Words From the Master

Lydiard said that well-conditioned athletes can remain in top form for months,but,only if they take these precautions: 1. Avoid training and racing hard at the same time. 2. Allow for recovery from races. The reason for this is, now that its racing season, "it's only a matter of keeping fresh and sharp." The beauty of Lydiard's system is that it is so logical; progressive work and stress, culminating with a runner achieving peak racing condition. This condition can be maintained as long as one doesn't keep on with the heavy amounts of interval training while racing. How many of you have seen athletes continue with too many intervals well into their racing season? Arthur summed it all up when he said the following: "Successful training is intelligent training; intelligent training is knowing the why of exercise,as well as what and how."

Some Thoughts on Drugs and Sports

I don't claim to be an expert on drugs in sports but I have read enough about the subject in recent decades to be alarmed and discouraged by what I've read. Drugs seem to be a part of every major sport in the world today. For a few examples we can look to the home run champions of years past and present who denied ever using drugs despite getting dramatically bigger and more muscular as they aged, or to the stars of track like Marion Jones,Ben Johnson and others,who after testing positive, continued to say they never did illegal substances. Does anyone really believe that any of the top 20 finishers at the recent Tour de France haven't used some type of performance enhancing substances? I mean,how many of those athletes have been busted in recent years for postive drug tests? I had to laugh when cyclist Alberto Contador's positive test for a banned substance was dismissed because his claim that it was a result of eating a "tainted" food was accepted. It's interesting how questionable assertions like this can be believed while there are ongoing efforts to find Lance Armstrong guilty of drug use.Determining who's "using" in many sports these days is difficult for different reasons. In pro baseball for example, the inhouse screening procedures and the baseball union make catching cheaters extremely difficult. This may be the same situation for pro football but I am not sure. It wouldn't be a stretch to say baseball and football have adopted a "we really don't want to know" mindset because they don't want any more bad PR. I say this because why haven't they allowed an independent testing authority to oversee testing of their athletes? In running,detection of banned substances like EPO,hGH,IGF-1,CPO and certain other drugs, which work to cause the body to deliver more oxygen to the muscles, are difficult to detect,especially if they're stopped prior to when an athlete knows he'll be tested. However,there are ways you can tell something "fishy" is going on, and that is by simply following performances. Dramatic drops in existing world records is one way. An example, in 1988 we saw a female sprinter set world records in the 100 and 200 meter distances with times that were way under the existing records for those distances. Her records still stand today and may not ever be broken. Another,anyone have any thoughts about the existing women's marathon mark? As in pro baseball and football,changes in body structure and appearance are often evidence of cheating by track athletes. Ben Johnson,Marion Jones and Regina Jacobs readily come to mind. There are too many other sprinters and field athletes to mention here. Ben Johnson, just prior to the '88 Olympics gave no indication by his performances that he would run a 9.79 to win the Gold in the 100,especially considering the start he had at that race.But,sure enough, he was caught and then a few years later he was caught again. Few people know this but in 2000, gold medalist in the 1972 Olympic marathon,Frank Shorter,co-founded The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. It is now the agency that oversees drug policy and testing for all American athletes who are competing in the Olympics,Pan-American,and Paralympic Games(including all trials). As mentioned previously,Shorter was probably denied Olympic Gold at the '76 games because he finished second to East German Waldemar Cierpinski,one of the many athletes from that country whose records later revealed they had been given illegal drugs.It's all very sad. It's sad because character no longer seems to matter in so many areas of sport today. Read the paper and a week doesn't go by without stories being published confirming this statement. When I first started putting this article together I thought the # 1 reason why it was wrong to be a drug cheat was: records in individual sports are rendered fraudulent,and the credibility of those respective sports are forever destroyed. Then I thought of a bigger reason, I recently read somewhere that our children are being impacted and influenced by "athletes" who choose to cheat,lie and deceive. They often see these people being honoured, defended,rewarded,and incredibly,portrayed as victims by the media. Our kids deserve better,they deserve the truth.

