WITH

TECHNICAL BOOK CO
195- 1 9 9 SW A N t lO N M .
MUBOURNS fB m i
 RUNNING WI TH CERUTTY

Copyright, 1959, by Track & Field News

P.O.Box 296, Los Altos,Calif.

F O R E WA R D
This little book should be on the "must read" list of.every
runner and running coach. For it offers much of real value in that
portion of track and field most open to progress--the distance runs.
And, I believe, any runner or coach who will really read it--study it--
cannot help but be benefitted.
None will agree completely with what Percy Cerutty has to say.
The colorful, controversial Australian coach would not want it that
way, would look with scorn upon any and all who accepted his teachings
so blindly. He believes the thinking athlete to be the superior athlete
and hopes that all who read these few, but information packed, pages
; will do so with an open and questioning mind.
Personally, I feel there is much to be learned from this book.
Even for the rare exception who may learn nothing new the book is of
value. He will have found out, at least, what one learns when running
with Cerutty. And since Cerutty has enjoyed such sensational success
we all should be curious as to his methods.
Some of the material has been published elsewhere, but has
not had widespread distribution. And the book is more of a compila
tion of various writings than a pre-planned work. But the material is
there and if it takes an extra reading or two it will be worth it.
"Running with Cerutty" is no misleading title, for those who
train with Cerutty do run with him. At 63, he practices what he
preaches, demonstrates what he teaches, and lives the life he be
lieves in. It makes for a most interesting coach-athlete relationship--
and for informative, stimulating reading.
Bert Nelson, Publisher
Track & Field News

PUBLI SHI NG POLI CY

Believing the content of a book to be all important, it is the
book publishing policy of Track & Field News to economize where
necessary on the presentation. By using a paper cover and allowing
an uneven right hand margin we are thus able to produce this book to
sell at a price that makes it available to all.
There is a very limited demand for books on track and field,
and very few are published. Our alternatives are to publish nothing
at all or to concentrate on valuable content and economize on the for
mat. We hope you will agree that in the interests of serving the sport
we have made the wiser choice.
Track & Field News
Box 296, Los Altos, Cal.
Cover by Hal Higdon j
 Int roduct ion

What it Takes to be a Champion

In the beginning a world class or world champion type of ath
lete must have ability above the average but not necessarily be at the
top of his age group or other classification.
Indeed, even above inherent natural ability it is important that
innate worth be bom with the athlete. He will be found to be persis -
tent, not easily discouraged (indeed, set-backs will be a spur and
goad), intelligent, self-reliant and ambitious once he sees the road
ahead and the means to get to his destinations.
I myself believe that nature does not fool us. If we feel within
ourselves real potentiality, abilities, we can reasonably attain to any
goals that we may conceive of for ourselves, and when these ideas or
feelings about ourselves persist. We all know the youth'and man who
is going to do something but in a week or month has forgotten all
about that goal, completely abandoned all goals or switched to others,
most equally fatuous. But if the feeling of ability to achieve in som e
thing, sometime, somewhere, persists with us, becomes part of us,
we can be assured of results mostly beyond our earliest dreams.
To cleave to your ambitions, have faith in yourself and be
lieve that if you do the work results must be achieved. But also be
lieve that if work alone did things, then all good labourers would end
up rich. We know the many don't.
It is intelligent work that does things--intelligent training
methods, new ideas, especially when proved, that can work miracles.
It is useless to revert to the ideas and methods of Nurmi, for in
stance, if we wish to run sub four minute m iles. His methods and
training, supposing we have the intelligence, persistence, e t c . , of
Nurmi, can only result in a 4:10 mile! (Nurmi's world record. )
No! We must be receptive to new ideas, be prepared ourselves to
march into the future, and either discover new methods, new train
ing concepts, or find someone who has done so.
Seek, and you do find, in time. Ask, and you do get the infor
mation, but perhaps not from the sources you thought. Knock, and
some superior person, coach or teacher will take you in, but you may
have to try many doors.
Summed up: You can become what you think you can become.
But you must find the teacher or discover new methods for yourself,
as did Parry O'Brien.
Remember: Work does do things, but it is superior work,
highly intelligent work, often exhausting, soul -killing work, that gets
one out of the rut, makes one a world figure, no matter in what field.
Never entirely give up when discouraged, frustrated.
Every difficulty carries within itself the means of its own so l
ution. The test for you is to find that means, that teacher. There is
a teacher, a way-shower, at every cross road in life. You never
know that until you reach the cross-road. He is not available while
you are on the journey to his place in life.
1
 You cannot be taught until you are ready to be taught. And you
cannot function until you are ready to function. A four minute mile
when ready to function at a four minute mile rate is just as easy to do
as a five minute mile for the five minute class functiDneer. Indeed,
it is often easier by virtue of the resilience and recovery factor of
the highly evolved and trained specialist.
In the ultimate, if you are to succeed, you must believe in the
worth-whileness of your goals, find the means to attain them, and do
the essential work, make the personal effort. No one can do it for
you. No one can travel the road for you, do your training and your
thinking. At the best you can only find a way-shower and teacher.
I hope you will feel, in reading this small exposition, that you
have found both a modest 'wayshower and teacher, that you gain some
thing to help you to your ends, your goals, your successes.
I would have it so --so it merely remains for you to do your
part.
You can, if you but will.
May all success be yours. It can!

PERCY WELLS CERUTTY

Portsea, Victoria,
Australia

February, 1959

2
My Definition of Running
Running is, or should be, free expression, both in its move
ments and the training that fits one to run faster and/or further/
faster. Running, at its highest expression, is an outpouring, a giv
ing out of. In its performance there should be nothing inhibited,
regimented, formalized, fixed or dictated.
On the contrary, good running performance results from, in
sprinting, an explosive all out effort that delivers and empties out
all the strength and capacity contained in the performer. In the mid
dle distance performer, and longer, it is a more controlled but equal
ly complete all-out expression.
In its hardest and fullest expression all the powers in us are
fully exerted. In its fullest expression there is little place for ease
and relaxation. On the contrary, all the strength possible is exerted,
and the full effort of all the musculature is exerted in a free and full-
hearted attempt to move the body-bulk at its fastest between one given
point and another. If this is done with a fully developed musculature
of all the body, the appropriate parts will function appropriate to the
effort, working and relaxing as is natural and proper.
What is so little understood is that true relaxation cannot be
taught. It only replaces one set of tensions with another set, or
worse, stultifies and slows up a full free effort. Just as no man can
exert his full strength in lifting the heaviest weight he is capable of
lifting if he is relaxed, so no man can exert his full strength in mov
ing his body weight from one place to another in his greatest effort --
if he's relaxed. Relaxation, then, only too often is a sine qua non for
"less effort", ease of effort, and is mostly the prerogative of the
weakly and non-understanding. In its customary application--relaxed
fingers and sagging jaws--we see just this weakly and "something-
less" application. I will have none of it.
It must be obvious that if we are to exceed our own personal
bests two things are required. One--increased strength and/or tech
nique. Two--a fuller, more effective effort. This applies to attain
ing to world records.
Where athletes, and coaches, are astray is they too often a s
sume winning as proof of superior effort. Nothing is further from the
truth. Winning in poor time is not success, only a false ego titivator,
conceit, small-time satisfaction. Hence winners in mediocre com
pany are often adjudged to be champions and their methods approved
and copied. In the face of true excellence and perfection these same
methods often appear poor, unstudied, restricted, even ludicrous.
If you would aim high, world championship or record--believe
me, all that is locked up in your strength and personality must be put
into that effort. If you can do this easily, relaxed, well, this little
treatise is not for you. You have already arrived, can consider your
self a superman, a phenomena, maybe, a freak.
For the novice, the athlete on the way up, how do we achieve
these desirable ends, viz: enhanced performances, records, both
local and world? Read on.
3
Running as I Teach It
Running as I teach it is not a sport or a physical activity so
much as being a complete expression of ourselves, physical, mental,
spiritual, if we can admit of this being something above the mental
and artistic. Therefore running as I teach it is to teach the full and
complete development of the athlete. One of the ways he attempts to
express this development is in superlative running. The training for
running therefore becomes an integral part of our life plan and not
merely a pastime to be dropped as of no further value when we leave
high school or college as does so appear to be the case in the USA.
Such a basic human activity as walking, or running, surely
must still have a deep importance to us in our physical and psycho
logical states. Not only can we continue to express ourselves hap
pily as long as we live, but, quite incidentally, to do so implies an
intelligent attitude to how we live--in a word, intelligent fitness.
In my teaching I value most highly the food that is fed to the
human organism. That I value above training (exercise). We shall
die quickly and painfull without suitable nutrition. We can continue
to limp along in some sort of fashion without exercise. The chroni
cally bed-ridden prove that.
Therefore, late in my life, at 43 to be precise, I turned to
running, and away from the so-called adult sports such as golf. And
from out of my running and all that has some bearing on it, I learned
how to live, what to eat, and to enjoy a fitness and activity on a level
that was higher than ever before in my life. At least that I could r e
member.
In building up the complete athlete I do myself a dis-service.
But not really. Since I teach him to become self-dependent, to deter
mine his own schedules, and to become as soon as possible an effic
ient mental and physical organism, he soon finds he does not need me.
To bind another, to control another, to hinder the free and full ex
pression of another, these things I consider cardinal sins.
And I mostly teach the true human movements of the athletes
in postures, walking and r unning. Indeed no athlete can hope to be
superlative in his running who is not taught correct carriage first.
And that correct carriage, to me, is to be poised perfectly above his
feet. Lean plays no part in my ideas. And if he is taught to "crawl-
pull-drlve" with his arms he will run straight whether he wills it or
not. And if he is taught the true movements of pure speed bursts as
we find in the 100 and 220 he again will run straight and up. And if,
again, he is taught to rest all his organism without loss of speed as
in the 440 and up, he will carry his arms high up on his chest with a
somewhat inhibited movement (a la Zatopek).
Actually I have worked out that there are five primary and fun
damental arm movements in complete running. I use them all myself.
Most coaches teach that running starts with the feet and legs.
The strength, placement and movements of the leg and feet, to them,
are more important than the movements of the arms, head and body,
I hold just the opposite view.
4
 I observed that all animals had feet or sorts. All had legs.
But only two animals had thumbs, the ape and man. The opposing
thumbs in man made it possible for his tremendous evolutionary de
velopment over all other animals.
I hold, and teach, that all good running commences in the
thumbs and fingers and their movements, continues through the hands
and arms, and extends through the shoulders and body, to the legs and
feet. That is, if the movements above the hips are not perfect we can
not expect perfect movements in the legs and feet.
And from this it follows that if all above the hips are perfect,
and athletes can be taught these movements, then we can entirely ne
glect the feet and leg movements since they will follow on quite natur
ally and be perfect, also.
And it is my observation that it is because runners think of
their legs and feet, and try to do things with them', that tension is
found in these athletes. And it is tension, since it is like driving an
automobile with the brakes on, that makes fast running so tiring,
other things being equal. Completely get rid of tension thus induced-
since it is not natural--and with the same physical strength or train
ing, a runner can about double his distance at his customary speeds.
Anyway, this is what I have found in my personal running, and in the
PUBLIC

