Navigation
Runners on the Way Up
Dan Lawson
By George BankerJanuary/February 2004
For the Washington Running Report
Still Finishing Right Up There
It does not happen by chance; passion and desire are at the very core. To reach and sustain a level in this sport you need a plan. Dan "The Man" Lawson of Gaithersburg, MD, (Team Saucony/PowerBar), is modest about what he has achieved as he continues to makes progress. Yesterday's race is in the books, notes are made, and then he goes on to the next challenge.
At the young age of 48, he is still running his dream, which has taken him to far corners of the world. In 1993 and 1994, Lawson represented the U.S. as a coach/runner on a relay team in Japan where thirty countries participated.
It could be said that he was born to run and, given a chance to win an event outright, he'll go for it. A masters runner has nothing to loose and everything to gain. In all of the years of running he has been able to discover his strong points, learn how to develop those abilities, and then capitalize on them. Races are serious business for Lawson; he has only one thing to prove, to validate his training methods. He is the first to say that speed is what goes first with age, but he is not giving in to that. There is work involved in retaining that speed but that is what it takes. Lawson is willing to give up something to get something.
Lawson's introduction to running was in 1968, while in the 7th grade in Aledo, Illinois, where he ran sprints (100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters) until his coach realized that he did not have the speed for the shorter events. He moved up to run 800 meters and ran 2:18. In high school he ran 4:29 for the mile and 2:00 for the 800 meters, impressive but back in those days competition was very tough with state meet winning times of 1:51 for the half-mile, 4:04 for the mile, 8:45 for the two-mile.
During his two years at Blinn Jr. College in Brenham, Texas, Lawson's best times on the track were: half-mile 1:58, 1-mile 4:17, and 3-miles in 15:05. The natural progression was to move up to the 5000 and 10000 meters since leg speed was developed and there was a good base.
There were a couple of years of cross-country and track at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, (1980 graduate). The best time for 5000 meters was 15:21 and for 10000 meters, 31:32.
"I've run almost 85,000 plus miles over 35 years and I really would be content to run at a reduced schedule for the rest of my years. I now pride myself on my perseverance and longevity in the sport over any time or racing goals that I may set. I want to be able to do it the rest of my life for the health of it and maybe not for the racing aspect so much. I am totally happy with everything that I've achieved from a running aspect," states Lawson.
At age 35 he was named 1991 Illinois Runner of the Year by USA Track & Field, and in 2002, the Male Masters Runner of the Year by the Montgomery County Road Runners Club.
In 1992 he ran what is now considered the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time of 2:21:50; 1992 was the last year for the one standard, which was 2:20:00. In 1995, he was the holder of eleven state masters records in Illinois and Kansas. In 1998 he was masters division winner at the Nortel Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (52:46).
As an open runner, his best times include: 2 miles, 9:07; 3000m, 8:31; 5K,14:33; 4 miles, 18:42; 5 miles, 24:11; 10K, 29:56; 10 miles, 50:12; half-marathon, 1:07:30; and marathon, 2:21:50.
As a master: 2 miles, 9:37; 5K, 15:03; 8K, 24:57; 10K, 31:07; and 10 miles, 52:46.
One of Lawson's favorite races, the Quad-City Times Bix 7 Miler in Davenport, Iowa, holds some memorable moments in the 20 years he has run it. In 1996 he was the first masters division finisher in 36:11, beating Bill Rodgers who placed third in 36:42. In 1997 he repeated the masters win in 39:42, but at a price. The race is held at a hot time of the year, in July, he was not fully hydrated before the race nor did he take fluids during the race. It was hours before he knew he was the masters winner. A core body temperature of 108 degrees had him in the medical area after he collapsed after crossing the finish line.
Lawson was the runner-up masters division finisher in 1998 (36:48), 2000 (37:56), 2001 (39:02), and 2003 (40:09). His time in 1999 was 38:08.
At present, Lawson is the Director for Strategic and Performance Planning, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. He plays golf with his daughters, Hilary and Calley; he is quiet about his score but says they are better.
There is a juggling of schedules to allow time for the family and even a few 3:30 am risings to avoid conflicts, "It's their time to shine in the things that they are involved in so the family stuff is number one," he says.