Lessons From Ralph

Those of us who live for the run recognize that there is much to be learned from the veterans of this great sport. I always kind of chuckle when I see ads for books,programs and seminars that tout "a new and better way" to achieve running success. I say this because the ways to running excellence were discovered decades ago and have been validated and confirmed repeatedly since. If you have read the bios of the greats of our sport you realize this. Recently I spoke with Ralph Zimmerman about training. For runners who don't know who Ralph is, I would ask that you go to my Jan.30,2011 post entitled, "On Running Mentors and Friends" before reading the following. I will briefly mention a couple of Ralph's career highlights. At 37 he set an age group mark for the marathon,running 2:18:55 at Boston. A year later at the Mardi Gras Marathon he ran 2:17. I'd be remiss not to point out that he ran the Olympic Marathon Trials in 1980. As you can see,the man knows training and racing. When we spoke, I asked Ralph to tell me some of the things he did that helped him to become the kind of runner he was. One of the first things he said was that he loved to run,he loved the training and he loved the racing. Another comment that stood out was,"there are no shortcuts,too many people are looking for shortcuts in their training." He cited some of the people I call the mileage moderation advocates of the 80's and 90's as impacting negatively on the sport. At this point I will say a few things,although Ralph was a follower of the Lydiard system and spoke with Arthur from time to time,many of his workouts were distinctly Stotanesque. He often trained in the country at a place called Chesnut Ridge Park,an area that was remote and loaded with hills. Here he did gut busting time trials and tempo runs,as well as a variety of hill workouts. Another area he trained at was in Buffalo at Delaware Park around a 1.8 mile loop. Prior to his first sub 2:20, Ralph said he'd go to Delaware Park each day and run 10 laps,he did this because "mileage was what you did if you wanted to get good." What follows are some random thoughts from Ralph on training,in no particular order: when running reps,say multiple sets of 4 reps in a set,Ralph found that there was a tendency to let down a little on the 3rd rep,he said he always made a point of reminding himself to work the 3rd one because, "you're always going to get through the fourth." In looking over his marathons,he discovered that he had a tendency to go a little off pace in miles 15 to 20. Again, Ralph said he made sure that when he hit mile 15 he reminded himself to maintain speed during that section." Note here folks,he realized what all great runners and coaches know,you have to think about and evaluate your running and racing if you want to improve.Something else, "I never used a watch when I raced,I ran how I felt." What Ralph meant by this is that many runners,if they don't hit their projected time at the mile markers,tend to get too worried or preoccupied with this,potentially causing them to alter their race plan,or worse yet,mentally give up. What toughened Ralph for races at all distances? Try hour long runs where he did an easy 5 minutes to start,followed by 5 minutes hard, then 5 minutes easy,then 5 minutes hard, then 5 minutes......all the way to the end of the hour.If that isn't a Cerutty workout then I don't know what is. One other workout I was very familiar with,time trials around a 3.2 mile hill filled loop called"Big Mother" at Chesnut Ridge Park. Ralph staggered the starts with him starting last and chasing us,inevitably picking us off one by one. All the runners who did this workout ended up running their best times for the season. There is more I could add but that's for another time. I close by saying,thanks Ralph,thanks for your guidance and encouragement.

On Coaching

Often I hear or read about people asking if they should have a running coach. I think for us mere "mortals" it isn't necessary. When I use the word mortal I'm referring to those of us who will never be toeing the line in a national championship, much less an Olympics. Of course, it goes without saying that kids in school and college need a coach. As a coach myself, I understand where providing some informal advice,direction and feedback can be helpful to an athlete but I am always amazed at how many runners are quite willing to give up their hard earned cash to be coached via internet or telephone. It is not my desire however to disparage the well intentioned coaches that do this. The key words here are well intentioned. Something I do see is alot of runners who want someone else to do their thinking for them when it comes to training and schedules. They are frankly too lazy to seek out the right program and prefer that someone else just tell them what to do. As I have written before, what works for one runner may not necessarily work for another. If you truly want to run well, isn't it worth it to take the time to study and look into which program will be right for you? Cerutty said that he wanted his athletes to eventually be able to formulate their own training programs. He did add that as a coach and an athlete he would be available to provide input,advice,and encouragement along the way. Ideally, that is the way to go, the athlete determining his or her own way.

Frivolous Activity?

It's interesting how people who don't run often have certain opinions of those who have a long and deep commitment to it. It's not unusual to hear some folks say that our love for athletics is excessive and misguided. In the following quote Percy Cerutty writes about this and offers his opinion: "Athletics is still looked upon as possessing a freakish and juvenile quality only to be valued every four years---at Olympic Games time---is put a bad last in the national scheme and evaluation of things. Success in business--even if the successful one dies before fifty! success in politics,success in almost anything is valued before success in the real business of living,living healthily,actively,artistically." What makes the above even more insightful is that it was written in 1959,a time when the "world" was less materialistic than it is today. Unfortunately, career and how much one has, tends to determine whether or not one is viewed as being successful in the eyes of others. For committed athletes success is a subjective term, not determined by having this or being that.