efforts of runners like Dave Stephens who above all has been able to
accept my teachings.
The movements and clenchings, e t c . , of the thumb and fingers,
LIBRARY

the throw and variations in the movements of the arms, the freedom
and flexibility of the head and shoulders, all these things govern the
free expression and movements of the legs and feet. These latter
OF V IC T O R IA

will drive, accelerate, lift and fall exactly in response to what goes
on above them. No variation above and we have the uniform uninspir
ing mechanical actions of the ordinary performer.
What proof have I of these things? The latest is in the run of
one Dave Stephens. By no manner of means heavily trained, nor d is
tinguished as an athlete, nor experienced and travelled, he listened
to me and found it easy to mold his movements on what I taught. In a
year or so he had lifted himself, never ever before having been con
sidered good enough to represent his state, much less his country, to
become Australian record holder from two miles to six. Also, in
another year, with almost effortless ease he ran six miles in 27:54,
to beat the time of the phenomena Zatopek in his best ever race by
several seconds.
There is only one explanation, at least, to me. Stephens'
mastery of what I teach. I, also, at 63 run fast. As fast as Stephens,
but my lung efficiency due to age causes me to fall behind very soon.
The solution may not be as mysterious and difficult as you
think, nor the way as hard and ten inus. But nothing worthwhile was
ever accomplished without pain, without full effort, without a price.
Relaxation is mostly a substitute for these latter three--pain,
effort, price--and usually gets its-just reward.

5
Running Movements
I teach that In matters natural "nature knows best". Running
and moving Is natural. Find out how nature would have us move and
run and you have found out the lot.
My experience and experimentations have taught me that run
ning, indeed, all efforts, to be fully effective must be supported by
the whole of the musculature. Every muscle and joint works. Elbows
are unlocked, faces work and grimace, the breath is exhaled in ex
plosions, wrists are firm with pinched-on fingers, arms thrash pow
erfully when the effort is full--running is done on the legs rather than
with the legs.
Most runners, because of the bulk of the thigh muscles and
strength contained in them, find their consciousness is fixed in their
legs--in a word, they are leg conscious. Therefore, they do little
with their arms and upper body. The consciousness should be moved
ot the upper body, the back, arms and fingers and the drive initiated
in these parts, the legs following on, fulfilling the ends commenced
in the fingers, arms and upper body.
No attempt must be made to do these things by will and such
efforts of good movement cannot be imposed from without. Only as
an athlete strengthens his arms and upper body (usually puny and
weak by his standards of leg development) can his consciousness pro
perly move from his legs to the center of true strength- -the upper
body.
The upper body, containing as it does the heart and lungs,
when added to great Upper body strength, can be considered the en
gine, the source of the power. Then the legs are seens as the wheels
and the tires of this high powered mechanism. This, to me, is the
true relationship and from which much faster times and improved
performances, whether track or field, can be confidently expected
in the future when the statement is more generally realized and
accepted.
No attempt must be made, or even thought of, in regard to
leg carriage, knee-lift, or foot placement. When the upper body is
strong, when the arms are moved fully and effectively, when the
pinched-on fingers properly control the effort--then the power de
livered will be down to and via the strong, rapidly moving legs, ef
fectively, fully, efficiently and free.
That these movements must be demonstrated in the teacher
is a truism: therefore no attempt will be made to describe them in
detail, as to do so is to create illusions in the minds of the reader.
Every reader creates the physical world in terms of his own
mind, motivations, reasonings. Technique cannot be properly
taught in books. Pictures may help, the movie camera definitely.
But perfectly it must be through personal demonstrations.
The coach who cannot do it cannot properly teach it. I stand
firm on that one!

