot of years of hard work to be an overnight sensation."

Our focus this fall for these young athletes doesn't stray from what we've been doing in the forest around Flagstaff for the last three years. We are increasing mileage by 10-20% above what the athletes ran in college. We are pushing the aerobic threshold (marathon effort) faster with steady state runs and we are touching all the other energy systems of the body through leg speed sessions, VO2max workouts and hill training. We are working on running form - particularly arm swing - and meeting twice per week for circuit (core, dynamic development, injury prevention and balance training). We are doing strides and running drills after three to five runs each week. And, we are doing all of this within a framework that builds us toward a peak next summer - a method to the madness if you will.

We are all on a mission - personally and as a team - and the focus on the process will lead us to our goals. You can do the same for your goals in running and life. Define your mission, set up the steps you need to take to get you from where you are today to where you want to be. Know there will be bumps along the road but keep your eye on the goal and persevere.

Thanks for all your support.

 

Entry #205
Week of August 30, 2010
by Emily Harrison

 

It's one thing to have athletes come in to visit our team and commit to the program, but it's when everyone starts arriving and joining our daily runs and workouts that the excitement of new training partners really begins. From previous experiences, I was worried about having so many women training together. I've seen many talented runners compete with their training partners on a daily basis, as opposed to working together in a healthy, positive environment, and needless to say, the results do not always meet the initial goal.

I've learned very quickly that the athletes who join our team are not only on a different level physically, but mentally as well. They know when to listen to their bodies, when to push and when to relax. As each new athlete arrives in Flagstaff, the transition into our daily routines has been smooth and enjoyable. I've been putting in consistent, albeit lower mileage lately, but so far the pieces seem to coming together well. Every athlete who comes to train in Flagstaff adds a new perspective and brings new ideas, so it's great to embrace these outlooks and use them to become a better runner and all-around person. It's been exciting for me to be able to jump into workouts with Stephanie and I look forward to training with her more in the future.

Congratulations to Fasil on his recent win, and good luck to Brett, James, and Stephanie who will be racing the 20k.

 

Week of September 20th, 2010
by Tracy McMillan

So much to write about for my September blog!  The month started off with a bang on Labor Day weekend with Stephanie’s great race at the New Haven 20k/US 20 Championships.  That runner-up performance put her on the Team USA’s World Half-Marathon Team, along with Andrew Carlson and Andrew Lemoncello (UK team).   There was also much excitement on the home front as our chickens started laying eggs (just in time, given the salmonella issues with some store-bought eggs), and we adopted a second Boxer!  Meet Big Joe.  He is a sweetheart who doesn’t know his own size.  He is about 4 years old, loves to play and run and is already smitten with Amber, our female Boxer.

Athletes are racing every weekend this month, whether it be rust-busters or US Championships.  Aaron Braun came in 3rd at the US 5k Championships on September 19th and is racing again at the Great Cow Harbor 10k this coming weekend, as is Stephanie.  Brett had a solid half-marathon performance at Rock n Roll Philly, and the women mixed it up in Santa Monica, with Emily winning the 10k and Lindsay and Danielle placing 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the 5k.

The other excitement we’ve experienced lately was Angus’s decision to swallow one of Greg’s drill socket bits this past Sunday (the day my blog was originally due, but I became a bit distracted!).  A few trips to Urgent Care and the Emergency Department that day/evening confirmed that all was fine and the socket was proceeding through his digestive system nicely. 

 

So, we waited…and waited…and waited.  Two days later, it finally reappeared.  Greg’s socket set is complete again!  Angus appears to be no worse for wear, but his parents have a few more gray hairs and a story for Angus’s wedding day.

Finally, I’m excited to turn 40 tomorrow (9/23) and celebrate with family and friends all weekend, starting with fabulous pizza at Caleb’s on Friday night and then a big party on our new patio on Saturday.  I can’t think of a better way to start a new decade than surrounded by the folks I love, in the place that I love—Flagstaff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week of August 30th, 2010
by Coach Trina Painter

You may already know that many of the athletes and all of the coaches have four legged pets that we love like children: our dogs.  They protect us, love us when we’re happy and sad, greet with licks whether sweaty or clean.  They run with us and play with us.  They keep us laughing with their silly faces and tricks and speak to us with their expressive eyes and body language.  They are, for many of the runners, their best friend and source of unconditional love each day and a wonderful warm and furry positive distraction from running.

 

One of our beloved furry friends was the spark of a spontaneous team building exercise late this afternoon. I was doing some work around the house when I got a call from Andrew Carlson.  He had been out on his second run with his dog, Rocket Man (Rocky), on the Fort Valley Trails.  During their easy run, another dog approached them and  barked aggressively at Rocky. It spooked Rocky and he took off running.  Normally, he returns to Andrew after chasing squirrels and such but this time, he didn’t return.  Andrew began running along the trail calling his name, but after twenty minutes and returning to the car and start of their run, he began to worry.  He drove to get help from Brett Gotcher who went back to the trails with Andrew to continue to look for Rocket Man.  That’s when I got the call from Andrew via Brett’s phone.  Andrew told me what was happening and to check his phone which he left in his house for any word on his dog.  Now, I have to explain that Rocky is like our adopted dog since he and Andrew live in our little guest house out back.  Rocky came into our lives back in January as a cute little puppy and new best friend for our dog, Samson and my two daughters.

So, after I got off the phone I told my family that Rocky was lost and we unanimously decided to join the search party.  We drove up to the trailhead and my husband took off in one direction on his mountain bike and my daughters and I took off walking and jogging the other way, with all of us calling Rocky’s name.  I called Lindsay’s house  to ask them to join the search party since the live close, but she, Erin, Danielle and Jordan were already on their way.  We all kept looking for Rocky and updating each other on where we were and what we knew as we nervously watched the sun going down and worried about Rocket’s fate. 

After about 40 minutes of looking my husband got word from a friend on a bike that they had seen the black and white dog running towards the neighborhood (Cheshire) where Brett lives.  As we all began to make our way that direction, he passed another friend that also had seen Rocket crossing the highway towards the houses.  David called Lindsay and sent the girls towards our house to continue looking, while I called Brett and Andrew who were headed towards Brett’s house to look in Cheshire.  We had just gotten off the trail and reached our truck to drive to the new search location, when  I got word that Rocket was safe in our backyard with my husband. 

