Not To Hurry

Most often, to reach your goal(s) takes time. People are not as patient as they once were, they want results sooner not later. Successful people are patient people. From the seldom read archival writings of writer, coach. philosopher Percy Wells Cerutty consider this:

"The serious athlete does well to remember there is no haste on the creative plane, that Nature cannot be hurried, that the greater the eventual accomplishment, the longer the time, the more strenuous the effort."

The above reminds me of something former '68 American Olympian marathoner Ron Daws said, he wrote that he  knew he didn't have the natural talent many of his competitors had, but, through time and careful preparation, he defeated them.

As I always say, enjoy the process, the journey, it all plays out in the end.

Principles As It Pertains To Your Training

"As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods, ignoring principles is sure to have trouble."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I don't believe Emerson was an athlete but the above quote sure is applicable to training.

Not too long ago someone asked me if I had heard of a book on running that advocated a certain way of training. I said that I hadn't heard of that book but if it incorporated the fundamentals of training for distance runners, I was all for it.
As most of you readers probably know, a large part of the training principles for distance running and other sports teach that easier work is followed by progressively more stressful work as the body is able to tolerate it. At the end point,these training principles all lead to the athlete being in peak condition for competition.
It's all incredibly simple, logical and sensible.

The running coach I greatly admire, Arthur Lydiard, instructed athletes to follow the principles he laid down but added that the individual could adapt them to their specific needs( the methods).

As far as training principles for sports? They must take into account human anatomy and physiology.
Still, many people try to 'reinvent the wheel' and come up with "methods" they believe will revolutionize their sport.

Be very careful when you decide to choose a way to train, or way to eat for that matter, ask yourself this, is it adhering to sound principles? Do not be fooled by charismatic hucksters.

 As an aside, a little anecdote about Arthur Lydiard: he was a giant in the sport of running, just as Vince Lombardi was in American football, John Wooden in college basketball or Casey Stengel in  pro baseball. Even though Lydiard trained and developed many champions and record holders,  he would always take time to interact with anyone who approached him.
 I recall back in the '80's writing a letter to him, I can't remember how I found his address in New Zealand. I sort of hoped he might write back but wasn't willing to put any money on it.
Sure enough, not quite a month later I received a letter from him. A couple years later I wrote again and the same thing happened.
As I read somewhere after he died, talking with others, no matter what their status was, was something he really enjoyed doing
Take it from me, this is a rare quality among famous people.

The Truth From Cerutty

"No door remains forever locked against the man of indomitable will and courage. What we most lack is the power to continue: continuity and perseverance--the never quit spirit allied to intelligence is the secret key to success: not great natural endowments,powerful friends and favourable environments." By Percy Cerutty.
Don't forget or doubt this, Cerutty and countless other people are proof of the validity of this quote.
Why not you too?

Mind Over Matter

Think about this for awhile:
"The athlete,through being trained and practised properly,will find that the mind can dominate the physical body,and he can maintain an effort long after other competitors have abandoned all hope of holding the speed required to win."
Quote by Percy Cerutty.
"Percy helped me to world records not so much by improving my technique,but by releasing in my body and soul a power that I only vaguely knew existed." Quote by Herb Elliott.
A strengthening of the mind should be the natural byproduct of a well planned training regimen.

Do You Have Championship Character?

There are certain traits that are evident in successful athletes.Many of us have the traits I'm about to list below but certain athletes have it to a greater degree than others. Cerutty believed in self-evaluation as being essential for those who desired to do well. The following is a partial list devised by Dr. Ogilvie (in quotes with my comments after) of what he called championship characteristics.
Examine Yourself!
"Drive
1. Desire to win or be successful.
2.Aspires to accomplish difficult tasks.
3.Sets and maintains high goals for himself in athletics.
4.Responds positively to competition.
5.Desires to attain athletic excellence.
 Determination
1.Willing to practice long and hard.
2.Works on skills until exhausted.
3.Often works out willingly by himself.
4.Persevering, even in the face of great difficulty.
5.Patient and unrelenting in his work habits.
6.Doesn't give up quickly on a problem."
I believe #6 is the key to running success, sticking with it well after the time the average Joe would have bagged it.
"Mental Toughness
1.Accepts strong criticism without feeling hurt.
2.Does not become easily upset when performing badly.
3.Can bounce back quickly from adversity.
4.Can take rough coaching.
5.Does not need alot of encouragement from others."
  On a related note, I used to wonder why professional boxers, when they were beaten convincingly,always seemed to come up with a rationale as to why they lost. Some people might call it an excuse. Perhaps #'s 2 and 3 are the reason. Yeah, I did poorly but..
What is the alternative? To say: "I got whipped,he's just one of a slew of guys that can beat me."
 Once an athlete says and believes that his ability to compete is seriously below others, he is done as a competitor.
Lots of great insights by Dr. Ogilvie for us to think about.

Getting Philosophical With Cerutty

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 as to why athletes are not relaxed in their sport, and in life.
These are things that one would not usually consider but should cause us to stop and think. If anything, the following is provocative. I personally find it to be incredibly insightful.
"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."
Although Percy denied any allegiance to a particular faith,the last sentence from this excerpt is his rephrasing of a passage found in one of the Christian Gospels.
It is an unfortunate occurrence that as we get older far too many of us become cynical and negative,we lose the innocence and enthusiam for life we had as youths. I believe this is why so many turn to other means to find happiness, such as adopting unhealthy habits like alcohol and drug use as well as the endless quest for entertainment and satiation.
We must not forget to appreciate the "little things" in life,the things that most take for granted(family,health,etc.).

On Racing By Percy Cerutty

In the following, Cerutty offers some profound insights into racing as well as advice as it pertains to a  runner's competitive season.
Provocative, thought provoking stuff here.After each paragraph I'll offer a comment or two. Percy proclaims:
"The athlete should be aroused simply by the idea of competition. This should be enough to make him emotionally ready, and draw on what has been developed through practice."
Aroused, an interesting choice of words but I know exactly what he means. Have you ever been so ready,emotionally and physically to race? Have you been so confident of your condition that you couldn't wait to to test it out? I have, but not nearly enough as I should have.
"This arousal can be hampered by worry about the race or the competition,lack of interest or staleness. These are the enemies of good racing. An athlete can put in months of grueling,exacting workouts and then be defeated by them in a race situation."
Optimal,peak condition should greatly reduce the chances you will "worry"excessively.
"When serious racing season is underway,races take priority. Training should be limited as much as possible,usually to no more than a little sharpening work on the grass. The runner has to save his best efforts for the race. Many waste them in time trials and workouts."
Isn't that the problem with the majority of elite and serious American born distance runners? Who haven't you known that hasn't continued "interval" sessions into their racing season? Lydiard tells you not to,Cerutty says the same,so why are they continuing? It would be easy to blame bad coaching but don't you think it could be something else? Try anxiety or fear, try an unreasonable belief controlled by emotions that send the message that if they don't continue to bust their butts in training they're going to lose their edge.
"If the runner has trained properly and is "mentally tough,"the race should be run as fast as possible. Since the runner's physical condition doesn't change very significantly in the space of a week or two,if the runner is doing his best,his racing should not fluctuate much from race to race. They should be progressively faster."
Progressively faster--if---you haven't been leaving your best on the track doing foolish workouts mid-week.
 Positively essential advice by Cerutty for anyone who is serious about racing.