Josh McDougal: “Running Is What I do, Not Who I Am”
Posted April 12th, 2008 at 2:45 PM by Stephanie Lowe
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation, Cross Country, Track & Field, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, College
Liberty University senior Josh McDougal is confident as he prepares for this summer’s U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. This past fall, McDougal became the 2007 NCAA Division I cross country national champion after he out-kicked Oregon’s Galen Rupp by one second. He was unsatisfied with his performances in the 5000 (5th place) and 3000 (6th place) at the 2008 NCAA Division I Indoor meet March 14-15, but remains optimistic as he builds his base for the trials.
“It’s been a rough few weeks,” McDougal said. “[But] I’m in good shape now.”
McDougal plans to run the 10000m at the trials once he attains the standard this outdoor track season. If not, he already has a personal best time of 13:20.43 that qualifies him for the 5000.
“I’ll probably end up in the 5K if I don’t get my [10K] standard,” he said. “I think I’d have a better shot in the 10K. The 5K would be so hard to make at this point.”
If McDougal races the 10000, he said he expects some of his biggest competitors to be Rupp, Abdi Abdirahman, Meb Keflezighi and Alan Culpepper.
“It will be a battle between the young and veterans,” he said.
McDougal believes Rupp has an advantage since the race will be held at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field. He thinks Rupp will have a lot of support from local fans in Eugene.
“He’s almost like the new Steve Prefontaine,” McDougal said.
McDougal had the chance to run for a large school like Oregon, but felt that Liberty, a private Christian university, was a better fit. At first he received some criticism, but he has since proved it was the right decision.
“It’s not about the uniform you wear. I’ve never been that guy who goes to a big program,” he explained. “No one expected it, but it’s what has worked for me. I love the area, team and school.”
Homeschooled until college, McDougal has always done things a little differently. He grew up with an active family, but never ran for a high school team. Instead, he coached himself and ran in local races. His flexible school schedule allowed plenty of time to train. McDougal ran high mileage throughout high school, reaching over 100 miles per week by his senior year, which he contributes to his success. He said he thinks most high school runners are not running enough due to poor coaching.
“A lot of high schoolers just do what they’re told,” McDougal said. “Most guys don’t run more than 40 miles per week when they’re capable of 70.”
The most McDougal has ever run in a week is 143 miles, but he averages about 125-135. Even more impressive is that almost all of it is covered in single runs of 18-30 miles, seven days a week. McDougal has not had any serious injuries other than some tendinitis. He said he listens to his body and rests when he needs to.
“I don’t like to run when I’m not one-hundred percent,” he said. “I’d rather take the time off than be bothered for three or more weeks.”
In the past, McDougal struggled to balance running with the rest of his life. He said he felt like he lived for running more than anything else. The outcome of each race determined how he felt about himself. After several disappointing races, including a 27th-place finish at cross country Nationals in 2006, he was at a low point.
“Last fall and last indoor season was really hard for me. It was one of those stages I don’t want to go through again,” McDougal said. He asked himself, “Am I doing this for the right reason?”
McDougal shared an excerpt from a February 2007 journal entry:
Looking back over the “learning experiences” I have had in my life, I am stunned to find that success was never (at least at the time) associated with the results or outcome. It was in these moments of “failure” that I have learned the most, these moments of failure that strip away all traces of my foolish pride, and lay bare my true self. It is in these painful moments of candidness that I see myself for who I truly am, and not for who I truly think myself to be. Contrarily, it is in these moments of “success” that I see myself for who I truly think myself to be, and not for who I truly am. Which leads me to question: Which is the true success? Which is the true failure? Though I may succeed in the eyes of the public I fail to see who I truly am, and in fact only reinforce a false image of myself. Whereas, when I fail in the eyes of the public, I get a true glimpse of who I really am. Which I now come to see is worth so much more, for then I can get a gauge of who I truly am, and some degree of learning takes place, which is not the case with my successes.
McDougal accepted that running would never be enough to make him happy.
“It’s a constant breaking process,” McDougal explained. “Running is what I do, but it’s not who I am.”
He said he is now almost at the point where he could quit running tomorrow and still be happy. If he could no longer run, McDougal would still be involved in the sport as a coach. After he graduates college this May, McDougal plans to stay in Lynchburg, Va., to help coach his brother, Jordan, and the rest of the Liberty track team.
Once he goes pro, McDougal wants to move up to the marathon as soon as possible, perhaps this fall. However, he said it is not definite until he consults with his coach and future agent.
U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials winner Ryan Hall is an inspiration to McDougal. They both apply their Christian faith to their running.
“[Hall] learned to let go and glorify the Lord with his performances,” McDougal said.
McDougal wants his critics to know that he never prays to win, but rather to accept and learn from the outcome. Whether or not you agree with his religious beliefs, McDougal’s faith has led him to where he is today.
“I pray to glorify Him,” he explained. “He blesses those who are faithful to Him.”
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Tags: 10k, 5k, Abdi Abdirahman, Alan Culpepper, cross country, galen rupp, jordan mcdougal, Josh McDougal, liberty, Meb Keflezighi, Olympic Trials, olympics, Ryan Hall, track and field
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The Final Sprint