Some people are destined to influence your life.  Arthur Lydiard is one of those people.  Whether it was the devilish glint in his eyes, or the totally disarming smile, or the vivid red he turned when angry, he had a way of communicating that influenced everyone he met.  I was influenced years before I met him.

I was not even aware of Arthur’s first influence until 7 years ago.  When I started running as a 13 year old, my first coach was Mike Byrnes.  He had been my 7th grade history teacher.  By 1964, Wantagh High School (Wantagh, Long Island, NY) had produced a state champion in the 2 mile, and a state cross country team title and champions at both the mile and 2 mile a year later.  Unbeknownst to me, Coach Byrnes was a Lydiard follower.  When I contacted Coach Byrnes in 1998 to thank him for my inspiration into athletics, he mentioned that he had hosted Arthur at his home on one of Arthur’s many trips to the US.  Coach Byrnes had this gangly 13-year old running 2 hour runs.  That was the start of a long, wonderful relationship with Arthur’s system of training.

Jump ahead to 1973.  I was a sports and education Peace Corps volunteer in Maracaibo, Venezuela.  A place rich in oil money, but so hot that the native Guajira did literally cook with the suns rays.  Yet, it was here that the best athletic facility in the country (thanks to the oil money) existed.  Later that year we would host the Central American Championships.  One day I was summoned to the state office of the National Sports Institute for whom I worked.  They indicated that “some” coach had been hired by the National office to teach a coaching “class” and work with the National team.  It seemed he only spoke English and would be in need of a translator.  “Could you handle that?”, was the question.  They did not mention a name. 

Two days later, the cream of Venezuelan middle-distance and distance runners arrived in Maracaibo.  Later that day so did Arthur.  He was so humble.  He had already directed the New Zealand Olympic Medal haul, attempted to get the Mexican Olympic team to see the light and had stunning successes in Finland.  Yet, he stayed not in a hotel befitting the world’s most successful distance running coach, but instead in a make-shift dorm set-up under the stands of the main stadium with all the runners.  Though 56 at the time, he arose each morning and lead the group of men 30 to 40 years younger than him for a hour run, usually under 7 minutes a mile despite temperatures already over 80.  They complained to me every afternoon about Arthur’s “aggressive” pace.  Many evenings I would pass along their comments as we relaxed with a few beers and dinner.

While teaching his program to the coaches at Sports Institute offices around Venezuela, he was totally animated and enlivened to be passing on “the word”.  He became incensed when at one of the larger classes the coaches wanted a certificate to indicate they had “learned” his system.  He said “Not without a test”.  No one passed.  He gave out no certificates.  He did not want anyone to say they “knew my system, when they bloody well don’t”.  His continuing advice in every class was “learn as much physiology as you can”.  I took that to heart.

Arthur left Venezuela and returned to New Zealand to work with the team preparing for the Commonwealth Games.  His parting comments to the Venezuelan runners, saying that I understood his system, caused to them migrate with me to San Critobal in South Western Venezuela at 3,500 feet in the Andes.  There we continued Arthur’s work of rewriting the Venezuelan record book.

When I returned to the US I continued to study every drop I could about physiology.  I began coaching and achieved success as one would expect with a proven approach.  I saw Arthur several times over the years, when he would visit the US.  We corresponded infrequently.  There are over 1000 runners who I have worked with who owe their successes to Arthur.  I am the runner I am today because of Arthur.  I am the coach I am today because of Arthur.  Every beer I have gets raised with Arthur in mind, ever mile I run I run better because of the time I spent with Arthur, every runner I have advised runs better because of the work Arthur did almost 50 years ago.  He was a man of great influence.  That I know for sure. I miss him.

Glenn McCarthy