© Copyright – 2009 – Athletics Illustrated
(editor’s note: Updated in August 2025)
The Arthur Lydiard phenomenon — A method of any other way could only be of a lesser standard.
A standard of practical research yet to be matched
No other endurance coach, no matter how successful, has experimented with or applied as steadfastly in their toil as Lydiard did. Not Percy Cerutty, not Emil Zatopek, nor even Bill Bowerman set research and application parameters as high as Lydiard did.
When famed Oregon coach Bill Bowerman received a medal from President Kennedy in honour of his contributions to fuelling the first running boom, he said, “I am but the disciple, Arthur Lydiard of New Zealand is the prophet.”
Author Keith Livingstone draws from successful coaches like Nic Bideau, Barry Magee and Greg McMillan. He wrote the book for serious middle-distance runners and coaches so they may gain a greater understanding. In so doing, Lydiard’s method remains intact.
During our interview in 2009, Livingstone said, “The basic premise of Lydiard’s system is incredibly simple, but don’t be fooled. The nuances can lead to complexity. I like the notion that if an idea can’t be outlined on a business card, then it’s too complicated! So if I were to design Lydiard’s business card, I’d say “aerobic base dictates anaerobic training potential.” However — and this is a big however — there is a balance and sophistication about it that can be exquisite in its delivery. This is true particularly in the final touches in track preparation in middle distance.”
There have been no demurrals — only endorsements, most notably by Peter Snell. Snell was the most successful of all and an original Lydiard athlete. Lorraine Moller, four-time Olympian and Olympic bronze marathon winner, wrote, “Keith captures the genius of Lydiard and delivers it to athletes and coaches in a comprehensive and complete form.”
“The Lydiard Foundation has adopted this book as its official text for all Lydiard coaching courses.”
This, of course, provides further credibility to Healthy Intelligent Training.
When the science agrees with practical application
There has been an evolution of sorts. This began as self-experimentation, then the application of it on others. Lydiard continued by fine-tuning and finally, there was the legitimization from the scientific community. Not that world records and gold medals hadn’t already crystallized this, but scientists brought about physiology’s confirmation of the method. Especially in the eyes of the many who possess a distrust of anything not appearing scientific-like. HIT now joins in on the evolutionary process of almost paradoxically preserving the method, yet creating acceptance by the modern-day sticklers for language symmetry. Oh, those wacky wordsmiths over at Let’s Run’s world-famous discussion boards.
HIT is as thorough as it is a layman’s read from the acknowledgements to the bibliography. Livingstone appeals to the reader to understand the holism of what they are doing. As much as sticking to the method’s non-negotiables like the weekend long steady distance run, it stays as much to the spirit of Lydiard as anything that has passed before.
The very first time I read the book, I sped through the pages at an alarming pace. With each page turn, I found myself nodding and agreeing with the content. It confirmed my understanding gained from thorough research. And, confirmed my communications with anyone who was associated with Lydiard.
Breaking down the language barrier
Lydiard was often referred to as being just scientifically knowledgeable enough to be dangerous. For example, he would refer to “anaerobic threshold” as “aerobic threshold.” The meaning to him was the means to which one attains a greater aerobic capacity. This was done through capillarization and general cardiac development. Practically, that never changed. Only here does the meaning take on new words. You will notice this throughout Lydiard interviews, scattered across the internet, but centralized in a cache at the Lydiard Foundation. Get past the language barrier, and understanding becomes yours.
Understanding and appreciating the holism
Make no mistake, Lydiard’s famed method is all about peaking. Although he did later succumb to the masses to create a schedule for those who like to race year-round, his success lies in helping athletes peak on time. The method that he developed and perfected over nearly 50 years of work. His laboratory: the roads and trails of New Zealand.
There needs to be a balance in all conditioning. Aerobic training, strengthening, anaerobic training, speed work, and sharpening must be carried out in the correct order. Some people continue to not grasp the method. Even during the 1970s. For example, Lydiard had Olympic athlete Richard Taylor running 400 metre repetitions. Lydiard was asked by some students how many laps or how fast the runner was going. Lydiard didn’t know or care. The kids were confused. They were expecting finite numbers from the legendary coach and his international athlete. The holism of the training, in this particular example, is about trying to create oxygen debt and systemic acidosis. Anaerobic training is anaerobic training whether you measure it or not.
Healthy Intelligent Training
Understanding the holism of training is just an easy read away. Healthy Intelligent Training will, if anything, help anyone understand the proven principles behind the most successful endurance training method ever.
The arrival of the book to your doorstep is well worth the wait. It is informative as a first read and wonderful as a reference text.
There are roughly 260 pages. It is written in a fashion that runners and coaches of any age and level of education will appreciate. The thorough yet layman’s explanation of the Arthur Lydiard method of training is effective. It contains just the right amount of scientific references, real-life examples and contributions from notable coaches and athletes to keep the reader reading.
Healthy Intelligent Training was released in 2009 and became a best-seller. The book continues to sell well and has become a go-to training guide for many coaches.
