The Stotan Way--Will Power

Your Will Power

George Hackenschmidt was a Russian born wrestler and strongman, as well as a fitness and strength innovator.Born towards the end of the 19th century, Hackenschmidt lived to be 90 yrs old.He was an example of the truth of what he taught regarding health and physical training.Cerutty was influenced and encouraged by Hackenschmidt and referred to him often in his writings,in later years they became friends.Described as a deeply spiritual(Editor:not in a conventional way) and thoughtful man, a writer said this about him:"George Hackenschmidt was the epitome of calm,self-assurance and inner peace,with full awareness of his own capabilities and thus like all masters,found no need for machoism or outward aggression. His tactic to win was skill and speed,born of confidence in his own ability." The proof of a truly unique and remarkable athlete is the one whose entire life exemplifies what he believed in and espoused. These days,after most athletes retire from competition, the majority move away from sport and on to the business of, well business, translation...making money. Although you can't blame them a bit for doing so,I hold special affection for people like Cerutty,Lydiard,LaLanne,Hackenschmidt and others who devoted their entire lives to helping others through training and athletics. The following is a quote by George Hackenschmidt and is a reminder as to what conditioning one's willpower can accomplish."The frequent employment of one's will power masters all organs of movement and trains them to perform feats which otherwise would have been difficult,painful and even impossible. The man becomes independent and self-reliant; he will never be a coward,and, when real danger threatens,he is the one who is looked up to by others. The knowledge of one's strength entails a real mastery over oneself; it breeds energy and courage,helps one over the most difficult tasks of life, and procures contentment and true enjoyment of living." It's not hard to see the similarity between the above and what Percy taught.What Hackenschmidt has to say is true but cannot be experienced unless we set about the process of developing our will power. For many,that should begin by understanding what will power actually means and all that it comprises. Self discipline and challenging oneself are the keys. The benefits as described by Hackenschmidt should be irresistible to those seeking to live life to its fullest.

Percy Cerutty--The Way He Sees It

Cerutty taught the necessity of staying relaxed while running and provided useful instruction on how to physically do so.In the following, which is a testament to his ability to think "outside the box," he provides some reasons for athletes not being relaxed.They are things that one would not usually consider but they should cause us to stop and think.If anything, the following is provocative.
"I go further,I hold that as long as people retain fixed prejudices,rigid ideas,and convictions,lack a sense of humour in their attitudes to themselves,their fellow men, and life in general,there must be,and will be,tensions which extend from the mind to the physical body and its movements.
So relaxation,in the last resort,if we would be perfect,depends upon,firstly,freeing the mind of all restrictive attitudes and beliefs,and adopting,if it is possible, the carefree(but not irresponsible) attitudes of the child,trusting in our instinctive likes and dislikes,responding to,and giving to others,kindnesses to others more than ourselves. In a word--living fully,freely,with as little restrictions upon our good impulses,in particular,as possible.
Never was it more truly said that to enter the athletic kingdom of heaven one must become as a little child."
Well Said!

