This has been a very difficult post for me to create. I never thought it would be, but I have been thinking about it for almost two weeks now. College was a very disappointing, frustrating and confusing time for me. I didn’t become a national class runner. I didn’t make it to the Olympics. I didn’t improve any of my times from high school. I graduated from Seton Hall with a degree in social sciences, a minor in English and the required minor in theology/ philosophy. I’m very thankful to Seton Hall University and Coach John Gibson for the opportunity to attend the college for four years with no payments. I actually enjoyed the academic classes in college. Philosophy, history, government, politics and classical literature were all interesting to me. I learned how to write. I learned how to think logically. And I graduated with a teaching certificate that allowed me to get a job thanks to a wise counselor who transferred me into Department of Education as I ended my junior year. All athletes were required to have their schedule approved by a counselor for each semester. I think that is a very wise policy.
But running was a totally different matter. Let’s just say that in for years of college I never beat a single workout. My muscles were constantly sore and I was frequently too seriously injured to train. As an 18 year old I never figured out why this was so. Strangely, I haven’t thought much about it for over 50 years. That may have been just acceptance of defeat, or possibly just repression . So, when I started writing this blog and decided to talk about my history as a runner, I had to go back and think about what happened in college. I now have about 40 years of experience as a coach to draw upon to try to help explain this turn of events. So here goes.
This may be a bit long so you may choose to completely avoid reading it. But I want to put it on paper for myself.
In the two recruiting classes of 1960 & 61 Coach Gibson had brought in 9 half milers who had run 1:58 or better in high school and myself at 1:59 flat. I was a classic cross-country runner. I never broke :53.5 for a 440. That was running from start to finish full out. I spent four years running incredibly difficult workouts designed for middle distance runners who run 1:53 for the 880. My conclusion is today that those workouts did nothing but shred my long fiber, slow twitch, distance running muscles. Five of the guys recruited in those two classes did run 1:53 or better before graduation . The other five of us never improved one second. I would run the first few intervals of these workouts with those very fast guys and then my calf muscles would seize and I had to quit the workout. Coach Gibson came to the conclusion that I was not trying very hard. He told me that I should appreciate more the opportunity that the university was giving me to get a free college education. He also told me that my brother, John, threw up on the track every day during his workout for 4 years while he was at Seton Hall , every day! That, I am sure he concluded, was a demonstration of someone who appreciateed his scholarship. So, I tried harder and continued to fail, constsntly exhausted. It is truly a sad story. I’m not sure if I realized how sad at the time, but I know I was very depressed. I even trained on my own down at Lincoln Park on days off hoping maybe I could catch up. But it wasn’t to be.
This brings us to the title of the post today. I never beat a single workout in 4 years of college. Every day I left practice defeated, exhausted and discouraged. Unlike in High School, I dreaded going out to practice each day. I have to say the guys on the team were great to me. Every time I nearly completed a full practice they would encourage me and tell me I was getting better and things ware going to get better. They were all very nice young men. I left college still loving track but disappointed in my own career.
There is a happy ending though. Eight years later I became a running coach. I vowed that my athletes would never be ‘beaten’ by a workout. It is a policy I have followed for 40 years, and I believe the results speak for themselves.
During my coaching career I have had the pleasure and honor of coaching some of the most outstanding High School distance runners in the state of New Jersey. Four of them Andy Martin, Brad Hudson, Brendan Heffernan and Chris Robinson won the New Jersey Meet of Champions. Brendan was also National Champion . One thing all of these guys had in common was they could not break 53 seconds for 400 meters and ran 800 metres just under two minutes. They were classic distance runners like me. Now I am self- coaching my 70+ slow twitch muscles and having a blast.
Further details of my coaching career will follow in the next history post.
I am loving these comments! And Coach, in addition to the many many world class runners you coached up, I bet there are just as many average runner types like me who never had amazing high school (or college for that matter) racing success, but have enjoyed a lifetime of running enjoyment because of our start with you as Coach. At least for me, that gift has been just as awesome!
