Blogs : NCAA Division III Blog

Interview: Willy Kaul of UW-Oshkosh

Now a junior at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, Willy Kaul has accomplished a lot in just two years in Division III.  Already a 5-time All-American in cross country and indoor and outdoor track, he is coming off a year that saw him place fourth at the National Cross Country Championships and anchor his team’s DMR victory indoors.  The second-highest returning finisher from last year’s National Cross Country Championships, his preparations for this year have been interrupted by nagging injury problems.  In keeping with his expressive and gregarious nature, Willy was happy to give an interview about his current status, as well as to share his thoughts on running, injuries, and life.

How did the 10k race at outdoor nationals last year affect your nagging foot problems?  Can you take us from the 10k, and how that race affected your injury, to the current status of the injury and how you’ve been recovering since then?

Well, to be honest, I wasn't having that much of a problem with my foot before nationals. It was there but I was taking care of it and it never bothered me. It started coming around during the middle of outdoor, but I made it a point to stay on top of it and I did. But I really believe that it was a combination of wearing spikes (which I never do in a 10k) and then having one spike plate completely fall off, which just happened to be my bad foot, and the other one was half way off so I was tripping on that one. Also I was really slipping a lot and didn’t have any traction when we sped up.  I think that just really tore up my foot. I don't want to make any excuses and say it ruined my race, because it didn't. I still was an All-American, which was my ultimate goal coming into the race. Now, do I think I could have done better?  Yes, but that is totally out of my hands and I made the best out of the race. I proved a lot to myself in that race.

What has your training been like since your injury?  Have you been primarily cross training, or have you been able to run a fair amount? 

Yea, I have been cross training my butt off and getting a lot of treatment for my foot. I have been getting ultrasounds, massages, and positional release things. Along with that I've been doing a lot of ankle and hip strengthening drills, a lot of core, and yoga. My trainer has had me in a boot for the past three weeks and I sleep in a splint which really sucks, but it has really helped and I am almost back to 100%. I haven't run a step since the end of August; I think the last day I ran was August 25th. But I have been biking like crazy and it has really helped that I was into cycling before this and have a nice bike to spin on. My roommate and a few of my buddies are really good, so I have been riding with them about 35-40 miles a day. I am really fit and strong right now and now it’s just a matter of getting my legs back once I start running in October.

What are your plans for this and next year?  Someone posted on Letsrun that you were going to redshirt this season.  Is there a chance you would stay on for a fifth year at Oshkosh to complete your cross country eligibility?

Well, my first goal is to get back running... and running with no pain. Once I get there, I am really going to focus on getting my miles in. My coach and I figured if I start running in October and everything goes well, I'll have 15 weeks until my first track race… more than enough time. We are going to treat it like summer training (a very cold one).  My main focus is to stay consistent and hopefully run fast in indoor and outdoor track.  Yes, it is true that I am redshirting this year. In fact, Zup, my coach didn't even put me on the roster being that I have a year to give in cross. And yes, I will be back for a fifth year of cross country. I changed my major last year so I have a couple more years. So hopefully I will be healthy and ready to roll come cross country next year. I think we could be very, very solid as a team.

What are your goals for the Oshkosh team this season?  How do the guys look so far?

They guys look great, all of them had a very good summer and are really taking care of themselves this year. I bike over with them and watch their workouts every week.  They are looking very strong and are hopefully going to be a very good pack running group. I can't wait to see how they run this year. We have three big meets at our home course so it will be great to be able to come and watch.  Everyone will be returning next year, too. I like the sound of that!

You talked a bit in your Trackshark interview last year about your up-and-down training because of injuries.  Do you take anything away from these injuries in terms of life/training lessons?

Oh yes I do....very much so. You know it sucks being injured and having it be a roller coaster ride. But it just so happens that life is the same exact way... I translate running to life all the time. I work so hard when it comes to running and it really carries over to school, relationships, and family. When I’m hurt and can't run I've really learned to take the positives out of it. Like this season, I hate being injured, and there is nothing more that I want than to be out training with the guys. But it is also giving me the time to focus on other things like working more and giving myself a chance to have some extra money. Or being able to cycle as much as I have, I never was able to before because I was so focused on running.  I have also really put all my energy on school and doing well. I have this "don't look back" mentality and I don’t like feeling sorry for myself at all.  That injury is past tense in my book and I am looking towards the track and when I can run.

What keeps you motivated/focused during periods when you're working your way back to being healthy?

I just love running... running isn't just competition. I run because I love it and it’s my main source of therapy. When I’m running I don't think about anything else and I really miss that. My girlfriend Claire has really helped me through this injury; she is quite the runner herself and she had a period where she kept getting hurt, so she knows where I am at right now and is always there. I mentioned before that competition isn’t the only reason I run, but I do love competing.  And I know I haven't reached my full potential. I think that is one reason why I keep going, that unknown of how much fast can I go?  Pushing your body faster and faster every year, I love seeing the benefits of hard work because I work so hard. 

Would you care to confess to what extent you lurk on Letsrun.com or other running sites? 

Haha!  Right now since I’m not competing I spend some time on letsrun reading results and threads. But when I am racing I stay away from them as much as possible. I like Flotrack.com for watching races too.

Are there any other closing thoughts or pieces of wisdom you'd like to share?

Enjoy running, competing, and life as much as you can. Don't take any of that for granted, because I feel that we as athletes are truly blessed. Run like crazy. I want to thank you guys for choosing me for an interview. I feel honored to be on the site. Keep up the D3 tradition.

“At the end of the day, it is our successes due to a relentless (and sometimes tedious) drive towards success which defines us as runners and as human beings. Simply put, it is the little things... the small sacrifices and diligent work ethic over extended periods of time, that count.”  Well said by my best friend, David Cisewski.  I can relate to that so much and I am sure there are many more!

Untitled Comment

10:20 AM, September 20, 2007 .. Posted by Don't Look Back

I read it not once, but TWO TIMES! Nothing short of an inspiration for optimism. Go away with the motivation and come back stronger than ever.

Untitled Comment

6:01 PM, September 20, 2007 .. Posted by Anonymous

Kuj rules!!!!!!