6
 Primary Arm Movements
To one such as myself, accustomed to use and teach a variety
of arm movements in running it is, perhaps, natural that I judge an
athlete, and coaching, by the arm movements, or lack of them.
Nothing looks more fatyous, to me, than the running of most
athletes. In most cases, so ineffective are the arm movements that
the athletes would be benefitted if he could remove his arms and lay
them aside. Carried in a variety of positions, their movement, in
stead of initiating all that the athlete does, is the result of the sway
ing back and forth of the shoulders.
This shoulder sway is the common fault of most distance run
ners and so common is the fault that it is unusual to find an athlete
without this fault.
Actually, in good r unning, while there is no fixedness or
rigidity, the hips and shoulders remain at right angles to the line of
travel. From tljese hips extend legs that move fore and aft with a
swinging movement that causes the knees to kiss and the feet to
touch the calf of the opposite leg, or just m iss.
The feet drop to the ground with no attempt to point the toe or
control the landing. Just before the actual foot landing photographs:
will disclose that the foot is tilted upwards as if to land on the heels,
and which we actually should do at a slow pace.
The outer edge of the foot makes contact first and the middle
edge drops down in a movement designed by nature to prevent jar.
Upon leaving the ground the foot's toes come into action and grip
with their little pads. Therefore shoes should have sufficient room
to permit this toe movement. Especially is this a fault of sprinters
who generally, wrongly, have a mania for tight and pointed shoes.
No one accustomed to run barefoot, as is natural, can but
fail to observe, and benefit,, by the knowledge of how the feet should
move.
Thus it is with good running--the shoulders remain square, do
not sway noticeably, and the arms move with positive action.
Another great fault found in practically all distance runners is
the fixed or immovable elbow. One would be justified in thinkings
that all these runners had had serious accidents to their elbows and
that they had become fixed as if in a plaster cast.
Actually, in good running movements every muscle is in
action and every joing moves with the exception of the wrist. The
wrist remains firm, but even it twists on its axis so that the hands
vary through a range of movements from the palms facing upwards
to downwards.
I suppose the fixed, immovable elbow and the swaying shoul
ders are the two most common faults in runners. One only has to
imagine a high jumper, long jumper or hurdler trying to perform
with the same immovability--yet running is a series of modified
movements as demonstrated by these others.
Actually, when used as they should be, the arms and hands
initiate the drives that should vary both the pace and the effort. At
7
least five or six major movements can be detected in the athlete who
is master of the full use of his arms. These can be defined as:
1. The down thrust used in warming up. The American Bob
McMillen was a first class example. The arms are forced vigor
ously downwards as if driving the body upwards, as they do. This
movements tends to ensure that the body is well uplifted before ac
tual hard running commences.
2. The Throwaway-Picup; Used as a rest or break, expec-
ially in preparing to run fast as in warming up. The movements are
as if something was carried and thrown away and picked up again. A
good illustration is when one uses a yo-yo. The use of this move
ment prepares the mind to reject and accept the burden or load that
is thrust upon it by hard effort, i. e . , racing.
3. The low arm carriage full spring action. This is the nor
mal full throw of the arms used by most good sprinters when r unning
fast. The arms, or hands, start from a line that is represented by
the side seam of the running shorts and when down in this position the
arm is nearly straight. The arms then are thrown vigorously up
wards and outwards across to a point that corresponds in space with
a line drawn down the center of the trunk and level with the mouth.
A modification is the high arm carriage full throw and which is used
by middle distance runners. The movements are essentially the
same but as the pace is slower the movements are more conservative.
Otherwise they correspond to the more complete movements of the
sprinter on full action.
4. The crawl movement. This is a natural and early form of
movement and corresponds to the crawling movements of a child, and
the movement known as "dog-paddling" in elementary swimming. It is
the earliest of the movements and little used. However, two great
Australian runners use this movement almost exclusively. They are
Herb Elliott, world's greatest miler to date, and Albert Thomas, a
diminutive (5'5") distance runner who is credited with world records
in the two and three mile distances.
5. The rest position. Made famous by Zatopek. The arms
rest high on the chest with little movement and thus the body "coasts"
for a few strides when the arms are dropped and pick up the drive
again.
There are other variations, such as the dropping of the arms
straight down beside the body and exploited by Dave Stephens to rest
himself and keep (properly) relaxed, or out of a fixed, machine-like
action.

8
Principle of Progression
There is little or no growth, that is, development beyond the
mean, in any organism unless it is subjected to strains and stresses
that cause some reaction. Obviously, if these strains and stresses
are too drastic there is some risk that the organism will succumb
rather than react favorably.
This is what happens in a small way when a novice commen
ces running too enthusiastically and finds that his legs are so sore
and stiff that he can only manage to walk, and then in pain and d is
comfort. The tyro attempting too much in a workout with weights
finds the same thing--his arms and back, or other muscle groups,
complain bitterly, and painfully, at such indiscretions.
Because of this, it was the general idea that we must never
subject the organism to heavy strains or stresses, that is, never
train too hard. But we also know now, as well-informed athletes al
ways did know, that without subjecting our musculature, our lungs
and hearts, to considerable strains, we never attain to much more
than mediocre developments--that we never are likely to set world
records for instance.
But it is a shortsighted policy to suddenly subject the organ
ism to marked changes. It is far more sensible to move into a high
order of development by a properly graduated scheme or schedule.
This I have attempted to do in what I call my Inclined Saw-Tooth
Theory.
Not only must we introduce the principle of resistance into
our work, but just as importantly, we must introduce the principle of
progression.
Slowly and surely the organism must be subjected to steadily
increasing loads. However, these loads cannot be added in a contin-
yous effort. Nature does not work like that so neither must we.
There must be some cycle that we conform to, a period where the
load is on, and a period when it is lightened. To subject the organ
ism to a continuous and unremitting strain is to invite ultimate break
down, even permanent injury.
Thus it is with our human bodies. No man in running has yet
proved to what limits the organism can be raised by intensive pro
gressive methods of training. Again, my inclined saw-tooth schedule
is designed as an attempt to move athletic training to meet these
modem demands.
It is known that strength is gained after we exercise at de
grees that are a little above the ordinary levels. That is, after we
have exercised to a point involving some exhaustion. Take a miler
able to run a mile around five minutes almost at the first attempt--a
common enough experience. If he only continues to run a mile in
around five minutes in his training, he will be lucky indeed if he ever
moves to being a 4:45 miler. No'. We know he must try andrun fur
ther at that rate and translate his improved stamina into speed, or
teach his organism to sustain a higher rate of speed.
What the future holds in regard to world-records when the
import of progressive resistance training is understood--who knows?
9
Why Not Run Faster
It is a poor runner who cannot run 440 yards In 60 seconds.
When we talk of the four minute mile we really speak of the difficulty
of maintaining this relatively slow rate of running for more than a
couple of laps--not even three for the many.
Given that the lungs are conditioned by much running, then two
main factors impose themselves between the runner and the four min
ute m ile. These factors are:
1. Wasteful, awkward, ineffective or stultified movements; in
a word, the runners' poor running movements, what is termed
"style".
2. Lack of strength. He lacks muscle, size or quality, his
glucose reservoir is insufficient insufficient in size or needs replen
ishment.
Given that his lungs and heart are conditioned, given that he
satisfied the second requirement, then only the first is left. With
those who do regular and serious training involving some 40 miles
per week and upwards, this is what we fine--the runner's movements
are poor.
Assume the combined effective movements of Landy and Ban
nister could be said to produce the perfect style; assume we give this
perfection the rating of 100%. Then we assume a runner who is 10%
below this perfect standard and that he can run the four minute mile.
What do we find if we discover the means to lift him up to run
ning perfection, viz, that extra 10% to 100%? On the four minute mile
basis of the 60 second quarter mile we find that he would run his laps
at the speed of 54 seconds each. Remember we are assuming he has
the stored strength to do this and it is his movements that are poorish
or wasteful. If a runner able to run the four minute mile was shown
to be 20% below the perfect standard and he was lifted up to perfec
tion, his lap rating would show the astonishing figure of 48 seconds
per lap.
These figures and possibilities are not so fantastic as they
may at first appear. I am of the opinion that hundreds of runners in
a country such as England, for example, condition their heart and
lungs sufficiently. Many have strengthened themselves by the means
that are now being generally adopted, viz, the indroduction of r e s is
tance into their strength work. What is it, then, that they appear to
lack? It would appear to be mainly running techniquer-inferior move
ments, stultified actions, mechanical-like movements especially of
the arms and body, absence of spirit, a zombie-like attitude. It is
all these things that retard the more effective performance of many
runners over all the distances.
This state of affairs is not helped by the text books. The out
moded ideas of how we run--the ball-of-the-foot-drop-on-to-heel and
other traditional ideas of how we run not based in truthful observation'
do not help at all the serious runner. Indeed, they grievously m is
lead him into error.
If our athletes could be taught truthful, natural running move-
10
ments literally hundreds would run the four minute mile today. At
least in the next year or so.
As things are, these sincere and hard-trained athletes suffer
the chagrin and disappointment of not being quite good enough. Often
they realize that they are better conditioned, more sincerely trained,
and cover more mileage in training, than many who prove more suc
cessful.
Take heart, I say to those athletes. It can be different. Slowly
the technique of the art of moving over the ground fast, effectively,
and economically, is being mastered. It is now known that the foot
does not land as was hitherto thought. The slow motion camera has
altered all that. No more is the tensed leg controlled to a ball of
foot landings, nor do we rock-over and so on.
The camera shows us that the foot approaches the ground with
toes cocked up as if it was to be a heel landing. Yet at speed it isn't.
Nor is it a ball of the foot landing. In very slow motion it can be
viewed as a slow slither with a caressing movement from the outside
of the whole foot to the inside, embodying a clamp down movement
much as we use to stamp on a coin rolling to the gutter--a very quick
movement.
The ball-of-the-foot-drop-down-on-to-heel went out with the
4:20 m ile. It is slow, wasteful, and is certainly not used by runners
like Landy or Bannister, Zatopek or Stephens--and there are hundreds
of still photographs to prove it.
But not every one has the "seeing eye". Even when the pic
tures are scanned in the magazines not every one sees. It would
appear that these details need to be pointed out. To teach them'pro
perly, I have found, requires personal demonstration. This is not
easy except in a most limited way. Nevertheless, we are making
slow progress here in Australia. Athletes from every state of the
Commonwealth are finding their way to Portsea, Victoria, for just
this instruction.
Just how much the Australian athletes can profit by this, the
future will disclose. But the work is too limited. The few days avail
able are not sufficient, really.

