A Quicky with Lachlan Renshaw

RT: Lachie, what’s been happening since returning home from World University Games?

RT: Congratulations on the win in the 800m at the World Uni Games. Do you class this as the highlight of your career to date?

LR: It’s definitely up there.. Of course I would have rather been in Daugu but it was a nice little consolation prize! Obviously it’s nothing in comparison to a medal at the major champs but it’s a title on the resume so I’ll take it..

RT: Lining up for the final, did you think you could win it?

LR: Any of the boys in that race could have won it on the day, I think every guy had a PB of 1:45 or faster, but I knew I was in top shape so it was always just going to come down to the right tactics. I got lucky with a few gaps opening up and everyone just came back to me in the last 50!

RT: Despite a B-qualifier for the Daegu world championships, the AA selection panel decided to leave you out of the team. Do you feel you were fit enough to have deserved a shot?

LR: I definitely think I was fit enough, guys that I beat at World Uni’s ended up making the semis in Daegu, but the only way to guarantee your spot is to do the A and take it out of their hands. It’s just fuel for the fire to make sure of it this year..

RT: Do you think if you had won the national 800m final that the selectors would have been more lenient and given you a berth or do you think it all comes down to that A-standard? 

LR: Zoe Buckman won the national title and had an even stronger case then me and wasn’t picked. I had six B qualifiers but at the end of the day the only thing that ensures your spot on the team is that A qualifier. 

RT: Eric Hollingsworth stated in a Runner’s Tribe article that it is up to you to put your head down and achieve that A standard for London.  Are you going to race a full Aussie summer? Will the plan be to achieve that time come February?

LR: The plan is definitely to be in good enough shape to run under the A in Australia so we can get back to training in March and get a good block in. Nick Symmonds is coming down again and crashing at mine for a few weeks for so hopefully we’ll get a good race or two in!

RT: Back when you ran your first 1:45 in 2008 your training was a little more speed orientated. It is fair to say you have developed your aerobic system a fair bit since those days. Do you agree that building your aerobic system is key for you if you want to dabble under the 1:45 mark?

LR: The speed I was working off back then was only going to take me so far.. We recognised the need to shift towards a more aerobic workload to make that next step. That transition started after ’08.. Since then I’ve literally been “training to train” – to be able to handle the higher mileage week after week. I started to see the benefits this season running a PB in Melbourne off of a tiny base after Comm Games, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what 5 months of work will bring come Feb!

RT: Over the past two years you have travelled for the occasional training camp at Falls Creek and worked mainly on your endurance. Do you view such camps as being important for your development?

LR: I love falls, it’s not so much about the altitude effect as just being able to get away and train hard. Right now I’m in Oregon for 2 months doing the same thing.. It’s just being focussed on the training 24/7 with zero distractions that being at home brings.

RT: A few years ago everyone thought you were the man to break Ralph Doubells 800m Australian record of 1:44.40. Now it looks like Riseley has a chance of beating you to the mark. How much does this motivate you to train that extra little bit?

LR: Jeff had a few great cracks at it this year, but I honestly think there’s at least 4 guys going around at the moment that we’ll see in the 1:44’s in the next few years. The 1500 has come through with so many guys running fast, and I think the 800 is entering a purple patch as well.. Ralph’s time will be lucky to survive this generation!

RT: What are your weak areas that you need to improve on if you are to get the record?

LR: My weakness has always been my aerobic fitness. It’s been a long time in transition but I feel right now I’m nearly at the point where I can hopefully run a few competitive 1500’s in the domestic season if need be. Speeds not my problem, its what comes naturally for me. If I can get the combination right, hopefully we’ll see some fireworks come February! 

RT: Apart from sounding cool what are the benefits of belonging to the Oregon Track Club involve?

LR: Oregon has always been the home of distance running in the US. The town of Eugene calls itself “Tracktown USA” and the following of athletics here is sometimes unbelievable.. In May this year I ran at an Oregon Twilight meet, pretty much our equivalent of Allcomers, except 3,000 people turned up to watch. From the Eugene training group alone (Rupp and Farah are based in Portland with Salazars group) we had 5 finalists in Daugu including a Gold and 2 Silver medals from Jesse Williams, Ashton Eaton and Sally Kipyego. Mark Rowland is an Olympic medallist himself and one of the world’s best when it comes to middle distance coaching, and benefits of training in such a professional environment with the Nike backed facilities at our disposal are 100% the reason OTC gets results. I’ve heard others sometimes complain OTC athletes are spoon fed and spoilt with full time massage and physio and alter G treadmills etc, but I’m pretty sure that’s the whole point!

RT: Does this mean you will be spending most of your time in America?

LR: I started with OTC in June 2010, and since then I’ve spent 9 months here in Eugene. I’m here right now until Christmas, then Symmonds will be down in Feb for the Aussie season, and then after Nationals I’ll be back here again preparing for London!

RT: What is it like training with those guys? Do you match it with Nick Symmonds in training much?

LR: My main two training partners are Symmonds (1:43.76) and Tyler Mulder (1:44.83). Tyler and I are really similar in that we’ve both come from a speed background so our training is nearly identical. Last year was his first year logging 100km weeks and he made big breakthroughs. Nick is one of the best in the world over the 2 laps and after his 5th place in Daugu he’ll push for a medal next year in London.. But unlike Australians, he doesn’t need to peak until August, so right now he’s just logging big miles. Nick’s a big-time performer.. This year leading into the Prefontaine Classic we were all over Nick in the sessions and Tyler and I both beat him there. 3 weeks later he runs 1:44 low at USA Champs for the win, but that’s what makes him world class – the ability to train through the year consistently, but then be able to flick the switch and light it up when he needs to. As coach said us during training last week, “this time of year is when medals are won, but August is when it’s done.”

RT: What do those guys do differently to your average 800m runner in Australia?

LR: I can only speak for the training under Coach Rowland, and I think his philosophy for 800m runners is a lot more mileage based than the average Australian coach. There are those guys like Khadevis Robinson getting around though that do it of their speed, but it seems like he’s more of an exception to the rule. When you see pure 1500m guys like Leo Manzano (1:44.56) and David Torrence (1:45.14), (not forgetting Jeff as well) running so quick off 1500 work, it sort of backs up the mileage argument..

RT: What sort of training are you doing at the moment? Can you talk us through a typical week?

LR: Right now it’s purely laying down a big base to increase that aerobic engine - lots of tempo running and strength and conditioning work. A typical week at the moment looks like:

Mon: AM – Run + Gym PM – Run

Tues: AM -  Long reps (eg. 8x1k) PM – Strength Circuit + Rehab 

Weds: AM – Run + Gym PM – Pace run on Alter G treadmill

Thurs: AM – Run then Skills + Drills (plyometrics/hurdle drills etc) PM – Threshold run

Fri: AM – Easy run + core session PM – Easy run

Sat: Hills

Sun: Long run

RT: Thanks for your time!