Cerutty on "Hibernating"

I don't mean to be critical,think of this as an observation with a question: why is it that everywhere I turn I see people talking on cellphones? Be it in the car,going into a store,in the store,going out of the store,walking down the street, I see people on cellphones. What is most disturbing is the number of people I see texting while driving.There is no doubt in my mind that cellphone use is habit forming, and to many,addicting. However the purpose of today's post is not to rant about cellphone use and abuse but it did give me the idea for what you are about to read. Today we consider the necessity for athletes to "hibernate" periodically,to get away from it all; away from the noise and the busyness of everyday life. Cerutty addresses this subject quite nicely in the following excerpt from one of his early writings.
"Few or no animals would appear to function without periods of rest. Many have periods of hibernation. Man can benefit similarly.For many years I practiced this principle.At least twice a year it is good to get away from it all.This does not mean tearing off to some social place for a round of fun. Hibernation is when we go to some remote place and rest.I conceive it as perfect when we assume a hut or cabin,with or without companions,where we are 'snowed in'.There is food,firing,books.We lie about,resting alot; eating a little,reading resting,dozing,perhaps chatting a little.After two or three days a man will leave and return to 'civilisation' like a giant refreshed."
To the above I'd add that your place of hibernation should have no TV or other electronic conveniences like radios and cellphones.If you do bring someone along with you make sure that they understand fully what is,or better said,isn't going to be happening.Solitude and having the opportunity to think and rest allows you to "recharge your batteries",to consider things you might never have considered if you hadn't taken the time to "hibernate".

My Favorite Running Books

Someone sent me a link to a list of the 50 best running books (thanks Jason), I always enjoy reading Best of Lists on most any subject. The thing that struck me about this list was the distinct lack of older running and related books. The following is my list of great running books, books I believe should be listed above any of the 50 on that list. In no particular order:
Self-Made Olympian Ron Daws, The Olympian by Brian Glanville, Athletics: How to Become A Champion Percy ...Cerutty, The Golden Mile aka The Herb Elliott Story,Herb Elliott, Running To the Top by Derek Clayton, Serious Runner's Handbook Tom Osler, Running the Lydiard Way Arthur Lydiard, No Bugles No Drums Peter Snell, Beyond Jogging Mike Spino, Van Aaken Method Dr. Ernst Van Aaken, most anything by Kenny Moore (Especially- Best Efforts), Runners and Other Dreamers John L Parker, Marathoning by Bill Rodgers and Joe Concannon, Pre by Tom Jordan, Middle-Distance Running by Percy Cerutty, Running To the Top Arthur Lydiard, Why Die by Graem Sims(Cerutty bio), I could go on but.....

Cerutty's Camp at Portsea

Portsea Daily Training Schedule

What follows is an excerpt by Herb Elliott of the daily training schedule at Portsea in Australia.

7a.m.--A five-mile run before breakfast in any direction our whim took us,followed by a dip in the ocean.
8a.m.--Breakfast of uncooked rolled oats(without milk) sprinkled with wheat germ,walnuts,sultanas,raisins and sliced banana. Perhaps a few potato chips to follow.
9a.m.--Swimming and surfing or outdoor chores like chopping wood,painting and carpentry.
Noon--Training and lectures at Portsea Oval,followed by another swim.
2p.m.--Lunch--fish and fresh fruit.
3p.m.--Siesta
4p.m.--Weight lifting.
5p.m.--Ten-mile run along dirt roads ending once more at the beach.
7.p.m.--Tea and a general discussion led by Percy on a wide variety of subjects.
11p.m.--Lights out.

There is something to be said about the communal aspects of training with others. I don't know if you ever were able to go away to the summer camps they would hold prior to each cross-country season, but if you did, you'll understand what I mean. Getting together with other athletes while living and training together is a great experience,something that you will remember for the rest of your life.
Cerutty's camp was probably a little more difficult than the ones I was familiar with,Elliott recalled:Pain, not euphoria,set the tone of Cerutty's camp,and he preached on and about it, "Pain is the purifier..thrust against pain...walk towards suffering,love suffering,embrace it..."

One of Elliott's fellow athletes wrote this poem about Cerutty's regime:
A runner at the Pearly Gates,
His face was worn and old,
He bravely asked the man of fate
Admission to the fold.
"What have you done," St.Peter said?
"To seek an entrance here."
"I trained at Portsea,that was my task,
For many and many a year!"
Then wide the gates did open,
The angels clanged the bell.
"Come in and take a harp," he said,
"You've had enough of Hell."

Cerutty's Athleticism: Walkin' the Talk

Cerutty said this regarding coaches--"Those who can't do, can't teach."
So what could Percy Wells Cerutty do?
Cerutty returned to competition in 1943, 24 years after his last race.The following is a list of 'best times' Cerutty ran when he was 50 years of age and over.  His last 'official' race was in 1950.


1 mile--4:54---2 miles---10:20---3 miles---16:57---4 miles---24:04---5 miles---28:45--

10 miles---61:05---20 miles---2:07:59---30 miles---3:34:00---50 miles---7:00:15---
60 miles- 8:28:50-100 miles---23:45:00---Marathon---2:58:11.

In 1957 at the age of 62 in an exhibition he ran the Mile in 5:32:05. At 68 he could run a mile in less than 6 minutes.


