Some Stotan Secrets

Over the years I've gotten many inquiries as to what I thought of Larry Myers,the designated heir to the Stotan legacy and  author of Training With Cerutty.I tell everyone that the book is excellent because it's loaded with Cerutty quotes and that you have to respect Myers because,as the preface states, Perc had designated him to be his successor. Unfortunately,it appears that it didn't go well for Myers because he appeared to drop out of sight in the early 80's.However,before that time he wrote 100 Stotan Secrets---Training With Cerutty. It obviously was inspired by Percy and contained many good quotes by him.Much of what is in "Secrets" is worth paying attention to.Consider the following:
"A great coach inspires confidence in his leadership demonstrating in his own person what he wants an athlete do at practice and on the athletic field,realizing it is the intensity of effort that gets the results,not merely the effort being a slave to a printed training schedule. 'If a coach can't do it,he can't teach it' remarked Cerutty"
The above view on coaches seems almost unimaginable in this day and age. I don't believe I ever had a coach who actually "took us through our paces."
"Coaching hundreds of athletes over the years taught Percy Cerutty that it takes a gifted distance runner between 5-8 years conditioning and at least 10 yerars for an average athlete to reach their potential."
In the age of wanting results as soon as possible,the above time schedules may seem like a lifetime to many.Patience is the key.
"When a group of athletes train or run together,there is a lot more momentum build up throughout a workout,developing the 'soul power' one only vaguely thought existed from training alone."
Amen to that, there is something very special about training with a group of runners who all desire one thing,running success.For you Buffalo natives,remember the old days when groups of runners trained together in preparation for the Skylon Marathon?
'Never look backwards dwelling on past failures and defeat letting it get one down,but endeavor to move forward on the highest creative plane,focusing your energies on the future,working hard for winning and success,placing no limitations on yourself reaching, upwards to the stars and beyond."
Dwelling on past mistakes and failures only conjures up negative feelings.
As someone once said---"we can do infinitely more than we think we can."