I'm Leaving to Run up Gibraltar Road Right Now.

Well, no new car from the Price is Right. None of us got called up, but I guarantee that we’ll be all over the TV from the audience on April, 26^th! Make sure you tune in… We’re on the left side wearing the neon yellow shirts – Except for Gags – he got separated from the group by the ushers because there wasn’t any more room in our row!

Training has been going great for me. I’ve been getting in some solid tempos, long intervals, and my mileage is creeping back up to where it should be. I’m not to the point where the workouts are getting any easier yet – but I’m running faster in them each time. It’s a slow process trying to bounce back from surgery, but I’m just excited to be running without my heel throbbing during and after my runs. It makes training much more enjoyable to say the least. Today, Broe and I are headed out to Gibraltar road for a long run up into the mountains. It’s somewhere inbetween a long tempo run and a hill workout. I’ll be running 12 miles total, and anywhere from 8-12 miles of that will be ascending the mountains behind Santa Barbara.

Unreal.

If you are a frequent reader of our ITA blog, I know what you must be thinking: “Oh great - another picture of the beautiful sunset in California, while I’m stuck in the Northeast winter” or Michigan or wherever else you may be reading from in the coldest parts of the United States. But I promise, last night was the best one we’ve seen so far, and probably the best sunset I’ve ever witnessed. Ever.

We depart to join Ben back in the Upper Valley on Monday and Mother Nature is building up a little welcoming gift for us… And I’m really hoping that this is the weather man’s idea of a bad April fool’s joke:

100% Chance of Snow. Nice try weather man... nice try

It is safe to say I think we’re all realizing how lucky we’ve been to avoid as much snow as much as we have! Also as our time in California comes to a close, we will all be missing the kids at the Ventura BGCA. It’s great to walk into clubs and see kids be really excited that we are there every day. We’ve truly established some great relationships with the kids and our last days at the three clubs we’ve been visiting come today and tomorrow. 

-Lex

World Champs

So over the past week and a half, I have managed to travel a little over 13,000 miles, race 27 kilometers, and jump over 54 logs.  Yup, logs.  You see, since my last blog entry, I have left my fellow ITAers in Santa Barbara and journeyed to Jacksonville, Florida for the Gate River Run- a quick 15 kilometer warm-me-up- before heading over to Punta Umbria, Spain for the World Cross Country Championships.  And what an experience that was.  One hundred and fifty of the world’s best cross country runners toeing the line for six laps of an undulating 2 kilometer course, complete with three sets of three knee high logs, two gradual climbs, and one short steep hill.  The course was covered in manicured grass that weaved its way throughout a coastal forest.  And on race day, the sun glared down, baking the course into a hot and humid mess of suffering.  The race itself was a blur of pain and log jumping, but the things I was able to learn and take away from my international debut will greatly help in my growth as an athlete.  While the travels were long and arduous, and the fact that I broke out in some weird allergic reaction from Jacksonville crippled my mood at times (I fervently believed I was turning into "Swamp Thing"), it was great to be able to compete on the international stage, don the USA singlet for the first time in my career and be able to represent not only my training group but also my country.  The whole experience was a huge honor, and I relished every minute of it.  I am now safely back in the Upper Valley, have been reunited with my faithful pup, and look forward to continuing on, putting in the miles and trials before my next race, preparing and prepping, laying down fountain, one brick at a time.

The course, complete with 54 logs

Team USA (I'm the dude in the back with the whacked out hair)

Until next time, truer things have not been said,

Ben

Tis' the Season

Ready or not, racing season is upon us. The last few weeks have flown by, chock full of running, traveling, kids and even a stop at ‘The Price is Right.' (Look for us in the audience of the April 26th broadcast.) Our time on the west coast is rapidly dwindling.

Two weeks ago I ran a local 10k as a training run. The low-key meet provided a great opportunity to get a good hard effort in. The race traveled through the town of Carpinteria offering scenic views of the Pacific. We went over dirt trails and along the bluffs past one of only two seal sanctuaries along the California coastline. I was the first woman across the line and second overall, finishing in 35:48.

Just this past weekend we ventured down to Irvine for the UC Irvine Spring Break Invitational. I ran the 3k as a tune-up for the 5k at the Stanford Invitational next weekend. While the meet was primarily collegiate athletes, it still provided good competition and a chance to get back into the swing of racing again. I ran an evenly paced race, finishing first in 9:30.

Currently, the ITA team is journeying northward to Palo Alto for the Stanford Invitational this weekend. I race the 5k on Friday night, and Brian will be running the 1500 and 800 on Friday and Saturday. Wish us luck!

