Pandemic Papers: An Interview with Conor Shelley (Class of 2011), Part 1

 

OK so today, the very sporadic Pandemic Papers series continues with a somewhat new format. Conor Shelley (Class of 2011) put a lot of thought, effort and work into these questions and answers. I think it’s safe to say that he used about as much cognitive energy on this interview than perhaps he did during the entirety of his five-year academic career at Marist. That might be a bit of hyperbole, it’s definitely a direct pot shot at Conor … but I bet Conor would agree with that! So yeah, that new format. Conor texted me a few days before he emailed me the interview and a ton of photos that he “needed an editor.” My reply was something to the effect that we don’t have what we used to call “newshole” back when I worked at Dutchess County’s Finest Daily Newspaper. In other words, it’s a blog. There are no “space limits.” But hoo-boy, his interview came in at around 7,000 words. That’s a lot to digest, even for the most loyal blog follower.

 

So, I’ve decided to break this into a three-part series! It fits kind of neatly into that – in terms of word count but also topic. Part 1 = The Early Years of Conor, leading up to his time at Marist. Part 2 = The Marist Years and his many great athletic (and many bizarre other) accomplishments as a five-year member of the Running Red Foxes. Part 3 = The Post-Marist Years, which have also been filled with great athletic, professional (and yes, more bizarre) accomplishments and milestones. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

 

When, how and why did you start running?

 

My mother and (to a lesser imprint on an adolescent psyche) a significant percentage of my aunts, uncles, and other relations were all hit by the marathon bug in the early 1990s. Playing in a long jump pit while Liz Shelley was likely running Yasso 800s on a track, and standing in Central Park watching relatives finish at NYC Marathon are all vivid memories for me.  The running lifestyle was never overtly pushed, but my wife (Laura M.F. Shelley ‘11) constantly reminds me of a familial culture built around being active and half-stepping your closest friends. A fun side note: Laura’s dad was among the group of running buddies my mom connected with when we first moved to Rockville Centre.  In the early years, I’d be tasked with running around the block when particularly pent up or petulant. At 5ish years old, a third-of-a-mile with two hills (our house at the harder crest) totaling 15 feet of elevation gain (just checked) was a daunting task.

 

Once I got to middle school, I had an older sister who had run XC/Track and had started showing success as a freshman in high school (and eventually beyond). Paired with all of the above, matched with the fact that I seemed to be able to catch anyone given enough ground to do so, and buoyed by a near-undefeated 8th grade track season in the 800, I was hooked! I joined the 3 sport, 4 season lifestyle in my sophomore year of high school after realizing how much fitness I lost between XC and Outdoor Track in comparison to my peers. I had spent September-November working my way up the freshman ranks and came back in March back at square one; somehow it was too much for my ego. 

 

What other sports did you play growing up and when did running become the primary focus of your athletics?

 

Quite typical of American suburbia at the time, I was signed up for as much as I could try! I had the typical peewee soccer, Little League, and martial arts experiences.  I’m technically a Green Belt in Tae Kwon Do, as it was mandatory gym curriculum in high school through sophomore year. Basketball was everything for a while, and it took “The Last Dance” this year for me to remember how much so! My father played for the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, and he was head coach for my local league teams through middle school. Pre-working age summer camps included some hiking, orienteering, general sport, and marksman work (skills that make “Red Ryder Christmas” a little extra fun at the in-laws).

 

My most influential non-running activity, however, was actually my summer job as an Ocean Lifeguard! Growing up near coastal Long Island, the local news included water safety as a huge part of their seasonal coverage and highlights about the various Ocean Rescue outfits were a staple.  I joined up with the Town of Hempstead before my senior year and their two-week weed-out “Rookie Training” changed me from a cautiously capable swimmer to a budding waterman (not there yet, still). I cannot overstate how much this low-key life-threatening job helped build confidence, fitness, fortitude, and much needed social skills. I even recorded a few “retired rescues” near my recently vacated home in Long Beach, NY. 

 

You ran at a high school and for a coach that has quite a long and storied tradition on Long Island in the CHSAA (Kellenberg Memorial High). What are some of your fondest memories and highlights of your time as a high school runner? 

 

Fellow CHSAA (and similar private school leagues in NJ/CT/MA, etc.) alums take a certain pride in the long tradition of athletic success driven from the smallest “section” (number 13 by the way) in the state, with the largest footprint.  While we never really felt like XC/Track received the budgetary consideration of other teams, the simple capability of being able to recruit engaged, experienced, and seasoned coaches allowed our team the resources to learn as much about the sport as possible. Even our jumps and throws coaches had vast experience within the realm of distance/mid-d. The program likely felt pretty similar to the contemporary structure at Marist, and it certainly helped me learn the sport in a way I wouldn’t have at South Side High School (sorry, Duggans).

 

We often over-trained when in season, but it truly built the massive base I arrived at Marist with and influenced the drastic improvements I saw when I became a Red Fox. We’re spread across the country now, but I am as close to my Forever Firebirds as I am to my Forever Foxes. 

1.     Kevin Buckley: Imagine the track coach of near antiquity and delete the cigar! I’ve known this man for almost 20 years intimately and he’s still somehow a mythic being. We’re all certain at least 50 percent of his running knowledge came from the Belmont Race Track! For a long period of time, walking into the world famous (10k+ person facility) Armory Track in Washington Heights meant hearing the professional announcer armed with concert-capable AV equipment failing to speak over a man whose life depended on the outcome of the Freshman 4x200 “J” team. I am a proud recipient of three broken clipboards and a kicked-over trash can (all away from my view and for varying degrees of failure/success). They truly don’t make them like this anymore.