Thanks!
Thank you, Dan. Knowing that so many of my guys are still running is one of my greatest sources of pride. Stay fit and safe.
Kind words that mean when world to me, Chris. Stay healthy and enjoy the journey.
What a story, I’m really enjoying this. Listen, it’s scripted. The facts speak for themselves (I’m literally exploding with cliches right now); it’s how you finish, finish, finish, FINISH. You’re in your 70s, successfully running and dominating, a bunch of people love you and write about the impact you had in their lives twenty years (sorry, Andy–thirty years) later. I’m glad you failed at Seton Hall, if that’s what you call it. It sharpened generations of runners into something more; you multiplied your successes through a single defeat.
Brendan is spot on. We ran for you, because you told us what we could do, and we did it. I remember you actually following us in the blue Volvo to make sure we were sticking to the plan. How many times in the last twenty years have I heard Coach O yelling, “Drop the hammer, Robinson!” when I thought my insides were coming outsides and wasn’t sure if I could take another step? Today was one of those days, pushing through, 38 and not so great: but I finished.
Great post, coach. insightful. I can remember people being surprised how low our mileage was, 40-45 a week with sundays off. But when we worked out, we worked out hard and it was quality. You always knew how and when to push us which built confidence and allowed us to achieve things we thought were unachievable.
Over the years since I hung up my spikes, I’ve had a few people ask me what the secret to our success was, and I always told them it was faith in our coach. I believed in the program and in you unconditionally. I knew that you were our biggest advantage. I recall standing on the starting line at nationals my senior year knowing that there was no one there that day who could beat me because you had prepared me for that moment. I can’t thank you enough for that.
And regarding times, you’re right, i think i ran something like 55 or 56 in the quarter and 1:56 or so from the gun, split a 1:55 in HS. I can still remember my last day of practice at Georgetown where I ended up finishing a workout with a few 300s with a some 800/miler types that were way out of my league. My last interval was a completely all out 40 second PR. of course they ran 36 or something ridiculous which must have looked funny because my performance elicited a round of applause from my teammates who happened to be watching. funny stuff. good memories.
Brendan it is truly humbling and brings a tear to my eye to hear such nice things from a former Runner. I can’t think of a prouder legacy for a coach then to know the young men he coached have those kinds of positive memories of their relationship. Thank you. You and Andy have made my day.
By the way Brandon, I believe you ran 53. for the 400 at Hunterdon Central at the Skyland conference relays. You ran anchor leg on the 4 x 4 which got beat and disqualified after you “threw” the Baton. Do you remember?
I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m pretty sure I “dropped” it 😉
Coach – Thanks for sharing this. I think you and i could talk for hours about our frustrating college careers. I can say you never beat us with a workout and now I can look back and think of all the ways you were doing your best to hold us back and protecting us from ourselves (well there was nothing you could do about Brad).
Keep posting. Love reading your blogs!!!!
Andy, thank you for those kind words and for reading and for commenting on my blog. It does make me feel very nice to know people are reading and enjoying and maybe being somehow affected.
Nice piece — prob better suited for the Mile + in college as well as xc focused .. Although i was more of a 400-800-1200 guy it seems that your coach should have altered his approach to what works for the athlete especially after a year or two of non body response to the same training. But the good take away was great lessons that lead to coaching some guys to great memories that may never have happened in the same system or culture of tradition and pride that has been passed down to today at nhhs! The unique approach and understanding of the athlete based on their mind and body ability is what separates a coach who can produce a winner in many different training molds not just a stubborn one size fits all. That’s a how a real legendary program is built and people appreciate it.
You have some of Mom’s fast twitch muscle fibers. She was a sprinter.
Your college coach would have been a candidate for “the Ultimate Coachdown Award” ! Amazing how some of the worst moments in our lives prepare us for some of our best achievements.