Frank Shorter: I Am a Runner

I think everyone who lives for the run can relate to what Frank says below,it's taken from his book Olympic Gold: A Runner's Life and Times. "I am an amateur athlete. I run and train and compete for the sheer joy of the sport. I set goals for myself and structure my life so I can achieve them. When I am running well,I feel whole and happy,and when I am not running well,I try to figure out why so that I can feel whole and happy again.Running is not my job. Running is not,for me,working,though surely it is, at times,hard work. Running, for me,is a form of self- expression.Though I don't necessarily intend it as such,it is a statement of who I am and a lot of what I hope to be,even if what I someday become takes me away from running. Running is the one absolute in my life,and I admit to its control over me--a control that may not always seem to be in my best interests, but then, who is to say? I think I've reached the point where I am,perhaps perversely so,in control of the controls. This thing is really not so complex though. Above all else I run for fun,for the expansive feeling I get from running." Now there is a man who loves to run. Below is a link to an excellent recent interview with Frank.

http://www.denverpost.com/fanmail/ci_18138530?source=pkg

Runner, Know Thyself !

The following is from a book by Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic Marathon gold medalist.It's called Olympic Gold: A Runner's Life and Times. Much is to be learned from what Frank has to say. Most have forgotten that decades ago he led an effort to eliminate drug use from distance running competition, a noble endeavor indeed. Ironically,the '76 Olympic marathon champion Waldemar Ciepinski,whom Shorter finished less than a minute behind for the silver, was widely believed to be a drug cheat. Nothing ruins a sport's credibility more than illegal drug use. If you doubt that, then take a look at what it's done to baseball's homerun record for starters.But I digress. Here Frank gives an insight into something that can't be stressed enough,especially if you desire racing success: "You have to know your body. It's part of the beauty of the training process,and once you've determined how much your body (and mind) can take, you can then begin to reach your potential. As intensely as I've trained over the years,I never felt I was training too hard. I always felt I had a little more to give. I think I've grown to know my body and exactly how it reacts to running. I can detect subtle changes in the way I run and feel, which better enables me to gauge the effort I put into running and the training effect I might derive. I know when I'm fit,and why; I know when I'm not, and why." Again,serious training involves more than just lacing on the shoes and doing the workout.

Vegetarianism vs Veganism

It's interesting how passionate people can be about certain subjects. Religion and politics readily come to mind as being areas that people have strong feelings about. However,in recent years, the subject of diet,and more specifically vegetarianism, has often been a contentious issue.On a related note, I think we all recognize that a vegetarian diet is very popular among runners.In this article I am going to offer some comments on vegetarianism,diet and lifestyle. I'd also like to preface this by saying that I have read and studied about health and diet since the early 70's. I don't say this to set myself up as some kind of expert but to let you know that I am not a "Johnny come lately" to this subject.I would also say that I am primarily a vegetarian but do on occasion eat fish and will eat certain types of dairy.Now I will quickly add that I might not be a "true vegetarian" to the dietary purists out there, but, I believe I have a little bit different take on the whole subject of vegetarianism. When I first got into healthy eating,etc. many years ago,vegetarianism was just beginning to move from the sort of counterculture perception to mainstream acceptance. It didn't take long for the myths about vegetarianism and the risk of developing vitamin deficiencies to be dispelled and the diet to be adopted by millions of people. I should say that back then if you said the word vegetarian you were generally referring to a type of eating that included eggs and other types of dairy products, as well as for some people at least,fish. The reasons for people becoming vegetarian involved some or all of the following: they believed it was a more healthy way to eat, it was less expensive, it was a humane and animal "friendly" diet and definitely thought to be better for the enviroment. Fast forward to 2011 and vegetarianism is now more popular than ever but some changes have occurred. Vegetarianism has now morphed into an off-shoot called veganism. Veganism,as you probably know, is a vegetarian diet but one without any fish or dairy products. It is a popular and trendy way of eating advocated by celebrities in the entertainment and sports world, but as is often the case,that's not necessarily a good thing. Unfortunately,there are precautions that have to be taken when one adopts this diet because vitamin deficiencies can occur,most notably B-12. Proponents of veganism say this can be avoided by simply taking B-12 supplements. This however raises two questions. First,how healthy is a diet that says you may need supplementation? Secondly,not just any type of B-12 supplement will work. Writers who make a living promoting veganism will say their diet is the way to go if you want to live a long,healthy life. Other proponents will describe obscure groups or tribes of people living thousands of feet above sea level with pristine soil and water as being living proof that veganism works. How that applies to me living at sea level in the smog I don't know. The truth is,is that you can find no people out there where you can search back several generations and say,"yes,they have lived long,vigorous and healthy lives on what we call a vegan diet." A diet that has the possibility of creating a dietary deficiency should be avoided by anyone,especially an athlete who puts his and her body through periodic and varying degrees of stress. Again,in finding the ideal diet,shouldn't we see some evidence that gives proof to such a claim? Of course! Before I offer that proof, the one essential non-dietary aspect for a long,healthy life is being mentally and physically active. The logical question now is,where on earth do people live long healthy lives,where are there more centenarians than anywhere else? The answer is to look to the people of Okinawa and how they eat because that is where you will find the greatest concentration of aged and active people. For those who are unfamiliar with their diet,a little search on the Web will provide much useable and interesting information. Not surprisingly,Okinawans and people from other healthy cultures who have adopted a "western" diet have witnessed a decline in health and longevity. Hardly a surprise when 60% of the people in the U.S. are overweight and our fastest growing industry is healthcare. May we be as confident about our diet as we are about our training.