2.     Cross Country: Considering my early/surprising and continued success at Marist, it is almost strange to think of what I thought of as successes back then (13:17 at the famed VCP 2.5 Mile Course, 17:08 at Sunken Meadow). This flatlander was commonly finishing 4/5k races totally gassed, but able to bounce back quickly to energetically cheer for whatever friends and family were running after my race. Setting a PR at a particularly muddy Manhattan Invitational in ‘05 was incredibly fun, and solidified the notion that big guys with big feet can handle some pretty gnarly conditions. I made a Federation Championship team my Junior Year and was an All-State honorable mention after blowing up at The City Championship senior year (one broken clipboard).  

3.     4x800: First let me say that the CHSAA approaches the 3200m relay with a fervent zeal and Kellenberg was no different. Junior year looked like I would be destined for the 2 mile, until a serious winter-break injury sidelined my classmate. From that point on, track season involved taking a decidedly slow-twitch person and turning him into a passable long sprinter (the dreaded 5x200 with 5 minutes rest often left me huddled on the ground fighting charlie-horses in 30-degree weather). That year we won the Indoor City title in the last 50m (against sister-school powerhouse Chaminade), and Kellenberg’s celebration was bigger than that of the Team Title Champions. Senior year, we qualified for outdoor states, placed fourth in a school record, and I was personally able to set my lifetime best of 1:57 (this was when Buckley kicked over a trash can). Two trips to The Millrose Games (back when they were in MSG), and leading in leg 3 of the first heat at Nike Outdoor Nationals would round out the memorable experiences resulting from that brutal training regimen.

 

I left KMHS with a 4:33 mile, and a 9:55 deuce (done once on the pancake-flat placemat of Suffolk Community College).

 

The last thing worth mentioning relates to the “LI Summer Training Group” referenced in a few prior Pandemic Papers entries. The schedule, cadence, venues (including post-run refueling), were initially based on what Kellenberg/Bellmore Striders did during the off season (most significantly at Sunken Meadow).  Over the years, the group grew to the point that a few dozen collegiate runners could show up on any given Tuesday/Thursday; almost feeling like a bona fide practice. I’d love to find out if the current LI team meetups can be linked to that crew of dedicated grinders who truly made summer training memorable; if so it may be amongst the most impactful part of my Marist legacy.

 

Take us back to the recruiting process? What led you to Marist and what made you choose Marist? What other schools were you considering?

 

Marist first came on my radar with a campus mailer which featured a photo of the 4x800 team of Decker, Quinn, Bamberger, and DeMarco at the Millrose Games (Bob Sweeney, the mid-d folks DO have value). I hadn’t heard much about the school beforehand and having ran in Madison Square Garden that year as well, I figured it would be worth a look at. In three visits, I can’t actually remember if we met for more than a few short minutes. My overnight (I can’t remember if it was official or not) was a Sunday to Monday with JK Trey, and they had been “entertaining” a more valued recruit the night before. While the visit wasn’t too eventful (classes were snowed out the next day, and I don’t think I even had the chance to run), John and company did a great job of selling the program and the school. 

 

My impression of Marist (ignoring platitudes of the beautiful geography) was that it was a run of the mill college, where a good work ethic could go a long way. This may sound like a slight, but most other schools I visited were talking about how they aimed to be on the level with Harvard within a few years; the sales pitch always came off as disingenuous. An institution with a degree of self-awareness and humility went a long way in my book, and the much later discovered Marist Coat of Arms words of “Cum Optimis Litigare” (to strive with the best) proved to be true.

 

I had been looking at Iona, Stonehill, Delaware, Fordham, and American; with the former two giving me a humble academic scholarship. I’ll be honest, Iona was in the lead for a good while. The prospect of having an outside shot at a national berth in XC was alluring and it seemed as if they were grooming me to be a workout rabbit for one of their top 1500 guys. Coach Buckley hadn’t sent someone Mick Byrne’s way yet, and really wanted to see a dedicated distance runner matriculate to this program.

 

With a decision deadline days away and me sitting on the fence, Coach Juan Estrella (summer run coordinator, 3x LI Marathon Champion, and incredible coach himself) pulled me aside for a solo warm up and made my choice clear.  While he was a top runner at Fordham, he always noted that the lesser-funded former satellite school in Poughkeepsie was often doing just as well as the historic program he was running for. He told me that while he hadn’t met you personally, he had heard other coaches within our community refer to you as a supportive and nurturing coach (he used the phrase “second father,” take it or leave it in the editing process). Juan also made me aware that he really wanted to see a dedicated distance runner matriculate to this program. I was sold, and the Kellenberg (and Rockville Centre) pipeline was open (Juan was also a major driver of the summer group, I think you owe him a beer Pete)!

 

I remember speaking with a couple of fellow runners that summer and all I could say was “My coach has a mullet,” I wonder what 18-year-old Conor would think of your magnificent beard!

 

Editor’s note: One of the many reasons I love Conor is that he is the only person on the planet who would refer to my current facial hair situation as “magnificent.” Also, the gratuitous mullet reference is outstanding; thank you. I’m hearing that mullets are coming back in vogue? And, while I’ve heard the “Juan Estrella story” a few times and have indeed thanked him personally, it still blows me away because 1. He ran for a rival school and 2. I had actually recruited him out of high school!

 

Coming tomorrow, Part 2: Conor Shelley’s very adventurous and successful running career at Marist. And a little bit about academics, too.