Bill Squires Sounds Like A Raging Egomaniac

pjb wrote:

I read the article and then immediately bought his book. He sounds like quite a character and a great coach. I want to hear some more Bill Squires stories from his athletes.

1978 Penn Relays

This was my first trip to this world-famous track meet and my best opportunity to qualify for the Nationals, which would be held at UCLA in June. After a disappointing debut in the marathon at Boston in 1977, I decided to go back to running the kinds of events that would make me a better, more accomplished runner overall.

I only ran two collegiate outdoor seasons and had never run 10,000 meters on the track, but I had run a six-mile time trial in 28:42 at Boston College in 1977. My track workouts and races leading up to the Penn Relays were so-so. When I ran a 14:26 5k on a windy day at the U.Mass Relays, finishing 2nd, even one of my most ardent supporters - a friend and teammate - doubted my chances of bettering 29:10. Somehow, though, I thought I had a good chance. My workouts were not great but they were good solo efforts at a local high-school track, with a friend of mine occasionally showing up to hold a watch and record my splits (this was before the advent of the digital watch, so a chronometer was required.)

Coach Bill Squires of the GBTC and Boston State College (now U. Mass.-Boston) drove a small group of us to Philly in his huge station wagon, the "Squiremobile". The Bo-State athletes urged me to ride shotgun with the coach, as they had heard all of his stories on previous trips and thought that I would enjoy a front-row seat. We arranged to meet at the Eliot Lounge (the former clubhouse for Boston runners presided over by Tommy Leonard) in Boston the morning of the race. I took the train from Lowell to Boston early that morning. We met at the Eliot and were off without a hitch. Squires talked non-stop; I never got past the first paragraph of my book. When I turned to look into the back seat, everyone was asleep. Coach had some interesting stories, assuming you could possibly follow them - his mind had the habit of flying ahead of his mouth and vice versa. Even though I only got 50% of what he said, that was more than most any other coach had to offer.

The trip proceeded in this fashion until I noticed Squires was scratching his head a lot and asking for a map. We were somewhere in Pennsylvania but no longer on the way to Philly. It was after 4 p.m. and I was scheduled to run at 6:30. "Don't panic," I told myself, but I was worried and anxious. I should have realized after hearing some of Squires' stories for the second time that we had been on the road for quite a while.

We finally arrived about one hour before my race. I changed into my running gear in the car and went to get my number - only to be told I wasn't entered. Panicking, I went off to find Squires. While I was looking for him there was an announcement that the college and open 10k races would be combined, which meant that I had just 15 minutes to try and get my number and warm up. Somehow, Squires got me a number while I warmed up easily and did some strides.

The field was huge - sixty-plus runners. Luckily, I lined up on the inside, but I was about 10 yards behind the start line. The gun sounded and we were off - for a few seconds, anyway. Bang! The second gunshot signaled a false start, with bodies flying everywhere. As we lined up again I was now stuck at the back, on the outside but not staggered. I was spotting everyone 15 yards. When we got underway, I made a strong move to get into a decent position where I could relax. I ran the first lap in lane three in 63 seconds and I heard Squires shouting to me to relax and get inside, which I did. I was now somewhere in the middle of the pack.

The race went by quickly (in comparison to the journey to Philly) and each lap I moved up, always having someone just in front to focus on. I did not hear many splits or even pay attention; I only heard a few shouts from Squires that seemed to indicate I was on pace and running well. On the last lap, I looked up and saw Charlie Maguire, a former NCAA six-mile champion whom I'd had a very close race with at Boston's Freedom Trail race the previous year, being given the decision over him at the finish. I certainly did not want him to beat me here. I dug down and passed him for 8th place, finishing in 28:59 and obtaining my National qualifier.

The effort was a big boost for my confidence, although I wound up suffering from a plantar fascia problem for a few weeks afterward, having terrible cramps in my foot. We stayed at a hotel in New Jersey, where I slept on the floor and I enjoyed the rest of the relays before the return trip home on Saturday. This trip was a typical experience for a post-collegiate runner then, and probably still is for many of them today.

jesse was a friend wrote:

Before Beardsley ever met Squires or had any contact with him whatsoever, he had run 2:16:01 as a 24 year old at the 1980 Olympic Marathon Trials. Beardsley was not coached at the time and was simply running without any guidance. Beardsley was incredibly talented.

By June of the following year he ran 2:09:37 and Squires coached him for free as both were affiliated with New Balance. Read Beardsley's book "Staying the Course"

quotes

"the word INTENSE does not begin to describe Bill Squires"

"Coach was a fan of high mileage, another reason we hit it off"

Do you realize how big a jump 2:16 to 2:09 is?

Beardsly ran 7 marathons in about 13 months.

2:16:01

2:15:11

2:13:55

2:12:48

2:12:41 (going out in 1:03:12)

2:11:48

2:09:37

did squires coach middle distance runners?

