Blogs : NCAA Division III Blog

Interview: Paul Moran of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

There are two things that can just about always be counted on in cross country: muggy weather will eventually give way to crisp Fall temperatures and Wisconsin-La Crosse will record a top 10 finish at the Cross Country National Championships.  Until last year’s 11^th place finish, La Crosse had not been lower than 10^th since 1985.  In an otherwise disappointing year, one of the bright spots had to be the rise of Paul Moran (who wasn’t even alive the last time La Crosse was out of the top 10).  Paul will hope to lead a hungry La Crosse team eager to set matters to right, and he knows a thing or two about redemption.  Last year—just one year removed from not even qualifying for a spot on La Crosse’s team—Paul found himself as the top La Crosse finisher at Nationals, and followed that up with a strong 3^rd place showing in the 10000m outdoors.  Paul took some time to talk about expectations and comebacks—both his own and the team’s.

 
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself, like where you're from and how you got started running?

I am from New Berlin, Wisconsin.  I lived right on the edge of many different high schools and I could have chosen to go to any of them.  I chose to go to West Allis Nathan Hale because most of my friends were already going there and my dad also worked there.  I started running in 8th grade because they started a new Cross Country program and I thought I would try it out.  I was the worst person on the team and began to dislike running.  Moving on to high school I wanted to join the football team, my parents disliked this idea and forced me to go out for cross country for at least one more year.

When I started high school cross country I still did not like running and was close to last on a 30-man roster.  My first cross country 5k was a 25:02 and I felt like I was going as fast as I could.  Even though I did not like running, I began to make friends and had a crush on one of the girls from the team, so I decided to stick with it.

How do your PRs in high school compare to what you've done so far in college?  More importantly, how has your understanding of training, racing, and running in general evolved?

My times in high school were nothing special.  I was able to significantly drop my 5k time and reach 16:33 my junior year.  In Track, my times were 2:05 for the 800, 4:36 for the 1600, and 9:49 for the 3200.  During my cross country and Track seasons I basically raced myself into shape.  My understanding of training in high school was that I was supposed to run every day; I never thought about mileage or the pace and I felt as long as I ran everyday I was fine.  In races, I basically went all out every time, unless I happened to be leading the race.  In college, my times improved significantly.  My true freshman year I ran the 8k in 26:26 and then in track ran the 5k right around a 15:29.  After a full year of training I came back my first year of competition and was able to race and run at a higher level.  I ran the 8k in 25:26 and then in track I was able to run a 8:36 3k, a 14:35 in the 5k, and a 30:16 10k.  My understanding of training and racing changed drastically at UW-LAX.  I began to understand that I didn't need to go all out in every race.  I learned that there were races that just needed to be run and races that needed to be raced.  I also learned that there was more to training than running every day.  I now see training as having hard, easy, and long distance days, and I am still learning.

What drew you to choose Division III, and Wisconsin La Crosse in particular?

I chose La Crosse for a couple of reasons.  I had come up for state track and enjoyed the campus; I also knew that I wanted to be more than an hour away from my hometown. My coach, and several of my older friends, said that La Crosse had a good campus and it was fun to go here.  My coach encouraged running here because he was on the team, but I was hesitant on continuing running.

My senior year, I was debating whether or not to continue running and I decided that I was just going to go to school and no longer pursue my running career.  However, about 4 weeks before college started I was talking with the girl who got me to stick with high school cross country and she convinced me that I might as well try out and make some friends.  It was that day that I signed up for "Pigeon Lake.”  Pigeon Lake is a camping trip that some of the captains organize before the season actually starts.  It was then that I started running for the first time that summer.

After going to "Pigeon Lake" I really liked the guys on the team, and thought that even if I didn't make the team I would still hang out with them.  When it came to the time trials, I missed the team by 1 spot and less than 10 seconds.  At this moment I decided to keep running.  After that, I trained smarter to get times that people said I couldn't.

What was your training like this past summer?  What was your peak mileage, what kind of pace did you run on the typical day, and what did you do in the way of harder efforts?  How did the virus you have affect your buildup?