You Know You're a Real Runner When......pt.1

The following question came up on a forum recently and it was an interesting one,the writer asked: "Just interested in people's views on this. At what point and at what level of ability for 5k, say, can you honestly and truthfully say that you're a runner, as opposed to a jogger or a fun runner?" It's not uncommon for people,especially younger ones, to equate performance with being a bonafide,or as I call it,a real runner. Those of us who live for the run know better,it's all about your passion and love for this sport,not the fact that you can run fast.What it all boils down to is that running is a priority in your life because it's something that's a part of who you are.The following response pretty much nails it in regards to when you know you're a runner. "You can say you are a runner when you live for the run--when running is THE thing in your life---it's about scheduling your days around your runs not your runs around what you think you should do first before you go out to run----it's NOT about whether you run this or that time for some distance, it's about a passion and a love for the sport that only serious injury or death will keep you from it."

The Ultimate Goal of Athletic Training

Ideally, training,athletics and sport should elevate the athlete mentally and physically to a point where they become the complete person.The following is an excerpt from Graem Sims biography,Why Die? The Extraordinary Percy Cerutty, Maker of Champions. Here Cerutty comments on what can be ultimately obtained through the RIGHT kind of training: "a. The ability to withstand severe physical hardship,to accomplish feats of strength and endurance,to understand orderliness and the true meaning of intelligence. b.To know oneself as an organism and a personality. c.To emerge,eventually emancipated from all dogmas,creeds and beliefs,as well as worldly and unworldly hopes and fears. d. To habitually function upon the highest planes of thought and physical effort. e.To place the objective of an alert,informed intelligence,and a perfected body,as primary in Life. And to arrive at the conclusion that all else will follow on. f.To learn that on this basis the whole world, and all that it has to offer,opens out as a vision splendid,normal and realisable. g. To understand that Past,Futures,Fates,Fears,Death,Selfishness,Egoism,Pride,Envy,Hate and Prejudice can be replaced by Intelligence that controls emotion,dominates destiny,manifests completeness, and exults in Life. h. To understand that in actuality, evolved man is a King, but without the trappings. That Kingship is his right and destiny. That we can make ourselves,in time, all that we would. That we honor real men but are subservient to none." An especially noteworthy quote by Cerutty asserts that through proper training of the body and mind: "we can make ourselves,in time, all that we would." So much for the stereotype of the one dimensional, "dumb athlete"here,Cerutty's philosophy on athletics involves more than just getting fit,strong and ready to race, it also requires what some might call "mental" work. This philosophy is what makes him unique,relevant and different from all other coaches. Cerutty knows that when you develop all aspects of yourself it positively effects the way you live and view life.I will continue to periodically offer insights into his philosophy.

