Stories From The Bluff — Time To Get In Shape

University of Portland Cross Country / Track & Field Head Coach Rob Conner (right) with Coaching Legend Joe Douglas of the Santa Monica Track Club at the OXY High Performance meet in 2012.

Rob Conner used to have a saying he often repeated when I was an Assistant Coach at the University of Portland in the early 2010s. It was, "Time to get in shape!" I still use it to this day. 

What it means is: the best time to start is right now. The best time to get better is today. Don't wait. Don't stall. Don't make excuses. It is time to get in shape.

Rob would offer this advice to walk-ons, All-Americans, and alums alike. It has a wide range of application, useful in many situations. I hope you consider adopting it.

In case you were wondering, yes, Rob did as he said. 

In early July one year, after the NCAA track season had concluded, he went in for a checkup with his doctor. He is vegan, so all his vitals were tip-top, save his weight. He had put on a few unwanted pounds.

It made sense. He hadn't run a step in over a month due to the stress and travel from the past track season. I looked at Rob and said, "R.C., time to get in shape!"

He said, "Dang, J.Mar. You're right."

He immediately left the office, went to the locker room, laced up his running shoes, and ran 12 miles that Monday. By week's end he notched 100 miles.  

As my mother says, always trust a cook who eats his own cooking. 

Thanks for reading. I'm glad you're here. // jm