Blogs : NCAA Division III Blog

(Photo courtesy of the Amherst College athletics website)

Coach Nedeau has been the head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country programs since the 1997-98 season. Last year at the 2005 NCAA Division III Cross Country New England Region the men’s team placed 11^th and the women’s team finished 3^rd overall.  The women’s team followed that up with a 7^th place finish at the 2005 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.  At the NESCAC Championships this past weekend the men’s team finished in third place while the women’s team finished as the overall team champions achieving the program’s first conference title.  The women’s team is currently ranked 2^nd in the latest Week 6 Division III National Polls while the men’s team is currently ranked 27^th.

By: Derick Lawrence (10/26/2006)

What made you want to become a collegiate cross country coach and what steps did you take in achieving this goal?

While I was at Northeastern, I saw how much my coach – Mark Lech – enjoyed what he did, and the impact that he had on my life, as well as the lives of the other runners on the teams. He was a coach, a friend, a mentor and even more so, he had a job that he loved to be at and come to. I saw what he did and what he was all about, and I knew that I wanted to follow that career path. I had good success as a runner, but did not want to try and get into coaching with that alone, so I got my Masters Degree in Sports Management from UMass-Amherst – arguably the best program in the country in that field. With the degree in hand, combined with my experiences as an athlete and passion for coaching, I thought that would prove that I was serious about what I hoped to do. I finished up my Masters Degree by doing an internship here at Amherst College in 1996, coaching the middle and long distance runners, and have been here since.

At Division I Northeastern University (class of 1994) you were a five time All-American in the 800m and 1500m as well as competing at the NCAA cross country championships.  As a sophomore you finished 7^th in the 800m at the 1992 Olympic Trials.  Tell us about your collegiate running career and what the experience was like as a collegiate to compete at the Olympic Trials?

It is funny, in looking back and reflecting on my collegiate running, it almost seems like a blur – must be getting old and losing my memory! What stands out the most about college, was the fact that I had a great coach who believed that I was capable of great things and never let me think otherwise. I had run modest times in high school – 49 400, 1:58 high 800, 4:12 1500 – that were not really indicative of what I ultimately accomplished, but I loved to compete. I loved to push myself, and my coach recognized that and raised the bar in how I thought. I believed in what he said and thought, and had confidence that by doing the work, that the results would be there. While racing at the Olympic Trials at 20 years old was exciting, I saw it as another bit of experience in a young career and while I had no inkling of actually making the team, I wanted to go out and compete to the best of my ability and knew that whatever happened, I would grow from it. I remember distinctly after the race – I was under the stands throwing up, while 10 feet from me Johnny Gray was fresh as a daisy signing autographs and giving interviews. My coach took a picture of it which always gives me a chuckle.

You’ve competed at Junior Olympic Championships (400 hurdles and decathlon medalist), NCAA Championships (five time All-American), Olympic Trials (7^th in the 800m in 1992 and 4^th in the 1500m in 1996), and World Championship (1500m bronze medalist at the 1995 World Indoor Championships) meets.  What races or moments have been the most memorable to you?

Coach Nedeau (far right) at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials

(Photo courtesy of Mensracing.com and Alison Wade)

There have been a few that stand out more then others but in no particular order:

1. While not a race, but certainly a wonderful moment – watching my son, Lukas, come into the world. As he came into the world, I realized that everything I had done thus far, paled in comparison to that moment.

2. Winning the mile and breaking 4:00 for the first time at Indoor New England’s my junior year (it was my final year of eligibility) – the fact that I broke the “barrier” was exciting but more important, was that I was able to throw down a big kick on the last straight to win the race. You would normally think that breaking a time barrier or goal has to be thought out and mapped out ahead of time, but sometimes, when you just go out and race as hard as you can, those things take care of themselves.

3. Winning the Bronze at Worlds was huge – I think much more so now to me, then it was at the time. A lot of runners can accomplish a lot of things, and run real fast times, but when it comes down to it, there are only going to be a small amount of guys who can claim to have won a medal at a World Championships. That importance did not really sink in until my wife, Amy, was appalled to see my medal tacked up on the wall. She took it down, made a frame for it. At the time, I just thought of it as another medal but I realize now – as I have gotten older – that it was a huge accomplishment that I may not have fully appreciated at the time.

4. Making the 2004 Olympic Trials in the 1500 despite working full time and being a few years older then the other guys. It was something that I put my mind to, and at the last minute, I was able to run the time that I needed

How did your training progress from collegiate to post-collegiate running?

As would be expected, there were ups and downs. The big change that I went through – which most have to adapt to if they want to run beyond college - was going from having structure and training partners and a coach who was always there, to now not having any of those things. Accountability was on my shoulders rather then being shared by others and it was a tough thing to come to terms with, but it has made me stronger. I had a lot of success as I first was out of school – 1995 and 1996 were pretty good years, but when I made the decision to take on the head coaching duties here at Amherst College, I knew that I was going to be putting my own running on the back burner – I realized that I would be able to find the time to get it done, but the emotional toll that comes with investing yourself into your program would take away from the mental aspect of my own training and racing. I thought that I would be able to find the balance, but despite having some success, it was not the same and it took a long time to try and figure out what may work best. Despite being 35, I still run, and compete and enjoy it immensely. It has never crossed my mind to hang it up, as it is far too enjoyable.

