GORDON PIRIE: SOME BITS
ON THE WEB
Here are some selections from web sites
that mention Gordon Pirie. The reason I thought it was worth doing this,
rather than just having a large links list, is due to the uncertain lifespan of web pages!
Using the quote approach, what has been said about Gordon can be "preserved for
posterity", which fits in with the objective of this web site to produce a
long-lived, definitive resource. Everything on this web site is backed up in about four
different ways, so should be safe!
Last updated: 21 May 2002
This was sent via e-mailing list but should shortly be
posted (not yet!) at http://home.netone.com/~woodyg3/May99.text
Check out the excellent RUNNER'S NICHE homepage -
"an E-Magazine dedicated to running" - which includes postings of their previous
issues. The following excerpt from the May 1999 issue (used with permission) includes a
review of Gordon's book:
--------------
RUNNER'S NICHE
--------------
Vol. 4 No.5 May, 1999
**********************
NOTES FROM THE EDITOR
**********************
This issue of Runner's Niche is a sort of "theme" issue, with
several book reviews for your consideration. I really believe that one of the best ways to
improve your running, gain motivation and add to the enjoyment of the sport comes through
reading. Maybe that's why one of my summer projects will be building an extra bookcase to
hold my constantly growing library. I hope these reviews can help you to make some
decisions on possible additions to your own book collection.
****************************
RUNNING FAST AND INJURY FREE
****************************
Book Review by Woody Green
Gordon Pirie, a top British distance runner and coach, wrote this book
before his death in 1991, but it has only recently been available. It is published
privately by the editor, Dr John S Gilbody. Pirie was never one to avoid controversy, and
this is part of the reason the book is privately published. For instance, Pirie believed
that shoe companies design and develop shoes that actually inhibit correct running
technique, and contribute to what he called an "injury epidemic." This is not a
position that many publishers would be anxious to promote. The book outlines his
fundamentals for running form, correct shoe style and fit, race strategy, interval
training, weight training, diet and vitamins. Some of his advice runs contrary to popular
opinion, such as his insistence that all runners should be forefoot strikers, and not
allow their heel to land first with each stride. His feeling was that static stretching,
the mainstay of most modern flexibility programs, could cause injuries rather than prevent
them. He also was a huge proponent of interval training, with example workouts from his
own training such as: 54 x 400 meters in 64 seconds with 45 seconds jog rest. Hardly
mainstream, but he did win a silver medal in the 1956 Olympic 5,000 and set five world
records in his career.
This book may not replace "Gallway's Book on Running" for
basic running advice, especially for the novice runner, but it is an interesting and
thought provoking piece of work. If you value looking at things from differing
perspectives and feel that it is good to occasionally test your beliefs against other
points of view, this book is definitely for you. I highly recommend this for serious
runners, especially those with an interest in the history of training technique.
Runner's Niche Book Rating: 5 out of 5 possible winged feet.
Ordering information:
Dr John S Gilbody, One Rookswood Close, Hook, Hampshire RG27 9EU,
ENGLAND. For delivery of the book airmail to the US enclose $25.00 (i.e. all-inclusive
price; US cash, check or IMO accepted, but not credit card). For orders within the UK and
Europe the all-in cost is UKŁ13.00. For Australia/New Zealand the all-in airmail cost is
Aus$40.00 (Australian checks are okay).
********************************
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********************************
"Runner's Niche" is free, but its contents are copyrighted.
Nobody may use the content without permission of the author and "Runner's
Niche." SUBSCRIPTION IS FREE. Just write via e-mail to: woodyg3@netone.com.
Include your e-mail address. We'll send you an issue via e-mail every
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mail with your e-mail address and ask that your subscription be stopped.
Article Submissions are always welcome. Unfortunately, there can be no
monetary reimbursement for material used in Runner's Niche. It is normally best to send a
query letter to the editor before sending finished articles.
http://ww2.altavista.com/cgi-bin/news?msg@4882@aus%2esport%26gordon+pirie
Re: GORDON PIRIE RESOURCE CENTER
From "Dicky" <corbettr@dircon.co.uk>
Date Sun, 18 Apr 1999 13:50:38 +0100
Newsgroups aus.sport,pdx.running,phl.outdoors,rec.backcountry,rec.running,rec.sport.olympics,rec.sport.orienteering,uk.sport.athletics
Message-ID <3719d538@newsread3.dircon.co.uk>
References 1
That's interesting. I orienteered against the great man in new Zealand in
1971. I remember well him telling me he had run a 1 mile time trial that
year in 4m 10sec which for a 45+ must have been a bit of a record at that
time.