Within five minutes the entire search party was happily gathered in our yard watching Rocket and sharing their stories from their search efforts.  It was an intense, heart wrenching, nerve racking couple of hours for Andrew, but it was another amazing example of the team camaraderie that we share and reinforcement that we’ll be there for each other whether it’s a tough workout, intense race or personal struggle.  It was really neat for me  to see how the team came together to help find one of our furry friends.  In the end, the search party found an elk, skunk, two horses, several mountain bikers and hikers and each other while looking, but Rocket actually found his way all the way home about 4 miles from the forest trail where he was spooked by the other dog. So for the day, he logged over 1:45 long run.  I think he’s ready for marathon training.

 

 

Entry #204
Week of August 16, 2010
by Nick Arciniaga

 

Going For It

We are now 17 months away from the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, which means that leaves us all with only 16 months to either Qualify for the Trials or Prepare to race them. For me, my goal will be to make the Olympic Team in London. This goal a year ago for me seemed like a long shot, now as it gets closer and closer I can see it becoming more of a reality.

I am starting to get a whole new attitude towards running a marathon, which has started from the confidence I have gained from the past few marathons I have run; each one being an improvement from the time before. Yet, there are still a few steps that I need to take to be able to run and compete with the top marathoners in the US, as well as the top in the world. No matter how well I think I have run my past few times out, my PR is still nearly 8 minutes slower than the World Record, and would still be over 5 minutes behind Wanjiru at the last Olympics.

So what can I do to get myself better? How can I be more prepared? Should I have just been born more talented? Nope. Should I just let go of my mental limitations and just race? Maybe. That is what Greg and I have talked about over the past few months. Marathon races all over the world now are becoming just that. A 26.2 mile race. Guys are going for world record and course records every time out. Its getting to the point where a lot of them are able to hold on and run ridiculously fast times. These guys are just Going For It every time out.

Going For It – That is Greg's Mantra for our team. Basically it means to not be afraid of the competition, not to be afraid of the distance of the marathon, and to go into every race with the ambition to run a breakthrough performance. Sometimes we will be ready to do it, and sometimes we won't. But looking at the alternative, if we never put ourselves out there in the mix of things, then we may never run well at all. We would be competing only with ourselves and we will almost always be behind all of the other Elite Marathoners who go out to win the race every time out.

In less than 8 weeks, I will have my next real test to see how fast I can race a marathon. I am doing some pretty intense training for the Chicago Marathon, and I am setting my sights on a sub 2:10 performance, and hopefully being able to break into the top 5, which would be awesome. My preparation is going very well. I've put in a couple 140 mile weeks already, and my long runs, tempo runs, and even speed workouts are going much better than my last time out. My confidence is strong and I am preparing myself mentally to believe that I can run the pace and effort it will take to break 2:10. Less than 8 weeks to go…

 

Entry #203
Week of August 9, 2010
by Paige Higgins

 

A few weeks ago we had Stan Beecham, a sports psychologist come to Flagstaff to talk to our group. I have to admit I was skeptical. I talked to my brother-in-law on the phone, and asked me at the end of the conversation to keep an open mind. Seeing as how Mike is my hero, I promised I would.

Before I knew it I was sitting in a small room with a complete stranger. Stan said he liked to keep an open forum, and for me to just talk. I had no idea what to say. An hour later, I had cried my eyes out, smiled, cried some more, called him a "jerk", almost walked out, told him a funny story, and capped it off with some more water works. I left feeling emotionally drained. However, after a nap and few hours to reflect, I felt a renewed desire to challenge myself both as an athlete and person.

Stan really helped me break through some mental blocks and weaknesses I was having. I think his main advice can ring true in anyone's life. He instilled in me that at the end of the day, ask yourself "was I a winner, or a loser? Did I do everything I could that day to achieve what I want and what is important to me?". If you have done that, well then be happy, live in the moment. If you were a "loser", ask yourself why? It holds you and only you accountable. No excuses. When you can put a "win" on a day, you can hold it and be proud.

It's about the journey, the now, being in the moment. So, Stan...this blog is for you, and I'm closing it out with (of course) a quote from my favorite musical, "Wicked"...as my thanks...."Who can say if I've been changed for the better/ I do believe I have been changed for the better/ But because I knew you/ Because I knew you/ I have been changed for good."

 

Entry #202
Week of August 9, 2010
by Stephanie Rothstein

 

The past few months have seemed to zoom by quicker than I thought possible. The last time I wrote it was the beginning on my journey in Flagstaff and the unknown future of what was to come. Filled with mixed emotions on whether this decision was right, I set some goals with Greg and put my head down and trained. I highly expected it not too be an easy comeback with adjusting to altitude, new coach, new training, and asking a lot of my body who for so long disappointed me. I started the summer with what some called impossible when I witnessed one of my best friends win the 5000m National Championship after a long road of frustration and setbacks. I know that road all too well because I was along side her on the stationary bike and in the pool desperately trying to keep our dreams alive. I took that inspiration back to Flagstaff and believed it was time to get to work. With the help of doctors in Portland, Dr. John Ball, and of course Greg's patience and guidance I found myself training consistently and without fear. That was until 2 weeks ago when I stood on the starting line of my first race in over a year- fear came back! It wasn't so much a feeling of being unprepared, but fear of unknown. How was altitude training going to affect me, would the race feel like a sprint, when was that gut check feeling in my stomach gonna come? I had so many questions that I'm sure Greg and Ben were thinking "geezzz... just race already." I tried to pretend whatever happened I would be pleased with, but let's get real. What runner is ever satisfied with mediocrity? However on that particular Sunday in foggy Santa Cruz I crossed the finish line with more satisfaction than perhaps the winner. I finished 3rd and had won the race within myself. After I crossed the finish line and saw my time I began to believe the impossible was now possible.

Week of August 16th, 2010
by Coach Greg McMillan

New Athletes. New Excitement.

