Blogs : NCAA Division III Blog

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

Paul Zdroik, a senior at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, has found a consistency in his running this year that had previously evaded him during his college career.  After having finished 5^th individually at the National Cross Country Championships, and leading his team to a strong 5^th place showing this fall, Paul currently owns the third fastest mile in Division III (4:12.46 which ran at the Stout Open), and just last weekend anchored La Crosse’s DMR to an automatic qualifier of 9:57.02 with a Mile split of 4:07.  Paul recently took some time out of his schedule to share some of his goals, both for this season, and post-collegiately. 

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

 I was born and raised in Central Wisconsin, the third of four boys in our family. In sixth grade, when my older brother, Dane, began training for basketball by running, I tagged along with similar intentions.  At this point I planned on playing the three regular sports most popular in that town when I reached High School because that was all I knew. However, everyone else seemed to hit their growth spurts years before I did, and baseball and basketball coaches consistently looked over me on the bench.  In the end, those sports did not interest or engage me much, so I started getting more involved in running – the only sport that didn't have a height and weight “requirement”. It was here, running on and off the track, where I found myself. After my junior year in High School I transferred to the much-larger Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH) to run for a school that had more experience throughout the years and offered greater challenges in its size.

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 PRs in High School consist of a 4:25 mile, a 9:41 2-mile, and a 1:58 800, which I see as fairly decent but not exceptional. I was very blessed to be part of the SPASH running community after college and gain a friendship with SPASH alum Chris Solinsky, who took me under his wing the summer before my Freshmen year at college; he gave me ample amounts of advice and insight into running, and a view of what it really takes to be a top runner. I may not be as fast as Solinsky and runners like him, but I can always work as hard and race as smart as any of them. By no means has my running career been smooth; I've made a ton of mistakes – from poor nutrition, bad hygiene, improper training, and too much socializing (college can be fun), which has led to injuries, sicknesses, and an inconsistent training and racing plan.  But all of these obstacles have given me a wider, deeper lens and have made me a smarter, more experienced runner. I have learned as much from these mistakes and setbacks as I have from my wins.

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

 I chose a D3 program and UW-LaX for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I wanted to go to a UW system school--they have a solid academic background and a proud tradition.  I wanted to run for a D3 school so that I could make an impact on the team, and I felt going to a D1 school would have given me less experience and less of a chance, perhaps, to make a difference and serve in a leadership role.  I also wanted to go to a campus that had a dynamic environment; something that offered a wide assortment of training grounds.  I chose UW-La Crosse in the end because it satisfied everything I was looking for.  Nicknamed “God's Country” by the locals, it is nestled in a valley between the western Wisconsin bluffs and the Mississippi River, giving it an exciting, wide array of training grounds, from the flats on the valley floor along the river to the rolling hills of the bluffs.  This place has got it all…except elephants.

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?  

 Due to a back injury, I began my summer training in the weight room.  I focused on strengthening my core muscles and building my upper body so I could prevent similar injuries from [previous] the outdoor track season.  When summer began I moved to Rhinelander in northern Wisconsin to manage a guided horseback trail, which although challenging and different, meant I would be about four hours away from my nearest training partner.  As such, I trained the entire summer alone in Rhinelander hitting a peak mileage of about 85 at the beginning of August.  Training alone helped give me a mental edge I've never felt before; I had to find motivation daily to get myself out the door.  I used a progressive training chart to slowly build up my mileage given to me by Coach Fritsch, which he developed for athletes like myself who had “glass legs”.  As many runners I know can agree with, when running alone you tend to push the pace more, so I was hitting miles at about 6 to 6:30 minute pace.  Workouts were every Tuesday and Thursday; Tuesdays focused on VO2 max workouts and were fairly easy at the beginning of the summer, becoming more challenging as the summer wore on.  Thursdays were always tempo runs I tried to pace at 5:23, depending on the heat and humidity.

Similarly, what has your training been like since the end of cross country?

 After the CC season I took one week completely off for celebratory necessities, which I enjoyed with my teammates for a solid season's effort.  Knowing that I was likely to double at Indoor nationals I felt it was vital to do some high mileage to prepare myself for a quick recovery from race to race, so I built up to a 95 mile week during the middle of January and have brought it back down to a consistent 75 miles a week with plans of getting in one more high mileage week before Indoor Nationals.