Richard Corbett
all-translations wrote in message
news:7fa8b5$9d0$1@lure.pipex.net...
> GORDON PIRIE RESOURCE CENTER
>
>
> /Colosseum/Pressbox/2204
http://ww2.altavista.com/cgi-bin/news?msg@8095@rec%2esport%2eorienteering%26gordon+pirie
Re: Britains First Orienteering Championship
From Ned Paul <compass.sport@dial.pipex.com>
Date Tue, 29 Dec 1998 17:55:32 GMT
Newsgroups rec.sport.orienteering
Message-ID
> From: dolie74091@aol.com (Dolie74091)
> Date: 28 Dec 1998 22:04:36 GMT
> Subject: Britains First Orienteering Championship
>
> Can someone please tell me who won Britains's first orienteering
> Championship
> in 1967?
> Jill
>
The 1967 event was the first BRITISH championship, following the 1966
formation of the British Orienteering Federation. Scottish
Championships had been held since 1962 (and still are), English
championships in 1965 and 1966.
Gordon Pirie and Carol McNeill won the 1967 British Championship at
Hamsterley, Co Durham in the north of England.
Pirie was a former track athlete of some note in the 50s, at least as
well known as Coe, Ovett etc in their day. There was quite a cadre of
ex track athletes in British orienteering then: Chris Brasher, John
Disley, Martin Hyman, even Roger Bannister. Pirie was 36 in 1967
and had been a member of the ENGLISH team that had gone to the 1966
World O Championships at Fiskars, Finland. He won the British
Championship again in 1968. He ran for Nutfielders OC, based in
Nutfield, a small twon in Surrey where he lived. This was the club
that later became OK Nuts. He also operated Gordon Pirie Ltd,
importers and suppliers of specialist orientereing equipment
including (1968 prices) Swedish Kompassrosen shoes at GB3pounds 5
shillings and nylon suits at GB4 pounds 7 shillings and sixpence.
Pirie later moved to New Zealand and continued to orienteer. He ran
for New Zealand in more than one world O championship including 1979
(Tampere, Finland). He died about 10 years ago and a well attended
memorial service was held in London.
Carol McNeill in 1967 on the other hand was just starting out on an
illustrious orienteering career that saw her finish a highest 7th
place in the 1979 WOC and later win a gold medal in the Veteran World
Cup (now the World Masters Championships). Carol is still active in
British orienteering though not as a competitor (although she still
runs a fair number of events but just for fun), but as teacher,
coach, author, technical official etc. Most recently Carol was the
planner for the World Cup Short Race at Blakeholme Plantation,
Cumbria, England. In 1984 she was a given a British civil honour,
the MBE, for services to orienteering.
Ned Paul
http://ww2.altavista.com/cgi-bin/news?msg@8096@rec%2esport%2eorienteering%26gordon+pirie
RE>Britains First Orienteering Championship
From David May <djm@stpauls.richmond.sch.uk>
Date Tue, 29 Dec 1998 10:27:13 GMT
Newsgroups rec.sport.orienteering
Message-ID <981229.101621@stpauls.richmond.sch.uk>
>Can someone please tell me who won Britains's first orienteering >Champi=
onship in 1967?
>Jill
BOC97 Hamsterley, Durham
Men
1 Gordon Pirie 111.50
2 Knut Kjemhus 114.39
3 Chris James 121.30
Women
1 Carol McNeil 89.30
2 Teri Fjeld 100.46
3 Hazel Hill 118.45
Long times and some non-Brits there too!
David May
http://www.runtheplanet.com/rtpquote.htm
Running Quotes - A RTP web page by Janus Boye
School cross country runs started because the rugby pitches were
flooded. There was an alternative: extra studying. This meant there were plenty of runners
on sports afternoons. Gordon Pirie
When the meal was over we all had a quiet rest in our rooms and I
meditated on the race. This is the time when an athlete feels all alone in the big world.