This Stotan Life---Words to Live By

If you have read the Percy Cerutty bio,"Why Die," you learned about the poverty,depravation and illness he experienced during his childhood years.These hardships and the way he responded helped to mold him into the kind of person he became. Cerutty had the desire and perseverance to overcome many obstacles during the course of his life. A little known fact about him is that in 1945, at the age of 50, he became just the third Australian to run 100 miles in less than 24 hours.This was accomplished after years of poor health. Cerutty knows what he is talking about when he writes on subjects like obstacles, failures and overcoming. He offers the following: "It is said the darkest hour(in human experience) is just before the dawn. Be grateful if you have blundered: proved to be ignorant: made a mistake. It is only through such experiences that greatness can ever be achieved. When you experience frustration: discouragement: even a feeling of futility and hopelessness--it is then you should take heart: resist the temptation to abandon your objectives: to give up striving and trying. It is commonplace in human experience that--when we are about to abandon hope: when we are on the point of quitting--the miraculous occurs: we break through: we achieve(and what seemed only yesterday--the impossible)--the goals we dreamed of: but we must never have ceased believing and working towards those goals. In our moment of desperation something heartening occurs: the letter arrives: the invitation is received:we are added to the 'team'. So: never--whilst you breathe,whilst you have life,entirely give up hope: cease to try: abandon the search: cease doing. No one,until we have turned it,knows when we shall turn the corner, even which corner we may turn! But it is always well to remember: there is no road but has a turn somewhere: there is no problem but has a solution--if we can but find it: that there is no limit to what we may accomplish--at least whilst we have life in us." Perseverance is the key to success,you read this over and over again in the bios on successful people. Unfortunately,most people appear to lack the desire to persist and continue pursuing their goals. That is really too bad because I believe people are capable of accomplishing much more than they think they can. 

I Teach

Percy Cerutty wrote, "I teach: It is not important that we merely compete; that it is important that we endeavor to excel. That means, we do with all our heart and soul that which we find at hand to do. That we leave no stone unturned: no page unread:nothing frustrates us---since with the difficulty is the means of overcoming---and this once we have resolved upon a course of action. There are much more priceless things than winning, especially if the victories be unearned or cheap.It is the training: the way, that is valuable. That winning is only evidence of something and may be valuable, or not. That value is only earned when there has been self-discipline: exhaustive effort: and the development of intelligence through experience and thought. That without these factors preceding winning---winning itself,rather than be an advantageous experience,can hinder the personality---not add to it." Quite profound if I say so myself. Again, Cerutty understands that when seeking athletic success,when approached in the proper manner, it will have a postive impact on all aspects of your life and build character.

Cerutty on How Your Running and Training Should Be

From 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.

Cerutty Says: Be A Rebel

Cerutty often spoke about going against the norm in an era when it was not so common to do so as it is today. He was not only talking about doing this in athletics but in one's daily life as well. The following is an excerpt from his book, Success in Sport and Life: "Be a rebel against the perfunctory, the orthodox, the traditional, even the secure, the safe, the satisfactory,the conforming. It takes courage with a blend of so-called stupidity to burn one's bridges. I would hazard a guess that all great men at some time in their careers, burnt their bridges, said Good-bye to what looked to others sane and sensible. It is true that not many will not pay the price. It would be awful if everyone wanted to stand on the summit of Everest at one and the same time! But many can, if they rebel against mediocrity and complacency."  I think of a saying that has become almost a catch phrase, "leave your comfort zone." I expect to see it written on a Nike or NB running shirt soon. It is a saying worthy of consideration though. After 30+ years working in the psychiatric field I've seen the effects brought on by people living a life or having a mindset of "going with the flow" or doing what others expect. Things like frustration, unhappiness, and damaged relationships, along with alcohol and drug abuse, are often the consequences of suppressing who you are and what you really want to be. The bottom line is this, be who you really are and live the life you love while respecting others and being responsible.

A Real Runner,pt.1

The following question came up on a forum recently and it was an interesting one,the writer asked: "Just interested in people's views on this. At what point and at what level of ability can you honestly and truthfully say that you're a runner, as opposed to a jogger or a fun runner?"  To this I answer: It's not uncommon for people,especially younger ones, to equate performance with being a bonafide,or as I call it, a real runner. Those of us who live for the run know better,it's all about your passion and love for this sport, not the fact that you can run fast.What it all boils down to is that running is a priority in your life because it's something that's a part of who you are. I believe the following pretty much nails it in regards to how you know you're a runner: You can say you are a runner when you live for the run--when running is THE thing in your life---it's about scheduling your days around your runs not your runs around what you think you should do first before you go out for a run----it's NOT about whether you run this or that time for some distance, it's about a passion and a love for the sport where only serious injury or death will keep you from running.