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

 One of my number one goals this season was to break LaX's school record in the DMR (which Paul accomplished when he anchored La Crosse’s DMR to a time of 9:57.02 – beating the old record by .37 seconds – last weekend at the Wartburg Select Meet).  Joining the ranks of those names already on one of the toughest record boards in D3 track and field is a worthy honor.  Other goals for myself include staying healthy and consistent in my training and racing.  As far as team goals go, we are looking to defend our WIAC championship from the last few years and hopefully make another run at a National Championship title for the indoor season.

What is your favorite workout during the track seasons and what do you like about it?
My favorite workout is always the simulator, either 5k or mile, that we run before the Whitewater meet during indoor track.  This workout projects what my time should be at my best effort in that respective event and gives me strong mental image of how to race them.

Alan Webb was seen wearing a Shithouse 5k (5k race run by La Crosse alums) t-shirt at this past year's Jim Drews Invite.  That road race is put on by the Eagle Track Club, which also did a Webisode series on Flotrack during cross country this year.  Can you talk a little about the motivations behind La Crosse's fostering of the greater running community?

 Seth Webinger and Connor Lonning are both avid fans of the running community and die-hard UW-LaX fans as well.  Both men operate the Eagle Track Club so that athletes in their post-collegiate running days can continue their training and competition instead of fading to the background.  This is very important for many athletes who still have the drive to compete at a high level of competition and want to be part of that team concept many of us crave.  I cannot think of two better guys to manage this club and am very excited to see what will happen in the future.  The club is quite young still and relatively unknown, but has a real potential to become a huge force in the running community in the years to come.

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

 I think the person that has been one of the largest influences in my life has been my grandfather, Daymond Aiken.  In the few years I was able to know him before his death, little remained of his personality, save his good humor and kindness because of a form of Parkinson's with dementia.  From the stories and photos shared with me from my mother and aunts and uncles, though, I found out quickly that he and I shared a great many interests, activities and pursuits—chief among those, running.  If someone with a passion for running could be as happy and as loved as my grandfather was and is still, then I must be doing something right.  I am proud.

What do you like the most about La Crosse running?

 The social network you become a part of from being in this program is what will remain years after the winning times are long forgotten, but it is a bond that’s formed during these years.  I'm incredibly close to all my teammates and am friends with many runners within the WIAC.  In my experience, it is easier to be more competitive with guys you are friendly with than to look at your rivals with anger and dislike.

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

 The athletic culture at La Crosse is a very positive one; almost everywhere I go on campus during school I will see another athlete whom I've seen running drills or lifting.  We're a very competitive school in all sports and it is something that can be felt all over campus.

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

 Students and professors both regard the track team here with pride.  It’s a very satisfying feeling when a professor or student approaches you and congratulates you on a race, and many times I don't even know the person that well.

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

 After college I will most likely have to get a job, possibly a career.  I plan on running competitively; I'm just not too sure on who I will be running for.  I have goals of breaking 14 minutes in the 5k and joining the sub-4 club in the mile.  Both of those goals are tough and require much commitment and effort, and the best way for me to accomplish these goals it to put myself in a position that will offer me the best opportunity to fulfill them, which will inevitably be where I end up. As of right now, I'm not dwelling too much on who I run for after college.  I'm focusing on the present and putting all my energy into school and my team.

As one of the top teams in the WIAC--arguably the best all-around conference in track--how hard is it to balance personal and team goals when it comes to prioritizing winning Conferences versus performing at Nationals?

 The decision on what I want to run and what I should run to better benefit the team is always easy for me; I enjoy running anything from the 800 to the 5k.  So when Coach Fritsch asks me what I want to do at Conference and Nationals my reply is always the same.  Whatever events will score more points for the team. As far as prioritizing over Conference and Nationals I feel that really isn't an issue for us, we have trained all year long with the Championship season in mind (Conference and Nationals), and have prepared ourselves physically and mentally to be at our peak at those two events.

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 log in to Letsrun.com and Trackshark.com often for the articles and interviews, but I must admit I don't usually visit the message boards because I find them too sporadic and confusing to take seriously.

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

 Stay smart in training and in racing, it isn't always the most talented runner who wins the race, but the runner who was best prepared for it.  Thank you both Nate and Jossi for the interview.   You are doing great things for this sport and this division.  Also, a warning for those contemplating growing a mustache: it’ll bring much attention, but few women.