Opponents assume tremendous stature. Any runner who denies
having fears, nerves or some kind of disposition is a bad athlete, or a liar. Gordon
Pirie
http://www.bexleyac.freeserve.co.uk
Welcome to the Web Site for Bexley Borough Athletics Club..... we
can't guarantee that you will compete in the Olympics like those athletes above - but why
not aim for the stars! What we can guarantee you is that athletes of all standards, from
beginners to experienced runners, throwers and jumpers will be encouraged to reach their
potential, meet friends and have fun at the same time.
In the meanwhile - who are we??!!......Well, Bexley Borough AC were
originally known as Erith and District AC and were formed in around 1954. Our first
President was Gordon Pirie, who was a famous international runner at the time (we still
use his name on the "Best Middle Distance Runner" trophy that we award to one of
our athletes every year).
The club's name was changed to Bexley Borough AC in the mid -
seventies, when the London Borough of Bexley was formed.
http://www.he.net/~mmahoney/ultra/million.htm
Million Mile Ultra Run
Why: Nobody has ever run 1,000,000 miles. The current
record is held by Douglas Alistair Gordon Pirie of Great Britain (b. 1931), who ran
216,000 miles from 1941 to 1981 [Guinness Book of Records, 1992].
http://www.siteworks.co.uk/pperf/coach.htm
Peak Performance is a 'no nonsense' scientific newsletter devoted
to improving stamina, strength and fitness. It presents high-quality information on the
latest research from around the world and shows you how to apply it. Here's the meat and
bones of an issue. Read for yourself. No more pictures.
COACHING
Here's a training programme designed to crack the ultimate goal:
The sub-four-minute mile.
Although a man of 40 years of age, Eamonn Coghlan, has run a mile
in under four minutes, achieving this feat is still a major accomplishment denied to tens
of thousands of other athletes. First breaks into this domain have been unexpectedly
spectacular. Some runners crash through the barrier, while others creep across it. For
example, John Buckner (GB) went from 4mins.02secs for the distance to 3mins.53secs in one
quantum leap. However, the first sub-four-minute man, Roger Bannister, made it by only
six-tenths of a second. The late Gordon Pirie, a former 3K world record holder, cut it
finer - he made it by a tenth of a second in a race against Herb Elliott (Australia) in
Ireland. On hearing the result, Pirie screamed out "I've done, I've done it!"
and ran to each competitor in the race with the same message. It has to be admitted that
he was always close to it with a previous best of 4mins.00.9. It was his one and only
sub-four run, whereas Steve Scott (USA) has chalked up 100 runs inside the time. Some have
attained their goal by unusual means. Terry Sullivan (Southern Rhodesia, as was) bought a
book written by Bannister's coach. He started at page 1 and did precisely what was
written, becoming the only man on the African continent to duck under the barrier.
http://www.runnersworld.com/specials/olympic/events/m5000m.html
Greatest Olympic Competition: 1952, Helsinki
During the Opening Ceremonies of the Helsinki Olympics, Finland's
greatest athlete, 55-year-old Paavo Nurmi, carried the Olympic torch into the stadium.
Nurmi then handed it off to the other fabulous Finn, Hannes Kolehmainen who had won the
three classic Olympic distances--the 5000, 10,000 and marathon--over the course of eight
years and two Olympiads. It was a fitting beginning to the Olympics of Emil Zatopek of
Czechoslovakia who would win all three distance races within the space of one week, a feat
which has never been accomplished before or since. Four days after winning the 10,000 in
an Olympic record, Zatopek took on a field loaded with such greats as Alain Mimoun of
France, Herbert Schade of Germany and the Brits, Chris Chataway and Gordon Pirie. At the
bell, all but Pirie were in contention. Zatopek led, but Chataway took the lead with 300
to go and fought desperately to hold it. But on the final curve, Zatopek took command as
the young Brit faded badly and was pushed by someone, hit the inside curb and fell.