11
 Conditioning for Strength
If we realize in the beginning that civilization, especially in
cities, has largely removed the burdens that cause a normal develop
ment of the upper body; if we realise, as is claimed by the "strength
people" that in a normally developed man the calf, neck and upper
arm (flexed) measure approximately the same; if we realize the puny
undeveloped arms, shoulders, neck, abdomen and back to be the
futilities, muscularly speaking, of the average runner; then we can
see why the legs assume the importance they do.
But if we also realize that why, having completed one four
minute mile, we cannot immediately run another although being the
same athlete with the same technique and will, we can begin to real
ize the part great strength plays in athletic performance. And when
we can so strengthen an athlete, such as Elliott, that which appears
abnormal to others becomes normal for him merely because he has
acquired greatly added strength by means proved and taught from my
own personal experience.
How is this great strength acquired? This strength that moves
the consciousness from the legs, which are inferior (we can live
without legp but not without our trunk and viscera), to the trunk and
its organs, which are superior?
Resistance is the answer--putting the musculature through a
series of efforts against resistance.
It is elementary to recognize that if we merely move the arms
without the use of a resistance, little strength is developed. Use a
resistance, such as in wrestling (when the opponent becomes the re
sistance), the gymnasium when the body weight becomes the r e sis
tance, or best of all for powerful and fast results, the added r e sis
tance of the barbell and similar apparatus such as loaded pulleys.
The principle, simply is this: As strength is gained through
the use of resistance, that resistance must be added to, or little or
no progress continues to be made.
I set off by instructing my athletes in the sit-ups, chinning the
bar, pushups and the like, as well as putting them to using the heavy
barbell. The weights to be used? Right from the beginning, for the
variajs exercises, a weight that can be moved six times without the
undue calling up of the will, and which is difficult, or impossible, to
move 10 tim es. There is one exception--the dead lift. For that lift
it is better to use a weight that can be lifted 20 times and not 30.
One thing must be stated; the current ideas of weight r e sis
tance work, based in light weights and quick movements, jumping
with weights and all such, are more or less u seless. No greatly
added strength will be gained that way. I claim this uniqueness --to
be the only known teacher of some reputation who was experienced
and practiced weight lifting as a sport and distance running as a sport
at one and the same time for many years. I claim to be one of the
few who can speak with authority as befits a weight trained man and
runner. And I attribute my ability at 51 years of age to set a native
Victorian state marathon record, and to run 60 m iles and 100 miles
12
 at the same age, to strength gained by body resistance exercises as
much as to my running, per se. For my running was not of a very
extreme order in mileage per year, rarely exceeding 1500 miles per
year, or 30 miles per week.
Indeed, I am convinced that for future superior performances
running alone can never be the answer. Strength, added strength,
per medium of the gymnasium, the barbell, the sand hill, the steep
hill, grass or road, or in the cities the flights of stairs in buildings.
Anything at all that makes for hard, sweating and continuous effort.
A certain amount of steady, or more or less steady, and con
tinuous effort in running is required if we are to strengthen the heart
and acquire a good oxygen debt. The evidence of both is a low pulse
rate.
That known as the basic pulse rate requires that the pulse be
taken on waking and before any movement, such as sitting up in bed,
even. When the heart is conditioned and the oxygen debt capacity is
at its maximum, the basic pulse rate will measure in the low forties,
even in the thirties. No other evidence is required. It is not freak
ish to have a BPR of 42. It is customary in all well-trained and con
ditioned athletes. It is foolish and risky to attempt feats that require
this conditioning where the BPR indicates we have not been conditioned.
PUBLIC Liqotpy (jf VICTC5IA

When Chataway fainted after finishing the 5000 meters race at

the Olympic Games at Helsinki I saw evidence of too little condition
ing and too much reliance upon nature, ability, speed and courage.
Well-conditioned athletes just don't faint and/or fall down, as did
Chataway. It is noticeable he did not win the race, either.
Briefly the main excercises I favor for athletes to strengthen
themselves herewith are:
Warmup with the snatch, using one third of the body weight.
Ten repititions.
The rowing motion. Six to 10 reps. Three sets of reps,
making 18 to 30 in all.
The press; the curl, front and reverse, and the one-handed
swing, all the same number as for the rowing motion.
The dead lift. Twenty to 30 reps; Three sets.
(Note: For full and complete instructions as to the use of the
barbell, exercises and movements the athlete is advised to buy one of
the many books on the subject published by well known weight lifting
authorities, or direct from Bob Hoffman, York, Penna., the recog
nized world authority in this sphere. Or from Ray VanCleef, 1455
West San Carlos, San Jose 26, Calif. The usual books written for
athletes are not of much use, some positively u se le ss.)
One exercise I do not like for runners, since it unduly builds
the size of the thigh muscles for no running advantage, and moreover
causes injury around the knee area, is the deep knee bend, or squat,
done with a heavy weight held across the shoulders.

13
Training for Events
T ABL E OF E F F O R T

J sss Winter Conditioning Racing

Sprinters 10-20 miles per week. Some 10 miles per wk.
other sports like hockey. Gymnas Squash. All track.
tics. Sand hill and occasional run Stamina or warm
to five m iles. up to one mile.
Some swimming
440-880 20-40 miles per week. Gymnas 10-20 miles wk.
tics. Some other interest with Similar to winter
sports, perhaps afield game. but more concen
tration on events.
880 -mile 40-50 miles per week. Gymnas 20-40 miles week.
tics. No time for other sports Similar to winter.
or events. Concentrate.
lm -3 m 50-60 miles per week. Gymnas 40-50 miles week.
tics. No time for other sports Similar to winter.
or events. Concentrate.
3m-6m Up to l'OOm per week. Gymnas 50-60 miles week.
tics. No time for other sports Similar to winter.
or events. Concentrate event.
Marathon 60-100 miles per week. Gym Similar but tapers
nastics. No time for other off before races--
sports. more speed work

