Nov 8, 2008
Trent Briney - US Marathon Champs 6th Place Views- 3740 1 Comments

Trent Briney has had his shares of ups and downs. Recently he has been attempting to get back on top of his game with a finish a 6th place finish at the 2008 US Marathon Champs. Read on to find out about how his training has been going and how he has been doing.


RM: How was your training going into the US Marathon Champs? Was the type of training you did to prepare for the marathon the same type of training as past marathons, or did you try something new? Why or Why not?

TB: After the trials last year, I took some time to reflect and choose whether to pursue running goals or move into other life goals. If I chose the running I needed to re-energize my mind, my training and sure up any body issues that might stand in my way. When I moved to Flagstaff in February we worked on speed, form, muscular rebuilding/rebalancing and having positive workouts. We started the marathon training in late spring or early summer for a nice long gradual buildup. We started with 8 weeks of hill focus. We would do 1 day a week of 45 sec.-2:30 long hill repeats or we would do 45 minute uphill tempo style runs. We rotated between short hill, medium hill and then the long hill workouts. And, some of the long runs during this phase would have an uphill 3-5 mile finish.

After that we began the more marathon specific workouts. I probably didn’t do as much tempo stuff as in the past but did a good amount of fast finish long runs during the segment and some repeats of 1200-3k in length for the shorter stuff. I think the change in stimulus(altitude 7,000 ft), different workouts from my previous segments/coaching and just a refresher mentally of being in the mountains of flagstaff with a new training group kept my mind amped. The body usually reacts well to a new challenge/stimulus and creates a response. The best part about my preparation was not pushing too much early in the training and waiting to really push intensity and focus until the last month.

RM: What was your goal going into the championships, with regard to place and time? Was there any other motivation for you outside those two factors and if so, what and why?

TB: My goal was to run 2:15-17 and I felt like about 5:10-15 pace would be a good range for the first half of the race. I wanted to make the top 10 and see how high I could place. But, number one was a positive outcome. Run smart, and be tough the second half. I didn’t want to go out in 2:14-15 pace and fall apart. I would much rather have been 2:16-17 and feel good at half way, needing a fast 2nd half to run a fast time if I felt good. I wanted to get a trials standard of 2:19 for the 2012 trials. It was hard to determine what pace would actually be my race pace, because training during the segment at altitude we would convert altitude times to approximate sea level times but since I was new at that(at least in the last 6 years) I didn’t really know what time goal to be confident in.

I wanted to compete well and prove that I am not the marathoner that people saw last year at the trials. I was at a low point and coming back from injury back then. I’ve moved forward and taken some positive steps to getting back to being a great marathoner and strong runner. The progress and fitness of a runner rides waves of momentum(blocks of training) and positive excitement for what you are doing. Both are necessary to have the really solid performances. This marathon and segment I believe set me up for that to follow.

RM: On race morning, what was your thought process like with regard to the bad weather report and how you would attempt to run the race? How did you feel you did with regard to implementing your strategy for the race?

TB: I thought it might help me stay in a pack and run smart in the wind/rain because no one would want to push or take the wind. The conditions didn’t seem too bad (it wasn’t raining much the first 2 miles) and so I just settled into a rhythm behind the leaders that felt right to me. I also made sure to take clothing options with me to the pre-race warm-up and stretching area. I didn’t really change my race plan very much. I still planned to try to run the 5:10-15 time per mile range. Due to the weather, we started off a bit slow 5:40, 5:30 or so the first 2 miles and put ourselves in the hole a bit as for fast times but it didn’t affect place as much. I think the leaders might have gone out faster had the weather been better. Who knows if that would have meant more people fading late in the race or less people fading. I don’t think anyone expected the leaders to go through in 1:08 at the half and I didn’t expect to go through in 1:09 and only be 1 minute or so down. Still being able to see the leaders at the half was a nice motivation for the fast 2nd half or second half push I planned.

RM: Describe the race a bit, with regard to how you felt at different times throughout the race. Were you able to keep your cool throughout the race or did you lose it a few times?

TB: At 2-3 miles I decided to make a surge. Crazy. Being an experienced marathoner I had to choose between the bad option of an early race surge and/or running into the wind by myself for many miles. I chose a surge and that put me in a bit of a tough patch for a few miles. I started to think a couple negative thoughts about this not being the day during that rough patch but, I also knew that sometimes in the marathon you have to prevent making decisions for a couple miles and see what happens. A couple miles later I was feeling more relaxed.