Zatopek, the classic front-runner, had proved that he, too could kick as his 57.9 last lap
demonstrated. Zatopek's time of 14:06.6 was yet another Olympic record as he became the
first to complete a 5000/10,000 double since Kolehmainen in 1912. Three days later,
Zatopek also won the marathon in yet another Olympic record. It was his first marathon.
http://www.illuminati.com/~wondery/yesteryear.html
Free Bonus Report on Elite Runners of Yesteryear and Today -
Their Professional Running Lives and Expert Advice Compiled by Wonder Years Productions
GORDON PIRIE -- 1940's He was in the 1948 Olympic Games. He said:
"There are two different types of athletes. They don't differ in size or muscular
development. There seems no apparent difference at all. But one type can run a terrific
speed without training. On the other hand, he couldn't run slowly, if he or she tried. The
other guy is able only through tortuous efforts to improve his or her speed. But... in
case of the slightest lay-off, this hard-won ability vanishes. The first type will be the
best. The second type flogs and flogs himself to great heights, but is liable to fall
quickly. He cannot possibly compete with the speed man."
http://www.cix.co.uk/~bof/history.html
British Orienteering Federation - The History of Orienteering
Further south, the advent of cheap black and white photocopying
persuaded John Disley to try again using 1:25,000 O.S. maps, and in 1964 he organised a
series of fortnightly events in Surrey which attracted local teachers and children as well
as now-familiar names such as Peter Palmer and Chris James. To gain media interest Disley
also invited his athletic friends, including Roger Bannister, Chris Brasher, Gordon Pirie
and Martin Hyman. Articles in national newspapers and Sunday supplements quickly followed,
and the word 'orienteering' became more familiar to the British public. Enter BOF
Discussion of a UK Orienteering Federation with IOF membership had begun as early as 1964,
but it was not until June 15th 1967 that the British Orienteering Federation came into
being, at a meeting at Barnard Castle in County Durham. This was followed the next day by
the first British Championships, held in nearby Hamsterley Forest. The first British men's
champion was Gordon Pirie. The first Junior Championships were held in October the same
year in the Forest of Dean. 1967 also saw the first JK International Orienteering
Festival, held in honour of Jan Kjellstrom who tragically died in a road accident earlier
that year. The annual JK moved to Easter in 1969, and now regularly attracts a field of
4000 or more. The 1974 JK was the first British event to attract more than 1000
competitors.
http://public.logica.com/~grosetim/runtrack/current/newmilton.htm
(This page by Tim Grose is from the UK Running Track Directory - a
"free service to athletes [which] aims to include details on every permanent running
track in the UK").
New Milton
Fawcett's Field Track
Fawcett's Field, Christchurch Road, New Milton, Hampshire
Type: Grass, 400m, 6 lanes, 6 lane straight
Opening Times: Track on public playing fields so probably open all
the time
Is track locked/unavailable for casual use at other times: No
Clubs: New Forest Runners
Other Info:
Some sort of 'weedkiller' is used to enable this grass track to be
present all year round. The infield is a football pitch. The track was the brainchild of
Gordon Pirie who campaigned for some athletics facilities in New Milton while he lived in
Hordle just down the road before his death.
There is also a 900m jogging trail around the edge of the main
grass area.
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/8499/r1999_02.html
Running Writing, February 1999
The President's Message
Happy New Year fellow Athletes and
Officials,
While flying to America in August last
year I was given to read, by Ewen Thompson, a photocopy of a book he was reviewing by the
late Gordon Pirie on running
fast and injury-free. I finished it by the time we landed in the States.
Being a pronator from way back, with a
collection of old running shoes with half the heel worn away, I found that his advice made
sense so I decided to put it into practice. 5 months later, I can report on it's
effectiveness.
As to speed and endurance, I have not
noticed much difference, but the big improvement has been in shoe wear and injury rate.
The shoe wear factor has seen an amazing improvement with all signs of pronation gone!
Despite 70 to 100 km per week rotating 3 pair of shoes (I have a pair at work for
lunch-time runs, another pair for early morning runs and another pair for road-work), I
have not had to replace a single pair. This is not good news for Brian Wenn and The Runners Shop, but definitely good news for
you, the consumer. Apart from some muscle soreness during the change of style period as
emphasis is place on different muscles, I have not had any of the usual Shin soreness and
knee and ankle pains that most of us suffer from time to time.
The main points of the Gordon Pirie
method:
- Upright stance. Do not lean forward!
- Legs slightly bent; almost as if you are
sitting on a bar stool.
- Rapid stride rate. 3 to 5 strides per
second.
- Don't over-stride. Your forward foot should
land directly under you body.
