Interview with Morgan McDonald: Wisconsin Ways
How are you finding life in the US at the UW?
The life of a student athlete at Wisconsin is a lot of fun! The sport, academics and social aspects are all pretty amazing. The only thing is that it can sometimes be a little difficult to keep it all up as you get real busy, but it’s definitely worth it.
What do you miss most about Australia?
From where I go to school in Wisconsin, where during the winter a typical day will be about -15 C, I definitely miss the weather the most. I miss the Aussie people, all my mates and family a lot as well!
You recently finished 2nd in the Big Ten Championships 3k with 8:11.67, that’s a great result; were you happy with this performance and
the season so far?
Yeah I was really happy with that result and my whole indoor season. It was definitely a new experience racing indoors, but it was really fun. The races you can get into through the collegiate system are pretty ideal for running quick times and racing quality opposition.
How are you finding the training over there, and did it take time to adapt?
The training here is a little different, with only 2 sessions and a long run a week, but the sessions themselves are really similar to what I was doing back in Australia, so the transition in that aspect was real smooth and easy.
What’s a typical day look like for you over there, schedule wise?
A normal school day for me generally goes like this:
Wake up in the morning around 7:30 and have breakfast and go to class.
I finish class just before lunch most days, so I’ll get some lunch and then hang out or do homework until training at 2:30.
I’ll spend a fair bit of time at training normally, and finish around 5:30, and then head back to the dorms and have dinner.
Then I’ll normally just chill out after dinner and do homework, and hang out with my mates or whatever until I get to bed.
Would you recommend college to other top juniors thinking of making the trip?
Yeah I would definitely recommend them to check it out and see if it suits them at least. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but for a lot of people I think it will be an amazing experience.
Favourite food or place to eat over there?
It would probably have to be this cheap Chinese fast food place called QQs on the way home from the locker room. Goes down real well after a run in the morning on a Sat/Sun.
