Jun
24
Predawn Profile – Susan Doyle-Lindrud
A strong but relatively quiet member of the predawn community, Susan Doyle-Lindrud (Susan D. on Dailymile) is a paragon of consistency in both her training and her races. As you’ll see in this profile, she faces the same challenges many of us face in balancing competitive running with career and family demands. Like Predawn Runner, she has three children and is involved in the medical profession (actually, that’s more like Mrs. Predawn Runner), but she possesses uncanny natural ability and a competitive drive that helps her make it all work.
Predawn Runner: I am guessing that you have a solid history of competitive running – can you share a little bit on how you got started?
Sue Doyle-Lindrud: I did not run during high school or college although there had been signs from childhood that I should have considered running. After college, while living in NYC, my college roommate asked me to join her in running a 5-mile race in central park. I ran it and felt terrible after the race. I realized I wanted to get in better shape. I joined the New York Road Runners Club running group and found out during workouts that I had speed. I was then asked to join the women’s sponsored team Moving Comfort New York in 1992 and have been racing on and off ever since.
PR: What motivates you to keep running and competing now?
SDL: I love running and can’t imagine not doing it. I have run through three pregnancies and continued running and competing during my recent doctoral degree all while working full time with three children. Running keeps me calm through stressful times and I solve so many problems while running. My motivation to compete comes from a drive I have to push myself hard. Also, being part of a running team, I am driven to help the team do well. Now, I am motivated to be one of the top masters runners in the NYRR races although there are so many amazing masters runners right now…
PR: In what field was your doctoral degree, and what do you do when you aren’t running?
SDL: I am the Associate Director of Clinical Research in the Gallo Prostate Cancer Center, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey. I am a nurse practitioner with a doctoral degree in clinical practice (DNP). My days are spent in the clinic seeing cancer patients and developing clinical trials.
PR: From your body of work in running, I would have guessed you have a PhD in speed. What types of races and events do you focus on these days?
SDL: I love 5km races and race 5km to 10km distances. My focus is on the NYRR team points races, a competition involving designated races scored for team points with awards for best teams and age group runners at the end of the year.
PR: What are your PRs at the various distances you race?
SDL: My PRs are all road races
10mile: 63.05 (only have run one 10miler)
10km: 37.27
5mile: 29:58
4 mile: 23:40
5km: 17:58
PR: I almost deleted that question, since your PR’s are better than mine at all distances. How do you approach training – do you follow a specific plan, or do you sort of create the schedule and workouts as you go?
SDL: My team coach sends out workouts weekly, but I tend to do my own thing anyway… I try to get one fartlek or tempo and one track interval workout weekly. Unfortunately I cannot work out with my team because I can’t make it into the city, so I run alone almost every day… I need to get home after work and spend time with my kids, hence the early morning workouts!
PR: What are your goals for the remainder of this year and beyond?
SDL: Over the past 10 years I could not focus on racing (although I did run occasional races) because of different priorities. Recently I decided it was time to see what I could do as a master runner, see how fast I could go. A goal for the remainder of the year would be to see how close I can get to my pre children times.
Over the past few years, my kids have seen me studying and graduating from a doctoral program, train for races in the early hours of the morning and spend my day as a cancer researcher. The words “I can’t” are no longer a part of my vocabulary and I want to pass that on to them. I hope to set an example for my children that they can accomplish many things with hard work!
PR: Well, we look forward to following your progress for the rest of the year and beyond as you continue to improve in the “post-children” era!
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