Stotanism, It's More Than Sand Dunes and Raw Oats, pt.2

What you are about to read is a revised, dare I say, new and improved version of an article I first wrote for my running blog to run is to live years ago.


Continuing on this topic, no, not everyone who has Stotan (or Stotan Racing for that matter)on their singlet is truly a Stotan. In part 2 we look more at the physical aspects and specific training then the philosophical. At the end of this article I will comment on a few of the things Percy wrote
Consider the following by him as he describes the attributes of a real Stotan, addressing how they should live and train:
"1.Realization that, as Wordsworth the poet says, 'Life is real, life is earnest'. which denotes that there is no time for wasteful ideas and pursuits.
2.In place of wasteful hobbies there commences a period of supervised and systematic physical training, together with instruction in the art of living fully. This replaces previously undirected life.
3.Swimming will be done all year round. It is obligatory to swim in the open sea at least once every month. This especially strengthens the will and builds resistance to quitting the task ahead.
4.The programme implies the cessation of late hours. Amusements, both social and entertaining,should be reduced to a minimum and then only in the nature of relaxation from strenuous work..
5.To become a leader it must be accepted that the first requisite for leadership is being able to give wholehearted loyalty,obedience and support to the leader at the time.
I hold that the human being cannot be reduced to the status of a machine--and I attribute the success of the athletes who received their early training at Portsea on my specialized fartlek methods,not so much to the initial ability of the athletes, but to the form of training we favour at Portsea,and the terrain we train upon.The introduction of resistance in the form of sand and hill is too important to be ignored and the track can never fulfill the lack nor the scientific formula replace 'natural and instinctive' effort."


 It is hard to believe there was once an athletic coach who wrote things like the above. I don't believe there are any around today teaching what Percy did.
Readers may say, well, I don't live near sand dunes or have an ocean near by so I can hardly follow this regimen. True, but you can simulate what he is recommending as close as possible. An example of this, near where I lived there were ski slopes of varying lengths. Myself and some fellow Stotans would run up them barefoot, weather permitting of course. As far as swimming? We'd go to the least polluted lake in our area and take a swim. Once again, the running of the dunes or ski slopes and the swimming are MORE than just to improve you physically, they also provide a strengthening mentally.


Regarding #4 on the list above, Cerutty didn't think that the Stotan should have no fun in his life. What he was totally against was wasting your time with too many spectator activities and social things like hanging in the clubs, bars or watching sports. It is logical to ask ourselves, why would a self-described serious, success minded person(athlete) spend hours in front of the tube, computer, cellphone, etc. There are better ways to spend your time. Note that in #2,  Cerutty says Stotans should receive instruction "in the art of living fully." That hardly seems like a drab, monk type of existence he is advocating.


So, the questions for us should be, are we wasting our time and ultimately our lives? Can we see, or are we beginning to see, that Stotanism is a way of living life more fully?


I say: Consider, Commit, Plan--then Proceed with a Dedicated Discipline.