All Events: In winter conditioning. Gymnastics and heavy

weight training two days per week, some every day if like such work;
say 20 to 30 minutes daily. Reasonable, not exhausting swimming is
good all the year round, the life being as "normal" as possible.
In the winter conditioning the emphasis should be on longer,
more extensive work. In the race practice period, definitely inten
sive work.
Once racing starts on the track, the athlete ever does exhaus
ting training. The work done should leave the athlete with the feeling
he could do it all over again if he had to, pleasantly tired and happy.
The sprinter can have a racing season of four months, the
marathon man of four weeks, with other events in between, the miler
having a season of about two months.
For Elliott and similar we condition 6 to 8 months--called
winter conditioning. We move out of this by degrees and move into
race practice by degrees. This lasts'eight or 10 weeks. During this
time odd races can be run as part of race practice. These are trials,
or full dress rehearsals, to see how we are under racing conditions.
There is no resting up, even on the morning of such races.
When racing starts the work done as training is cut by 50% of
what we were doing in race practice as mentioned earlier.
Club officials and athletes must decide whether the club exists
to gain prestige by team, club and relay events, or purely success by
14
by individuals, or a mixture of both. I favor, of course, success by
individuals, but realize many cannot gain that success and club and
team events are "athletic life and interest" for such. However, they
must carry on without bothering the real champion who often does bet
ter by winning a championship in one race than flogging around in 50
races for a team or club result.
Indeed, I hold that team, club and relay events are for the
young, that, as the youth matures into the man, his effort will be
come more individualistic. He will less and less be interested in
club events and more and more be interested in his own individual
success. If his evolvement as an individual is not arrested this will
happen. He will also more and more be content, even anxious, to
train and run alone, just as the unevolved will always be unhappy un
le ss functioning in the herd.
Incidentally, the next step is, when an individualistic period
is over and we have given up serious competition, to return to the
Club or sport and foster both so that the coming generation can enjoy
what he, the individual, enjoyed--perhaps bigger and better.
It cannot be emphasized too much that the miles quoted in the
table of effort are merely a guide. Some will be very keen and may
do more. But it must also be remembered that, while work does do
things, it is intelligent work that does superior things. Work itself
without brains to back it can often results in disappointments. If you
are not improving from year to year until you are 25 or 30 years of
age look for the reason--unless you are content to enjoy your sport
as a recreation and not something big to achieve in.
Conditioning, training, racing, is an all the year round effort,
although a week or two break occasionally is good. I like a hiber
nating period of complete rest, two or three times each year for two
or three days, and I advise one day's rest from training in each
seven. For those who work in jobs and have week-ends free to train
and condition, the best day of rest is Monday. The week-end is too
valuable for such an athlete to waste as a rest day since each day,
Saturday and Sunday, can be filled with two, possibly three, hard
sessions each day.
I divide the athlete's year up as follows: Six to eight months
conditioning and strength gaining when the effort, not necessarily the
time, is spent 50/50 gaining strength through other means than run
ning, and running itself. The other means are weight resistance work,
gymnasium work, tumbling, wrestling, mountain climbing carrying
heavy packs, skiing and similar strenuous activities.
Then follows a period of race practice, when the added
strength is exploited in the chosen events which are assiduously
practiced. Race practice is just what the words imply--practicing
racing --and involves much running at the speeds we hope to race at.
These are estimated and pre-determined. Take the mile as an exam
ple. Much running is done at intermittent paces for indeterminate
distances in free running on golf links, in parks and gardens. This
type of training is continued at high and full speeds and pressure, for
at least an hour. If there are two sessions daily this will cover all
15
that is required.
Where no other venues are available, the track, perforce,
must be resorted to, but otherwise as little as possible should be
(tone on artificial, or hard, tracks. And certainly not according to
regular, stereotyped or fixed schedules . Nothing must be dictated,
fixed or regimented. When at athlete goes out to train, his body
should dictate his needs and he runs according to its capacities and
demands.
If the athlete is not a free and full worker, working him to a
fixed schedule, or according to the dictate of another person, such as
a coach or authority, must end in confusion, disappointment, dis -
illusionment, partial successes to what they might have been, break
down, and eventual frustrations and abandonment.
Another feature is that the organism, while it is trained to
run at the speeds required, must also be conditioned to sustain high
and hard levels of effort for the time it has to sustain them in races.
Add practice in varying pace, starts, early race running, middle
part and finishing, and all that is implied by "racing" as I under
stand it and teach it.

S o m e t h i n g on t h e H a n d s and F i n g e r s
As has been mentioned, it is the opposing thumbs that differ
us from the unreflective dumb creatures. The power to seize and
grip tools, weapons, and the like rapidly placed the human animal,
homus sapiens, in a privileged class in nature.
Man can grip and hold something from a spear or rifle, or a
captive, for hours on end without strain or fatigue. Yet, as soon as
he commences to run he is abjured to relax his grip, which means no
"hard effort". No! The fingers normally close and in the McKenley
punch-on the thumb and fore-finger are pressed together. The harder
the effort the greater the pressure.
It is true that the fingers can, and should, open (relax) occas
ionally to rest the organism, but it is impossible to exert full power,
to drive as we should drive, with open hands. Moreover, such a pos
ition imposes strain and tightness where it should not exist--in the
neck and shoulders. Only when the fingers are well pinched-on or
clenched can the shoulders and neck be free and the full power and
drive of the runner be exerted.
Weak men, weak arm and upper body strength have created
the illustion that relaxation rests in unclenched fingers. Nothing is
more untrue.
Why I Believe in Fartlek
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 automaton, a robot.
How futile to add to such a regime his athleticism. How much
better to use his training, conditioning and racing as a means, as it
should be, to at leasttemporarily 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 chose. Our train
ing should be a thing of job, of hard, battling exhaustion and enthus
iasm, not a daily grind upon a grinding track, artificially hard and
carried out under full circumstances and un-aesthetic environments
as a rule. How much better to run with joy, sheer 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 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 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 environment, over this terrain, the spirit of
beauty and high endeavor enters our souls. World records have come
out of Portsea, and most of the great Australians of recent years have
received instructions there, as well as New Zealanders such as Mur
ray Halberg and Bill Baillie. Athletes from all states of Australia,
from Canada, England, Indonesia, America, have come to Portsea.
Landy, Stephens, Elliott,Thomas, and how many more, athletically
nurtured there.
Seek out your Portseas , train and run as the impulse comes
on you. An hour, two hours of hard training slips away as so many
minutes. We become tired, exhaustingly tired, but never unhappy.
It is work, but it seems only fun. Exhilarating, satisfying fun.
When we have had enough we stop. When we want to we have
three hard sessions a day. We train as we feel, but we rarely feel
lazy. Sometimes we go out for long steady rims on the dirt roads - -
. 20 miles is common. Elliott has run to 30 miles before exhuastion
set in. This was in the heat of our summer. Two days later he won
a handicap 880 from scratch, coasting in in 1:51. Strong? I'll say,
built in and developed at Portsea, where we haven't a track of any
kind at all. It is a truism to say Elliott never trains on a clay or
cinder track and rarely trains in shoes of any kind.
17
Don't Use Hard Tracks
In my youth I had to do with horses. Of horses I observed
several interesting things. Firstly, ail of them galloped, apparently
violently, although the body and neck and head merely went through
an undulating easy movement when seen with the legs cut off by a low
hedge or fence.
Further, they all gallop with exactly the same movements..
All animals do. Except man. I deduce from this some men run cor
rectly, others do not. That some perform better because their in
trinsic movements are better, and, incidentally, I have noticed that
few coaches appear to know good running movements from poor.
Mostly those who have ran world records, especially several,
may be considered to run well as to technique and a' study of such
athletes by pictures confirms that they all run reasonably exactly
like each other. That is, to the seeing eye. Few appear to have this
seeing eye, by the way.
I also noticed that when we galloped horses on hard surfaces
they did two or three significant things. They did not respond kindly
to having to do so. Their instinct told them the surfaces were bad
and dangerous. Or, when forced along, they shortened stride, which
became free and full again immediately the hard track was left behind.
Or, their legs got sore and they could not run again for some time.
Athletes who train mostly continuously on hard tracks are
noted for short strides and mincing gaits, of which in the USA Truex
and Delany are prime examples. Elliott moves much more freely,
even when forced to race on a hard track, and myself, conditioned
as I am mostly on grass and to barefooted running, affect easily a
seven foot stride and can demonstrate an eight foot or eight-and-a-
half foot stride when need be. At less than 5'7" height, 123 pounds,
and 63 years of age, I merely indicate by invidious comparison the
poor, weakly and pattering strides of those ill-conditioned, hard-
track ruined athletes we see everywhere, in every country.
What applies to the horse definitely applies to the man. There
are no hard tracks in nature, and soft insoles on shoes are not the
answer. Nor can we tolerate continually training in that monstrosity,
the athletic spiked shoe.
We may have to race in such shoes, although records have
been set in Australia barefooted on grass tracks, and we may have to
race on concrete hard tracks. But, for the love of Mike, we don't
have to train on them. There are usually parks, gardens and other
much more satisfactory, pleasant, and intelligent mediums.