P.M .A

Positive Mental Attitude,
As you know we like to read the blog of the person before us so that we don't repeat anything. Unfortunately I will be repeating a little bit of david's blog. The part I will be repeating is how my achilles injury is also the most frustrating thing that has ever happen to me as an athlete. The past couple weeks things were going great! I was working out regularly with my achillies feeling better. I two weeks ago I did a hill workout then a couple days later I did a track workout in spikes! and my achillies felt fine.... Then last Tuesday I did another hill workout and during my intervals my achillies ached a little bit when i started every interval but was fine by the time I finished. Come Wensday morning I could barely run again let alone walk with out a limp. Whats really frustrating is that I was suppose to finally race again this past Saturday. But yet again I had to scratch!!It hit me pretty hard but I got back on the horse and am doing my best to have a Positive Mental Attitude. I have taken the last 4 days off from running and I have pretty much iced 4-6 times a day and stem 3 times a day and have taken 2 aleve every morning and one every night since! I will start up running tomorrow hopefully the pain will have dulled enough so that i can race this weekend at Stanford!...

On another note I would like to give a shout out to my former teammate and best friend Mike Rut. He finished second in 800m at the NCAA Indoor Championships. He put in a ballsy move with 400 to go to take the lead and just barely got passed at the line for second running 1:48.37 losing to the winner who ran 1:48.33. If you like following College track he is definitely someone to look for this spring!

Also I got to give my current teammate Ben True some love as well he was Team USA's top finisher at World Cross! So make sure to congratulate him! Hes worked his butt off all fall and its now starting to show!

I hope all is well with all our followers and next time I post I will be back in Hanover,NH and hopefully I will be back to full strength!

Oh ya go and rent the movie The Fighter!
Lowell Pride Baby!!!


Gags

Happy Place

Good Evening,

I wish I could tell you training was going great but it is still a constant struggle. My achilles injury is by far the most difficult thing I have dealt with as an athlete. Everyday has been a battle for the past few months. Somedays are good and others not so good. Because of this I have an MRI on Saturday to try and get things sorted out. Hopefully all goes well and I never have to talk about my achilles ever again.

A few of us went putt putting this evening. We went to a brilliant course in Ventura. Below are a few pictures of the action that took place. We took our sweet time to finish the course and the complex closed before we could crown someone victorious for the evening. Even though no one won it was a BLAST!!

I apologize but I do not have a ton to talk about tonight. Therefore I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes. 

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.”  - James A Michener

Hope everyone has a great night!!!!

David 

The Price is Correct

Hello,

Things are still going great in Southern California. Everyone is up and running and getting in some solid training in preparation for the summer season. I went for my longest run since surgery yesterday: 80 minutes at Point Mugu State Park and hit over 70 miles for the week. The body has been feeling good minus minor aches and pains and standard exhaustion that always happens when trying to build back mileage. That being said, I’m starting to find a rhythm in training and my legs are starting to remember that I’m a runner!

With two more weeks of the beautiful sunshine, there is one thing left on my Southern California bucket-list: become a contestant on The Price is Right.

Step 1: Obtain Tickets. This was way easier than anticipated. You can apply on the Price is Right website for tickets, which is easy enough but there are no guaranteed seats. You have to show up and wait in line and hope that you get in –unless you have a group of 10-15 people. I decided to call the studio and see if they could give us guaranteed seats for a group of 6. They said yes, and the best part is: Tickets are Free!

Step 2: Design T-shirt. Everyone knows that your chances of being picked from the studio audience increase exponentially when you have a really cool custom T-shirt. I’m still trying to figure out what to put on the front, but it will be bright colored and include the words “come on down” and “Drew.” I’m thinking: “Hey Drew, Who has two thumbs and wants to ‘come on down?’” The punch line, of course, is: “This Guy!”

Step 3: Shock and Awe. This step was kind of a bummer to me because, while doing a little research, I discovered that contestants aren’t completely random. All audience members arrive a couple hours early before the taping of the show and the producer walks down the line and says hello to people. This is where you want to stand out from the crowd – say anything to him to differentiate yourself. After that audience members are interviewed in groups of 10. 

Step 4: Have a good reason to be on the show. After reading blogs about others who have been on the show, I’ve realized that I have a couple things working against me. Apparently, the show favors women and comically plump people as contestants, neither of which is me. BUT, my twenty-fourth birthday falls on the 21^st and our tickets are for the 22^nd. This is a huge advantage for me and I’m hoping it will push me over the edge.

Step 5: Don’t Blow It. My personal nightmare is going on the show and losing. I’ve been practicing a little by watching pieces of the show on YouTube and trying to play the games with the contestants. I do pretty well – especially with the showcases - but some of the games are tricky or based completely on luck, like when you have to punch holes for random amounts of cash or play plinko. When it comes down to it, I would love to have to putt for a car. Maybe I’ll put that on my t-shirt!