My training this summer was probably more intense than it's ever been.  I had a quick buildup to 90, and got up to 85 much quicker than I wanted.  However, this worked out pretty well and I was feeling strong.  This summer was also a lot more intense, because instead of going home like the previous summer, I lived in La Crosse and was able to train with a huge group of guys every day.  With this large group came diverse training that lead to a complete and balanced training regiment.

The virus occurred during the camping trip.  I was not training for the 5 days the week before tryouts.  Luckily enough I had already reached my peak mileage for training.  After I got better again, I began building up again.  The most difficult part of this sickness was regaining my breathing patterns in runs and workouts.

Yes, we didn't quite do what we were thinking we could last year at nationals.  As a team, we got out slow. This was our racing strategy but it didn't work too well in the conditions, and we got caught in the back.  I just ran the race that I thought would help the team do well. It was hard not being able to see my teammates and not knowing where they were because there were so many other guys around me.  I didn't even realize that I was leading my team until the last 100 meters when I saw some of my teammates with me.

Being the second-highest placing freshman at the meet is interesting to know, but I really did not feel that my team or myself had a good showing that day.  If I could have taken second to last and have my team do well at that meet, I would have.  We soon learned that any day could be your day; it just so happens that it wasn't our day.  The experience definitely brings us closer together as we are coming towards the end of this season.

In his post-race interview at the Roy Griak Invitational, your teammate Paul Zdroik talked about the team trying to get out faster this year.  Is that a correction being made in mind of last's mistake at Nationals, or is it a reflection of how you anticipate needing to run at St. Olaf this year?

Getting out faster is definitely a mix of both.  On one hand, we know that getting out at a bit of a slower pace trapped us in the back with no way around the crowd at last year's nationals.  On the other hand, we know that at this year's nationals we want to be in the position to be able to move.  Getting out faster at most of our races this year has helped as a transition from last year and we will be looking to our captains Paul Zdroik and Dan Thour to help carry us along in the transition.

What are your goals for yourself and your team this season and year?

As an individual I first want to break 25:00 this season, which from what I hear shouldn't be that difficult on the conference and regional course.  Secondly, I want to be an All-American and do whatever I can to help my team reach our goals.  As a team, we are looking for a trophy.

What is your favorite workout during the cross country season and what do you like about it?

My favorite workout for the season was a 4x2400 workout with 3x800's.  I like this workout because we do it on trails and they are a long enough distance so that they get your mind to feel like it's a cross country course.  We run with someone who we normally race with and pull each other along.

One thing La Crosse relies on very well is pack running.  Explain a bit about your experience with running as a pack.  Had you done much pack running before coming to college?  How do you feel about it now?

Before I came to college, I never ran in a pack.  It was a new thing to me to have everybody around you and supporting you.  It puts more pressure on you to not drop the pace or fall off your teammates.  Even if you do, they will be right there to tell you to get back on it.  Sometimes I get a little carried away in the beginning and tend to go out harder not thinking about the plan, but its nice to have guys there to reign me in.

A freshmen taking bronze in 10000 at Nationals is impressive.  What's allowed you to come in and make such an immediate impact on the national scene?

After the cross country season, there was kind of a negative feeling about how we performed.  Many of us were determined to make up for it in track.  However, many of our guys were plagued with injuries and sickness throughout the outdoor season.  This situation made me feel like I needed to step up; combined with this feeling and the training that Coach Fritsch had me doing, I was ready to run some good times.

Also, there were a variety of people who questioned whether or not I could do it.  When people say negative things or question whether or not I can do something, it almost gives me that much more motivation to perform.

Along the same lines--you capped off a strong freshman year with a fifth place performance at the Shithouse 5K.  What was that experience like?

The ****house 5k wasn't really an intended race for me.  I went into it thinking I was just going to use it as a tempo run.  I wore my trainers and went into it wanting to have some fun and get a workout.  The last mile I picked it up because I felt good and managed to get a decent time out of it.  Overall, it wasn't really a strong effort, but I had fun.  We had a lot of alumni come back and outside competition come, such as Will Leer.  It was a blast, and we all had a great time both during and after the race.  Afterward, we had a cookout and a "get-together" at our house.