It's now less than two years till the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Which, of course, means that the Olympic Trials to make the US Olympic Team will be here before we know it. As we head into the second half of 2010, the excitement in our training group is growing. Not only are our current athletes continuing their climb up the rankings but we, courtesy of adidas, have the opportunity to provide several recent grads the opportunity to chase their Olympic Dreams. And what a group of talented runners they are!

We were inundated with requests to join our group and through a very thorough application process, narrowed the list down to a few athletes that we feel have what it takes to reach the highest level in the sport and will fit into our group training environment. Will success happen overnight? No. But given their talent level and competitive history, I have a feeling that this group of young men and women will reach the top sooner rather than later. Here's a snapshot of the new faces and names you'll be reading about on this website. I'm honored to work with them and look forward to sharing their successes with you.

1) Aaron Braun (Adams State College)
Personal Records: 13:36.18 5k / 7:51.68 3k(i)
16x NCAA D2 All-American
6x NCAA D2 National Champion
4th US Track & Field Championships (2010) - 5k

 

2) Scott Smith (University of California Santa Barbara)
Personal Record: 28:35.71 10k
UCSB School Record Holder at 5k & 10k

 

3) Marco Anzures (University of California Los Angeles)
Personal Record: 29:00 10k (debut)

 

4) Danielle Domenichelli (University of California Santa Barbara)
Personal Records: 33:19.43 10k / 16:01.03 5k
7th 2010 NCAA 10k – All-American
11th 2008 NCAA 5k – All-American

5) Natasha LaBeaud (Georgetown University)
Personal Record: 33:34.61 10k
3 x NCAA Cross Country Qualifier
2 x NCAA 10k Qualifier
16th 2010 NCAA 10k

 

6) Megan Duwell (University of Minnesota)
Personal Records: 33:40.94 10k / 15:59.23 5k(i)
2 x NCAA Cross Country All-American
6th 2010 NCAA Indoor 5k – All-American
12th 2010 NCAA 10k

7) Erin Bedell (Baylor University)
Personal Record: 9:56 3,000m Steeplechase
4x NCAA All-American

 

We are also excited to welcome two seasoned pros to Team USA Arizona. Fasil Bizuneh and James Carney are training with our men's marathon group and are preparing for the Chicago Marathon.

 

Entry #201
Week of August 2nd, 2010
by Lindsay Allen

 

I'd like to begin by bidding farewell to the Middleton's and the Burrells. You will all be missed here in Flag and we hope you come visit us often!

Once or twice a year most competitive runners take their coveted ‘week off.’ During this week, we’re able to feel almost like normal people, if that’s even possible. We wake up, and running shoes aren’t the first things to touch our feet.

For most of us, this break isn’t an exclusively good thing. Rigid daily routines are abandoned and we’re left a little lost throughout the day. I miss burning off energy and the satisfaction of finishing a long run or workout. At night I miss the fatigue that sets in and tells my body it’s time to rest. Sadly enough, I’ve even forgotten to shower at times because I didn’t have my morning and evening doses of sweat as an overpowering reminder. Don’t worry, my teammates keep me in check!

We take this break knowing recovery is essential to staying healthy (both physically and mentally) and there are perks to time off. The part I look forward to most is that it reinforces my love for the sport and I realize how lucky I am to be a professional runner.

Stan Beecham, a sports psychologist our team recently met with, reminded us that you often have to hold back the reigns in order to accomplish something big in the end. So I’ll get back to enjoying my break and I’ll see you all this fall.

Week of August 2nd, 2010
by Coach Trina Painter

I just returned from my high school team cross country camp. We are so fortunate to live and train in Flagstaff already, but we still like to get away for a pre-season training camp where we can really focus on the upcoming season. So, we load up and drive about 10 minutes outside of "town". I know, it sounds ridiculous, but why would we leave when we already train in one of the best places in the world? It does provide a place for us to leave the distractions of our normal lives to bond as a team, set goals for the upcoming season and improve our education, motivation and inspiration for running.

We live in a practically empty three story house that we lovingly call the "Cross Country Castle" for a week. My husband and I direct the camp and do all of the cooking for the kids. The kids have "chores" and help with dishes and cleaning the house. We come home exhausted, but it's always worth it to see the kids gain confidence, improve their fitness and watch their motivation sky rocket as they hear from our incredible speakers and Team USA Arizona athletes.

The Team was able to come out and do two training runs with us. Some of the Team stayed for dinner after one of the runs and then did a question and answer session with the campers. It was a lot of fun and they shared some really good information with the high school kids about training, gradual progression, mental blocks and their personal records from high school and favorite foods. Jaime and Stephanie came out later in the week with Jaime's former college coach from Asuza Pacific and they all talked about what it takes to run in college.

The end of summer is near, but I'm trying to enjoy every last drop as I enter the next high school cross country season and look forward to the newest members of McMillan Elite arriving soon. I can already tell, it's going to be a great Fall!

 

Entry #200
Week of July 19th, 2010
by Ian Burrell

It’s been a good run here in Flagstaff with McMillanElite and Team USA Arizona, but unfortunately it will come to an end on August 1 when I run my last race for the group. I will be attending law school this fall and will be leaving the team and Flagstaff for the University of Arizona in Tucson. This was a decision I struggled with for a long time. My original plan was to defer school for 1-2 more years to continue giving running everything I had, however, a disappointing and embarrassing indoor season caused me to look back at my professional career as a whole. I realized that the highs weren’t high enough and the lows were far too low. I was tired of being frustrated with running and feeling completely unproductive when things weren’t going well. So I decided to go back to school.

I plan to continue running during school. Although it will be difficult, there are plenty of examples out there of people who have competed on a high level athletically while pursuing a higher degree. I think it just comes down to time management and how dedicated you are. I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.

I do want to thank Greg and Tracy for starting this group and giving me the opportunity to run professionally. I have learned a lot during my time here and had many great experiences that would not have been possible without their efforts. I also want to thank all the adidas personnel that support us and for always being there when we needed them.