How did you overcome disappointments or barriers in your training or racing (i.e., injuries, disappointing races, etc.)?

As I tell my athletes, you cannot dwell on bad races or injuries, you have to deal with them as best as possible and most of all, learn from them. You can learn a lot from the “negative” things that come up with running. Part of training is pushing yourself and trying to find out what your limits are, but in doing so comes a risk of injury. A smart runner is going to learn from that and realize what they can or cannot do.

A bad race is a great way to learn about yourself, because it shows you where you are vulnerable, weaknesses that need to be addressed, and can also provide valuable motivation for later on.

I have had numerous surgeries and have come back to running. I have had numerous bad races – some that provided much more of a sting then others certainly – but still continue to race. There is always another day, and while I am getting older and things are not going to get easier, I still enjoy the challenge that running provides

Would you briefly describe your program's training philosophy (volume, intensity, frequency, etc.)?

My training philosophy is more of a quality verse quantity approach for a couple of reasons. The first is that time is a valuable commodity here at Amherst, with so much emphasis placed upon their studies, that I would rather run less mileage but at more intense pace then do a great deal of long, slow runs that will eat at the time that they could be doing other things. The second, and equally as important, is that I feel there is sometimes too much emphasis placed upon running a lot of mileage to become the best that you can. I realize that some are going to benefit from more miles then others, but I also realize that some are going to have the opposite reaction. I would rather they get back from a run feeling as though they ran it at a good pace, then come back from a really long slow run where they only feel a soreness in their legs while not really utilizing the rest of their bodies. In a race, you feel pain everywhere at the end – lungs, arms, shoulders, chest as well as the legs.

When we workout, we are focusing on effort and how people feel rather then with a stop watch dictating what people are doing. Track season, a lot of our workouts are pace oriented but during XC, the stopwatch seldom, if ever, comes into play with our workout sessions. I want them to get comfortable with their sense of pace and effort – both from previous races and how they felt, and throughout the course of the season’s workouts.

I utilize cross training pretty extensively for the large majority of the runners – especially with the runners and those who have been or are, injured. Those who have had injuries, will usually cross train or combo – shorter runs followed immediately by a period of time in the pool, bike or elliptical so that they get a longer sustained effort but without the pounding / impact that a run will provide. I focus more on the work that we do rather then the actual mileage, this way people who might only run 30 miles for the week might have another good sized chunk of cross training and they know that they have done similar training to others.

We take one day, normally Mondays, as an off day and each day that we run - the non-workout days – the mileage is based on a range, that is usually a bigger gap the longer that a run may be. They will run within the range that they are most comfortable – some will go the high side, some in the middle and some on the shorter end, and then some will stay at some point within the range but will XT to reach the higher side of the range.  Typically Tuesday will be our hard workout for the week, and then Thursday will be a lighter workout – if we do not race on Saturday, then we will go with 2 hard days on Tuesday and Friday. Wednesday and Sunday are longer runs days, while Friday is the easy pre-meet day.

In addition to the running and cross training, we lift 2 days a week and do core work on stability balls 2 days a week, and stretch and do some work on foam rollers, and then pretty much finish each day by seeing how many runners can fit into the ice bath

Who has influenced you the most in your coaching?

At the risk of sounding like pretty much any other coach who you may talk with, the biggest influence on me would be my college coach. Had I not benefited from his wisdom and guidance, I would not have accomplished what I did nor have the passion that I do.

Could you give us an example of a typical microcycle in your training program from September to mid-October of a cross country season?

We will build up mileage/work over the summer and then start up with workouts when return to school at the very end of August. I will keep the work high for 3 weeks and at the end of that 3^rd week, we will take a down week and back of the mileage and freshen legs for a week. We pick back up again for another 3 weeks – with a late lightening load in the 2^nd week as we get ready for All New England’s (that is our only meet in that period as we are off the weekends before and after NE’s). The last 2 weeks – finishing with our Little Three meet – looked like this for the women:

Oct 9^th –

Mon (on their own) off, XT 20-30 or 3-5 run

Tue – Workout at a grassy park that is ~ 600 meters. 4 Loops (mid effort and finishing fast), 3 Loops (mid then fast), 2 Loops (fast), 1 Loop (fast)  - all with 2-3:00 rest. Ball drills and stretching after

Wed – 6 – 11 mile run with last part of run picked up a bit and finish with strides. We did the run in the UMass Orchards so it was hilly

Thurs – pool run 60-75 minutes and then they had the option of doing a couple of miles in the afternoon

Fri – Workout on grass athletic field – 3k Time Trial (running as fast as you can while at the same time, trying to even split) 5:00 rest, hard 1500, 3:00 rest then 4 build up straights. Ball drills and stretch after

Sat – 7 – 11 with strides OR Combo – 45 XT then 3 miles fast (on their own)

Sun – 4-7 faster paced run (on their own)

