Evening star., 1932-07-05
BY PAAVO NURMI.

written for the Associated Press)
r WAS asked recently where have
found the elixir which has enabled
me for II years to keep on aston
ishing the world by my track
achievements. People will not believe
that l should be able from year to year
to beat my younger competitors or by
my example to make them jealous and
full of dreams. 1t is difficult for them
to conceive that runner can remain
at the top for more than 10 years.
When I undertook my second trip to
America in 1929 and then was not the
same as the first time, / was called "old
Nurmi," but having now since then run
better than in my young days even Il
am thinking Of my two-mile world rec
ord and at the same time of my victory
over my most dangerous competitors,
the other Finns), 1t has been said that
had grown younger, and every one
was surprised. There Is something
magic in this, the world says.
Well, ] am prepared to raise the cur
tain and to relate what the secret Of
my condition is. First of all, however,
should like to add to the above that
old Nurmi" whom the Americans sew
some three years ago was not old at all
then. I was only overstrained and stiff
from the cold wintry winds. Later runs
have proved this.
When the Body SIackens.
II any man in his young days already
can hear the tapping of the messenger
OF old age on his door, it is the end
among sportsmen. Sure signs OF this
are the disinclination for exertions and
the growth OF the love Of comfort. The
sportsman begins to think that COM
peting Is something belonging to chill
dren and youths. wherewith a man
who has attained his fun age will find
1t useless to burden himself
This is brought about by the de-
terioration Of the body's elasticity and
tone. By the law of nature. a man
who has reached 26 or 27 years already
has seen his best physical Towering
time. This period can be heightened.
however, by one method-and one
only-and that method is good care of
the body. hasten to say that the
secret Of my continuing TO keep fit lies
in the proper care OF my body.
Every one knows that the oftener a
metal Is heated the more brittle 1t be-
same phenomenon can be observed in
the sportsman who gets warm enough
TO persplre in every exercise and COM
petition. Only a very few sportsmen
avoid this oyerheating to some ex-
tent, among others the swimmers and
skaters, who never come to perspire
IN the same degree as, for instance, a
runner. This explains also why, for in
stance, the Norwegian champion skater,
Oscar Mathiesen, was abe, in spite of
his 40 years, to do 500 meters IN 43
seconds. and why my compatriot, Clas
Thunberg. with his 35 years, managed
on the same distance to win the anna
teur world record of 426.
My Heart Stands Up.
The table Of world records on me-
dunn and long distances may be par
ticularly thankful TO the build of my
body particularly to my strong inner
organs. My heart has stood the most
severe strains in a wonderful manner.
l beg Einste1n's pardon, that / COM
pare my heart with the shaft of a
perpetual motion conurivance, which
does not exist, of course. That shaft
has been overburdened often and heav-
ily but not even once have the bear
ings run warm too much nor the
metal shown any signs of breakage,
or-to explain my sImile-my heart
has not become enlarged nor are there
any signs of trouble in the valves.
Twice year / have its Roentgen- pic
ture taken. to avoid surprises. The
last time such a picture was taken
was on December 3, last. The picture
reveals that my heart is 10 nm.