 

Entry #199
Week of July 5th, 2010
by Alvina Begay

Congratulations to my teammate Lindsay Allen on her third place finish at the USA Track and Field Championships in the Women’s Steeplechase! Lindsay’s gutsy race performance was inspiring to watch and a result of hard work and attention to all the small details on and off the track. She and Jordan Horn are now headed to Europe for more racing and the team wishes them safe travel and fast feet and legs.

It’s been awhile since I have written a blog and a lot has happened. Last week, there were several forest fires around Flagstaff. The Schultz fire, in particular, had everyone looking to the peaks and mountains to see how much the fire had spread. Fortunately, the fire didn’t burn all of the peaks and it is now 75% contained. It looked like a volcano had erupted the day the fire started.

Running and training is a continuous process of learning, evaluating, and applying lessons learned. The last several months have been spent making adjustments to improve my running performances. I have changed my iron intake regimen, worked on improving my running form, and spent time with family and friends.

In May, I discovered the cause of feeling sluggish in workouts, races, and my activities of daily living, was a low iron level. I was very surprised because I was already taking iron regularly. I made some adjustments in my supplementation routine and am feeling much better.

Changing my running form has been a very big challenge for me in the last month and a half. My running stride has been short and choppy for several years now. Most running days have been spent doing form drills and maintaining new form during strides, sprints, and steady states. After weeks of being very sore and fatigued, my body is slowly adapting and I’m finding myself able to maintain my new stride for longer periods of time. Honestly, there were days when I dreaded running because of how uncomfortable everything felt. The positive feed back Greg and Trina give me about improvements (even small ones) make all the work and discomfort worth it.

The end of May and early June was spent visiting family and friends. I can easily get caught up in just being a runner or student and living like a hermit to the point where I have neglected other parts of my life. I went to a Navajo wedding where the groom gave his new father-in-law a horse as a gift for his daughter. My nephew who is handicapped also graduated from high school. His medals from the Special Olympics were on display at this graduation party. That was pretty awesome. I am feeling rejuvenated and back in balance.

 

Entry #198
Week of May 31, 2010
by Emily Harrison

Being true to yourself...

In high school and college, I was very confident in who I was and what I believed in. Yes, of course there are always little things that we may question about ourselves along the way, but that's to be expected as we grow and evolve as individuals. I wasn't easily swayed by my peers and was comfortable doing what I felt was right and needed to do to achieve the goals I had set for myself. At times, this has resulted in me being a loner, which I am okay with, just as long as I keep a healthy balance. There is a small group of people whose opinions truly matter to me, and these people have in some way shown me they are genuine, grounded, logical people who stick to their guns, which I respect a great deal.

Following your own instincts and sticking to what you believe in is much easier to do when all is going well, however it's when cracks start to appear in your foundation that you might be tempted to stray from who you are. Somewhere over the past couple years, I've felt as if I have strayed from who I am at times. I come back around and ask myself "What was I thinking, that's not me? Was I really conforming to the norm for no good reason?"

Now, I'm not always saying that stepping outside your box is a bad thing. Sometimes it's necessary to change your perspective of yourself and embrace a new outlook. Once you've embraced a new, positive perspective, it's amazing how much better you feel.

My reasoning for this is that, although this may be a new idea or approach for you to take, in many ways it is not. The reason you feel so motivated by this "new approach" is that it is taking you back to being true to yourself.

My belief is to always follow your instinct, and if you find yourself questioning something more often than not, step back and be brutally honest with yourself. Ask, is this really me and what I believe in? Without faith in what you are doing or in who you are, you're overall well-being begins to decline, and what's the point in living life if you're not having fun? So, be true to yourself. Not every person you meet has to agree with you and vice versa. You can agree to disagree and move on. There are plenty of people in the world to surround yourself with who hold the same values and ideas as you do.

As a side note, I 'd like to express my gratitude to Dr. John Ball, Monica, and Greg. These individuals can never be thanked enough. What each of them does is a vital piece of the puzzle for many people on our team and to their success.

 

Entry #197
Week of May 17, 2010
by Jaime Canterbury

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.

 

Week of July 5, 2010
by Coach Greg McMillan

Happy Birthday to Us!

The US celebrated Independence Day on the 4th of July but a few days earlier (1 July), our group celebrated the completion of three years and the start of our fourth. Below are the goals we had for 2009/2010 as well as our goals for our 4th year (2010/2011). As you will see, we continue to meet or exceed our ever increasing goals. The athletes and support staff are working hard and the results are coming.

Year 3 - 2009/2010 (Current Year):

· Place athlete(s) in the Top 3 in National Championships
o Success:
- 1st US 20K Championships – Brett Gotcher
- 1st US 25K Championships – Andrew Carlson
- 2nd US 25K Championships – Brett Gotcher
- 3rd US 25K Championships – Nick Arciniaga
- 3rd US Track & Field Championships – Lindsay Allen
- 3rd US 1 Mile Championships - Jordan Horn

· Win National Championship(s)
o Success:
- 1st US 20K Championships – Brett Gotcher
- 1st US 25K Championships – Andrew Carlson

· Qualify athletes for US Teams with particular emphasis on World Cross Country Championships and World Track & Field Championships
o Success:
- World Track & Field Championships (Marathon) – Paige Higgins
- World Half-Marathon Championships – Brett Gotcher, Andrew Carlson, Andrew Lemoncello
-Chiba Ekiden – Andrew Carlson, Lindsay Allen, Jordan Horn, Ian Burrell
-5 Nations Indoor Meet – Lindsay Allen
-NACAC XC Championships – Emily Harrison (Silver Medal)

· Secure sponsorship contract for athlete(s)
o Success:
-Brett Gotcher – contract with adidas
-Andrew Lemoncello – contract with Mizuno
-Paige Higgins – contract with Saucony

· Gain experience competing internationally
o Success:
-Berlin, Germany - Paige Higgins
-Birmingham, England – Brett Gotcher, Andrew Carlson, Andrew Lemoncello
-Chiba, Japan – Andrew Carlson, Lindsay Allen, Jordan Horn, Ian Burrell
-Glasgow, Scotland – Lindsay Allen
-Trinidad and Tobago – Emily Harrison
-Fukuoka, Japan - Emily Harrison
-San Juan, Puerto Rico – Lindsay Allen

Below are our team's goals for the upcoming year:
2010/2011:

-Place athlete(s) in the Top 3 in National Championships
-Win National Championship(s)
-Compete positively in high quality road races
-Qualify athletes for US Teams with particular emphasis on World Cross Country Championships
-Secure sponsorship contract for athlete(s)
-Compete successfully in international competition

Thanks for all your support as we continue to push toward our Olympic dreams!