It is an annual event, and Connor Lonning of our team is the race director.  It's a good time and anyone who is interested should definitely come for some good competition and a great weekend.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life and/or running?

There are many influences and they have all been equally important.  My dad got me started in running and both my parents have been very supportive throughout my career; so I owe much to their support, on and off the course.  They also support me financially with shoes, clothing, and food, which is nice.  Another influencing factor is people who tell me I can't achieve something or reach a certain goal.  This just drives me more toward reaching it.

My friends definitely play a huge role also.  My friend Alyssa in high school played a major role in keeping me on the team and telling me every week that I could do better.  She also was a major factor in getting me to start running again right before college.  In college, my friends who have supported me by helping me stick with it even when I wasn't on the team.  Last year the Captains, Cory and Kevin, were very supportive and had their own way of making the running enjoyable no matter what. This year I am influenced by just being around the four guys who were there during the hard times last year.

I am very thankful to have such a great team, a great coach, and parents that support me.
I run for the team, those who support me, and those who doubt me.

What do you like the most about La Crosse running?

I don't really know any specific reason.  We have a great variety of places to run with lots of trail running. I can go for a 12-mile trail run in the bluffs without really repeating a path or I can run along the river.  We all live in houses together and hang out.  I also like that we can go on an 18 mile run on a Sunday and never stop talking and laughing about stories from the night before.

What's the relationship between the track team and the other athletic teams?  What's the athletic culture like at La Crosse?

There is not a very open relationship between the cross country team and the other sports teams at La Crosse.  There are individuals with good inter-team relationships, but there aren't really team wide relationships.  However, this year there has been a group organized called the "Maroon Platoon" which recruits a mass number of students to travel to team events and support La Crosse.  We all have a high level of respect for each other and what we are capable of doing and we all support each other as much as we can.  Whether or not we hang out off the field or course is all based on the individual relationships.

How do students (and professors) at your school view the track team and its members?

I believe that they see us in high regard.  There is much respect for athletes at this university and I believe that we are viewed as having a high level of discipline and responsibility.

What are your thoughts looking ahead to your post-collegiate days?

My goals after college include becoming a Physical Education teacher and coaching a cross country or track position at a local high school.  I want to try to become involved with a running club immediately after college and continue running at a high level.  I have no preferences as of right now as to any specific program, but I would like to go somewhere with a good program.

Do you follow running at the collegiate or professional levels at all?  Would you care to confess to what extent you lurk on Letsrun.com or other message boards?

I am not really the typical runner due to the fact that I really don't pay much attention to running outside of my team.  I know my team competition and have a general knowledge of how those teams perform; however, I am not familiar with many individuals. Similarly, I don't follow running at the professional levels and mostly get information from friends talking about a record or athlete.

I have been on letsrun.com only once.  When I did look on it, I was looking at criticism of myself.

Do you keep an online running log that you'd be willing to share?

No, I don't keep a running log; I just simply follow Coach Fritsch's mileage plans and come within 5 miles a week of it.

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

Stick with it.  There were times when I thought I would never amount to anything or ever improve.  Even if you have doubts, stay with your goals.  Work hard and the rewards will come.  You never know until you try.

Thanks to Paul for a fantastic interview.

Untitled Comment

12:49 AM, October 30, 2007 .. Posted by Anonymous

Dan thour is so hot!

Untitled Comment

10:35 PM, October 30, 2007 .. Posted by DJ

paul moran has the heart of a locomotive

Shithouse 5k

10:37 PM, October 30, 2007 .. Posted by ETC

if anyone is interested in the Shithouse 5k out there...please check out ****house5k.com. It is put on every year by the Eagle Track Club...eagletrackclub.org...it is pretty much the greatest celebration of our sport east side of the mighty mississippi...

director@****house5k.com


go paul moran!

Untitled Comment

1:12 PM, October 31, 2007 .. Posted by But HOW?!?

But how the hell did he get so good?!?!

To HOW:

11:24 AM, November 1, 2007 .. Posted by LaX cc fan

\"How did he get so good?\" - Practice - Practice - Practice!