Mac being interviewed following his double victory
Imagine racing an indoor 1/2 marathon on a Saturday and racing an indoor marathon the next day. Now imagine winning both races! Meet our February Reckless Runner of the Month, Matthew ‘Mac’ McCulley, a Cross Country and Track Coach at Woodstock High School in IL who just ran and conquered the Icebreaker Indoor Half Marathon and Marathon ‘Gold Medal Challenge’ at the Petite National Ice Center in Milwaukee. His winning times were 1:13.27 and 2:39.27! When we heard his story, we knew we had to make him our RR of the Month. To find out more about the Icebreaker Indoor 1/2 and Marathon, visit http://www.indoormarathon.com.
RR: Tell us about yourself and how you got started running.
Mac: Getting cut from the golf team as a Freshman in high school was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. A buddy of mine spent the whole first two weeks of school recruiting me to run cross country. I joined the team only after he convinced me this was a great way to get in shape and meet girls. Seemed to work out, I met and married my high school sweet heart through cross country. After high school I went to Illinois State University. I was a member of the Tri-Birds, the triathlon club. It was here I learned my passion for coaching and teaching the sport.
After college I ran recreationally for a while. Without my knowledge, a buddy registered me for the Dick Pond Fast Track Racing Team in Schaumburg Illinois. I found out minutes before my first race for them that I was expected to score for the team. I ran that race for them and found their attitude towards running was purely for the passion of the sport. This reignited my passion for racing. Camaraderie and achieving personal goals are the main focus of the team, but we have been the Chicago Area’s best team 3 years in a row in a variety of categories.
RR: You don’t just run, you also coach cross country and track and Woodstock High School. Does this help your running, or is it difficult to get in adequate training for yourself? Is it hard to balance the two?
MAC: My coach, Mr. Pete Reiff, was the most influential mentor I had in high school. He was an old school coach who was one of York High School’s first captains under the legendary coach, Mr. Joe Newton. Praise was something that rarely came from him, but when it did, you knew he meant it. He passed away a year after I graduated high school and one of the last things he said to me was “You will make a great coach and a fine teacher someday.” Those words still motivate me every day to be the very best I can be for my athletes.
I run for my kids. They inspire me every day with the way they approach practice and racing. From the senior boy who worked four years to break 5 minutes in the mile to the girl who shattered state records, each has a story to tell. I cherish the miles and track work I do with the kids. I’m lucky to coach this team and these kids.
So yes, coaching definitely helps my running. Since coming to Woodstock I have set a PR in every distance I have raced. My times are not special, but they are the result of hard work. My hope is the kids hear my story and see how hard work can pay off. So far, so good. The kids have seen great results over the past four years. We’ve had 8 all state athletes, and qualified the boys and girls team to the state cross country meet.
RR: A few weeks ago, you ran the Icebreaker Indoor 1/2 Marathon on a Saturday and the Indoor Marathon on a Sunday, winning both races and the ’Gold Medal Challenge.’ What attracted you to these races and how did you prepare for them?
MAC: I made it a goal to find new challenges this year. This was just the first in a line of many. I was introduced to the race by a teammate of mine, Matt Jeromin. He wanted someone to run the marathon with him. I saw the Gold Medal Challenge and decided to go for it. It seemed to fit in with my other crazy goals for this year.
As for training for the race, I was running 8 to 10 miles each morning before school and then I ran with my cross country kids in the afternoon. Things were going great until I suffered a foot injury. I was out for about 5 weeks in October and November.
Confidence was shot for the gold medal challenge but a former athlete of mine came back for winter break and asked if I would run her workouts with her. We seemed to find a way to turn every day into a race. If I could run that way in training, I knew I could run the challenge. Again, I am fortunate to have great talent to run with.
RR: How did you keep pace and motivation running 80 laps around the 442meter ice skating rink? It is hard enough to know where you are at on a small indoor track when you are running the mile or two mile, how were you able keep up with your position in the race (mile markers etc) or did you just zone out and enjoy the run?
MAC: I could not have done this race without the help of my wife Carole, my parents Steve and Carrie, and my grandparents Bill and Pat. They all came out to support me and each took on important roles.
I had created a spreadsheet for each race with three goal times for each race. My dad was in charge of the spreadsheet. He let me know where I was as far as lap and pace. He and my wife both kept tabs on the other competitors and let me know what my lead was and how my teammates were doing. My wife was also in charge of the social media portion of the race. There was a lot of support for me at home as well.
