Pandemic Papers: An interview with Conor Shelley (Class of 2011), Part 2

This is part 2 of 3 of the Conor Shelley/Pandemic Papers interview. As we delve into the heart of the discussion, it’s important to highlight one particular line from the many that follow: “This team has had an ongoing parade of weirdos marching through the program.” I think it’s safe to say that Conor considers himself a proud member of that cohort! His ramblings about his academic and running career are outstanding and at times laugh-out-loud funny. His “rivalry” with Rolek (especially on the back stretch of the Spackenkill track that one day) is the stuff of legend; I love them both, but man, there was friction that day! I have vivid memories of that and all of these stories. Please keep reading. Thank you.

 

What was your major at Marist and what are some of your fondest academic memories -- favorite classes, professors, etc? (heh-heh, this should be good)

 

I took a little while to figure it out, but I eventually landed on Political Science with a minor in Psychology. Considering you sent this email end-December, it is currently January 26^th (when replying), and I’m four pages (and hopefully halfway) in; this was simultaneously a perfect choice and a horrible decision. I was a natural test taker with a penchant for both distraction and an overly meticulous writing style. A decidedly qualitative major blending philosophy, history, and a shit-ton of opinions played right into my interests, but challenged my weaknesses.

 

I remember attending a seminar in the Rotunda as part of my capstone class, where a Middle East expert (and expat) basically outlined what eventually became the “Arab Spring” approximately a year later. There was a “Classical Political Theory” class taught by a since-retired professor whose texts I still read. In one class, he brought up the concept of natural vs. structural impediments within a system, asking: “What would be a natural impediment to a person becoming an orchestra conductor?” My answer: “If you were born without arms,” and the subsequent laughter from a man who had been clearly asking that question for decades remains among my crowning classroom achievements!

 

I performed better in the fall, and commonly burned out in the longer spring semester. I commonly took greater interest in electives, which are a haven for the short-attentioned. Most importantly (and foolishly), I believe I valued my learning more than I did my grades. I’ll echo prior praise of Alyssa Gates and her diligent work keeping now-generations of student-athletes on the path to academic success. 

 

One last piece I’ll take pride in, was being a member of the inaugural “Track and Field Coaching” class (your debut as an adjunct professor). I remember getting a misprinted USATF Textbook with Bible Study test questions in lieu of a shot put chapter, a lively discussion including a few students who were not on the team, and getting caught telling some teammates that I was struggling to stay awake in one particular class (I promise it was more about a lack of sleep than the subject or instructor)! A recent VDOT certification process was made much easier due to your tutelage!

 

It's funny how the mind's eye works. You had a great three-season, five-year career at Marist, and yet I think of two truly bizarre performances (15:00.00 at BU and your improbable "beat Rolek's time" 10km at Princeton). What are some of YOUR fondest memories and proudest accomplishments of your time here?

 

Trying to personally hype up my impact to the team is strangely difficult as I firmly believe I lived smack dab in the middle of a golden age for the program. I think my range would be noteworthy in most other eras that the program has experienced, but being surrounded with the likes of Girma, Griffin, Vess, etc., makes me more of a bit-player during my tenure at Marist. I spent almost my entire career within our top 5 (mostly our third guy at any given moment) in cross country, and when “on” in track could say the same for any event from 800-10k (excluding a brief and foolish foray into steeplechase). Looking through old results reminds me that any time I was put into an 800 relay leg, you almost always got a 1:59 out of me regardless of what my specialty or fitness was at the time.

 

I arrived a mid-pack recruit in a talented freshman class, who quickly took to the longer distance involved in collegiate XC. After a few early-season meets of placing within our top 3, we finally hit the historic Van Cortlandt Park 5-miler and it became apparent that this program fit my strengths. I could easily break 16:00 for 5k, en-route to a sub 26:00 five-miler. Partial credit goes towards the simple fact that we didn’t hammer EVERY SINGLE RUN (a lesson I need to relearn periodically); but most goes towards incredible mentorship (coach and peer), a change in terrain, and a great culture.

 

During indoor track that year, I took a whopping 17 seconds off my 1600 time at the Metropolitan Championships DMR at 4:15 for a win; which remains a highlight because I still have the footage on tape! The DMR team of Geist, Kippins, Bam, and Shelley took a school record 10:04.42; with a 4:13 split for myself (a later foray at the Penn Relays Championship of America proved less successful). If/when we get to Justin Harris entry, I’d love to read his take on our last race together at the Outdoor MAACs 5k. Effectively, I had given him some undue/negative feedback about his performance in the 3k steeple the day before, he got SUPER pissed and proceeded to put on a damn 5k clinic the next day.

