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| Matt Smith at the recent National Cross Country Champs. Photo: Gary Nesbit www.nesport.co.nz |
Matt Smith recently won the senior men’s title at the National Cross Country Champs around the Halswell Quarry course in Christchurch. It’s his third national title – he won the 2009 National Half Marathon Championships after gaining New Zealand citizenship and on the track won the 2010 5000m title. Originally from the UK, Smith says “I was very pleased to win as it's always an honour to earn a national title.”
Could you give me a rundown on how the race went?
Dougal Thorburn made a strong surge after about one mile and he and I broke away towards the end of the first lap. Going up the hill to start the second lap, Dougal dropped back a bit and I found myself alone in front. I had not intended to take the lead until the second half of the race but, seeing as I was leading, I decided to make the most of the fact that by being alone I could run smoothly. Although I was leading I didn't feel I tried to go hard in the first half; I waited until halfway round the fourth lap to push the pace harder - as had been my original plan - and managed to extend my lead then. By halfway round the last lap, I thought my lead was enough that it would be a bit too hard for the others to catch up.
Was there any moment when you thought that Stephen Lett or Andrew Davidson might catch up?
Not really. In cross country in particular, what may seem quite a small gap to spectators - e.g. 40metres or so - is actually very hard to close down unless the person in front starts to struggle. I was feeling quite strong throughout, so I felt confident I'd always stay ahead.
Did you expect to win?
I hoped to and felt I had a good chance of winning, but I hadn't raced since December last year so I couldn't be sure how race-ready my fitness was until the event got underway.
How much training had you been doing prior to this year’s National Cross Country Champs?
I had five weeks of complete rest from running when I went on my honeymoon to South America, from which I returned in early May. After that I had eleven weeks to National Cross Country. I wasn't originally planning to race National Cross Country, but I worked my training volume up gradually and had four weeks of full training from mid-June onward. Then I felt fit enough and tempted enough by Nationals that in early July I decided to enter the cross country champs.
What does a day by day training schedule consist of for you?
A typical week in full training is fairly basic but takes the following form almost always:
Sunday: long easy run up to 2hrs
Monday: 2 easy runs, together totalling approx 15 miles
Tuesday: workout at 10k pace e.g. 10 x 1k with 60sec jog
Wednesday and Thursday: same as Monday
Friday: tempo run at half marathon pace 4-6 miles.
Saturday: really easy day 5-6 mile jog
Is there much difference between the training that you do now and in previous years?
The basic structure of my week has been pretty much the same for years. The content of the workouts and the long run varies depending on whether I am training for track, half marathon or a marathon. In marathon training my long run will be 2hr 30min not 2hrs. In half marathon and marathon training tempos will be 15-20k rather than the 4-6miles that I'd do when running track or cross country. I'll do a 10k pace workout most weeks though, whatever distance race I'm training for.
What’s next for you in the way of races?
Running with my friends for University of Canterbury AC in September's New Zealand Road Relay Champs. The men’s team is trying to win their fifth title in the row and I hope to help them achieve this. Andrew Davidson has run on each of the four winning teams and it would be fantastic for him as well as the team to earn a fifth consecutive title.
When and where did you first start running?
I did some running my first year of high school, but I was much more interested in playing football then,
At what age did you first start running cross country?
About 13 years old
What and who were your influences when you first started running?
My first coach was Bruce Tulloh, who ran his first four minute mile in NZ in the race where Snell set the world mile record. Bruce ran 3.59 in bare feet in that race. Bruce coached me during my teenage years. I didn't run much mileage - 30-35 miles per week by aged 18 - but he always gave me a realistic expectation of what top international senior runners did for training and so I was never frightened of or unaware of what training properly to be good would involve.
What are the differences for you between being a distance runner in NZ and the UK?
In terms of training the same principles apply - you must train hard to earn good results wherever you are. To say about NZ specifically, Christchurch is an exceptionally good place to train, with river paths, Bottle Lake Forest, Hagley Park and the Port Hills perfect for easy runs and tempo runs. We used to have a fantastic track here, up until February. I've also made some great friends through running here, so I'd say NZ has been a very enjoyable place to be a runner for me. One key difference the UK has is, being such a larger population, there are many more race options to choose from in the UK than in NZ. But no one place has the best of everything and NZ does have some very good races too, such as the adidas Auckland Marathon.
Results: http://www.athletics.org.nz/article.aspx?ID=5577&Mode=1
Photos from the event: http://www.nesport.co.nz/eventinfo.php?eventID=1404
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