 

Week of June 7, 2010
by Ian Torrence

(via RunningTimes.com)

Ever bite into a cupcake wrapped in cellophane? Every weekend, thousands of runners do just that. We often want the prize without doing the work. But, to enjoy that cupcake, you’ve got to unwrap it. Proper training will help you sink your teeth into that sugary confection and avoid the suffocating inhalation of plastic. Hill work is a major component of this training.

One of the most common reasons runners don’t perform as well as they’d like in a trail race or ultramarathon is that they lose their legs on demanding hill climbs and descents. The best trail runners are efficient at both climbing and descending. You can certainly be successful by searching out the races that cater to your strength, but this can leave you secretly yearning for the entire cupcake, not just the crumbs.

This two-part series is intended to assist you with improving your performance by providing strategic workouts aimed at strengthening your uphill and downhill running.

Develop power with low injury risk

Many runners avoid hills because they are difficult or aren’t readily accessible. Unfortunately, the only way to become proficient at hill climbing is to practice on hills. Uphill running is a concentric movement, meaning the muscles in use shorten as they contract—similar to lifting a weight. It’s a deliberate and controlled action using the calves, glutes, hamstrings and quads. All of these muscles fire repeatedly when we run uphill and have very little recovery time even on a short ascent. You are essentially doing hundreds of one-legged squats as you ascend a hill, which is why it doesn’t take much time to raise your heart rate, breathe harder and feel a burn in your leg muscles.

The low-impact nature of running uphill allows one to practice climbing techniques and develop more power in a relatively short period of time with minimal stress to the joints and little chance of injury.

There are three basic types of hill workouts I prescribe to runners while they prepare for a hilly trail race or ultramarathon: short hill repeats, long sustained hills and hills on a long run. These workouts are an easy way to build leg strength and core power safely.

Because we don’t all have access to optimal training grounds, we must work with what we’ve got. Obviously, the best options would include trails or roads with hills similar to those you would encounter in your upcoming race. Bridge overpasses, parking garages and treadmills will all do the trick in a pinch. Take the time to discover your best training venues. You might find that your local roads supply you with better hills than the trails.

Short Hill Repeats

Short hill repeats are the bread and butter of most training programs. They should be done throughout the base or building phase, and then revisited periodically as you progress towards race day.

These repeats will help you with longer ascents. Find a hill with a medium slope (six to 10 percent) that takes 45–90 seconds to ascend. Run up at an effort equivalent to your mile race effort—this will ultimately equate to roughly 5K pace as you ascend the hill. Focus on good form with powerful push off and strong arm swing. Slowly jog down the hill to recover. Depending on your fitness level, do six to 15 repeats. If you find that you still lack significant uphill drive even after doing short hill repeats for a few months, then steep hill repeats might be the way to go. They aren’t as long (only 15–30 seconds), but the hill is much steeper. These really develop power in the legs. (Adapted from Greg McMillan.)

Long Sustained Hills

To run a sustained hill workout, find a trail or road that ascends for several miles and ideally gains between 500–1,000 feet per mile. Cover a total of four to 12 miles of uphill running miles, steadily increasing your intensity as you approach the end of the session. Depending on the length of the climb, try to sustain half marathon to marathon pace effort. If you need to repeat the same hill several times, then do so. Recover as you jog back to the bottom. This is a challenging workout and will likely leave you heavily fatigued. Repeat it several times during a season and track your fitness progression.

Hill Work on a Long Run

Run at an easy, relaxed pace (one to two minutes slower than marathon pace) during your long run, but at each hill, regardless of the size, surge at 5K to half marathon pace to the top. Recover on the downhill and flats. Regulate your pace and effort depending on the length and slope of each climb.

Strength Training for the Climbs

A majority of uphill-related injuries and weaknesses occur in the Achilles, calves, glutes and hamstrings. The following exercises, if performed regularly (two to three times a week), can assist with injury prevention and facilitate rehabilitation.

Hamstring and Glute Strengthening

Uphill running forces the hamstrings and glutes to work in a limited range of motion, causing them to fatigue quickly. The following strengthening exercises will assist in hamstring and glute strength, power and elasticity.

Exercise Ball Hamstring Curls:
Lie on your back with your heels on the ball and your rear off the floor. Use your arms at your side to steady you. You should be in a straight line (head to toe). Roll the ball to your rear with your heels. Contract the hamstring at the end of the movement, relax and return to the starting position. Start with two sets of eight to ten and progress to three sets of ten.

Hamstring Exercises

Jay Johnson’s Swiss Ball Exercises

One-Legged Squats:
Place the exercising leg and foot forward and rest the non-exercising foot’s toes on a step or box 6 to 8 inches in height. Bend the exercising leg, with most of your weight focused into the heel of that foot, to 90 degrees and then return to an upright position. Keep the upper body upright as you perform the exercise. Start with 8 to 10 repetitions for each leg and build to three sets of 10 to 12.

Jay Johnson’s Kettlebell Squat Routine

Calf Strengthening

We rely on a powerful spring from our calves with every step as we run uphill. The exercises listed below can help prevent the overuse issues that are associated with the repetitive use of the calves, ankles and Achilles.

Ankle and Knee Stabilizers

 

 

Entry #196
Week of May 9, 2010
by Stephanie Rothstein

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.