 

Before sophomore year, I had a pretty nasty spill that resulted in a deep wound in my knee, which left me unable to effectively walk for two weeks. It was a huge setback and I spent most of cross country running myself stupid; but there were some silver linings: 1) I was able to take some personal time and started dating my now-wife, 2) I had my best personal finish at XC Regionals, and 3) I had what is likely the most consistent indoor/outdoor season of my career. 

 

The aforementioned 15:00.00 FAT result was incredibly fun and remains the most exciting indoor non-mile/800 I’ve ever run. I think it would have gotten a bit more play on the blog in the modern era, but this medium was much more informational back then and didn’t yet have its current narrative. I remember being 400 to go with the team going nuts. The line is certainly apocryphal, but you yelled something along the lines of “GIVE ME A 68 AND YOU’LL GET 15!” Lo and behold, I delivered you a 68 as ordered and spent the next 30 minutes circling the infield at BU (holding up the whole team, mind you), only to find out that I indeed got 15! Subsequently, I got my lifetime 3k (8:33) and 1500 PRs and a 5k time which damn near was my lifetime best. 

 

My XC career finished with a top-5 all-time VCP performance (now 8th, at least I'm beating Dietrich somewhere over 3k); I remember you also saying I left with the most sub 25 8k/5 mile results in program history.  The latter had more to do with the gradual shift towards faster and flatter courses in the NCAA system, but I’ll take it! We truly had an incredible squad in that stretch of time where 2nd place in the MAAC often felt inevitable. The 2008 season was particularly special, as the team was finally able to come together during championship season and nail all three races. We showed up at Disney in numbers and buried everyone but Iona, then we FINALLY broke into the top 10 in the region, and closed out with a second-place finish at the 100th IC4A Championship. That and our big year in 2010 (I got to “hold the clipboard” at a few races, marking a one-season NCAA coaching career) were a culmination of the hard work and culture built before us.

 

My last few track seasons were a little less than stellar, but thankfully I was able to save some of the best for last. I came to indoors in pretty good shape and was largely primed for some fast performances, the only hiccups came from the weather. It was a particularly icy that winter, and my February training cycle went like this:

 

Sat/Sun: Long run/race recovery, slipped on black ice with a mile left. Bruises, abrasions, and some difficulty walking.

Sun/Mon: Off due to injury.

Tuesday: Off or short shake out see if I can still run.

Wednesday: Light workout to see if I can handle speed.

Thurs: Regular run, maybe we will do okay? Or Pre race run.

Fri/Sat: Race day! Not my best, but in the right place if I can stay healthy through next week

Sat/Sun: Long run/race recovery, slipped on black ice with a mile left. Bruises, abrasions, and some difficulty walking.

 

I finally broke 15:00.00 indoors, ending any need to run 25 laps inside ever again but leaving a decent chip on my shoulder at the start of outdoor track.  In my AAU/Kirk’s Day debut, I ushered in the end of the McCann Center Track with my only individual school record, which may last eternally. While I understand that Quimes technically bested my time on an Outdoor Track the next year, I’m only willing to recognize it as an “Outdoor Record.” I feel as if the McCann Track was the harder venue considering its 160m length, smooth surface, and narrowing from 2 to 1 lanes at the far turn (definitely a great way to learn track tactics however).

 

This brings us to the famous “Rolek Challenge” 10k! Mike and I had an interesting relationship when we shared a uniform; he remains one of two men I’ve ever had a full-blown yelling argument with during a workout (literally mid-rep on the back straight of the Spackenkill track)! We were both proud members of the hammer squad and our competitive natures would occasionally get the better of us, even if it occasionally came to a boil. My sophomore year, he set a then school record of 30:36 at Sam Howell; only for Girma to crack a 30:22 at Penn a few weeks later. As he was decidedly a capital D “Distance Guy” and I was at the time a Miler who could hold his own in a 5k; I always had it in the back of my mind to try and nab his specialty PR before hanging up my spikes (and I only wanted to run the event once).

 

I’ll recommend you all read Pete’s color commentary from back then, but I’ll leave you with a few short observations.

1.     This performance was on April 1st (TEN FREAKING YEARS AGO); a fact that escaped me at the time, which is now hilarious because Mike Rolek might have thought it was an Internet prank. My 30:33 indeed passed the “Rolek Standard.”

2.     I was racing against future training partner Andrew Coelho (another Wantagh weirdo) and future NYAC Teammate Sebastian Schwelm. Also, I had finally qualified for Outdoor IC4As.