Wish Me Luck,

Lex

Adios Santa Barbara, Hola Punta Umbria

Well, my time in Cali has drawn to a close.  Tomorrow morning, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, I will fly east for a quick stop in Jacksonville, FL for the U.S. 15km Championships, and from there, onwards to Spain for the World Cross Country Championships.  The past two months have been a nice reprieve from the snowy blisters of the east coast and a great place to get in some quality training.  And while living in close courters with six others has at times been a bit trite, the overall experience has been wonderful.  I will surely miss spending my afternoons playing dodgeball, ping pong and tag with the little rug-rats of Ventura, as my time in the Boys and Girls Club has been... well joyous.  But it’s time now for two weeks of hard racing, and I am anxious and thrilled to toe the line in both Florida and Spain.  From Spain I will return to Hanover, reunite with my pup, and get some relaxing R-n-R ice fishing in Down East Maine.

So call it the calm before the storm, as much will occur between this post and the next.  I am excited, I am ready, it's time to roll.  Watch out.

Until next time, it's all true

Ben

Left Coast Delights

My Sunday long run last week took me over hill and dale, bridge and bluff. It was a perfect day to take in the spectacular views offered by San Francisco’s most famous bridge. Weaving through crowds of spectators sauntering lazily I made my way north into Sausalito, following its rambling coastline. At mile six it was time to turn back and enjoy the journey all over again.

I had much to look forward to following my adventure over the Golden Gate, namely the magnificent culinary delights that San Francisco has to offer. Ever since my last visit to SF I have been longing for a cup of Blue Bottle coffee. Not only is their coffee amazing but it is also an ideal recovery drink following my run.

An April 2008 article in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed that caffeine (when consumed along with carbohydrate) following exercise produces high rates of muscle glycogen resynthesis.

One of the major factors contributing to fatigue is the degredation of muscle glycogen (aka carbohydrate, or the major fuel for exercise). The ability to recover from exercise and perform during the next exercise session is determined by how efficiently muscle replenishes its glycogen stores. It is well documented that consuming carbohydrate and protein in a 4:1 ratio is best for stimulating this process. But, recent research suggests that caffeine may enhance this process even more. Consumption of caffeine (and carbohydrate) post-exercise caused an increased overall rate of resynthesis of muscle glycogen of up to 66% (vs. the consumption of carbohydrate alone). This increase is thought to be due to higher blood insulin and glucose levels resulting from coingestion of caffeine and carbohydrate.

What this means is that a latte, which contains milk (a good source of protein and carbohydrate) and caffeine isn’t a bad idea for a post-run beverage – if that’s your kind of thing.

While coffee wasn’t the driving force for my visit to the Bay Area it was an added bonus. The purpose of my adventure was to see one of my best friends from high school (and another mutual friend who was visiting from the East). Highlights of my trip included sampling some crazy flavors of Humphrey Slocombe ice cream (specifically, peanut curry and Vietnamese coffee), vegan sushi at Cha Ya in Berkeley, riding the BART and a rock concert at the Regency Ballroom.

Less then a month to go...

Hello everyone,
It is now March and things are starting to get cooking. Injuries are healed up for the most part minus some tingling in my left quad  but hey at least its still not completely numb! and now I'm officially back into the swing of things. I'm back up to about 50 miles a week and looking to hit 60 after this week and have been doing workouts regularly. I'm getting my butt kicked right now in my workouts but I'm starting to feel better and I look forward to the next time I work out opposed to dreading it. Which leads me to the title of this post... Less then month to go... for a couple of things first an foremost its less then a month to go till I finally get to race again!! It has been forever since I last raced the events I'm accustomed to. I know In January I raced both a 3k and a down hill mile but they are just not the same. I considered the last time I really raced  July 28th in Belfast, Ireland. After dealing with some injury's this past month I am finally getting the chance to race again!! I will be opening up at the Stanford Invite on the 26th-27th and I will be running both the 1500 and the 800m.

Their is also less then a month left for our winter training trip. After the Stanford meet we will be flying home to Hanover, NH to resume our normal training and to be honest I cant wait for that day to come. I know I know California is great and the weather has been very good minus a few cold rainy days but I miss New England. I miss the snow storms and the cold weather.... I know I have complained about it being cold an rainy here in California but that's because when your in California you expect it to be nice and sunny all the time. In New England you expect it to be cold an crappy and I miss it. I miss appreciating those random 50-60 degree sunny days that always happen at one point or another during a New England winter.

I will miss working with the Ventura boys and girls club. I've had a blast hanging out with the kids. You would think we were celebrities the way the kids talk about us and how they cant wait till we visit again. At one of the clubs there is a kid name Caleb who is always standing at the front door waiting to give us high fives and show off that he remembers all of our names. I was even asked by some of the kids at one of the clubs to stay and be one of there staff members. That made me feel pretty good and also a little sad that I will have to leave these kids in less then a month. But there is still a good chunk of the month left and I will be making the most out of the time I have left here in California and with the VBGC. 

I just want to thank Amory and all of the ITA supporters for allowing me to have the opportunity to come here to California and be able to not just train but to help these kids.

Gags