 

Week of May 24, 2010
Coach Trina Painter

I just returned from attending the USA Track and Field High Performance Meet at Occidental College in Pasadena, California. We brought three athletes to the meet to run in the 1500m. It was like an All-Star Game for middle distance track and field athletes. The meet was comprised of only two events: the 800m and the 1500m for elite fields of men and women. The goal was to put stellar fields together with rabbits in each race in the perfect California calm night air to produce fast times and we did not leave disappointed. The races were like works of art, beautifully played out during each lap. There was victory, defeat, agony and pain as the runners jostled for position, pushed their bodies to the limit and raced each other to the finish line. Some of the runners made it look easy, some ran with grimaces on their faces, some confident and some were experiencing this level of competition for the first time. There was an equal amount of tension, seriousness, professionalism and nervousness in the air amongst the favorites and the up and coming runners.

As I watched from the sidelines, it was amazing to witness the strength, power and speed of the athletes gathered on the track. Whether they were jogging during their warm ups, doing drills and strides or racing, they stood out. I’ve had the privilege to be around world class athletes for the past twenty years of my life, but when that many are gathered in one place, it still takes my breath away. It was the perfect blend of genetic talent and years of hard training and sacrifice that makes them stand out from other runners. It was an exciting night watching athletic poetry in motion and cheering for Jordan (3:43), Lindsay (4:20) and Jaime (4:22) as they each ran a personal best in the 1500m.

 

Entry #195
Week of April 26, 2010
by Nick Arciniaga

“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.

 

Week of May 17, 2010
by Greg McMillan

I've spent the first half of 2010 answering questions. After Brett's 2:10 marathon debut, Alvina's huge marathon PR, Jordan's sub 4:00 mile, Paige's top US placing at the Boston Marathon, our sweep of the medal stand at the US 25K Champs two weeks ago and Jordan's "surprise" Bronze at the US 1 Mile Road Champs (a surprise to some but not to me, keep your eye on Jordan Horn), runners and coaches are interested in our training philosophy and I'm happy to share.

Below is our group's philosophy. We call it our Paths to Success and it is the basis for the success we are having with men and women, middle distance runners and long distance runners, track runners, cross country runners and road runners. This philosophy is the result of what I've learned from key mentors like Arthur Lydiard, Joe Vigil, David Martin and Nobby Hashizume. As all four of these men will tell you, success has less to do with what workout you do on a particular day and more about how you live your life, how much priority you place on your running, how consistently you train year after year and how well you maintain your motivation to succeed. Our group is doing well and we are proving that this philosophy works for our situation and my coaching style. If you are a coach, do as Vigil says in his book Road to the Top and develop your philosophy first and then the training will fall right into place. If you are a runner, search out training philosophies from successful coaches and athletes (google Anatomy of a Medal by Vigil for a good starting point) and build your own philosophy. Then, apply it. Simple as that.

McMillan's Path to Success – Philosophy of Our Olympic Training Team
The training group's philosophy revolves around the following:

1. The Team is a Short Cut

Emerging elite athletes benefit from the team environment. The camaraderie, accountability, competitiveness and positive support of the group allow for better and more consistent training, which leads to quicker and better performances.

2. Long-Term Aerobic Development

Aerobic development is the key to endurance performance. The aerobic system takes years of consistent training to maximize and then to realize peak performance. Our training focuses on gradual yet progressive aerobic development through mileage and specialized aerobic system workouts. The aerobic development is accelerated by living and training at 7,000 feet in Flagstaff. 7,000 feet/2100 meters has been shown to be the ideal elevation for the training of long-distance runners and emerging elites athletes are encouraged to begin altitude training as soon as possible. We believe a large part of why our group has become one of the best in the US in two short years is that we are based at 7,000 feet altitude.

3. Capitalize on Strengths

Each athlete has a unique set of strengths (physical, mental and emotional). The training and racing capitalizes on these strengths (especially during the peak competitive season) and build these strengths over time.

4. Eliminate Weaknesses

Each athlete also has a unique set of weaknesses (physical, mental and emotional). The training (run training and ancillary training) and racing eliminates these weaknesses (especially during the non-peak seasons).

5. Build Confidence

Athlete performance is modulated by confidence. Therefore, the training and racing fosters greater self-confidence. Training and racing is planned as to promote success, which fosters greater motivation, which builds confidence.

6. Move Up in the Pecking Order

The team is a racing team, not a training team. Athletes must be ‘racers’ who enjoy testing themselves against ever increasing competitive levels. The goal is a gradual yet steady climb up the US rankings.

7. Become a Complete Athlete & Complete Runner

In general, the better athlete the runner is, the better runner he or she will be. Ancillary training is used to build the body – improving the core, dynamic ability, balance, function in the kinetic chain and better running form. Additionally, a well-rounded runner (good endurance, stamina, speed and sprinting ability) is a more competitive runner no matter what the event. Training includes specialized workouts to build each runner into a complete runner, tapping into each energy system as well as the other performance-related systems of the body.

8. Smooth, Consistent and Positive Training

Interruptions and inconsistency in training stalls development. The training program and lifestyle of the athlete fosters smooth, consistent and positive training.

9. Live the Life

The life of an emerging elite distance runner is not easy. It requires 24/7/365 focus on improvement, not only in training but also in all other aspects that impact performance – recovery, sleep, nutrition, pre-hab, mental training, etc. Life must revolve around training and racing and discipline and dedication are required to live the simple yet required life to become a great distance runner.

Week of May 10, 2010
by Tracy McMillan

Greg, Angus and I are embarking on a new adventure this spring—backyard farming! We currently have 9 chicks pecking away in a galvanized steel container in our garage, awaiting their 6-7 weeks of age mark so they can move into the fancy new chicken coop that arrived Saturday for them! Knowing we didn’t have the time to build a coop, we ordered one online from Horizon Structures of Pennsylvania. The chickens will live in style in a coop with 6 nests, a roosting area and a floorboard we can pull out to dump their nutrient-rich droppings in our new garden. It also came with an enclosed run for extra protection from the local critters when we’re not outside for free-range fun. Angus loves the coop and will be the primary occupant, I think, until the chicks are old enough to go outside permanently! Now, how will we break it to him once they move in…?!

