Pieter Gagnon's Advice: " ... stay outside, and don't spoil yourself by overdressing."

Minneapolis Washburn senior Pieter Gagnon turned heads Saturday with his meet-record-setting, personal-record-establishing 9:26.49 win in the 3200m run at the University of Minnesota/ROTC Indoor meet.

Gagnon (pictured) had sported a 9:30.10 PR for the distance, run at the MSHSL State Meet last June. At Minnesota/ROTC, Gagnon also doubled back to finish a close second in the 1600, in 4:30.99, to Class AA 800 meter champion Zach Mellon who won in 4:30.93.

Down the Backstretch asked the University of Minnesota-bound Gagnon, who finished third in the Class AA State cross country meet last fall, about his fast early-season running.

DtB: You ran a PR in the first meet of the season. How does that happen?

Gagnon: I had hoped to beat my old state time at this meet, and I trained very hard to make sure that would happen. I love to continue to challenge myself in the off-season, and when I wasn't out around the lakes near my house I was nearby doing stair climbs or in the weight room with the ski team. Running through a Minnesota winter will help improve anyone, because after trying to set a 5-mile PR through snow on a 20 degree day in shorts and a T-shirt, 2 miles around a track just doesn't seem that bad.

DtB: What kind of training have you been doing over the winter?

Gagnon: Once cross-country is over, most of my training takes place around the chain of lakes here in Minneapolis. This winter I spent nearly 1000 miles around Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun alone, maintaining the progress I had made in CC and building a base for track. The runs themselves were usually not anything complicated, just being out there every day. My personal opinion is that the key to winter training is to stay outside, and don't spoil yourself by overdressing.

DtB: What are your goals for the season ... and were they changed by the run on Saturday?

Gagnon: My first goal was to beat my old state time, preferably in the first meet of the season. From here on out my goal is simply to try and cross the finish line with a new PR as many times as I can, even if I am just racing the clock with no competition. That will keep me busy until state, when I hope to be able to walk away from the track with a 1st place medal.

Photo courtesy of James Gagnon.