Great story!

I wish there were more guys like this coaching. He sounds like a complete nutbar, but in the best way. I always thought that running should be fun on some level and it seems like Mr. Squires really got that.

runsalott wrote:

did squires coach middle distance runners?

The club was founded with many middle distance track athletes:

Great story Bobby...I have noticed that certain runners will sometimes have a breakthrough at 10,000 meters in which one of their 5,000 meter splits will be extremely close to their 5,000 meter personal best. Was that the case with you in your 28:59? I am glad I started this thread. Old Squires sounds like the kind of guy who one would enjoy and might even find his braggadocio endearing. It sounds as if he really had a gusto about him.

jesse was a friend wrote:

Great story Bobby...I have noticed that certain runners will sometimes have a breakthrough at 10,000 meters in which one of their 5,000 meter splits will be extremely close to their 5,000 meter personal best. Was that the case with you in your 28:59? I am glad I started this thread. Old Squires sounds like the kind of guy who one would enjoy and might even find his braggadocio endearing. It sounds as if he really had a gusto about him.

jesse, you sound converted, haha. Squires still has some gusto.

I had not really run too many 5k's even, at that time and the outdoor track season in New England is pretty limited.

I had run a 4:08 mile and an 8:48 2 mile indoors.

If their were more opportunities to run on the track without having to be fast enough to run in the big European meets I may have done more of it.

I did run in the outdoor nationals on many occasions even once at 5K.

Converted? I knew it was a religion, Bobby...:)

Well, I just have been convinced that Old Squires would have been a fun guy to have as a coach, and that athletes generally improved under his guidance, perhaps partly due to the groups under his tutelage. I am convinced that many of his athletes, certainly including you, possessed talent, but he apparently inspired many of you. Sometimes when people appear boastful, it is as if the little child in them is coming out, and it can be taken with a grain of salt, as when a 5 year old says, "I am the best." Squires perhaps has a little bit of that in him, and I guess, life is short, cut the man some slack. Plus, if I hadn't criticized your man, his ardent defenders wouldn't have come crawling out of their holes. I did Squires a service....:)

Bobby, do you think that Squires thought of some of you as not having great talent partly because it sounds as if he himself had much more innate footspeed than most of you guys? Or do you think it was simply that some of you were late bloomers and not necessarily high school stars?

Nobby may comment on this (Hi Nobby) --

But I suspect Squires might be more famous if he had been a coach in the Japanese system. To my understanding, in Japan a coach who emphasizes the marathon and focuses on elite racers (without writing more general interest books on fitness a la Bowerman and Lydiard) and had Squires-type success would be quite the oracle.

I never heard him say anyone was "talented" Perhaps he believes as I do that you make your talent with whatever genetic gifts you have.

Passion is the most important thing and for a coach working with an athlete, sincerity.

Perhaps he was thinking of himself as the college coach at a DI program.

"I would have chosen not one of my athletes if I was recruiting for a Division I school," Squires says. "Zip! None! Even Meyer, he had everything going for him, but he didn't believe in himself."

I have held the 2 mile record at my HS since 1973 (9:17) I thought I was hot stuff until I realized I wasn't.

He comes across like what he is--a rapidly going senile cranky old dick.

Hey Hodgie-san If you don't think you were "hot stuff" then why do you say--"I have held the 2 mile record at my HS since 1973" and then list the excellent 9:17 time? Your modesty is so unconvincing.

Maybe because 9:17 isn't that fast in the overall scheme of things? My high school's 2 mile record is faster than that, and I guarantee the guy who holds it to this day (also from the 1970's) didn't turn out to be anywhere close to the runner Hodgie became. 9:17 is great, but there are dozen of American high schoolers who run that every year. How many Americans run under 2:11 each year?

The only people who should be offended by Squires' "talent" statement should be those athletes to whom he is referring. Many of these folks have chimed in and showed only affection for the man. It would seem that those of you offering your opinions up shouldn't be as worked up as you are. I'm thinking that this may be indicative of a "the truth hurts" type of reaction.

Squires was attempting to create Olympians, which he accomplished. Sorry folks, but within that scope your 2:27 winning marathon at the East Podunk Classic doesn't cut it.

Buffalo Billy wrote:

Hey Hodgie-san If you don't think you were "hot stuff" then why do you say--"I have held the 2 mile record at my HS since 1973" and then list the excellent 9:17 time? Your modesty is so unconvincing.

Hey Buffalo Bill,

Do you think if 100 high schoolers in the country run faster than you, you are "hot stuff"

I don't.

Tom, you look like you're in pretty good shape. Are you sure you're not Kim Kardashian's father?

I remember he was my 10th grade cross country coach. During one difficult race, I passed him and told him I sh*t myself. He told me to "shake it out". Good guy.