Oct 16^th – (some who will not race as far into the season will start to do less and the range becomes broader because of this)

Mon – off or 20-30 XT

Tue – Workout – our XC field Loop 2 x Mile (1^st fast, 2^nd mid effort through 1200 then fast) 3:00 rest, 2 x 800 (Fast effort) 2:00 rest, 2 x 400 (fast effort) 1:00 rest. Ball drills and stretch

Wed – 4 - 9 (pick up the pace in the 2^nd half) and strides OR pool run

Thur – workout Cinder road (part of our course) ~10:00 tempo, 3:00 rest, 6 x 1:00 on/off, 6:00 tempo

Fri – 3-6 and strides

Sat – Meet – Little Three’s with Williams and Wesleyan

Sun – 5 – 10 with last 20 minutes of run picked up and strides after OR Combo 3 fast Miles then 3-045 XT (on their own)

Could you tell us about your team this cross country season (returning upperclassmen, incoming freshmen, how your season has been going so far, upcoming meets, etc.)?

(Photo courtesy of the Amherst College Cross Country Team website)

At the risk of jinxing ourselves, we have been running well thus far. Our women returned nearly our full team from last year including XC All Americans Shauneen Garrahan and Kim Partee to go along with some very deep talent behind them, and have benefited from a first year runner who I had not expected to factor into the scoring but has given us a big boost by running in the Top 5. We had a real strong race at All New England’s when we finished 2^nd overall, but we still have some women that have not yet run where they are capable. If we can get everyone – the goal of every coach I know – having their race on the same day, we could be in the thick of things at NCAA’s. While rankings our simply thoughts and ideas, we have been ranked as high as 2^nd, but ultimately the only ranking that is of importance is the one at the end of the season after everyone has gotten a chance to race against each other.

The men returned nearly their entire team, and have benefited from a great group of first year runners. We have some very good front runners in Tomas Morrissey and Harrison Lakehomer, and then have some great depth after them and we have been running well as of late – could be a little better, but we are confident that we will be there when we have to be. I think that we are one of about 78 teams in our region that will be in the hunt for NCAA berths, and hopefully we can finish in the Top 5 and get out to NCAA’s.

Is there any running related training material (books, scientific journal articles, etc.) that you commonly refer to throughout a cross country season?

At the risk of sounding pompous, arrogant or all knowing – which I am not nor try and claim to be – the only thing that I refer to in regards to our training, is what I see, and the experiences and feedback of the athletes. I rely a lot on feedback from the runners, and am always tweaking and changing things based on what I see and how the team is responding to what we do.

What are your thoughts about the new qualifying procedures for the 2006 NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships?

As are most coaches at the moment, a bit confused as to how things are going to shake out. I think that the field expansion is a great thing, and I feel that once we get through this first year with the new system, we will have a lot of our concerns answered. My hope is that the regions that should have the higher numbers will get them, and the teams that should be going on are the ones that get selected. You know that you need to finish 3-4-5 at Districts, and the higher the better, but beyond that …

What are 2 key workouts that you incorporate into the peaking period of a cross country season?

I set up our training each year according to the courses that we are going to be running at the end of the season - where the focus is centered. Last year, the courses were tougher whereas this year, the courses seem to be a bit faster and flatter. Because of the differences, we are doing things differently this year then last, so I actually do not have a key workout per se. We will do a 2 Mile time trial, that we did the first week of practice and then again, 4 weeks later, and will go back to before Districts – weather may very well impact the times, but the hope is that the days are similar and you can see that improvement.

What concepts do you believe are necessary for success of a collegiate distance runner?

Commitment, dedication, perseverance, staying healthy, eating properly, hydrating enough, getting sleep and learning how to balance the running with the other facets of your life.

How do you balance coaching duties, family life, and competitive running?

Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it is nearly impossible, but I do not get too worked up about the running  - there are days when I do not end up running because things were too hectic, and that is fine – I try and take a day off each week anyways. I think that my running has kept me grounded and helps with perspective on things. It does not affect my abilities as a coach, nor as a husband and father. My family and the team come well before the running, and if there is going to be a sacrifice, the running will take the brunt. I will usually be able to get something in, and if I only have time for a shorter run then I had hoped then I will just crank it out. If I can my stuff in the morning, that is always going to be an advantage – will usually try and get my run out of the way after my wife returns from her run at 6AM (I watch Lukas while she is running) and then she leaves for school and brings him to day care, and I head out for my run / workout.

For those that are aspiring to become a collegiate cross country coach, what would be the best piece of advice you would give them?

Know that you are going to get into – yes, it is extremely enjoyable and I am very happy with my decision to become a coach but you also are going to give up valuable things, like time and weekends. You will need to be flexible, be patient, and know that there is always going to need to be compromise at times, expect the unexpected and be able to learn from your athletes. Feedback from your runners – seek it and use it, as it will help make a program better and as a coach, you will become much better. Each year that I coach, I feel that I learn more and more, and each year, I feel that I become a better coach because of the experience that I gain. You think that you have seen everything and have answers to it all, and then something else comes up.