- Land on the ball of your foot, NOT THE
HEEL!
- Each stride is an explosive, quick
movement.
- Don't strain! Stay relaxed at all times.
- Breathing not too deep, keep in rhythm with
your stride rate. 3 in, 3 out for normal easy pace, 3 in, 2 out when trying harder,
increasing to 2 in, 2 out when the going is really tough.
- Arms at 90 degrees swung slightly across
the chest but always relaxed.
- Most important! Do Not Lean Forward!. If
you find that you are leaning habitually, try deliberately thrusting your hips forward and
forcing your shoulders back. The Stance will begin to feel natural to you after a short
time and then your old lean will feel uncomfortable.
- Your running shoes should be flat and not
too heavily padded. Despite the claims of the manufacturers, padded heels do not prevent
injuries. The thick padding causes the heel to strike the ground a fraction early. The
initial give in the padding then prevents the foot from loading up like the natural spring
that it is, so when the ball of the foot hits the ground, the force is transmitted
straight up the leg. I have been running in Marathons and half-marathons for years wearing
thin, low-heeled track shoes with no ill-effects. Those who advised me against this are
now half crippled.
Similar comments apply to those expensive
little items, orthotics. Unless you have a severe foot or leg deformity, these are totally
unnecessary! You would be better saving yourself the time, inconvenience, pain and money
by correcting your style. Gordon Pirie's method is a good start.
Try it.
Gordon
Nightingale
21 January 1999
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/8499/rw_09_98.html
Running Writing, September 1998
Running Fast and Injury Free
A new book by Gordon Pirie
reviewed by RW's editor
Any aficionado of world class running will have heard
about the exciting days of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. The Melbourne and
Rome Olympic Games. Names such as Elliott, Kuts, Snell, Iharos, Santee and Pirie come to
mind. A new book by the late Gordon Pirie is now available (Edited by John S Gilbody) - "Running
Fast and Injury Free".
The book makes for fascinating
reading. Gordon Pirie is a three-time Olympian who won silver in the 5,000 metres behind
Vladimir Kuts in the 1956 Melbourne Games. He also set five official world records and
many more unofficial world bests and "trained very hard for 45 years and only
suffered two or three injuries which stopped me from training."
I found the whole book to be
entertaining, educational and at times controversial. The training that Pirie undertook to
transform himself from a good club runner who couldn’t sprint to a world-class
athlete with a devastating finish is amazing. It is interesting that his world record from
1956 of 13:36.8 (on a cinders track) is a time superior to the personal bests of most
members of Australia’s 1998 team for the World Cross Country Championships.
In the book, Gordon Pirie
outlines his 'laws of running’ and continues with chapters addressing subjects such
as 'Why Athletes Fail’, 'Injuries, Technique and Shoes’, 'Training’,
'Weight Training’ and 'Diet and Vitamins’. The chapter on 'Injuries, Technique
and Shoes’ I found to be particularly absorbing from a personal perspective. In the
group that I help coach we spend a good deal of time teaching athletes 'how to run’.
To do this, we watch them running and incorporate various drills, exercises and hill
running into their training so they can learn the running form of a world-class middle
distance athlete. I must say that I don’t agree entirely with Pirie’s model of
good running form, however it is interesting the importance that he gives to running form
and it’s relevance to injury-free and successful running.
Below are some excerpts from the
book. I hope to include some more in future issues of Running Writing. In conclusion, I
would recommend the book to all runners - from the absolute beginner to the emerging
national-class athlete.
Pirie on Why Athletes Fail:
"Because runners always demonstrate a determination and singleness of purpose rarely
encountered in people involved in other sports, they tend to overdo their training when
rest is called for (that is, relative rest, not necessarily zero activity). The generally
accepted notion is: 'The harder I train, the faster I will run'. This is not necessarily
true. There is nothing wrong with training very hard for a time even right to the limit -
then backing off and having a period of rest. Hard training is very important; but so is
rest. Training hard when fatigued is asking for frustration, disappointment, and possibly
injury or illness.
