Ageless Running

As I was running a long loop through the trails last weekend, I felt much the same as I did running the Finger Lakes Trails 16 years ago. To me,nothing had changed,mentally or physically.I can't say enough about the beauty and uniqueness of running the trails,but, that is not the purpose of this post.The following quote by Dr.George Sheehan puts into words what I was thinking as I ran, "My fight is not with age. Running has won the battle for me. Running is my fountain of youth,my elixir of life. It will keep me young forever. When I run,I know there is no need to grow old. I know that my running,my play,will conquer time." So true.

On Physiological Testing and the Runner

I was reading recently where physiological testing was being done on some elite U.S. distance runners. The hope was that it would yield info that would highlight strengths, as well as areas that needed to be worked on in order for the athletes to achieve optimal performance. Decades ago former world record holder in the marathon(for 12 years),Derek Clayton, offered the following in response to what he thought about the extensive testing he had completed under the supervision of Dr. David Costill. According to Clayton, his test results were mostly unremarkable for a world record holder.He commented that he was happy that he hadn't been tested early in his career and been given those findings. He said: "Being tested would have eliminated the elements of the unknown. It would set limits that may only exist on machines that measure physiology rather than psychology.It is what a runner thinks he or she can do that creates success." So true! Derek closes with this statement that all of us should keep in mind, "Natural ability and determination are must haves,however, of all factors involved in distance running,I would say that the most important is determination." Where most give up,successful runners and champions persevere.

Surging and Herb Elliott

Ah, to be in the kind of condition where you are able to throw in periodic surges during the course of a race. If you haven't read the post from July 28th entitled, Ticking Golden Moments by Roger Bannister,I would encourage you to take a moment and read it. Bannister gives an excellent account of Elliott's tremendous 20 yard victory in the1500 meter race at the 1960 Olympics. A race, where despite Elliott's margin of victory,the first six runners in that race broke the existing Olympic record. From 1896 till 2000, only two runners had faster Olympic 1500 times than his. One of those times by the way was just a little over a half second faster. One of the keys to Elliott's victory was his surging tactics. His first lap time for that race was :58.5,then :59:5, then 56:0, plus :41.6 for the last 300 meters. The following is excerpted from the 1963 edition of Modern Track and Field by J. Kenneth Doherty: "The crux of the race lies there. Elliott was third at the half, running easily. But then, quite unexpectedly,he put all his energy into one tactic. The pace had been averaging :14.7 for each 100 meters. Now he spurted to run the next 100 meters in :13.2,the third lap in :56.0,and one more 100 meters in :13.6. The competition then collapsed behind him.Elliott slowed to :14.4 in the last 100 meters." Needless to say, much preparation went into Herb's training that made it possible for him to employ the surging tactics that he used at the Rome Olympics. We, who desire to race well, should try to develop this technique during the course of our training. What follows are a few quotes from Herb that I'm sure will be a help in our effort: "Percy urged the advisability of impressing an instinct for surging upon my subconscious in the belief that when I became tired during a race I'd react automatically by exerting more effort and making a burst. The change of pace would upset the competition while at the same time allowing me to feel that I held the initiative." The mindset he had in working on this technique was described by Elliott in the following: "Most athletes imagine themselves at the end of their tether before they're even seventy-five percent exhausted. I was so determined to avoid this pitfall that if at any time I thought I was surrendering too soon to superficial pain I'd deliberately try to hurt myself more." Some running and racing wisdom from one of the greatest of all-time.

A Pioneer of Long Distance Training Speaks

How many out there know who Tom Osler is? Tom is probably best known for his book, Serious Runner's Handbook. Anyone who loves running should own it. However, his self-published book written in 1967, The Conditioning of Distance Runners,introduced to the masses the necessity of aerobic mileage and proper peaking in order to be ready to race your best.In 2009, after 47 years of running an estimated 88,000 miles and 1,540 races, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Osler has put in the time and paid the dues. With a mile p.r. of 4:54 he proved that "miles make champions" as Arthur Lydiard used to say. I say this because when he upped his mileage to 70-75 miles a week, he found success beating runners with much faster mile times while winning a variety of marathons and ultras including the National 50k Championship.What follows are a few insights from Tom that I'm sure you will find helpful. Asked what he would change in his first book Osler said: "I once recommended training on roads,now I'd recommend running on soft,natural surfaces like grass or trails." Amen to that,grass and trails for training are the key to a long running career and minimizing the chances of injury. When asked what was the most common training mistake he responded by saying:"It is easy to ignore the early,mild signs of overtraining and train hard after a bad race. This can push the runner into a slumping spiral,and even cause an injury." Osler had this to say regarding what he liked about racing: "I enjoy that moment in the race when you must use willpower to overrule the body." What does he enjoy most about running? "Running offers both pleasure and pain. There is nothing like the purification of the soul through running.Running helps you connect with what is important in your soul." Well said Tom!