18
On Sprinting
Let us consider the basic movements of fast running. We will
consider the 440 yards since in this event there is a slight conser
vation in the application of power. In addition there is a sufficient
lapse of time to study what goes on. And this is what happens:
Consider then, there are two main types of runners. And
there is that unique individual who embraces both types.
The first type under consideration are the "pullers". This
type tends to pull more than they push. They are usually strong,
stocky types. They crouch more, have plenty of shoulder shrug, and
tend to reach out for the track, bite in with their spikes, and pull
their body forward. They work their arms across their body more
than for and aft. Australian runners such as Bartram and Hogan are
this type are as were the Americans Remigino, Ewell and Dillard.
The other type are the "pushers". Taller and longer legged,
they run with an erect posture, draw themselves well up, lift their
knees high and drive their legs down and backwards With great vigor.
There is little "pull" in this movement and their power and speed is
mainly derived from the vigorous push, which is continued until the
pushing leg is completely extended and the finish of the drive is off
the full extended toes. The body, meanwhile, is stretched upwards
and forwards. McKenley, Rhoden, LaBeach and Treloar exemplified
this type.
There is a composite type. These may be considered when
the balance of push^ull is perfect, as the true type, balanced and
rhythmic. It is possible that McDonald Bailey is of this type. They
are middle in stature, beautifully proportioned, and in no way ext
reme. Because they are not extreme they are more often found in
middle-distance runners. Harbig and Whitfield occur to me.
I am inclined to the idea that when these types are more pro
perly understood and exploited, when co aches can direct the abilities
and gifts of good runners into more perfected types, then can we ex
pect superlative performances superior to those derived from the
haphazard methods of the past. But this will not be fully accomplish
ed unless the coach can feel and demonstrate in his own experience,
all the capacities, and can vary them at Will, not in words, but in
actions in his own movements.
Exercising routines, modifications and exploitations, the
development of great muscular strength without due loss of maximum
agility--there are the possibilities I envisage and which can result in
the nine second 100 and the 44 second 440. The rise of a runner such
as Harbig and the great number of 9.4 and 9.5 second 100 yard men,
all "naturals" and without benefit of the scientific knowledge of the
future would be the evidence, I feel.
The observations in the foregoing apply to- all runners. Fun
damentally there is no difference in the basic movements of a sprin
ter or a marathon man. The-prime difference is chiefly in the vigor
and speed of the movements together with the extent of them.
Every athlete should be encouraged to "feel" in his movements
19
the degree of push and pull. Also he should be taught to vary them at
will. Unless he can do so these words will remain words. They will
never become realities in the experience of the athlete. Untill he has
this "awareness" of himself and his movements, and learns to play
the tune he determines both consciously as well as instinctively, that
athlete will never be able to do all that he could. In a world, he will
fall short, not matter to what heights he may have attained, of his
full potentiality.
In this regard I think Zatopek is a lesson to all. Able to vary
pace, to adapt him self to all types of competitors and events, at
least from 5000 meters to the marathon, able to sprint finish, up to
date in the realm of distance runners he undoubtedly encompasses
within himself "the lot".
Let the young runner consider these matters. Let him realize
that if he is unable to sense within himself his movements, to vary
his stride, lift, and posture, to stay or sprint, all at will, he will be
largely in the category of the motorist who merely pushes on an ac
celerator and steers until the engine stops. With no comprehension
of the use of the gears, with no knowledge of what the compnents of
the engine are like, or are capable of, what hope would such a driver
have in a competition with a first class racing driver Who appreciated
to a nicety all these things. We will assume that both drivers sit in
cars equally powered. One can win out of his engine and car the last
ounces of power translated into speed. One will get more speed as
measured over a given distance than another driver from the same
car.
Quite a lot of the training should be self-conscious. That is,
the runner must think "inwards". Like a dancer who learns intricate
steps, at first he must study himself, actually look down at his own
movements, check up on himself in mirrors. Most runners imagine
that they are performing certain movements while in actual fact they
mostly do something quite different.
The few unspoiled naturals, they are O.K. But most "experts"
think good running style is something different to what a natural does.
It is not everyone who understands these matters. No man can under
stand them if he cannot demonstrate them in his own experience.
If you have been taught wrong concepts that is unfortunate. We
can only go as far as we have the inward power and knowledge. Strive
for this knowledge and for self-knowledge, daily, every hour. In time
you will learn much. And to those who have much is always added
more. To those who start with little, and do not care, they soon
leave any sport, if it is a hard one. If you are one who keeps on try
ing you have the seeds of success in you.

