LOVELOCK’S FEATS

Evening Star, Issue 21510, 7 September 1933, Page 12

LOVELOCK’S FEATS

CHAMPION'S TRAINING METHODS SWIMMING AS AID TO ATHLETICS LETTER TO DUNEDIN TRAINER Highly interesting accounts of his training methods and of the races that led up to his marvellous world record mile of 4min 7 3-ssec are contained in a letter (dated July 22) from the New’ Zealand Rhodes scholar and champion mile runner, J, E. Lovelock, to his old trainer, Mr W. Dryden, of Dunedin. Lovelock also stresses the tact that in his own case he has found swimming an admirable aid to middle-dis-tance running, a view that should give rise to considerable discussion. Lovelock writes that in Oxford this year they had probably the strongest athletic team that either university had ever had—pretty well packed with internationals and future internationals. Ho had for next year taken on the presidency of the Oxford University Athletic Club, the second New Zealander to hold the position, Arthur Porritt being the other. In addition he had been elected to the presidency of his college and of four various clubs, EARLY SEASON TRAINING. “ In the sport lino I have fairly hit form, culminating in the world’s record mile of last Saturday,” he writes. “ I did not think this was going to be a very auspicious > season, for when I had my nose operation things went all wrong—l had a couple of bad weeks, and was left feeling ill and weak. I reckoned on not being much good for the rest of the season. However, I started very ciuietly, with plenty of jogging, fresh air, and quiet, easy life. I turncl out after three weeks to bo third in a heat of a mile in 4min 43 4-ssec and third in the final next day, the time being 4min 30 4-ssec. It caused comment that I should be beaten in time like that, but the run did me good. “Five days later I ran against and was second to D. W. Price, who won in 4min 24 2-ssec. his time being 4min 25 4-ssec (62, 2.13, 3.20, and 4.25 4-5). From that time I have steadily improved and picked up weight from 9.5 to 9.10 J, and have not lost a single scratch race. I trained on steadily, including three-quarters of a mile in 63, 2.7, 3.9, as a training run, and in my next race on Juno 5 1 beat my former conqueror in a mile in 4min 22 4-ssec, winning as I liked. Again on June 10 I ‘ pipped ’ him in 4min 23 2-ssec, after running a mile two days before in 4min 27sec.” The week after running a half-mile on a dead grass track in 1.54 J he did a hard week’s training, lots of solid striding, and jogging, with on Monday a three-quarter-mile in 3.8 4-5; and on the Thursday another three-quarter-mile in 3.6 2-5. He jogged on the Friday. travelled to Antwerp on the Saturday, won a 1,500 metres on the Sunday against two Olympic _ representatives in Loumanen, of Finland, and Funio, of Italy, in 3min 56isec, which was equivalent to a 4.15 J mile. DEVELOPMENT OF SPRINT FINISH. “ I cannot understand why it is,” wrote Lovelock, “ but these days when I am fit I find 1 have a most lovely sprint at the end, and it is on that X am relying now to ‘ kill ’ my opponents in the last 80yds, and it’s only this year that it has come.” Incidentally, this year for the first time since he was at school, he added, he had been doing a lot of swimming—every day if he could manage it, and a good swim, too. He knew it was opposed to all accepted ideas of training, hut he was coining to the opinion that it was one of the most valuable aids in training, for middle distance men, at least. Something had put his legs into better form than they had ever been in before. VISIT TO AMERICA. From Antwerp Lovelock went straight hack to England, and embarked for the United States. He did no training for over a week altogetherfive days on board ship, with plenty or walking, swimming, dancing, and gym. work, but no jogging on the deck. The Oxford-Cambndge team landed in New York on a Sunday, and went up to Yale at New Haven, .where Lovelock did a little jogging on the grass on the Monday and Tuesday to recover from the boat. On Wednesday they moved to Harvard, at Boston, and more jogging in gym. shoes on grass followed on Wednesday and Thursday. The only time he had his spikes on in that fortnight was for a 440yds in 63sec to check up with his pacemaker. Lovelock explained that he kept on the grass as much as possible to save his legs from the jarring of the cinders, as he was having more trouble from his leg where one tendon passed over the callous leftTby the break in 1929. FAST MILE AGAINST HARVARD AND YALE. Against Harvard and Yale, neither of Lovelock’s opponents had ever beaten 4.22, but ho wanted to see how ho was moving and do a_.solid training run. in preparation for his next week’s race with Bontliron, who, Lovelock had been told seriously, was the “ most powerful man who ever dug a spike into a track.” So, the New Zealander went out, meaning to do a G 3, 2.8, 3.12, 4,15, or 4.14 mile, but lie felt so good oil a perfect track and perfect day. and was so splendidly paced that he did 63, 2.8, 3.12 2-5, and 4.12 3-5 without too much effort. The week-end before his world s record mile of 4min 7 3-ssec. Lovelock spent with a friend, swimming and playing tennis; in fact, the only time ho did not have his swim, if he could get it, was the day before a race. On the Tuesday he travelled through New York to Princeton and jogged a little in the morning. He had his first glimpse ol the great Bontliron training—he was a good two stone heavier than Lovelock, and a big powerful man—but his weak point was his style, which made him look a heavy goer. However, 1 watched him pictty carefully for the rest of the week, and on Wednesday and Thursday I had come to the opinion that those who said he could do 4.9 or 4.10 were not far out.” Lovelock proceeded, so I jnst told myself I bad to aim for 4.8, ambitious though it was. He did very little training, merely jogging on the grass, with the exception of a cinder track 440 in COscc on the Wednesday—non in to check up on his pacemaker, who incidentally was the most reliable and satisfactory judge of pace Lovelockhad ever struck. This was Horan, who was president of the Cambridge Athletic Club last year. THE RACE. t He rested on the Friday, and on the Saturday the meeting took place. Lovelock said he went out to do 61, A 3, 3.0, and 4.B—note the levelling of the laps (Cl 0 9 63, 62), which he had long considered’the only hope of getting a 4.8 mile. The Now Zealander had expected Bontliron to be behind, and let Lovelock go out, or, rather, the latter s pacer, followed by Lovelock, for Bou-