Nature or Nuture, What It Takes To Be A Champion

I remember when I was much younger it always used to sound kind of reassuring when I would read or hear a coach say,"champions are made,not born." I believe I got this feeling because as a competitive runner since the age of 8, I had been beaten by enough runners to come to the conclusion that some runners were just born to be better than me. But that statement by the coaches gave me hope that I too could someday beat the best. Well, as the years went by and I ran for my high school cross-country and track teams, I noticed that certain runners were much better than me despite the fact that I ran and did every bit as much work as they did. Since that time,as I've continued to run and coach H.S. runners,I found that there is no denying that some people just seem to be naturally talented. They get fit fast, they have natural foot speed,perfect body type,great foot strike,ability to recover quickly,etc.,etc.. So what am I getting at,that there is no hope for us mere mortals? Not at all, but I am saying that you can have a certain degree of success but it will not include toeing the line at the upcoming U.S. Olympic 10,000 meter qualifiers'. Getting back to my H.S. experiences,one thing I consistently found was that when the star distance guys went off to college they frequently were never heard from again. Their wins ended and they often struggled to just place. The reason was due to the fact that they went from being, "a big fish in a small pond," to being a big fish among many other big and bigger fish.Suddenly they were on a team loaded with other natural talents. Many runners did not take their change in "status" well,most I knew eventually quit running sometime in college. I guess they came to the point where they were confronted with a question that is not always asked audibly,it was: do I want it bad enough? And this brings us again to the question of nature or nuture. There IS something that the average guy and the H.S. phenom who got the rude awakening in college have in common, it has to do with whether or not they have the desire to make the adjustments and do all the work necessary to achieve success. From my observation over the years I would say that most don't. If you have not read my January post entitled, "The Lesson of Ron Daws," I would recommend you do so.Read the part where Daws said he paid attention to things and details that other more talented runners didn't even bother with. Remember that Ron Daws was once an incredibly average runner whose times in H.S. and college showed zero indication that he would someday qualify for the U.S.Olympic Marathon team. The key for any runner,born good or not,is that to get to the next level, attention must be paid to all aspects of your training and life. Things like achieving optimal(maximum) aerobic mileage and conditioning,minimal bodyweight while having developed overall strength,ideal diet with correct supplementation and hydration, as well as being able to train progressively to the point where you arrive at race season in peak condition.There are other things but these are some which readily come to mind.Daily evaluation of your training is required and adjustments made where needed.Training becomes a focus and pre-occupation.In addition,there are the life questions,will my family, job, and others understand and tolerate what I want to do? Of course,the biggest question is,do I really want to commit to seeing how far I can take my running? Count the cost but remember that one man's dream may be another's idea of madness. Some of you out there might need to get a little crazy.

Strength in Training

Before I start today's post I would like to ask readers that if you enjoy what you see here on this site then pass the word along to others. I started this blog last December and there are now about 90 articles to read. You can access older posts from past months by simply scrolling down a little on the right side of the title page. It's my desire to continue offering info that you normally can't get elsewhere.

There are many very basic differences in the training philosophies of Arthur Lydiard and Percy Cerutty. One area in which they differ is in regards to weight training. Lydiard did not believe it was necessary,Cerutty thought weight,and more specifically, what he referred to as strength training, were essential if an athlete wished to reach his full potential.Strength training to Cerutty was more than lifting weights,it also included cross-country, mountain walking and running,swimming,as well as using a gym rope and horizontal bar. I believe that strength training is a needed component to a runner's workout routine,especially if they are seeking competitive success.He wrote this in Athletics:How To Become a Champion: "The athlete who confines all his training to running around a track with occasional outings over the country must be limited in experience, variation,enjoyment and the development of strength(power) in comparison with the athlete who bases his training on regular visits to the weight-training venue,the gym,the coastal regions and hilly places,the sand hills,beaches,deserts and the high mountains. This all adds up to power--the mental and physical power that is behind fast running as we practice it.Power(strength) has always been behind fast running,although weak people prefer to dissect technique as if technique alone is all that is required to enable a weak man to run a mile in four minutes. Technique is an important factor but technique today is useless against the athlete who is supported by technique plus power(strength)." Herb Elliott once said: "My golden rule was to train for mental toughness." Something that is overlooked in strength training is the mental strength and confidence that comes from such training. Sure, you will become stronger and less likely to succumb to injury because of strength training,but, we must not ignore the important mental benefits that will be gained. There is something to be said about the way you feel when you are able to pick it up in the last part of a race knowing that no one else has done the kind of strength work you have done.