By Mark Tucker - Runner's Tribe
When I first started to take running seriously, I read a book (borrowed from my school library), which would have a profound effect on my running and life during my formative years. The book: ‘How to become a Champion’ by Percy Cerutty, was truly inspirational and uplifting – if I trained hard, was stronger than others (physically and mentally) and believed in myself, success in running, and life, would be mine! If levels of motivation equalled your results, I might have been a World champion by the age of 20. Alas, I found out it wasn’t quite so simple – you also need to balance your motivation/inspiration with rest and smart training, as over-training can be a greater error than under-training.
Anyway, I devoured that book and any other book written by Percy that I could get my hands on – his forthright style and eccentricities had me inspired and laughing in equal measure: “It is only the weak who look up to the strong: the strong are usually too busy, pushing down the weakly, to look up to anyone!”
His initial rise came from his lowest point at the age of 43 – a nervous breakdown in 1939 that required 6 months of hospitalisation. One doctor at the time even told him that he had no more than two years to live. From this period in his life, he became determined to achieve great things and started to embrace exercise and the outdoors, with walks from his house in South Yarra to the St Kilda baths (where he swam,) one aspect of his recovery. Soon enough, he was exalting the virtues of being fit: “only the fit are fearless!”, and running over 100 miles a week in training. He also began to enjoy some success at the Marathon distance and beyond.
RUNNER’S TRIBE PAYS OUR WRITERS & FILM MAKERS TO CREATE EXCITING & ENTERTAINING CONTENT. HELP SUPPORT THESE PROFESSIONALS AND JOIN RT PREMIUM NOW.
TO VIEW THIS CONTENT PLEASE SIGN-UP TO RUNNER'S TRIBE'S MEMBERS ONLY PREMIUM CONTENT. WE HAVE SOURCED THE WORLD'S TOP WRITERS AND FILM MAKERS TO DELIVER ANY ATHLETE, COACH, PARENT OR FAN THE ULTIMATE PORTAL FOR ATHLETICS EDUCATION, ENJOYMENT AND INSPIRATION.
Hello, I also read Mr. Cerutty’s books when I was in high school back in the late 60’s. And I read them but I didn’t really try to work on his concepts until I was in my 40’s during the mid 1990’s. That is when I practiced what he prescribed as the right way to gallop. And it took me 3 months of running everyday until had it down and could gallop without overthinking everything as to weather I was doing it right or not.
The one major thing that I learned from galloping was that the only thing holding me back from going faster (while running on the track) was my ability to get stronger. But unfortunately my work as a contractor always ruined my daily training and I never accomplished what I had dreamed of doing on the track. The best I did was that I was able to run a sub 5:00 minute mile at age 45. I know I could have gone a lot faster had I had the time to train consistently. But I let my work get in the way.
And now that I am in my mid 60’s I can still demonstrate the proper way to gallop and was even thinking of offering a glass to people, but I haven’t done that either.
I have the utmost respect for Percy Cerutty and his body of work that he created. It is still a treasure that has yet to be discovered by the track world at large.
Having trained at Portsea for many years perc wrote a letter to me and at the end he wrote I wish you the most elusive thing of all happiness
Very interesting. I have republished four of the Percy Cerutty titles – so I would correct the title given in this article. The correct title of the book is ‘Athletics: How to become a champion’. The other titles: Middle Distance Running; Be Fit! Or be damned! and Success in Sport and Life have all been made available on Amazon.com