20
On Starting
Starting! Even more important than finishing. If you start
tensed you will continue to run tensed. As you start so you tend to
continue. For the marathon? Just line up in an easy posture, no
stoop or set position. Relax and listen intently for the gun. Then
move off without tension and strain. In 10 or 20 yards you will pick
up your speed. Let it come, do not force it or you will run the whole
26 miles under strain. Give yourself up to your running as it grows
on you and you will run your distance races guided by the part of your
brain that can, and should, accurately control all that is good for you
in the race. You can give yourself over to it, and it will do best for
you, if you trust it, and start without tension.
The 5000 and 10,000 meters? The same principle holds good.
Have you studied Zatopek starting? No? Well, you have missed a
classical lesson. He does not start slowly as so many imagine--it is
they who start too fast. He rims off at his race speed and picks it up
in the first 20 yards. Most start as if it were a mile and rush into
speeds they cannot maintain. Jostling for position is what they call it.
Zatopek never needs to. He merely won in his own time, his own way
mostly. The jostlers jostled for the places, mostly.
The 880 and mile? Still I feel that the same principles obtain.
I favor the standing start, some lean, relaxed and intent on the gun.
Again let the running come even if out-positioned on the turn. If
strong and relaxed you can more than make up these disadvantages.
Power, not tension, is what must work for you. It is control, a ruth
less cold certainty, not a panicky burst for position. Bannister under
stood these things.
The sprints from the 100 to the 440? Now we come to it. Be
Poised on the mark, not Set. Do not look up the track from under
your eyebrows. Above all else do not lift the head so that you can see
up the track. Keep the head in perfect alignment with the spine and
back. You must look down where the first footfall will be if you do this
And this first step is all that you are concerned with when on the mark
Its instantaneous execution, its perfect execution. If the first step is
O. K. there is hope that all those after will be O. K. If the first step
is tensed, I ask you!
So look down at the spot where the foot will fall. Pin-point it
in fact. Wait for the gun that springs the leg and foot into action. If
you do this we will feel alert yet composed and will never break.
Breaking suggests two things: You are prepared to cheat to gain an
advantage, or you have so little control over yourself that you act as
an hysterical person could be expected to act. Going out with another
man who breaks is excusable when you are keyed up, but to be a
chronic false starter--girls are expected to act that way--and mostly
do.
Make no effort to come upright. In fact stay down as long as
you can until r unning at full speed, at least. Then look for the finish.
If you start correctly we shall not see the customary "bob-up" as we
leave the mark. It is best seen from 20 to 30yards away. Get som e
one to check on this. oi
On Warming Up
I think it makes more meaning when we address ourselves to
this much discussed phase of running if we think of it as "Pre-Race
Activity", and then proceed to define accurately just what this "activ
ity" should be. A little reflection shows that it will mean quite a lot
of different things to different athletes and different events, whether
field games, sprints or marathons, high jumps or hurdles.
Despite all the wonderful talk about "springing out of bed", we
all know how sluggish we feel until we really get moving--yet we were
warm enough under those blankets. But our pulse rate was down very
low, and as we move about and the pulse rate rises so do we feel more
active. Again, what do we find in the animals, and ourselves, when
we rise? Nothing more than a natural desire to stretch and lengthen
all our parts. Observe the cat and dog--the horse does the same
thing in his owni peculiar maimer of neck arching and rearing.
We do not usually get out of bed to race but we often have been
sitting in vehicles and merely move from one to the seat in the dress
ing room. And it is quite usual to find we are yawning, feel lazy and
quiet, that we would just as soon go to bed as race. And why? These
feelings are nature's way of ensuring that we will not exhaust our
selves either physically or mentally before what we are mustering
our resources to do.
Why, then, oppose these natural tendencies by an extreme
amount of activity immediately prior to a race, especially if it is to
be an exhausting one both by virtue of speed and distance? But just as
we know we do not feel ready to jump into a four minute mile two
seconds after we awake and crawl out of bed, so we can hardly ex
pect to do so to the best advantage a few minutes after crawling out of
a bus or train.
These seem to me to be the facts and requirements as I under
stand them.
Cold cramps us; we tend to contract ourselves. If it is at all
cold we need to take enough exercise that we feel ourselves expand,
stretch up and come "free". For any event this can easily require a
couple of laps of varied activity. But, if the other factors that I will
deal with are satisfied, I see little advantage in prolonging the pre-
race activity. But two laps may not satisfy all the other factors and
the needs can easily vary considerably with the various temperments
of the athletes. Some may need quite a lot of pre-race activity for
them to shake off a natural passivity. Others feel roused to "fight
ing" fitness by merely thinking about it.
This stretching also extends to the trunk. One draws oneself
up and stretches upwards, moving the neck and head freely, as also
the shoulders. These movements should counteract the tendency that
is so common of starting off in a race with mechanical movements
and never entirely becoming "full, free and fighting". We finish as
we start--an automaton--giving a lifeless display when we might just
as easily give a vital performance full of vigor and sparkle.
22
Winter Conditioning
This conditioning applies to all distances from the sprints to
six m iles, but must be adapted to suit both the individual needs as
well as events.
The sprinter wants to cover about 10 to 20 miles per week.
The 440-880 man about 20 to 40 miles were week. The 880-miler
needs to do at least 40 miles per week, maybe more. The one to
three m iler around 50 per week, and the three to six miler around
60 per week, but he can do up to 100 sometimes. We will not deal
with marathon men who need at least 100 miles per week.
Some of the following need to be done each week, and some
only at least once a month;
1. Half the work done needs to be running at fast pace with
as much "lift" as possible, high knee-lift, and strong stride, com
bined with the most vigorous arm and shoulder movements you are
capable of. Do a mile or two of this, vary it also with 440 of the
above, working into fast hard effort for 30, 50 up to even 200 yards,
then rest a bit by gentle jogging, picking up the hard slow work, into
another burst, and so on until tired.
2. Once or twice a week do a good steady "straight" run from
two m iles for sprinters to 10 miles for three and six milers. Em
phasis on lift and stride with deep rhythmic breathing rather than
speed.
3. (Once a month at least). Visit sand hills, and/or very
steep hills, and run up as hard as possible, walk down, and keep
repeating until nearly dead. Also run on heavy loose sand or the
tanbark of a race course. This latter can be done each week.
4. Twice a week work with heavy weights. Do dead lifts,
some curls, swings, rowing motions and presses. You cannot ex
pect to run the same day as you do this work.
5. Try and get four good sessions of training in each week
end. Saturday morning as well as races in the afternoon. It is not
justified to save yourself for more than two races in the cross coun
try season. Time is too valuable if you wish to succeed in a big way
to waste it on cross country.
6. Give up all other hobbies other than your vo rk and train
ing. There is no room for any more if you do not want to see others
get ahead of you. Live your athletics all the time. Every time you
move, or even sit you can practice lift and running motions. Train
all day.
Get an average of eight hours in bed every night. There is no
room in a champion athlete's life for late nights. Nine hours are best.
Run when you feel like it. A mile or so before breakfast when
the weather improves is very good. A mile or so before you hop into
bed—what better? You cannot do too much during this period as long
as you strive to be always up and run strongly and with lift and power.
Power is what you have to build in. And that shows itself later in
great strength, strong long stride, dynamic tempo, well lifted body
that goes over the track and not laboringly on it.
Practice the things you are taught all the time.
23
What is Important
When in London I was privileged to discuss certain matters
with George Hackenschmidt. This man in my opinion is the greatest
living authority on such matters. He stressed the importance of these
matters in the following order. On reflection, any reasonably intelli
gent mind, if at all informed, will agree with these conclusions. This
was the order stressed:
1. Nourishment.
2. The Dictum: Experience cannot be trusted, nor the intellect.
3. The importance of functioning instinctively.
4. Training: Living and exercise generally should be a spon
taneous urge, and not something dictated by the self or others.
Let us briefly examine these factors and consider why this
great man laid this down for me.
Obviously we are the nutriment that we take into the body. We
can, physically, be nothing else. The very cells depend upon this.
Cells fed with poor nutriment or poisons must be inferior cells. The
brain is the responsive organ of the cells. Weak, diseased cells
create weak, fearful diseased attitudes in the mind response. Hence
my own dictum: only the fit are fearless.
Without an intense degree of bodily fitness and cells strong
and free from contaminations, the mind must be polluted just as the
cells will be when fed upon wrong nutriment. Our instinctive thought
processes and reactions (attitudes) to life must be a fundamental r e
flection of our bodily processes. Those that cannot see this are not
amongst the enlightened and a victim of the very condition that I speak
about.
The Dictum: Experience cannot be trusted is even more dif
ficult to understand for many. Nevertheless it is quite true and I
have long recognized the truth of the statement. The mind and deduc
tive reasoning arrving from it are not reliable. Based in inferior cell
development, the deep mind in the majority is dominated by fear com
plexes. Where there is fear there is no strength, nor love--that is,
deep, abiding love. No man can do good work if his cells are inferior
and his judgment based in deep fears.
The importance of functioning instinctively means we must not
sit in judgment upon ourselves--or others. Every situation every mo
ment requires an instinctive response. We cannot act every moment
in conscious thought. With a high degree of cell fitness and mind de
velopment the unconsicous reaction to all and every situation that
arises will be superior in such a person to the reaction in those
neither so well endowed physically nor intellectually. To take long
and careful thought upon the matter is not the solution of our prob
lem s as so many think. If the fundamental mind and cell strength
is not in a person, no degree of education, no reference of authori
ties, no calling upon the experience can produce the answers as true
as in the case of the individual of powerful bodily cell constitution
even when the mind is not as academically informed.
24
 A response to life based in dictation, either of the self as to
"duty", "moralities” and what others may say about any possible
thing, is a response based on fear and is altogether inferior to the
life that is lived when the individual is free to choose without any
such dictations. Only those mentally emancipated, only those who
rest in their own safety without fear of reprisal, only those who rest
in their own strength independent of the need for others, only those
people can "afford" to approach life as a spontaneous urge and react
in a normal, intelligent, fearless way. All others must be under some
dictation, whether of conscience, morality, religion, duty, political,
national, or the lot. Or what is worse, the dictation of others.

25
We Run on Power
Most athletes imagine we rim on leg strength. That is entirely
fallacious. Training for running does not make our legs, muscularly,
much or any stronger than that of many workers, and not nearly as
strong as those of a weightlifter. Yet we can run much futher-faster
than the untrained man no matter how muscularly strong he may be.
Why is this? If we have not built in excessive strength, then
what is the result, in us, of all our hard training? When training has
been long and serious we have built in something else--Poweri All-
over organism power. Heart-lungs-glands-muscle-spirit power. We
have become something that previously we were not.
It is because few reflect on these things, that most look upon
athleticism as a simple pastime and bring little of their mental powers
to bear upon their chosen sport, that they go on year after year doing
without critical examination what has been done traditionally for gen
erations. And it is because of the attitudes of athletes themselves
that the cynical statement is used--"all brawns and no brains". Un
fortunately in all too many cases the charge may be true.
It is apparent to me that brains are far bigger, as a factor in
getting a big success in athletics, than just training as we know it.
Athletes must learn to develop their critical reflective capacities and
to diret them inwards upon their activities. Athletes must learn to
"feel" if their training is really benefitting them. The test is that
each season we should record faster times, all other things being
equal,
Most athletes then go through a prescribed routine, think little
about it as long as they are copying someone else who has succeeded-
or, what is worse, accepting the views and dictations of someone who
purports to know, but probably doesn't. And the test, again, for the
latter (those authoritative and talkative ones) is whether they are do
ing it themselves.
It is not sufficient to run, run, run. Milers like Landy spend
much of their actual training time thinking about it as they run, e s
pecially in the recovery parts of their routines. It is impossible to
think deeply about ourselves, cor work, and our progress if we train
With others. There is a time for chatting and the comparing of notes,
but it is not while training routines are in progress.
Especially in the conditioning season, work should be directed
to producing a feeling of power within us. Nothing contributes more
to the feeling of negative inanity than what is customarily called "re
laxed jogging". And nothing looks less like power, strength, even
manliness: women athletes are past masters at this form of so-called
training, and the inferior performances of even the most manish of
them is evidence that their mentality cannot come to -grips with "In
ward Power". Most, in any case, are too self-conscious of their
inferiority, and too prone to ape masculine strength and prowess. It
is evident I do not admire women athletes who aspire to manly things.
I do not, since I believe there are other roles more suitable to their
particular gifts, natures, and capacities.
26
 In Australia, where I developed the idea of "Fun-Runs" as a
form of diversion in training on the lines of Fartlek, I have now moved
to the concept and idea of the "power-yun". Power running is not just
ordinary running. Actually it is the diametrically opposite of the so-
called relaxed running of many coaches.
Power running is done with deliberation and strength quite out
of proportion to the speed resulting from its practice. In power run
ning we move over the ground at relatively slow speeds concentrating
upon the strength and violence of the movements done. We work our
arms and shoulders as vigorously as possible. We exaggerate the
degree of lift. We stretch and yearn to be up, and more up, to leng
then ourselves. From these deliberately engendered movements we
find that we are running, but without trying to do so by getting up on
the toes, that we are well upon the ball of the foot, knees coming up
high, and that we are bouncing along with a powerful stride with out
breathing both deep and tidal.
If any of my readers essay this exercise then I tell them em
phatically, if they attempt to do it with so-called relaxed hands and
wrists they will derive no real benefit and will risk muscle break
down, and develop further the faults in style and strength that arise
from the practice. The hands must be closed or the fingers pinched-
on in some way. All that the exercise attempts to do is abortive if
the hands are open.
Fifty per cent of the winter conditioning should be done in this
manner. If one is not tired, at first attempts, after 440 yards of it
such a one has not-grasped the spirit of it all. One mile should make
the athlete tired enough to ease down to rest.
There is no doubt at all in my mind that the easy jogging type
of running, except when it is used as a recovery from much harder
forms of training, is almost completely useless in strengthening any
athlete.
At times the slower movements can be moved into a hard fast
burst of any length to suit the athlete and his event. But -the idea is
again not understood if one things they can run fast as well as hard
for more than a quarter-mile in the powerful manner as I have de
scribed it.
Obviously when running at speed the movements must be cur
tailed somewhat, but the emphasis will always be on power, strength,
and lift rather than pure speed. These movements can be adopted in
hill, sand or water running, when such are used as part of the con
ditioning.
During this form of conditioning the thought of the athlete is
inward. He feels power building in even as he tires. His job is to
conserve this power and have it stored for racing.
Ceaseless fast running with little or no conscious concentra
tion depletes. There is a time to save (build in) and a time to spend
(race).