The following is from Middle Distance Running--Appendix xi--
"In his late 60's, the Author 'curls' over 100lb at a bodyweight of 130lbs. Dead-lifts over 230lbs, and is capable of 100 sit-ups and 50 Prone-presses as routine."


For many years Cerutty continued to train hard with his athletes from his International Training Center at Portsea in Australia.

Wise Words From Cerutty

"Do not be discouraged because you may affirm that you were not born strong. It is true that some types seem to inherit the factor of physical strength,just as some seem to inherit more brains.However,life has taught me in very many examples I have known personally,that with some natural flair for anything at all we can achieve heights quite exceptional if we will only believe in ourselves, and do the essential work,find the true way."
"Indeed--those who are hell-bent to succeed are those who often do what others believe to be implausible or impossible ".  Percy Cerutty.

Diet and Courtesy

They say that a way to avoid the possibility of arguing amongst a group of people is not to discuss religion or politics. I'd tend to agree with that statement. However, I would add one more topic to the mix and that is diet, or more specifically, what type of diet someone embraces. What I'm referring to here are diets like vegetarianism, veganism, paleo, raw,etc, etc. Online you can see some of the nastiest and most hostile exchanges when people get into it over the worthiness of one diet over another.

The idea for the following article came about after to talking to someone who had been planning a large gathering of people for a dinner party. This person told me she was surprised by the number of calls she got from invitees who informed her of their particular dietary needs, or better put, restrictions. This one didn't eat this, that one only ate that, and so on. My friend, being the plain spoken type, said she informed the callers that they might considering bringing their own food because they weren't coming to the K and W (as in cafeteria).

This all got me to thinking of something Cerutty wrote in one of books, and as it is with most of what he wrote, it's as relevant today as it was when it was first written.

Consider the following:

" I do not believe our lives need be made miserable by isolating ourselves too much from the customs of our country, even in the matter of food. What is called for is some intelligent discrimination. There is never any need to offend the susceptibilities of a kind host by not accepting, and consuming, some item of diet that ordinarily we would not consume.

Nature can make amends for almost any or all indiscretions as long as such indiscretions are not habitual. Also, it is not proper to vaunt one's peculiarities publicly, nor are we called upon to proselytize our neighbor. If we are asked why we do certain things, a serious inquiry justifies a serious reply. Otherwise it is for the teacher, and lecturer, to advance public ideas on these matters of food and conduct. The athlete will be too busy developing themselves to worry overmuch about the habits and conduct of his contemporaries."

Well said!

Are You A Stotan?

By now, most readers to Stotan Runners probably realize that Cerutty taught more than just a particular way to train. He was the "whole package," his Stotanism was, and still is, about a way of living and how one views life. Throw in how one deals with life's challenges while we're on the subject.The following is a brillant essay on Stotanism written by Cerutty. I'm fairly certain most readers have not read this previously. It's for those of you who may be a Stotan, wanna be a Stotan, or want to learn what Stotanism is all about. Cerutty writes:

"A Stotan is one who hardens,strengthens,toughens and beautifies the body by consistent habits and regular exercises,which are consciously and irrevocably made part of the life plan of the individual,as well as consciously determining that the mind will be cultivated upon such abstractions as purity,beauty and logic. Erudition,in as complete a degree as possible,shall be the lifelong aim: Truth,in relation to all aspects of life,the unending search.

Stotans will,by virtue of their philosophy,be nature lovers,with a respect and appreciation of all evolved and created things.They will appreciate the sanctity of creative effort both in themselves and in others. They will strive to understand the significance implied by reality,will be able to discern the real from the spurious.

Stotans,for all the reasons that their philosophy stands for(viz:hardness,toughness,unswerving devotion to an ideal) would look upon the sea as their pristine element and endeavor to associate themselves with their primeval source of life by going into the sea at least once per month in all seasons of the year. No practice is more disposed to toughen,both the body and the morale,than this.

Stotans believe that neither the body nor the mind can be maintained at a high pitch of efficiency unless sufficient rest and recovery is maintained. Stotans shall so regulate their lives that at the end of a period varying with the intensity of the effort,each shall realize that they have attained,without conscious striving,to a state of knowledge,and a position of leadership in the community(editor:as several Cerutty trained athletes eventually did).It is axiomatic that only the pure can understand purity,only the cultivated appreciate beauty, and only the strong truly measure their strength. Therefore,only the self-disciplined can command genuine respect.

A program shall be aimed at which shall be designed to train each Stotan:-

a. ...to withstand severe physical hardship,to accomplish feats of strength and endurance,to understand orderliness,and the true meaning of intelligence.

b.To know himself 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.

In addition,Stotans shall train themselves to withstand, stoically,personal criticism,also,skepticism as the necessity or wisdom of such a Way of Life. In this regard,Stotans soon learn they command knowledge,experience,and ability not available to the prejudiced,the ignorant,or the slothful.

There is no giving up throughout life. The first pre-requisite for a Stotan is tenacity.

To live this Way of Life can be hard. It is not for weaklings.It is the Way that is travelled by all the truly great ones.It requires strenuous effort of body and mind."

It would be an understatement to say 'Perc' was intense but the big question that comes to mind after reading this is, are you in control of your life? Are you happy with the way things are going?