Declining Times

I was speaking with a friend not too long ago who made a comment that times at the road races in his area (Buffalo,N.Y.) were slower then they were 25+ years ago. He went on to say that there was a lack of depth in quality performances from the 5k and up.He bemoaned the fact that guys running 17 minutes and change in the 5k were finishing in the top 10, something he said hardly ever happened back "in my day." A little search of the archived race records confirmed what he had said was true. For instance, one of the big road races of the year in my area was the Depew/Lancaster Boys Club 10k. I went back as far as I could,which was unfortunately only till 1986, and found that 81 runners finished under 40 minutes. In 2005 only 31 runners broke 40 minutes. Further seaches confirmed what my friend had said,times have gotten slower over the years. As many of you probably know, this trend exists over much of the country.So what's happened? What's changed? If you look back to the days of the running boom in the early 70's you will find your answer. The main avenue for getting news and information on running,racing and training was through the running mags, particularly Runners World. If you are fortunate to have copies of RW from the 70's till '83, you will immediately notice a difference between then and now.I should start by saying I am in no way bashing RW for how they are.One of the hardest things to do these days is to keep a magazine financially viable. You will not stay in business very long if you produce a mag that only appeals to a group of runners which comprise a minority of the running population,ask James O'Brian, former head of the excellent,but now defunct, American Runner about that. Returning to the RW's of the 70's, one of the first things you will notice is back then their writers and contributors included people like Joe Henderson,Dr.George Sheehan,Arthur Lydiard,Derek Clayton,Bill Squires, and Amby Burfoot, just to name a few. There was a theme and preoccupation that was evident throughout each issue,and that was,how to go about achieving your best racing performance. There were also interviews with American runners who were successful nationally and internationally. They also contained lots of race results and accounts of the races. Again,the focus was on improving your running and racing. I should add that Running Times was a nice alternative to RW because it had tons of race results and recaps of races along with schedules of upcoming ones from around the country. Their age group race highlights and rankings was a great feature.Somewhere in the mid-eighties things began to change with RW. Writers and contributors were replaced and the theme went from racing performance to the "running experience". Jeff Galloway gained a large readership and following by teaching moderation in miles and effort as well as showing the way from basically zero miles to a marathon in 6 months,or was it 9 months? Jeff was quite vocal in his opinion that too many miles were bad for runners,a point that I was very happy to call him out on when he spoke at a pre-marathon clinic in Buffalo years back. Interviews and stories in RW changed from being about successful runners to ones who had overcome personal issues and tragedies through running. Arthur Lydiard and Derek Clayton's columns were replaced with people like Owen Anderson and those of a similar mindset. Food and diet,stretching,cross-training,exotic locales for racing,and my favorite,attaining the 6pk abs are the norm in RW today. What exactly does 6pk abs have to do with running anyway? But I digress. You get the picture though,what was once THE vehicle for reaching the runner changed its perception of what the running experience should be and most of the public has followed along. The consequence of this being slower times overall. I suppose this is why we should be thankful that we have the internet to fill the need for those of us who want more. I still miss the days when RW was the source to go to for runners and racers.
Sorry for the single post this weekend,I took my once a month trip out of town to run on some real trails.