27
On Diet, Food, Aliment
Life lives on life. Where civilized man has gone astray, e s
pecially in the last 50 years, is permitting the food factories to sell
him "dead" food. "Dead" food is food in which the "life principle" has
been eliminated (as in our white flour as against wholemeal flour);
killed (as when we completely pasteurize or cook a food); or food which
has "died", that is, decayed, or become rotten and which "well-hung"
meat, poultry, etc., are common examples.
We may live for many years on a poor diet, but tuberculosis
is a deficiency diseas, and all disease and sickness can be said to
arise from errors of eating. This may not seem true, at first, but
even introduced germs cannot find a lodging place when the body is
well nourished, strong and amply provided with protective foods and
vitamins, etc.
Modern food, as found and placed on the table in practically
all Australian and American homes, falls far short of the highest con
cepts of perfect food and feeding, and the food provided in hotels and
boarding houses, and the like, is of such poor general quality that I,
personally, would never dream of trying to live on it for indefinite
periods. Parents, and others, ignorant of these things, jealous of
their belief in their own goodness and ability to feed husbands and
children--these good people may be offended by what I say and reject
what I claim.
Nevertheless, I have had a long experience feeding end devel
oping other people's sons drawn from all levels of Australian society.
In few cases were these young men as strong, or as healthy, or as
"well-fed" on the proper foods, as they might have been. Many were
most inadequately fed and many an athlete has improved his ability
and times in a week, especially in other states, when I concluded that
their poor performances could be traced to insufficient good, hard
food.
What is good, hard food?
We will not eat sloppy food such a s watery porridge, prepared
breakfast foods swilled in milk. On the contrary, if we eat our rolled
oats cooked it is a stodgy thick porridge, but we mostly eat our rolled
oats raw, since nothing is gained by cooking. Cooking kills. So we
eat as much raw foods as possible. With our oats we eat dried fruits--
mostly raisins--and nuts--mostly walnuts--and bananas--lots of them.
Big cooking bowls full. Of course it is costly. But sickness is far
more costly.
If still hungry we eat potatoes--always potatoes--chipped in
oil, with anything at all to go with them. Baked beans, yes. We are
not fanatics all the time for the uncooked. Lightly poached eggs, fish,
anything, and finish up with "dagwoods" of whole meal heavy bread.
As a spread we use peanut butter, treacle, honey, jams--everything
but butter. No tea or fluid is taken with this meal.
With an "all-in" comprehensive salad lunch we drink a pint of
milk. An all-in comprehensive salad is anything--fruit, vegetable,
tinned fish, tongues, mild cheeses, hard-boiled egg, and always an
28
oil dressing, and lemon, and whole meal bread. Is there anything
else we could eat? I do not know of anything.
And so to dinner. Some lightly cooked meats, fish or poultry.
Baked in their jackets or chipped potatoes, always in oil, and any
vegetable in season conservatively cooked. Conservatively cooked?
In as little water as possible, just enough to cover the bottom of the
saucepan and added to before all is boiled away. The vegetables are
softened rather than cooked, and the water left (never more than a
cupful for a large saucepan) is avidly sought and drank as an "elixir"
as it is. Sweets and pudding? There is little room in the stomach
after the collosal plate fulls of meats and vegetables, so we have
fruit salad with the top of the milk beaten up--we never buy extra
cream.
Animal fats in any form are taboo. No butters, drippings,
lards, or similar go into our food preparation. Only vegetable oils.
Little or no cakes or biscuits. No morning or afternoon teas
or snacks. No suppers.
We drink copiously--older ones of tea--two hours after a meal
right up to the next meal time. Glasses of water while waiting for
the meal, but never with the meal once eating commences.
Indigestion or other disorders? We never have them. Con
stipation? We do not know what it is.
Fruit, as much as anyone likes within reason. After or be
tween meals, the only exception of between meal eating. Up to two
pounds per day is OK, but mostly on salads. Bananas? Eaten like a
food, which they are, and well ripened.
Tobacco? We will not entertain it. Alcohol? Almost as com
pletely banned.
In the winter we make thick vegetable shank broth with barley,
really thick. We occasionally may have a steamed pudding, just as
occasionally we may have a baked dinner. Otherwise we like the con
tin e n ta l and C h in ese way of preparing food, and buy our steak m in c e d .
We use rice quite a lot.
We believe, despite size, lads are not completely fed with the
essentials for growth and strength. We believe with exercise we now
take, that added vitamins are essential and we take daily vitamins B,
C and E in about the prescribed doses. We must be sure we have
sufficient.
We eat stale bread in preference to fresh.
We watch our weight and lads up to 20 should steadily tend to
increase in weight and size. A well exercised lad of about 150 pounds
requires some 5000 calories daily. Muscle cannot grow without ade
quate material--food.
There is a great need, a great awakening necessary in all
countries, I know, by personal experience and work among the young.
All the ability, all the training is useless if the engine is not stocked,
or fed, upon the best fuel (food) possible to obtain, and adequately in
quantity.

29
About the Author — Percy Wells Cerutty
by JOE GALLI, noted Australian sports writer
Every runner taking track seriously wants to be a champion.
Percy Cerutty of Australia is the man to help you become a champion.
Cerutty (pronounced as sincerity without the sin) has had
phenomenal success as a coach of distance runners during the past
nine years. Commencing inl949 with a few dedicated followers in
Melbourne, Cerutty set out to make them into champion runners--and
men. He succeeded, and over intervening years has greatly helped
lift Australian distance standards to a world high, and his own stature
to that of possibly History’s greatest coach of distance runners.
Cerutty numbers four world record holders among his products (John
Landy, Dave Stephens, Herb Elliott and Albert Thomas) and a host of
w6rld class performers.
Cerutty does not attack the task of making champions by rigid
training schedules, nor by the application of scientific methods. He
says: "Watch children run, then go and do likew ise." It is ound ad
vice, for children run uninhibitedly, without trying to develop a style.
To Cerutty, each man is an individual, not a stock model
machine. However, he does add something to his runners--relaxa
tion and built-in strength.
But his most notable contribution to his runners is in the field
of psychology. Cerutty works on the personality. He inspires and
goads his followers; makes them aware of their weaknesses, but also
how to overcome them; tells them how to become stronger physically,
how to race, how to accept (and use) the pain of fast running, and ex
ploit it for success; how to live vitally, both physically and intellec
tually.
This series of articles by Cerutty, combined in book form,
will tell you much of his philosophy of athletics and living, his methods
of making men run faster, and how to accomplish it without.the facil
ities of rich colleges and athletic clubs.
It can be done. It has been done, and will be done again and
again at Cerutty's far-from-lavigh training "school" at Portsea.
-It is because of the ruggedness (almost primativeness) of the
Portsea training setup that Herb Elliott is, at only 20 and with only
one year of competition internationally, already one of the immortals
of track.
Elliott says: "Without Cerutty I would probably be running
4:10 miles at interclub meets in my home town of Perth--if I was
running at all, that is!"
Melbourne, February, 1959

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