A training plan is very
important, but it should be infinitely flexible! Too zealous an adherence to a plan can
leave a runner flat on his back. In May 1981, I watched Grete Waitz training at Bislet
Stadium in Oslo two or three days after a hard race. Her legs were still stiff and sore
from the stress of the race, so her training (300-metre sprints) was going badly. I wrote
to Arne Haukvik, the Oslo promoter, following that session to ask him to warn Grete that
she would soon be injured if she pursued this course of training. Sure enough, Grete
suffered a serious foot injury a few weeks later, which caused her to drop out of her
world record attempt at 5,000 metres. She lost the rest of the season."
Pirie on Training: "It
is important to remember that when you run your race simulations, you must do so in a less
stressful manner than when actually racing. Take it easy and forget about sprinting the
last lap; just run along at a comfortable pace. The object is to accustom your body and
your mind to running the distance. My favourite runs were 2 miles in 8:40 to 9 minutes,
four miles in 18:30-19:30, and three miles in 13:30-13:35. I liked to finish these runs
quickly, with a last lap of about 60 or 61 seconds, but not flat-out (I have done 53.8
seconds for the last 440 yards of a 5,000m race).
You can do the same kind of
running, below your maximum ability, over distances ranging from 3,000 metres up to 10,000
metres, although I am sure that very few runners can do the type and volume of very fast
running I was doing in the 1950s. Initially, you will have to settle for running well
within your capabilities with times a little more conservative.
But how can you find your
particular level? How do you know how fast to run these fast stretches? You have to seek
out an experienced coach to match your training schedule to your ability at any particular
moment. A runner cannot do this himself very easily. If you are a coach, you must make
sure that you are very careful to gauge the abilities of your athletes correctly. It is
important that you do not demand more than the athlete is able to reasonably deliver,
whilst still being able to recover for a similar session the next day. I like to set a
target time my athletes can easily reach then they always succeed!
I deal with about 100 different
facets of training when trying to produce champion runners. Most coaches I know understand
about 20 of these 100 facets, some coaches know 45 or 50, and I have known one or two who
know all 100 facets of the art. The point I am making is that: (1) there is no detail of
your life or your training which is too minor to be considered in relation to your
training schedule; and (2) it is crucial to find yourself as good a coach as possible,
because it is not possible to take guidance solely from a piece of paper (like the
training schedules you frequently see published in magazines, and the schedules of my own
that I have cited here). You really need a mentor to save you from making the 1,001
mistakes that can be made in training and racing. A good doctor is also important (see
Chapter Six on diet and vitamins)."
Ordering Details:
'Running Fast and Injury Free' is a simply produced work with no pictures.
Copies are available from: Dr John S Gilbody, One Rookswood Close, Hook, Hampshire RG27
9EU [ENGLAND]".
For US dollar orders, please send
a check for $25 (this price includes airmail postage). For Australia and New Zealand:
Aus$40.00 (Australian cheques accepted!) all-inclusive price including airmail
postage. I'm sorry for the price, but the exchange rate is currently Aus$2.56 = UKŁ1.00!
If you have any questions, please
do not hesitate to e-mail me. Note that this is NOT a commercial venture - the
photocopying involved, together with card and ring-binder, costs more than the sale price.
Also, the book took me five years to produce. However, I promised Gordon before he died
that I would publish the book, and so I have!
John S Gilbody (25 July 1998)
One Rookswood Close
Hook
Hampshire RG27 9EU
ENGLAND
Fax: +44 (0) 1256 760 100
alltra@globalnet.co.uk
Gordon Pirie Resource Center
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/8499/rw_10_98.html
Running Writing, October 1998
Gordon Pirie talks about
Training... from the book edited by John S Gilbody - 'Running Fast and Injury Free'.
"The eventual range of my
running, despite an initial limitation of raw speed, went from 35.6 seconds for 300
metres, through to international class half-mile races of around 1:52 (though I think I
could have run under 1:50.0), to world class 10,000m races, and a listed World Record over
20 miles of 2 hours. I defeated the 1956 Olympic Silver Medalist over 1,500 metres and
world record holders Peter Snell and Wes Santee over a mile. I was able to beat the world
records for distances ranging from 3,000 metres through to 20 miles. I am one of only
three athletes who has held world records and been ranked among the top 10 in the world in
the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000m at the same time. (The other two are Kenyan Kip Keino and
Belgium's Gaston Reiff). I was ranked in the top 10 twelve times in 10 years. This is the
longest span of time any athlete has been ranked in the top 10.