Our other farming adventure, as I mentioned above, is a garden. Now, many of you might comment, “that’s not very adventurous!” However, we live at 7,250ft with a normal growing season between frosts of about 60-80 days, a pretty dry climate, persistent gophers and hungry elk. Plus, we experience some pretty blustery spring wind conditions! Flagstaff is made up of several microclimates and we live in one of the most hostile ones for growing, but we are up for this experience. We have two 4x8-raised beds, cold frames, Walls-o-Water, fences and heavy gauge wiring under the beds to keep out those gophers. I’ve selected mostly cool weather vegetables and will attempt some shorter growing season tender annuals. It’s a learning year and if we’re successful, we’ll explore a greenhouse in a couple of years to move toward 3-or 4-season gardening.

Our team is also a 3- or 4-season endeavor as well. With male and female athletes that race everything from the 1500 to the marathon (and assistant coach Ian Torrence is an ultrarunner!) and on all surfaces (track, cross country, roads) we are going almost year-round. In the past, racing was lighter in the summer, but we’ll have athletes going to Europe for the first time to race the track circuit over there, and we’ll have some road racing going on in the USA. June/July will be busy months with potential athlete recruiting visits too. None of us mind that, though, as it is an excuse to get together for team dinners, which are always more fun when the weather is nice and we can relax with a brat and a beer (case in point, Brett Gotcher fueling up for the 25k!). Maybe we’ll even have some vegetables to contribute to the dinners by the summer’s end!

 

 

Entry #194
Week of April 12, 2010
by Alvina Begay

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!!!!

 

Week of April 26, 2010
by Trina Painter

Flexibility is necessary in any sport, but especially in distance running. I’m not just talking about how far you can bend over or if you can sit and touch your toes with straight legs. Athletes have to have a high level of flexibility in their training and racing as situations change unexpectedly. While they try to control as many factors in their lives as possible by going to bed, waking and training at the same time each day, eating certain foods, taking their vitamins and getting regular massage, other factors are out of their control. Things don’t always go as planned. At that point they can either choose to adapt or allow it to interfere and be disruptive.

This past couple of weeks, we have had a lot of practice with changing plans. We had to delay workouts due to a severe Spring storm that brought strong winds and a mix of rain, hail and snow to Flagstaff. We had athletes and coaches with travel issues due to the eruption of the volcano in Iceland. We made changes in training schedules and shifted races to maximize performance of several athletes. Weather, travel delays, illness, injury, life and job stresses, are all examples of things that we have little control over and can cause stress in our lives.

It’s not the trigger that forces a change in plans that is important, but how the athlete handles the change and their attitude towards it that matters most. The successful athlete may be upset or irritated initially at having to delay a workout or change their race plan, that’s human nature. After the initial emotional response, they must be able to let it go, refocus and move forward with the new plan. While we can’t control things like the weather or getting sick, we can control our attitude. Athletes can’t waste energy worrying about what was, but must always look ahead to what needs to be done and what is next.

The sooner an athlete learns that change and disruption is inevitable and can ride the waves that come, the more successful they will be. While we know that not everything will go as planned, the focus must be on how the athlete adapts to the change. So as they say, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade or in Flagstaff, when life hands you snow, make a snowman!

 

Entry #193
Week of March 28, 2010
by Brett Gotcher

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.

 

Week of April 19, 2010
by Greg McMillan

I usually fill this space with all the great accomplishments of the athletes and there certainly continue to be many, many reasons to celebrate. But in this blog, I wanted to talk about the bad times. Our group has had an amazing ascent to become one of the best training groups in the US but it has not always gone according to plan. Every runner in the group has experienced dark times - injury, illness, fatigue or just a loss of motivation/confidence.

It's far too easy to look at the front of the pack and to think they have had it easy. They haven't. They have struggled just like you and I do. They have struggled through bad workouts, bad races, bad weeks and bad seasons. And, it sucks! It sucks to be injured or to race poorly despite good training or simply to have to live through those low periods of life due to other things in your world outside of running (especially when running is your sole purpose in life right now). As a coach, I really enjoy the good times because I have to live through these bad times too.

Brett ran an amazing 2:10 marathon debut but last spring, dropped out of a 5k, totally frustrated. Paige just finished one of her best marathon performances in her career but was in the recovery room from knee surgery at this time last year. Martin just won the Great Ireland Run but couldn't get to the marathon start line just a few weeks before. And, of course, we know how Meb won Silver in Athens, didn't even make the team in Beijing then wins the New York City Marathon.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that running is not a straight line of improvement and happy times. It has periods that are dark and troubling. But, and here is the message, you have to live through it. It's part of the deal. You have to buckle down and do the things you need to do to get through it. Sometimes that means taking a break and starting over. Sometimes that means focusing more on the non-running activities and sometimes it just means keeping on keeping on. Whatever your situation, just hang in there. We have so many great stories about how athletes come back from adversity. You can do it too.

 

Entry #192
Week of March 28, 2010
by Lindsay Allen

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!

 

Week of April 12, 2010
by Tracy McMillan

(Previously published by the Arizona Daily Sun, 4/11/2010)

On March 26, Team USA Arizona held its inaugural fundraising event, "The Run to 2012" at the Orpheum. The event committee had two goals going into the event: to raise funds to support the mission of the group and more importantly, to raise community awareness of Team USA Arizona and the great post-collegiate distance runners it supports. I am happy to report that we successfully met both goals. The turnout was wonderful and we greatly appreciated everyone's support and contributions. The list of individuals and businesses that donated to the event is too long to list in this column; suffice it to say that I was floored by the generosity of the Flagstaff community and it re-affirmed our choice three years ago to move to Flagstaff to start this team.

