A Quiet Strength

"It's a quiet strength,not one borne from slogans printed on t-shirts or bodies. It's a strength acquired from a conditioning and lifestyle that has no need of vain proclamations. It's a strength earned by challenging yourself daily within the simplicity and sometimes harshness of nature while striving to obtain victory over oneself in the process. Ultimately, it's a quiet inner strength gained from a life you've chosen, understanding that there are no sacrifices in this process,it is a labour of love devoid of pretense" (written by The Sage).

The Marathon,Better Later Than Sooner

There was a time when racing a marathon was thought to be something a distance runner worked up to during the course of his or her running career. The reasons for this belief are both sound and logical. They were well articulated by Bill Rodgers many years ago when he said: "I believe you cannot reach your maximum potential in a marathon until you're in your middle to late twenties or early thirties. You must build your mileage up slowly over a period of years." It's my belief that if you were to start racing marathons in your late twenties it should only be after having many years of distance base in the bank. I am not saying that young American runners cannot race fast marathon times, it's just that years of distance running, say 10 and more, help to prepare,condition and strengthen the body in a way that there is no short cut for. I have seen college age guys who had the potential to race well at the 5k go directly to the marathon and eventually become physically and mentally burned out. This is because marathon racing takes both mental and physical maturity. Arthur Lydiard once said that no one should have been surprised that Carlos Lopes at age 37 won the 1984 Olympic marathon. He cited the type of training and racing Carlos had done in his career as laying the foundation for his victory in '84. By the way, he was a silver medalist in the 10k at the 1976 Olympic Games. Let's not forget that drops in racing performance due to age are less pronounced as the distance gets longer.What's the old saying, "to everything there is a season?" Build your competitive running career in a way that has the potential to maximize performance in each distance you transition into.

The Greatness of Herb Elliott

I know that many are aware that Herb Elliott won the 1500 meter race at the 1960 Olympics. Readers to this site,as well as people during his time, recognized that Elliott trained using what most would view as very unconventional conditioning methods. I doubt however that people actually realize what an otherworldly run he had at those Olympics. Before I show why this was "otherworldly", I want to give a few quotes by some people who recognize what an effort it was. The first comes from Roger Bannister, the first man to go under 4 minutes for the mile. He said: "No other athlete in Rome commanded such superiority over his rivals,no other athlete emerged with that elusive magic of victory which the Greeks sought,in such abundance." Next, a few quotes from Michael Jazy who came in second to Elliott in that race: "If I didn't have Olympic champion luck I had other luck and silver medals. Remember,to be second behind Herb Elliott is like being an Olympic Champion." When asked to describe Herb after the race Jazy said: "A being from another world." The comments were not only accurate but somewhat prophetic. I say this because if you look back to the Olympics of 1896 and go all the way through to the one held in 1996(23 Olympics),only two people beat Elliott's time of 3:35:6, and one was faster by only half a second. It truly was a performance for the ages. At the bottom of this post there is a link that will take you to a film of the 1500 meter final that includes commentary from Elliott himself. You may be able to simply click on it or you may have to cut and paste to get there. If all else fails just go to Youtube and type in Herb Elliott,1500 meters. It's so great to watch,especially when he puts the hammer down in the second half of the race. Many ask why Elliott retired so young at age 22? There are several reasons he's given,one being that he had a family to care for and support.Back then athletes had to actually work for a living. Another reason was that he believed he had accomplished all that he had set out to accomplish. He also admitted that he experienced alot of anxiety prior to racing that impacted every aspect of his life. In addition he admitted to being preoccupied with maintaining his unbeaten streak at the 1500 meter and one mile distances. Whatever the reason, I'm thankful Herb Elliott was around no matter how long because he continues to teach and inspire runners from all over the world. Let this video get you psyched for your weekend runs. Stotan Up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr0dWz_6oEI

Learning From The Legends,pt.7,Bill Rodgers On Hill Running

Once again,what more can be said about Bill Rodgers? There are so many great things you could write about him but for now, lets just say that he was an incredible marathoner in his time. If you haven't read the post from March 9 of this year entitled, Learning From The Legends,pt.3, I would encourage you to do so because it gives a partial list of Bill's running accomplishments. No American marathoner has run the number of outstanding races at that distance that he has in his career.Besides his excellence in the marathon, Bill was considered to be one of the best downhill runners. What follows is an excerpt from an interview done many years ago where he describes his downhill running technique. It will start by giving his method for running uphill which is,not surprisingly,THE way it should be done. "Going uphill,I try to run at a very steady pace,similar to the pace I run on the flats,my stride shortens some going up and I try to keep my arms moving very symmetrically,very rhythmically. When I run down the hill,I often lift my hands up high for balance and to keep them off my sides. This permits me to expand my chest and take more air into my lungs. I also run with with my hands out in front of me for a short distance,if it's a steep downhill, I may do it for a longer stretch. This is primarily for balance. Going downhill I let the hill take me and I turn it on." As I read this I recall running long races over very hilly courses,usually on trails,where my quads got so beat up after awhile that going downhill hurt alot more than going up.Ah, the good old days. In closing, I would like to say that if you are new to this site or perhaps you haven't noticed, there is an archive section to the right of this page where you can access posts that go back to December 2010. As of this week I believe there are close to 130 articles available. Thanks to everyone for taking the time and stopping by to read Live for the Run.