So, the training programme I
followed gave me everything, including the ability to lead a race for the entire distance,
or to wait and sprint past everyone at the finish (except Herb Elliott, who was unbeatable
at every stage of almost any race). I wasn't a "sitter" by any means, but a
Jack-of-all-trades racer who took races anyway they were offered up. I also believe in
doing special training to change speeds instantly; this I did during the three hours in
the woods of Surrey. I sprinted every 100 metres - especially up hills - throughout the
three hours until my mind and body were infinitely strong. As a result, a race of hard
surges which was hard on the rest of the guys, was easy for me to handle.
Of course, I am writing here
about the very top level of my training and racing capacity. It must be emphasized that it
took me many years to get to this level. In order to reach such an incredible capacity
yourself, you must be willing to train and race non-stop for six to eight years. I went
against all advice except that of Gerschler and Zatopek in those days, for example by
running multiple races in major meets - like the hard international 1,500-metre race at
Bislet Stadium in Oslo followed by a win in the 5,000 metres a few minutes later against
most of the best runners in the world. At the age of 14, I won an Army Cadets' Junior Mile
race, then ran a few minutes later to place second in the Senior Race in an identical
time. Though now I am against multiple races for young runners, and believe it is
important that young runners do not train intensively before 17 or 18 years of age - I did
it! Everyone in England, even though they were only aware of half the story, criticised
the incredible training and racing I was doing.
I survived against all the ideas
of the so-called experts. I had made up my mind to be one of the best racers in the world,
and it took me eight years of ultra-volume running to get to the top; I was not a gifted
runner. It wasn't uncommon for me to run more than 12,000 miles a year during the 1950s,
in training which took more than six hours on some days, and required an incredible effort
most mortals would cringe at. The point of all this is that there need be no limits to
your achievements, so long as you are willing to keep at it. Limitations are always
self-imposed. However, I know now that a runner can get the best results on rather less
than the ultra-marathon preparations I made.
On days when you don't feel like
running hard, always try to do some running - Gerschler's rules required a minimum of an
hour a day of easy "footing" (assuming one bears in mind the safety controls
described elsewhere in this book). One day in 1956, at the track in Croydon, England, I
felt lethargic but still jogged around for half an hour. I felt better so then did a few
100-metre strides in my spikes and started to get going. Then I decided to run softly a
3/4 mile trial. I chose 69 secs speed, which I considered jogging speed, because I usually
ran 3 minutes. Then I ran a 440-yard jog. I felt better and better and finished up by
running 8x3/4 miles in averages of 3m 27secs. That was a nice easy day of running with no
stress - a total of 2 hrs 35 minutes and a weight training session of 30 minutes. An easy
day! A hard day would include the same type of training but much more intense speeds.
I want to stress once again that
I cannot do such things today, and only runners in super-human condition can get away with
this kind of training, and then only after many years of hard effort. The average runner
will end up in hospital if he or she attempts this kind of training. Moderate your efforts
according to your fitness and ability, and do what you enjoy. I always enjoy my
running." 
Information about
purchasing 'Running Fast and Injury Free'.
Visit the Gordon Pirie Resource
Center
http://crash.ihug.co.nz/~buzz/cplan.htm
COACHING PLAN
1995-1999
Version Approved by the NZ
Orienteering Federation Council 20-21 October
1995 Michael Wood, Coaching
Director
Orienteering was introduced as a competitive sport to NZ in 1969 by an Englishman, the
late Gordon Pirie (Olympic 5000m Silver Medallist 1956). His enthusiasm ensured the sport
established a permanent footing in this country, Currently there are 24 orienteering clubs
from Whangarei to Invercargill, with about 1400 members. Clubs typically run events on
Sundays once a month all year round, giving weekly orienteering in areas with several
clubs.
It is estimated that 20,000 other New Zealanders participate in the sport each year, on
a social basis or as part of school or youth group activities. A Primary School programme
(Kiwisport) is well established, and Secondary School activities were stepped up in 1994
with the appointment of a National Coordinator.
Other pages on this site:
NEW BOOK BY GORDON PIRIE: "RUNNING FAST AND INJURY
FREE"
Details about Gordon’s well-received last book, and how to
order it.
Back to GORDON PIRIE RESOURCE CENTER home page
