My formidable years of High School ended in 1987 with my graduation. Many of the memories of that time, so seemingly important to remember then, have now faded into the obscurity of time. I remember bits and pieces and the occasional perusal of the yearbooks bring back glimpses and flashbacks but hardly anything I would call a solid memory. I do remember certain friends and I remember some key "Phil" shaping events, maybe not exactly as they happened but I am sure close enough. Interesting that such a pivotal time in ones life as "the high school years" can so easily fade into history, and now seems just another 3 years in my life. Don't get me wrong high school did provide me with quite a lot, my development as an athlete, introductions into relationships, Algebra and French, and of course my chance to work with Coach Gordon Stewart.
Gordy was a good size guy, Ex-football player if memory serves and probably one of the best Cross Country coaches I have ever worked with. Gordy wasn't a runner, but he had a way of helping us understand ourselves, our potential, and pushed us to succeed. he was always there and available, He answered our questions, devised devious workouts and challenged us to be the best runners we could be. I was lucky to be surrounded by a team of other great runners and through Coach Stewart's guidance I was able to achieve some pretty good results and was encouraged to explore my running talent.
To this day I find myself still using his catch phrase,"Rub some dirt in it.". This was coaches answer to anything that involved quiting. Fall down on the track and skin your knee during practice, "rub some dirt in it". Feel like quitting on Hill repeat 3 of 10, "Rub some dirt in it." At the time I didn't understand what his crazy phrase meant, but I always completed the workout.
Years Later after a few running injuries to the left hamstring I was encouraged to develop my cycling. As I developed my cycling and the workouts became longer and harder, I started to hear that voice again, "Rub some dirt in it." Long seemingly endless climbs with my quads screaming to stop, the voice would chant, "rub some dirt in it." and I would keep going. In races the voice would come, in training the voice would come. "Rub some dirt in it.", "Rub some dirt in it.", " Rub some dirt in it.". Every time the way became tough or I felt like quitting there was Gordan's catch phrase, pushing me, offering me that singular piece of advice I needed just at that moment. That is the mark of a great coach, the ability to inspire within ourselves the best of ourselves. Rubbing dirt in it has become a corner stone of my "Phil" osophy and so it is with great pride I pass this phrase on too you. May it serve you as well as it has me. Now stop reading, Rub some dirt in it and get back out there.
Recent Comments