thron’s finishing sprint was the most terrific thing that any American miler had ever produced, and was supposed to mow his opponents down. Instead of that his second string, Hozen, shot out, followed by Lovelock, then Bonthron, and finally Lovelock’s second string, Horan. In that order they ran the first half-mile in fastisb time. Lovelock’s times being 01 4-10, sec 2.3 6-10sec—i.c., dropping a little all the way, rather more than he wanted to dr ° P ' UNUSUAL INCIDENT. Incidentally, a funny thing happened in the first lap, on the second bend, an incident that seems to have been missed by everyone but the four runners, for no paper had mentioned it. A groundsman was sleepily crossing • the track with a rake in hi's hand as the runners came along. Hozen yelled at him, but he took ho notice, and _ eventually Hozen hit him as they skirted round him—the runners were all thrown out a stride or so. It seemed strange that such a thing could happen in a mile of that class, and no one except the four runners and an odd official appeared to remember it. Just before the 880 mark Bontliron moved up from behind Lovelock to take the lead from Hozen, so he followed on his heels. Bonthron hadn’t led more than fifty yards before Horan, who thought the American was out to slow up the pace, shot into the lead, intending to hurry it up, but a 3.6 for threequarter mile was too much for him, and he rather slowed it. However, 500yds from home Bonthron and Lovelock both passed him in the front straight, and from then on the pace was really on, and Hozen and Horan were dropped completely; Lovelock tagged Bonthron striefe by stride, the three-quarter time being 3.8 7-10 for Lovelock —just 2 7-10 sec slower than he wanted it. However, he was there to beat his man, and time was merely a secondary consideration. And at 300 from home the American started the famous Bonthron “ blistering kick ” for a matter of five yards or so, when he let fly, Lovelock had serious doubts of his ability to hold him, and then somehow everything came very easily, and the two-yard gap he had opened closed to one. Lovelock strode with him down the back straight and round the last bend, and then as they entered the long finishing straight of 90 to 100 yards Lovelock pulled himself together, as Thomas, his trainer, had taught him—“ more or less collect yourself physically and mentally for a last great effort, change the arm action higher, quicken and raise the leg action to as near a sprinter’s as possible.” THE FINISH. Lovelock describes the finish himself: “ The exhilarating feeling up that last straight as I swung out to pass him, up on to his shoulder, level, past at last. It was just great. But I started that effort a little too early, for at 20yds from the tape I began to _ feel that I might lose my form if I didn t concentrate, and with form goes speed. However, they say I didn’t, and the finishing photos show pretty sound form. At the end, as always, I jogged a lap to cool down. And that was the best race of my life, and the most exhilarating. It was not quite the perfect race, as that loss on the three-quarter was a serious misjudgment. However perfect one’s knowledge of pace is, one cannot do anything hut race the’ man.” TRIBUTE TO BONTHRON. Lovelock expresses amazement at Bonthron’s running. He is only twenty years old; yet can run a 4.8 4-5 mile, and one ■ and a-half hours later turn out and run the legs off Pen Hallowell (Oxford) in the half-mile _ in Imm 53sec. He describes it as “ just superhuman.” Bonthron, he says, Las everything that goes to make a great miler strength, pace, courage, stamina, and' all. The only things he lacks are primarily style and secondarily, perhaps, knowledge of tactics, (f he could have his stvle improved he would he almost invincible. The New Zealander adds: <( On the other hand, I am supposed to have the things he lacks, but know myself that the one thing that I lack most seriously at present is strength and power, and yet I feel that, too, is coming with age. My finish is so much stronger than last year and so much easier that I hare hopes by the time I am twenty-six (three years hence), if I look after myself carefully, I