Raw Dogs, Living the Stotan Life

What follows is the first of what will be a two-part post. Back in the 90's I wrote an article that was about a group of runners who called themselves the Raw Dogs. Their origin and where they have gone since then is fascinating. They are the best examples of people who have embraced Cerutty's philosophy and are living the Stotan life.This will be a recap of what I originally wrote about them with an update to follow shortly. After years of no contact with them I recently spoke with one of the members and it was quite revealing and inspiring to hear what the Raw Dogs were up to. To begin,the two founding members were originally with me in a Western New York area group I led called the Stotans. They broke off for reasons I'm still a little uncertain of but let's just say it was probably due to personality and philosophical differences between two factions within the group. There is no question though that both groups were and are zealous in their devotion to Percy Cerutty and what he taught.I should add that the name Raw Dogs was co-opted by them when during the course of a conversation I had referenced that name which a friend Harvey Sipel had told me about previously. The following was written sometime in the mid-90's.

"The "Dogs" have a core membership of six, associates and other runners can increase the total number to close to twenty. At one time group runs were done once during the week and on each weekend day. Once a month they'd head out to the Virgil,N.Y. area on a weekend to camp and run along the Finger Lakes Trails. Gut wrenching runs that involved lots of hills and fartlek were the norm. Participation in area trail races were viewed as a necessary evil to gauge ones' degree of fitness. The highlight of each season was a 21 mile race called the Virgil Mountain Madness, an excellent test of speed,toughness and endurance.

The "Dogs" despise what they perceive as the commercialization of running.Comfortable,durable running gear is favored over the colorful polyester outfits that are the norm these days at local road races. No $100. running shoes,boxes of Powerbars or stacks of Runners World are to be found amongst their ranks. Athletics:How To Become A Champion is their Bible as is the other works by Cerutty.About two months ago five of their members packed up their belongings and moved to Dryden,N.Y. The impetus for this move was to be closer to the Finger Lakes Trails which go for hundreds of miles throughout the northeast. They have rented a five room cottage and some have taken on jobs for a nearby Ithaca landscaping company. Talk about a leap of faith! Crazy? Maybe. Sacrifice? Not to them. They take literally the teachings of Cerutty that says there are no sacrifices in the pursuit of excellence while doing something you love. The "Dogs" now chase their individual goals while in a group enviroment. A few have indicated a desire to make the 1998 U.S. 100k team while another wants to race the Pikes Peak marathon. All want to race well at certain trail and road marathons. They all are in agreement that they want to go far into the Cerutty philosophy and see where it takes them. Workouts now center around a 15 or 20k time trial each Wednesday and 4 hour plus run/hikes on Saturday and Sunday. At their cottage the "Dogs" have turned their biggest room into a place for weight and strength training. Pictures of their heroes cover almost every area in that room. And just to let you know that it's not all work and no fun for the boys,weekends bring many guests and much "partying". The large tent in the front yard and what appears to be empty cases of beer would seem to confirm this statement. For those who desire to be a part of this group it is by invitation only and that comes after a lengthy process where a prospective member proves his mettle on the trail and by what he sincerely professes and by how he lives.In closing, the Raw Dogs" commitment to "walk the talk",disregarding what many close to them may think, is why they are featured in this month's issue."

Next post, an update, a move out west and where they are now.

Why We Run and Race

I've been out at Umstead State Park in Raleigh this weekend getting my monthly fix of trail running.Tomorrow I will have the first of a two part post that typifies what living the Cerutty way is all about. There is a group of people that were once a part of the Stotans with me but eventually moved on. I was happy to get an update on what they've been up to a few weeks back after almost a decade of not hearing a thing about them.The following quote is well said by Brutus Hamilton who was a coach,writer,athlete, and philosopher.For a little added info I should say that Brutus was the winner of a silver medal at the Olympics in the decathalon and a former Olympic track and field coach.What you are about to read reaffirms what most of us hopefully already know or feel.

Why We Run and Race

"People may wonder why we like to run distance races. What fun is it? Why all that hard,exhausting work? Where does it get you? Where's the good of it? It is one of the strange ironies of this strange life that those who work the hardest,who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to achieve a goal are the happiest. When you see runners lining up for a distance race in some meet, don't pity them, don't feel sorry for them,better envy them instead. They are completely and joyously happy in their simple tastes,their strong and well-conditioned bodies, and with the thrill of competition before them. These are the days when they feel they can run on forever,the best of days when they are running because they love to. Their lives are fuller because of this competition and their memories will be far richer. That's why we love to run. That's why we do run. There is something clean and noble about it."

On Pain

The following was written by Dr.George Sheehan who was a long time contributor to Runner's World. Dr. Sheehan was unique in the sense that he was more than just a guy who wrote a monthly column answering medical questions submitted by runners. He was also an excellent runner,philosopher and prolific writer. His book, Running and Being is considered a classic. I really miss the fact that there isn't someone like him around today to answer the medical concerns we runners have. The following quote is informative,insightful and profound as it pertains to the subject of pain and running. As an aside,until I read this I didn't know the physiological origin of pain. Doctor Sheehan wrote:" I do not seek pain,but when it comes I accept it. Pain is simply a symptom of lactic acid accumulating in my muscles. You could as much say I like lactic acid as I like pain. Pain is a private affair. My pain cannot be felt by another. When I am in a race I know the others around me are also in pain. But each of us is in a separate cell. I can never quite know what the runner next to me is going through. There is but one answer to pain: go out to meet it, plunge into it,grasp it as you would the nettle. If your instinct is to withdraw,you are done. There is always the chance that you will push through it into an area of calm as the eye of a hurricane." Have you ever been in a race when at some point you felt like withdrawing from the pain?