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The McDougals: Running Away From the Pack

It's tough to keep all the running honors of the McDougal family straight. Josh, 16, has won 3 national titles, set 3 national records and he's been named All-American 7 times. This year, at the Arsenal City Run in Watervliet, he placed third overall with a 5K, 14:58 time, 10 seconds off the national record for his age group.

His younger brother Jordon, 14, has 2 national titles under his belt, been named All-American 4 times and has set 2 national records of his own. Then there's Dru, 11, with his own national title, a national record and four-time All-American honors. Peter, only 8, has already won gold medals in local races and holds a 5k PR of 19:54.

As good as they are, you won't see any of the McDougals running for Peru High School, or for that matter any high school. The family is homeschooled.

"We're a very close family and we do a lot together. We were very impressed with other homeschoolers and being so family-involved it made a lot of sense. We are an extremely spiritual family and Christian education is very important to us," explains dad, Rob.

It was Rob, whose New Year's resolution 6 years ago got everyone in the family to the starting line. He set a goal of running 100 miles during the year and the family joined in for fun.

"I'd never seen the point of doing any kind of sport that didn't involve a ball of some kind but I started to get into it. It is also something the whole family can do. Running brings us together," says Rob, whose own PR in the 5K is 19:28.

Despite the lack of a school training program, a school coach or school training facilities, the McDougal family's training program is a highly organized affair. The family has set up training for each family member that works both individually and collectively. Perhaps most interesting, the young McDougal runners are developing a keen insight into what training is about.

"I want them not just to train but to learn how to train. They all have learned to see how they feel and adjust their training appropriately. The boys do this, not just for themselves, but for each other," said Rob.

Never having been a competitive runner himself, Rob has dedicated himself to learning everything he can about training principles. He also works closely with former Peru High School coach, Scott Woodward, seeking out the former coach and adjusting training regimens based on the coach's advice.

Part of Rob's running education came from wife, Lisa, a former cross-country and track runner herself at Plattsburgh State University. Lisa is the home schoolteacher and gets actively involved in the running as well. She's resumed her own road racing since the kids got involved, even running a 5:45 mile last year at a local race. Lisa's excited about all the success the children are having but it's not the most important thing to her.

"I got so excited when the kids took to running but I'm not that competitive. It makes me really happy that we run as a family. I worry about them being too competitive or developing too much pride," said Lisa.

"Its important to me that everyone in the family stay well rounded," Lisa McDougal

The McDougals' training program would be the envy of any school's program. Oldest son Josh and Jordan may run more miles or do more intense speed work than the rest of the McDougal team, but there are other workouts that include everyone, at least for part of the training. Rob makes sure that each running program is tailored to their needs so that the younger kids, Dru and Peter train at the right intensity. The workouts consist of easy morning runs, speedwork, interval training, distance and easy runs.

"We all work as a team and we base the workouts on whatever event is coming up, so that whoever's training will peak at the right time," said Rob.

Clearly the family doesn't miss out on the feelings that go along with teamwork. Michael 14, doesn't race, but he cheerfully joins the family as team manager and Johnna, 5, who's hasn't started her running career just yet, goes along to the family events. The family has matching uniforms they wear to events and the kids insist that Mom and Dad dress to be part of the team.

Even with all the family's success running, Rob and Lisa are very clear that it is secondary to their academics. Rob is a full time teacher at Peru High School and with Lisa handling the homeschooling, the family is clearly education oriented. The children live very balanced lives with hobbies that include the 4-H Club, chess and NASCAR. When you add those activities to a very active church life, you have very balanced, if not busy, lives.

The family has even found a way to work snowshoeing into the schedule and, in true McDougal fashion, it has been a runaway success. Though she likes to down play her own success, Lisa has won the North American Snowshoe Classic and has medaled in several of the Empire State Games' snowshoe competitions. Josh and Jordon were first and second in the scholastic age group at the '98 and '99 games, missing last year because the weather kept them from making the trip. In local competitions for kids, Dru and Peter have also taken gold medals.

All this success sometimes worries Lisa. "They make such very high goals that it sometimes concerns me. You can't have too many at one time and its important to me that everyone in the family stay well rounded," said Lisa.

The children all plan to go to college and the possibilities of athletic scholarships have them excited. Having attended high school in a non-traditional way doesn't worry dad, Rob.

"Homeschooling appeals to colleges. They know the kids will be independent and mature and with far less of a need to fit in," said Rob.

Tom Schreck, a writer in Albany, is an avid but slow runner whose times in the Hudson Mohawk Winter Marathon, the Boilermaker and other races are way too embarrassing to print. He helps organize Wildwood Programs’ Annual Fiddler's Run.