Park-to-Park stimulates runners

Press, 26 April 1979, Page 17

Park-to-Park stimulates runners

RUNNERS’ DIARY

By j

John Drew

“The Press” annual Park-to-Park run will start and finish at Sydenham Park on Sunday week, May 6. This will be the fourth Park-to-Park. Each year more runners who complete the Park-to-Park find themselves looking for more adventures to test their n e w-f o u n d fitness, including running for a club.

Probably the most important single contribution that the e v e nt makes to

community welfare is that it stimulates new runners, many of them in family groups, to continue and improve their running, thus gaining more benefit and enjoyment. An outstanding example of a recent newcomer to running who took up the sport by way of the Park-Park-to-Park is Eric Hunter. He startled both himself and his friends by running a remarkable 2 hr 40min in the recent Mount Hutt marathon at the age of 44. It was his first race over the 26.2-mile distance.

On the strength of this performance and also his pace over shorter distances (after only about a year’s introduction to running), some experienced observers suspect that Eric has the capacity to develop into a second Jack Foster — the great Rotorua runner who holds the world’s record for an ove r-40 marathoner. Jack is now 46.

A slow, social run I had with Eric last week disclosed he has more in common with Jack Foster than any of us believed. Both men came from Liverpool, England. Both were former racing cyclists. Both gave up cycling because of career and family commitments.

Both found that the cost of obtain! n g and

maintaining top cycling gear was prohibitive for a family man — as was the number of hours needed for training to be racing fit.

They are remarkably similar in build: sparse and well muscled. Like many other former - racing cyclists who have taken up running, Foster and Hunter built up a big background of stamina by cycling which has proved to their advantage as runners.

Hunter’s decision to give up cycling was the more difficult. Whereas Foster admits he was only an average performer, Hunter has represented England as a bike rider. Hunter recalls: “I had t o decide between becoming a full-time professional bike rider in England and on the Continent and continuing hotel management.” He chose the latter.

Afrer running in the last Park-to-Park, Hunter, like many other newcomers, made his debut in road running in the Sedley Wells “half marathon.” Like dozens of others, he was stimulated by the Sedley Wells and he joined a registered club. He now runs for University. In “The Press” Park-to-Park event this year he will again run with members of his staff at

the Avon Motor Lodge, where he is manager. “We all enjoy it and we all think it is a great thing for good staff relationships,”he says. After May 6 his next long outing will again be in the Sedley Wells on June 4. This time it will probably be over the full marathon which is held in conjunction with the

Sedley Wells “half marathon” starting and finishing together at Queen Elizabeth II Park.

He will make his debut in cross-country running in the Hagley relays next Saturday. He ran the University club trial over the distance in 14min ssec. He expects to better this time on Saturday. Most racing cyclists who turn to running find their stamina strength is excellent but their legs take a long time to adapt to the road shock of distance running.

While Eric Hunter realises he has considerable natural ability he has words of warning for other newcomers to increase training gradually. This is to avoid soft tissue and joint injuries which beset all runners, especially those newcomers who become carried away with early successes and attempt “too much, too soon, too fast.”

In the Park-to-Park Eric will stay back, like scores of other athletes to help newcomers and guide their judgment of pace. For those who are confident of finishing the Park-to-Park for the first time either running or running and walking (or just walking, if they wish) here is a suggested fifthweek training schedule: Day 1; run (or walk and run) 35 min. Day 2; walk, say 10 min. Day 3; run 35 min. Day 4; walk 35 min. Day 5; run (or run and walk) 70 min. Day 6; walk or rest. Day 7; walk or rest. If you are contemplating an outing in the Sedley Wells “half marathon” on June 4, here is a suggested schedule which may help you: Day 1; run, or walk and run, for not less than an hour.

Day 2: rest or walk. Day 3; run or run and walk for not less than one hour. Day 4; walk or walk or rest. Day 5; try a longer run, say up to two hours Day 6; rest or walk. Day 7; rest or walk. Keeping adding your running duration to Day 5. Later, when you acquire more stamina and better leg conditioning, you can introduce an extra day of running in your training week.

Regardless of whether you are experienced or are a new jogger, always apply the “talk test.” This means that you run only at a pace which enables you to keep chatting with your training mates. Gradually increase the proportion of running to walking: at the same time modifying the suggested schedule to suit you. When there is a choice, settle for going further and slower rather than faster and shorter.