shall he strong enough to stand a much harder race.” . . Lovelock says he felt perfectly fit after the match. He spent, the night in New York, and Sunday, too. He travelled all Sunday night to Niagara Falls, and then on to Hamilton (Canada), where he competed on Wednesday evening. The thoughtlessness of people amazed the New.Zealander—the crowd, papers, and officials expected him to -go out and try to do 4.6 — an( l that only four days after his last effort, on top of several hundred miles of travel. They were frankly disappointed when he gave them an easy win in 4min 17 4-ssec, which was coldly received by the crowd, though it did not stop them rushing the field at the end of the match and causing him to escape to the dressing rooms to get away from autograph hunters, photographers, etc. “ By the way,” the letter proceeds, “ Syd, Cabot met me at Niagara—as grand a man as ever and looking very fit. Also, at Hamilton, I ran into Bobby Pearce, the. Australian sculler, for the first time since the Olympics.” Lovelock left Hamilton that night for Montreal, where lie ran tho next day. They expected at least a 4.10 mile—and got a 4.34—just a quiet stride round and a win by two inches from his second string, Horan. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. Lovelock says that his plans for the immediate future are a bit vague. He had arranged long ago for two fixtures in Glasgow (at this meeting Lovelock established a Scottish mile record of 4min 12 3-ssec), and has had so many offers of tours all over the place that he did not know what to do. He had received so many offers of all sorts that he was just going to sit quietly and consider them all. Americans predominate in their offers, but there are also invitations from Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Italy, “ but in the end I may accept none of them,” ho adds. ‘‘ One thing is certain, I am not out to put up any record for a time yet. Last year I made the mistake that I have been making for years—going out for times and not just to win. ‘‘lt is all right up to a point, hut beyond that it fails. People like Douglas Lowe, Lord Burghley, Jenny Comes, Tom Hampson, and Co., men who knew the host plans and lasted the longest—they have all gone out with tho idea of winning all the time in as slow a time ns possible. But. when you are up against it, you know you have the power to do a 4.10 or better. Remember the difference in tactics between Leo Lermond and Rufus Kiser—the Lermond tactics pay in the end. So this year I have set rayself to win as slowly as possible—when I met a world-beater in Bonthron it was only a 4.8 that would boat him, so out it had to come. “ Meanwhile, during the next three years I have a lot to do to improve myself—learn more medicine, not only to fit me for practice afterwards, hut to aid mo in the study of scientific training methods, gain more experience of racing and training technique,

track tactics, and certain knowledge of pace to l-ssec or l-10sec per lap. Without that you cannot improve. I will improve my style if I can find any way of doing. so—perhaps by making my arm action even more, of the Finnish type. The leg action seems pretty sound. In this connection conies in the value of swimming, for it is only this year that I have learnt or been taught the American crawl stroke by the British Olympic coach in London. The primary idea in this stroke is complete relaxation of every muscle that is not being used at the moment —absolute looseness and relaxation, combined with carefully practised breath control and rhythm. The muscles that are not being used are relaxed, enabling them to obtain a better blood supply for when they are next called into action in the cycle of the movement. Also the increased nervous tension is relieved. So, in running, I have an impression, when I am really fit and well, of an ease and relaxation in the muscles that I am not using. If that can be carried further it is going to lessen fatigue.” . Lovelock mentions that when he is through with the running game he hopes to publish something really scientific on the less understood sides of athletics, if his theories still hold.in practice.