Ticking Golden Moments by Roger Bannister

What you are about to read below is something very special. It is an article that was written for the September 19,1960 edition of Sports Illustrated. It was authored by Roger Bannister,the first man to go under 4 minutes for the mile.Here he gives his account of Herb Elliott winning the 1960 Olympic 1500 meter run.Bannister provides the kind of unique insight that only runners can give to such events. "It was a relaxed and attractively casual Elliott who turned
up for the 1,500-meter heats, walking barefoot, without a sweat suit and carrying his spikes in his hand. No one else can afford to look as casual as he. Inside him it was different—as Dave Power, his Australian companion and teammate, put it: "He's a killer, in racing and training." The heats saw the elimination of the only European Elliott gave any sign of having heard of—Siegfried Valentin of Germany, who has run a 3:56.5 mile and a 3:39.3 1,500 meters.
As Elliott and his eight rivals walked out for the final, the frenzied crowd was already tautened to the breaking point by a world-record 400-meter finish. The 1,500-meter finalists were halted on the way to the start by the 400-meter victory ceremony. There was polite and sincere applause for America's first-place Davis, and a baying ei ei ei for Germany's second-place Kaufmann, the sort of premonitory roar that gives a 1,500-meter runner waiting for the gun a final spurt of adrenalin—one that nearly makes him ill.
If Elliott thought of his tactics, and he barely ever needs to, his thoughts must have run something like this: "A loose track, but bound by last night's storm, fast enough for a world record. An awkward wind up the finishing straight, so I hope someone will lead. Percy wants a record, but right now I'll settle for the medal. The sooner I start my finish the safer I am, with this bunch of fast finishers." But niceties of pace, judgments and tactics have previously been superfluous for Elliott, and so it proved this day.Having drawn the pole,Elliott let Bernard of
France, Waern of Sweden and Vamos of Rumania pass him, and held the fourth position. Bernard seized the lead decisively and took the field through a 58.2 first lap. This was a piece of rare good fortune for Elliott and brought the world record within his grasp. At the time it looked like collusion between the French, with Bernard attempting to help his teammate Jazy, but Bernard later stated that, according to Olympic tradition, he and Jazy were running their own races. He led only because he thought, unwisely I am sure, this improved his chance of winning.
Burleson and Grelle stayed at the back, out of trouble. The reduction of the size of the field to nine men helped the Americans, who lack experience of crowded fields. Since no more than 12 yards covered the whole bunch, with an effective pacemaker at the head, this was by far their wisest course of action.
In the second lap Elliott remained fourth, running slightly wide, but happy, no doubt, to pay this small price for preserving his tactical freedom. Jazy and Rozsavolgyi trailed warily behind Elliott. Percy Cerutty, a wizened man with the blazing eye of an Old Testament prophet, who first fired Elliott with enthusiasm for running, could be seen crouching on the outside of the track at the start of the last bend. An infringement of international track Rule 18 (no coaching from the sidelines) apparently was imminent.
At the half mile, passed by Bernard in 1:57.8. Elliott moved deliberately into second place at Bernard's shoulder, boxing Waern and keeping Rozsavolgyi outside him. With 600 meters left, Elliott eased past Bernard, and there was no challenge from the astonished Frenchman. Bernard was no doubt horrified that there was any athlete alive who could find a 1:57.8 half mile so unsatisfactorily slow that he felt obliged to take the lead himself. Bernard never recovered from this shock.
Elliott seized a five-yard lead in the next 30 yards, with Rozsavolgyi now second, Jazy third, Vamos fourth, Bernard fifth and Burleson sixth. Elliott continued to apply a steady stretch to his unfortunate rivals, pulling Jazy and Rozsavolgyi out of the vanguard. Elliott's smooth stride would have looked deceptively slow but for the trail of fading runners he left behind him. He passed the three-quarter mile in a relentless 2:54.4, having thrown a 56.6 third lap into the race. This was certainly the fastest third lap in miling history—a fractional easing at this point being traditional.
Now Cerutty entered the picture. He jumped the ditch between the spectators' enclosure and the track, tore off his white flannel shirt and waved it frantically, until the broad-minded Italian policemen finally decided to return him to his rightful place. The signal, we afterward discovered, means in Australian bush language, "Go for the world record." When asked afterward if he saw Cerutty, Elliott commented, "I could hardly have missed him."
Those last 150 yards looked to us, and to Elliott must have seemed, an eternity. The gaze of 60,000 was fixed on him, the greatest miler the world has ever seen. Certainly I noticed Burleson running a fine race in sixth position, but it was out of the corner of my eye. It was Elliott who filled every brain and heart. It was Elliott, with the hawk nose, the gaunt viking face; Elliott of the lean body and the smooth stride; Elliott, lithe and stealthy, about as gentle as a tiger. This was a man made for this form of self-expression, the rest of the field having somehow learned it painfully and inadequately. This was running, the instinctive and unfettered expression of every potentiality.
Then the superman we had watched for a hundred yards suddenly became human again. His stride shortened, his body grew more upright. Was it conceivable he could experience so frail and human a feeling as fatigue? He was back at Portsea now, in Cerutty's training camp, running wild and barefoot until it hurt, seeking to replenish a primitive energy that does not quite last through the artificiality of track racing.
Elliott crossed the finish line tired partly by the head wind but mainly by his own ferocious speed. He won by 18 yards from the gallant Frenchman Jazy, whom nature had never intended to be a metric-mile medalist. When asked his opinion of Jazy in the press room afterward, Elliott replied, "Who's Jazy?"—and I do not think he mistook the pronunciation.The result is now part of athletic history. Elliott had spread-eagled the field and broken his own world record, set in Goteborg in 1958, by .4 second. The first six, including Burleson, were inside Delany's 1956 Olympic record." I know I'm prejudiced but the above is about the best account of a race you will ever read. The picture that precedes this article is of Vladmir Kuts,the man whose victory at the 1956 Olympics inspired Herb to pursue his own Olympic dream.