3.     It took me about half of the race for me to realize that the NYU Coach at the time (our good friend Nick McDonough) was also cheering for me! I had rabbited one of his athletes to qualify for NCAAs (I believe) at the same meet, in the same event freshman year after running a sub-par 5k. 

4.     The “No Splits” thing was all about finding ways to not overthink a long and uncomfortable affair. I was aided by other inexperienced runners in the lead pack, namely a gaggle of seemingly scared LaSalle freshmen who would speed up every time they passed their coach on the first turn. The changing rhythm kept me alert!

5.     I was able to brag about having the fastest debut in school history for two weeks, until Will Griffin smashed the school record at Mount SAC at 29:45.

My career ended with one last epic MAAC 5k, with fellow RVC resident Pat Duggan acting as sacrificial lamb in helping me score points and get one last sub-15 (he was also instrumental in my AAU record). It technically ended with an IC4A 10k performance (should have heeded my own advice of “one and done”); but the only highlights there were rebelliously wearing a homemade black Marist singlet and purchasing a Hoagie Haven T-shirt while exclaiming “I CAN GET FAT NOW”!

Fun fact: You remain legendary in my household for your "if it's free it's me" mantra (Joey still quotes that and lives by it!) and when you were locked out on our back porch, playing with James' blocks. You were known as an irreverent personality on the team and yet you may have been one of the best athletes I've ever had in talking with recruits! Talk about all of those things (I know, that's not a question!)

First and foremost, the quote is “if it’s FOR free, it’s FOR me”! I was definitely known for finding, shall we say, “cost effective” solutions to trivial problems. I’ll also say that the rampant pillaging of on-campus BBQs, use of meal money for weekly groceries, and other unique savings strategies were ratcheted up upon the admission of one Adam Vess to Marist College. The shrinking of phrase as well as adaption and apparent industrialization of the lifestyle by one Joey Colaizzo, remains a source of immense pride. 

 

If you search my name on this blog, you’re likely to find some synonym of “goofy” as the nearest adjective to my name; I won’t dispel anyone of this characterization. I cannot remember the “locked out” story, but it fits my character for sure! I will say my more childish characteristics are paying off in spades within the conversation of early parenthood. I consider myself among good company when people talk about my occasionally outside-the-box worldview; this team has had an ongoing parade of weirdos marching through the program. Every once in a while, the world picks up one of my hair-brained ideas and runs with it (i.e.: Marching Band at the Red Fox Trot) and makes itself just a little better.  To the “irreverent” tag, I’ll choose to take it as a compliment! I can at times be blunt or tactless in my conversational approach; at times it can get me into a little hot water, but you would certainly know where I’m coming from. 

 

The above personality, paired with my successes on the field and a natural affinity for sales/hospitality, made for an incredibly successful recruitment rate. I’ll first discuss our four-year tradition of the “Accepted Students Day” round robin conversations. I’d come by McCann that Saturday and the two of us would sit down in a conference room and talk with any prospective athletes interested in the school. Considering I could help sell the team culture from the perspective of someone running under your tutelage. I’m unsure if I gave you a day in my fifth year, but I vividly remember speaking with a significant population of our team. (Editor’s note: Conor conveniently forgets to mention here that before the roundtable panel discussions upstairs, he would absolutely raid the free-food tables set up by admission in what would later become known as the “McCann Arena” … if it’s for free, it’s for me!)

 

I’ll also touch on my skills as a host briefly; if you stayed on my floor or couch for an overnight, there was a greater probability you’d come to Marist. Maybe it was luck in getting recruits more likely to gravitate towards us, but I’ll tell myself it was all me! The key was always trying to read the recruit, bringing them on the most scenic run available on the day, and selling our “buy-in” culture.  I’ll always remember future Groomsmen Adam Vess and Shane Reilly’s separate visits. Both hit “Under the Bridge Trails,” Adam and I cut one of my three classes that day (Editor’s note: This is so predictable as to be almost cliché at this point) to see something more interesting, and poor Shano got woken up to one of Leo’s infamous random 4 a.m. fire alarms (during a snowstorm, no less)! I’ll also mention Bill Posch and Mike Nicoletti’s post-IC4A visit my junior year, which was special because they had both been freshmen at Kellenberg my senior year.

 

Coming tomorrow, Part 3: Conor’s post-Marist life – career, running, marriage, family and everything else! – along with a finish-with-a-flourish, surprisingly excellent and forward-thinking brainstorming for the future alumni relations within our program. Feel free to comment. That’s what he wants!