My mom hung on to my fuel supply and so eagerly passed my PowerGel off to me. My Grandpa and my mom were both in the stands trying to get the crowd to cheer for me as I went by. My Grandma was taking great photos and talking with the reporters. If anyone needs a PR rep, believe me, I know a lady.
During the half everyone kept me on my toes. My lead was 200 meters for most of the race and regardless of how I surged or attacked the race, I could not shake the second place runner, Jeff Bailey. In the final laps he closed 30 seconds on me and I won by a mere 5 seconds. It was much to close for comfort.
During the marathon, I was going for the track record of 2:37. I was 2 minutes under for the first 17 miles, but the previous days racing caught up to me. I went for the second tier goal of being under 2:40. It was a wise choice and I have no regrets about doing that.
For most of the marathon I was comfortably ahead. I did ask for updates on my buddy who talked me into this race. He was in second and doing well. Saw a sweet goal in the youth hockey game that was going on during the race, and the Olympic hopeful speed skaters were extremely graceful and fun to watch. The tunes were cranking and I just had a blast the second day.
RR: Was there ever a moment in either race where you wanted to quit, and if so, how did you push through to finish?
MAC: I don’t think I ever wanted to quit. I had moments of doubt, but when ever those negative thoughts popped into my head, I reminded myself that the race was not just about me. My family has traveled all over to come support me, I owe it to them to put on a good show.
Occasionally, I will look off to my right and over my shoulder when I’m running alone and need a boost of motivation. I’m not looking back at the competition, just reminding myself that those who I have been fortunate enough to train with are running this race with me too.
RR: When you first started running, did you ever think you would be able to run a 1/2 marathon one day, and a full marathon the next, much less run them indoors in such great times?
MAC: Thank you for the compliment. I’m very surprised by the times I ran. When I started running in 1998, I had no clue as to what I wanted to do with running or where it could take me. Even in college, I never really thought about running a marathon.
As my own running has evolved, I have felt the need to make up for not running collegiate cross country and track. As a coach, you have to have credibility. I trusted my coach because he was a captain for one of the best coaches to ever coach high school athletics. I had no resume to speak of and I was coaching kids who had opportunities to compete for state and national championships. There was no way they would believe in my methods if they did not see them work. So I ran myself from a 17:08 5k to a 15:46 and a 2:52 marathon down to a 2:33. All though I never envisioned competing in such a race, I now can’t see myself backing down from any challenge.
RR: If you could give advice to other runners about setting goals and challenging themselves, what would it be?
MAC: Whether intrinsic or extrinsic, setting goals is essential in anything you do. With the athletes I coach, we evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and set goals that are just beyond what they see as attainable. I’ve thrown down some pretty big challenges to my kids, but I believe in every goal we set.
When setting your own goals you have to step outside your comfort zone. The goal has to be worth working for. Share them with someone you trust and who will share the journey with you. This will raise the accountability of your goal. It’s also helpful to have someone you can train with. Running stores all over have group runs and training programs that you can be a part of.
But the most important thing you can do is enjoy the journey. Share it with others. We all run for different reasons, but we all can benefit from the bonds you can create out on the roads. I’m lucky to have shared my running experiences with such great training partners and friends. Part of why I coach is to share my passion with my athletes.
RR: What’s the next challenge on the horizon for you? How are you going to top that?
MAC: I am running a few local races for my team, the Dick Pond Fast Track Racing Team. Then we will all be at it again. In May I am going to compete in the USATF 24 Hour National Championship at the North Coast 24 Hour Endurance Run in Cleveland Ohio.
I have never done an Ultra Marathon before but this is the year of new adventures and new challenges and I am really excited to take this challenge on. I am also very grateful for my support group that wants to come out and travel with me to such a crazy event.
My goal as always is to put on a performance that will make it worth everyone coming out. Big time training begins next week. We are all extremely excited.
RR: If there is anything else you want to add!
MAC: Before I go I would like to send out a BIG thank you to the Woodstock High School Community, parents, my colleagues, my students and athletes. Their words of encouragement and support for Woodstock Cross Country and Track and Field is unmatched. We’ve had some recent success, and the expectation is we continue to build on that. I am excited for the up coming track season and building on the strong foundation of such a great community. I am very grateful to be a Blue Streak!