Lawson's racing objective: "Run within myself as well as a balanced race by splits. Some days, things are clicking; other days it doesn't. You do what you can and call it a day. I never adjust my goal because of someone else. I go into a race with a plan and the only thing that would make me adjust is the weather."
In looking at his current performance over the last few years, he said, "The speed is the first to go. I am blessed with being able to maintain my speed late into my 30s and early 40s. The speed aspect is hard to maintain and not get injured. The aging process . . . I can't hammer workouts like I used to because of the need to recover."
It's important to keep prior performance and age in perspective as Lawson states, "I think it's natural to want to do the things that you used to do, but in the bigger picture of life it doesn't work like that, so I'm very content to run what I'm running, knowing that there are many other things going on in my life, such as kids, job, successful marriage, etc. I'm very satisfied that I have accomplished everything that I could have dreamed up in my running career and I'm content with that."
What works? The threshold runs every ten days, 3:00 to 5:00 minute sessions at eighty-five to ninety percent heart rate, intervals maybe once a week, and 1:00 to 2:00 minute speed sessions in the middle of a seven to eight miler once or twice a week. Racing is done March to November with one to two weeks off in December. He establishes his base training over the winter.
Lawson passes along the following thoughts, "I think the sport of running has changed a lot since I started. People are doing it more for the health of it and not so much to see if they can be an Olympian. That is good for the sport as a whole, but maybe not so good for the world-class running scene. Younger folks seem to have a lot of things going on in their lives and maybe running is just one of those. I would say, pick a reasonable goal and strive to achieve it a little bit at a time."
Dan on the move:
9th & 2nd 45-49 (34:14 ) Veterans Day 10K, Washington (11/03).5th & 1st Master (20:00) Candy Cane 6K, Chevy Chase, MD (10/03).
3rd & 2nd Master (27:25) Kensington 8K , MD (9/03).
2nd Master (17:08) Kentlands / Lakelands 5K, Gaithersburg, MD (8/03).
2nd 45-49 (35:39) 13th Lawyers Have Heart 10K (6/03).
4th 45-49 (34:51) 20th Sallie Mae 10K (5/03).
3rd 45-49 & 15th (33:31) Pike's Peek 10K (4/03).
1st 45-49 (34:57) St. Patrick's Day 10K (3/03).
1st Master & 2nd (58:43) MCRRC Turkey Burnoff 10 Miler (11/02).
1st 45-49 (27:10) Outback Steakhouse Corridor Classic 8K (11/02).
1st Master (33:46) United We Stand 10K (11/02)
1st 45-49 (16:25) PVI Runfest 5K (9/02).
1st 45-49 (16:22) Kentlands/Lakelands 5K (8/02) Holds Master Event Record 16:21.
1st 45-49 (34:15) Lawyers Have Heart 10K (6/02).
1st 45-49 (16:48) DC Race For The Cure 5K (6/02).
1st Overall & 1st Master (21:52) MCRRC Sue Wen's Run 4 Miler (5/02)
1st Master & 10th (56:21) George Washington Parkway Classic 10 Miler (4/02).
1st Master (34:09) Pike's Peek 10K (4/02).
1st 45-49 & 5th Master (34:05) St. Patrick's Day 10K (3/02)
1st Overall & 1st Master (27:13) MCRRC Jingle Bell Jog 8K (12/01)
1st Overall & Master (27:04) 7th Reston Jingle Bell Run For Arthritis 8K (12/01)
5th (20:25) Little Bennett's Revenge XC (11/01)
1st 45-49 (34:09) Georgetown Classic 10K (10/01)
1st Master (4:50) Pennsylvania Avenue Mile (10/01)
1st Master & 4th (16:21) Kentlands 5K (9/01)
1st 45-49, 2nd Master (28:35) Kensington 8K (9/01)
1st 45-49 (33:59) Sallie Mae 10K (4/01).
1st 45-49 (53:54) George Washington Parkway Classic 15K (4/01).
2nd 45-49 (55:16) Nortel Networks Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (4/01)
7th Master (26:35) Shamrock Sportsfest Masters 8K (3/01).
2nd Master (33:36-4th) Jingle Bell Run For Arthritis 10K (12/00).
1st 45-49 (26:50-6th) adidas Route 1 Corridor Classic 8K (11/00).