Big River Interview: Matt Lawder

SLUH senior Matt Lawder is off to a big start this track season with a 4:23 opener for 1600 meters. Lawder is a three-time all state performer in cross country and track and has been part of a State Championship Track Team (2006) and a second place State Cross Country Team (2006). Big River caught up with Matt at the end of yet another high mileage week (74) as he prepares for his first 3200 of the season this coming weekend at the U. City Invitational.

BR: Let's start off with your big mile race with Dan Quigley last week. Take us through the race from what you thought going in to how it played out and what your reaction was afterwards.

ML: I was pretty excited before the race. I knew Quigley was in it and my plan was just to hang with him for the first few laps. He took it out fast but it felt really smooth though. I wanted to make a move with a little over a lap to go so I kind of went with 500 to go. He had an amazing kick though. I think he closed in 61 and I couldn't hang with that.

BR: What were your splits then?

ML: I went 65, 66, 65, 67.

BR: Were you thinking you could run that fast going in?

ML: I wasn't really sure what I could run. I hadn't run an open mile since my freshman year. I did the 4 x mile last year so my PR from that was 4:35. I thought maybe I could run like 4:27 or 4:28 so when I saw the time I was like, "Wow"!

BR: I think it's safe to say that even with this mile time you consider yourself more of a two-miler. How does this 4:23 set you up for that event?

ML: I think it gives me a lot of confidence to come through in 4:40 for the first mile and still feel like I have a lot left in the tank. Then be able to come back in the same time.

BR: When will you run your first 3200?

ML: I'm running it at U.City this Saturday.

BR: And what's the gameplan?

ML: The plan is to run around 9:20 and to run a pretty even pace.

BR: Obviously you have probably heard that Dan Quigley ran 9:08 this weekend at Mizzou. What did you think of that result and how does that affect your plans?

ML: That was a pretty unbelievable race. He's really fit right now and he'll be tough all the way through to State. For me I just have to get my times down first and then I can maybe think about going after him.

BR: Things have come so far in just a few years as far as fast times and depth in Missouri. Did you ever think when you were a freshman that you'd be running this fast and that these would be the types of times you'd be chasing?

ML: Coming in I didn't know much at all about running. I guess I thought that those would be the times that would win State, not that people would be running already.

BR: Speaking of State, what are your goals for the State Meet?

ML: I'll be doubling and running the mile and the two-mile at State.I don't know if there are really any time goals yet. As far as position goals I just want to be at the front of the pack of both of those races going for the win.

BR: So how has training been going and what was your winter like?

ML: Winter was really awesome. I took some time off after Foot Locker and then just built my mileage up. I was at 70 miles for five or six weeks in a row. I didn't have as many hard workouts as maybe I would have liked. Right now we are keeping the mileage high. This week was 74. We haven't done any speed stuff yet. It's been all strength workouts. We finally did our first interval-type workout yesterday. Other than that it's been all strength stuff like 20 by 400 at a slower pace with very little rest.

BR: Do you have a favorite workout on the track?

ML: We have this workout we call the Billiken. It's a mile at a pretty fast pace on the track then a mile aerobic run on the roads, then a 1200 at a faster pace than the mile, then an aerobic mile on the roads again, then an 800 at a faster pace than the 1200, then another aerobic mile, then a 400 all-out.

BR: And that's continous running with no breaks?

ML: Right.

BR: You've decided to attend Butler University next year where you'll join the nationally-ranked cross country team in the fall. Tell us about that decision.

ML: I'm really excited about heading up there next year. My sister goes there so that's how I knew about it and I kind of checked out the team online and when I visited there I really liked it.

BR: You've had a pretty decorated career so far. What has been your favorite moment?

ML: I would probably say after State in cross country this year. I was sitting there and I knew I had done well but I hadn't seen my official time yet. You came over and told me that I had run 15:59.93 and I was really excited that I had run under 16 minutes.

BR: Your team is full of talented freshman right now. When it's all said and done what do you hope they take from watching you this year?

ML: I hope that they look at me as a guy went out and worked really hard to get where he got. If they put in the work; the offseason miles and they practice hard every day then they'll achieve their goals.

Thanks for a great interview Matt. Best of Luck this season!!

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