At miles 2-3 was the surge, 4-7 were rough recovering and getting into a rythmn, 8-9 were nice, at 10 miles started pushing again which was sorta uncomfortable, at 12 could see the leaders and some smaller packs behind the leaders. This started the positive thoughts of climbing through the line of people. And, the cramps started somewhere between 8-12 miles. The cold and the dampness of the rain on the legs was forcing the muscles to constrict early in the race and causing cramping and feelings of tightness. I kept having to tell myself. “I know it feels like you might fully cramp any minute and have to walk, but it might not happen” and “Slow down for a second and see if that helps” and “well, its either going to work today with some pain or they are going to give out”.

After 15 miles, I went into race mode and started to push to catch people up ahead. By 20, I wondered if I was in the top 10 or not and was told 13th. So, then it was all about getting the top 10 spot going up the 5 mile long hill between 20-25 miles and keeping a good rythmn. Once I made tenth by 22 miles, I didn’t want to get caught from behind so I just kept going and pushing it in from there. Once I saw the clock I had to kick a bit to get under 2:20 and get my second fastest marathon ever in non-optimum conditions. So, I was perty pleased with the result and effort on the day. I was also pleased that the transition to a new coach, Greg McMillan went well and passed the marathon test! 

5.) How does it feel to have a qualifier for the next Olympic marathon trials? How will having that effect your training and racing plans for the upcoming years?

Its perty cool. I was excited the first time in 2003. Its nice to have been consistent enough to have qualified each time I’ve tried. As for effect on training and racing, it will let me focus on getting faster and running my best instead of just running a safe race to get in. And, it lets me think about how well I want to do in those trials 3-4 years before they happen.

6.) Do you feel like you have made it back from the dead, so to speak? After your trials performance in 04' and not running in the 08' trials, many wrote you off. What many didn't know was that you had a bum achilles that required surgery? How does your achilles feel of late and how are you with regard to other running injuries?

I do feel like I have made it back “from the dead”. In 2007-8 with my injury and weak areas of my Achilles/calf complex I couldn’t train at a level that would let me contend with the times and competitors of my goals. It was a bit demoralizing. I’m excited to feel like I am back to the level where I can train hard enough to reach my goals of place and time once again. As for how the Achilles feels…its doing great. It made it through the high mileage weeks of marathon training, the intensity of some of the core and circuit training drills I’ve been doing and the marathon itself. Its good to go and I’m focused on continuing to keep the body balanced and strong so that flare-ups in the body don’t come back around. Plus, I’m smarter and have more experience in giving them proper treatment before they become injuries.

RM: What is up next in your racing plans and how much time off do you plan on giving yourself?

TB: As for time off after the marathon, I jogged real easy twice the first week and 6 easy times the second week after the marathon. I ran 7 miles the week after the marathon, 35 the next, and then a 70 and an 80 this last week. 1 more 80-90 mile week and then I’ll be back in the 100-120 range until my next marathon.

I’m planning to run some US Championship Road Races in the spring and I might give a run at a spring marathon as I would really like to make the US Marathon Team for the World Champs next year and I need to run a fast time to make that team. So, for the next couple months I’m working to get faster in shorter distances and have that transpire back to the marathon. Also, focused on the continued strengthening of the body for power, injury resiliency, and better overall conditioning. 1st big thing will probably be the US Half-Marathon Champs in Houston in Januaray.

I have been working out with the Adidas sponsored McMillan elite group, www.mcmillanrunning.com, in Flagstaff and we have a lot of fit and fast athletes here to train with so that’s perty exciting and should help spur on my speed in the next training segment. Feel free to check out my coach Greg McMillan’s website, www.mcmillanrunning.com, for info on his training.

I also want to add that there is so many people to thank for the experiences that us elite runners enjoy. The sponsors of the races like ING and Metrodonic from the Twin Cities Marathon, sponsors of teams like Adidas, McMillan Running, Hansons, Brooks, smaller sponsors and supporters of the groups and teams that continue to fuel our aspirations with positive support. And, of course our family and friends who hold up and encourage our spirit to pursue our goals. Thanks to all of you and RunMichigan.com for great coverage of our sport.