While my husband and I arrived three years ago, we discovered Flagstaff nine years ago while scouting locations for one of Greg's life goals: to establish an Olympic training team to help emerging elite runners stay in the sport long enough to become competitive on the national and international stage. Flagstaff fit the bill in many ways: easy access to both high and low altitude training locations, mild weather year-round, diverse running surfaces, great facilities, a good long-term plan for the region, and most importantly a community that supported an active lifestyle and the goals of achieving athletic excellence. Six years later we finally returned. With initial support from adidas and McMillan Running Company, the team was launched (as McMillanElite) in February 2007 with Mike Smith, now coach of Team Run Flagstaff, as the inaugural athlete. The team has continued to grow & excel since that time and includes 20K National Champion and 2:10:36 marathoner Brett Gotcher, sub-4 minute miler Jordan Horn, 15K National Champion Andrew Carlson, 25K National Champion, 2:33:06 marathoner Paige Higgins, and 2:37:14 marathoner Alvina Begay. Team USA Arizona is now an official Distance Center for the USA Track & Field Foundation, USA Distance Project, and is considered one of the top tier Olympic training teams in the US, producing athletes that represent the USA and Flagstaff in athletic competitions throughout the world.

To be the best elite runner in the USA, let alone the world, takes 24/7 dedication to the profession. Training and recovery are key to the athlete's success. The funds raised at the Run to 2012 fundraiser will go toward health care for the athletes and toward our community involvement theme "Reducing Childhood Obesity in Northern Arizona." We are excited to begin partnering with Fit Kids of Arizona at Northern Arizona Healthcare to assist with their programs that promote physical activity and healthy eating in youth and families. Our athletes and staff are also available to speak to youth and adult groups or volunteer at health-promoting events. For more information about Team USA Arizona, its athletes, race results and community involvement activities, please go to www.teamusaarizona.com or email me at tracy.mcmillan@pphpartners.com. Once again, we thank everyone for your support of these inspiring young athletes.

[Tracy McMillan, Ph.D., MPH is a board member with Team USA Arizona. When not tending to the needs of these amazing athletes, she is a consultant in the area children's school transportation and health and a mom to a very active 2-year-old.]

 

Week of March 28, 2010
by Trina Painter

I just returned from the Cooper Bridge Run 10k in Charleston, South Carolina. I had never been to this race or Charleston before, so I was pretty excited when I was given an invite from the athlete coordinator to come join the field. The only negative was that I had to miss the Team USA Arizona Fundraiser, but I heard it was a huge success and a very fun evening.

I left Flagstaff on Thursday morning around 8:30am to drive to the Phoenix airport. I arrived in Charleston around 10:00pm and was picked up by a super nice race volunteer. She took me to a very modern hotel close to the airport. After the long day of travel, I was pretty tired and happy to fall into bed once I arrived. Just about the time I was falling asleep, I thought I was going to die from a plane crashing into the hotel. I was afraid to open my eyes, but then the bone rattling roar of the jet engines began to fade. When I awoke again, about an hour later, to the same thundering roar of jet engines, I realized the hotel was in the direct landing path for the airport. While I was relieved to be alive and still able to run the race on Saturday, I didn’t get very much sleep either night I was there.

The next morning, I got my sleepy self up at 7am (4am in Flagstaff) and went for a short pre race run after a cup of mediocre hotel coffee. My knee felt a bit stiff after the long plane ride, but loosened up as I went along. Next, a bus came to pick up the invited athletes to take us to a “press conference/sponsor luncheon”. It was held at an old Southern Mansion and was lovely.

After lunch, I went back to the hotel to rest before we were taken to the pasta dinner and race expo. The traffic was terrible getting downtown as this race sold out at 40,000 runners and they were all coming to dinner and to pick up their packets! I enjoyed a warm plate of spaghetti and breadsticks and a quick stroll through the expo. It was fun to watch the many different types of people that were running in the race the next morning.

I was able to return to my room to get as much sleep in between plane landings as I could by 8pm. With just enough sleep, my alarm sounded at 5am. I had to be in the lobby by 5:30am to catch the bus to the start line. Once there, about 50 invited and top local runners squeezed into the remaining bus to stay warm until it was time to warm up for the race. The temperature was cooler than past years with a strong wind that made it feel cold outside. About an hour before the race, the elite runners began to leave the bus to begin their race warm ups. As I put on my racing shoes, I was overwhelmed with the smell of “Icy Hot.” Almost all of the Kenyan runners were putting it on their legs.... maybe that’s their secret to running so fast!

The race is point to point and runs over a huge suspension bridge that is about 2 miles in length and rises 500 feet above the water. The initial climb of the bridge didn’t feel too bad, but just before you crest the top it gets a little bit steeper and makes your quads really burn. Then, you get over the high point and you must force your legs to turn over twice as fast as you begin the decent. The final 1.5 miles you wind your way to the downtown area and run over a few original cobblestone sections of the street. There was a lot of energy as the spectators cheered on the runners over the final mile. There were two women within reach of me and one was fading quickly, so I put on a big sprint in the final stretch. I was able to catch one, but I ran out of room, before I could catch the other gal who finished just one second in front of me. My final time was 35:27 placing me 10th in the overall women’s race, 3rd in the masters women and 3rd American. I was pretty pleased with the over all race effort considering I had a tough time training in Missouri during our spring break, I felt like I was fighting off a cold all week and had a terrible workout just days before the event. Thank you Janis Newton and all the volunteers at the Bridge Run for your Southern hospitality!

 

Entry #191
Week of March 22, 2010
by Ian Burrell

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
Week of March 8, 2010
by Emily Harrison

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.

Tochoji Temple site in Fukuoka, Japan

I was ready to come back home, as I was due to leave again on Tuesday. This however, was not meant to be. I was delayed in Tokyo due to "mechanical issues" with the plane and had to spend the next 24 hours in Tokyo. This put me getting home Monday night, just in time to re-pack my bag for the NACAC Cross Country Championships in Tobago.

Tobago was very warm, but a lot of fun. After a day or two, I started to adjust to the Caribbean heat. It's always a great experience spending time with the other U.S. athletes and gaining outside perspectives. The race itself seemed low key, although we still wanted to represent our country well. There were only 19 women in our race, and the U.S. women took a commanding lead early on. Of course, we couldn't be in the Caribbean and not take advantage of the ocean that was right outside our door! We spent some time down on the beach playing in the waves each day, while trying to conserve energy as best we could.

Beach in Tobago

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
Week of March 1, 2010
by Andrew Middleton

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!).

 

Staff Blog

Entry #190
Week of Marcy 8, 2010
by Asst. Coach Ian Torrence

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!