MARATHON RUNNING

Evening Star, Issue 21638, 6 February 1934, Page 13

MARATHON RUNNING

FAMOUS OLYMPIAN'S HINTS LETTER TO DUNEDIN ATHLETE in view of the approach of the big Marathon race at Wellington on Lebruarv 17, a letter that lias been received bv Mr C. A. Pope (the wellknown St. Kilda distance runner; from Sam Perris, the English Marathon champion, who was second in tne Olympic Marathon at Los Angeles, and who gives some valuable hints on Maiatbon running, is reprinted below. Kerris writes giving a schedule lor two months prior to the event, and says that in keeping to it it is advisable to keep a check on weight, a runner should get to know the weight at which he puts up his best performances and aim to begin training with a pound or two in hand. This will prevent a runner from going stale through loss of too much weight in the heat. Kor the first week of schedule he would advocate four work-outs, ns they say in America, walking ton miles on Mom dav and twelve miles on Wednesday and Thursday, and running ten miles on Tuesdav and sixteen on Saturday. In the second and third weeks the runs should be increased to twelve, and eighteen miles respectively. During the fifth week the walk on Wednesdayshould be increased to about sixteen miles, and a fast five-mile run substituted for the other shorter walk. The idea is to speed up ns much as possible and at the same time have the necessary stamina. . The longest run should be increased to twenty miles in the fifth week and in the sixth to twenty-two miles. Week No. 7 should be occupied by having a couple of runs of sixteen nines and a short sharp one of six miles, with a steady twelve-mile run in midweek, followed by a stout twenty miles on Saturday. During the eighth week rest as much as possible, and put on about 5 or 61b of flesh in readiness for the race. If it is a hot day you will lose more than that. • ~ “We in this country find rubbersoled plimsoles very satisfactory lor road work,” Ferris writes. He states that leather soles are useless and cause blistered feet. He himself wears ordinary crepe-soled tennis shoes, socks without seams or lumps inside should be worn, and both socks and shoes should be a good fit. The feet should be smeared with vaseline, then the inside of the stock and also the outside of the sock before putting on the shoes. Lay it on fairly thick to prevent rubbing and blisters. If the roads are gritty Die socks should be rolled over the shoe tops and the ankles should be smeared with thick vaseline to prevent small stones from entering the shoes. If the sun is very hot a knotted handkerchief should be worn on the head. Kor further aid against the sun a cabbage or lettuce leaf should be placed under the handkerchief. . . , . Don’t drink or eat anything during the race unless you cannot possibly g° without; when a hot drink is advisable, hot tea for instance. Don’t drink anything cold. , In tho early stages of the race do not be tempted to go too fast; far better to run slow for the first fifteen miles or so, for you can always make it up afterwards,, whereas if you use up all your energy in the first ten miles you will be beaten to a walk about seventeen miles and may have to tetire. Aim at a steady pace throughout. The ideal is to rim each five miles at an even pace. For instance, if you hope to finish in 2h 50mm your early miles should be run ,at a pace round arount 61 min to each mile. A good schedule is 7min to the mile, which would take you to the finish m dh 3min, which ought to get a good place on a hot day. Do not ami, at too high a mark, for in a Marathon it s the surest way to meet defeat. 1o gam a minute in the first ten miles may mean the loss of smin over the last sixmiles.