The Sometimes Forgotten Benefit Of Hills by Arthur Lydiard

Over the years I have been amazed at the number of people who appear to be oblivious to the benefits of hill work. I am not just talking about specific hill training workouts here,I'm also referring to any runs you do over a course that has hills. Is there a better way to build leg strength? Let's also not forget that training on the hills help to build character and can humble even the most self-assured runner. Something else, I've seen many an inexperienced flatland warrior lose on a hilly course to a lesser talented trail runner. Where I live there are virtually no real hills,a fairly common situation I'm sure for other runners. The remedy for this is finding a place near you that has stairs.Fortunately, I live in an area where they have outdoor stairs that go up five flights. It's not as good as the real thing but...In the following quote, Arthur Lydiard reveals an often forgotten benefit of hill training: "Hamstring injuries are rife in modern sports, but they could be avoided if the athletes did hill training. It doesn't have to be fast, just enough to make the muscles feel they've been working. Balancing the muscles between the front of the thigh and the back is essential to ensure hamstring problems don't arise. Some athletes seem to be constantly getting over or suffering from these injuries."

Why I Believe In Fartlek by Percy Cerutty

"Man is an animal. Naturalistically he fluctuates from day to day---his feelings,strength,abilities,desires. Capacities vary from day to day,hour to hour. His strength ebbs and flows. Civilization,the daily routine of school and work,disciplines him, conditions him, and mostly reduces him to an automation,a robot. How futile to add to such a regime to his athleticism. How much better to use his training,conditioning and racing as a means,as it should be, to at least temporarily to remove him from this artificial,and harmful, civilizing mediums that result from normal school and work. In his ordinary life he has little chance to escape from the humdrum,the routine. Why,then, as I say,add his exercise,his athleticism,to the list of compulsions. Athletics should be, and with me is, the prime means to escape from these imprisoning conditions, to exult in our liberty,free movement,capacity to choose. Our training should be a thing of joy, of hard,battling exhaustion and enthusiasm,not a daily grind upon a grinding track,artificially hard and carried out under full circumstances and unaesthetic enviroments as a rule. How much better to run with joy,shear beauty and strength,to race down some declivity,to battle manfully to the top of another. At Portsea we train along paths that are found along the cliff tops,descending at times to beach level,in the midst of of some of the finest scenery in our state.We run for miles on the heavy sand with the great waves crashing and pounding and swirling,at times,to knee depth as we run. Or we run upon the the golf links,or moors,or some speed work,occasionally on the grassed oval in one of the prettiest and most natural amphitheaters,surely,in the world. Here, in this enviroment, over this terrain,the spirit of beauty and high endeavor enters our souls. Seek out your Portseas,train and run as the impulse comes on you. An hour,two hours of training slips away as so many minutes. You become tired,exhaustingly tired, but never unhappy. It is work,but it seems only fun. Exhilarating,satisfying fun." Whew--that about says it all to me as far as what is the essence of Stotan or Cerutty inspired running. Something to especially take note of is written near the end when he says: "Seek out your Portseas..." You can establish your version of Portsea somewhere around where you live. When you do, your running will reach a whole new level in regards to enjoyment and performance.

You Know Running Is Your Life When

I know there are common thoughts and feelings among those who live for the run. Take a few moments and consider the following reflections on running. You Know Running Is Your Life When: 1.How your run or workout went has alot to do with the kind of mood you'll be in for the rest of the day. 2.On a related note, you find yourself obsessing over any twinges or aches experienced during a workout,repeatedly "testing" it to see if it's still there. 3.It still feels good to get a new pair of running shoes. 4. You know there is a silent camaraderie that exists among runners as you pass each other along the way. 5. Shortly after getting up each morning you think about how your legs feel and remind yourself as to what and where your next run will be. 6.You are truly baffled when a long-time running buddy says that he's quit running ,or, that he is planning to take up cycling. 7. You've got a few running shirts that you make a point of wearing to certain workouts and races. 8. You definitely believe that despite getting older, you still think you can hit your times from years ago, it's just gonna take some "tweaking" of your training schedule. 9. You bite your tongue when your significant other tries to console you after a bad race by saying: "Your 61 yrs. old for heavens sake, I think you did pretty good." 10. You feel ageless while out on a long early morning trail run. After,when you are standing around having a drink before heading home, there is this kind of calm, satisfied feeling you have that is impossible to describe to those who don't run. May everyone have a run like that this weekend.