Sports - A Long Time Ago and Now


In September, 1957,
at the final of 400 meters run, 
Northern Prefectural Middle High School Field and Truck Competition, 
6th arrival at the official record of 60 seconds flat.
In September, 1960,
at the final of 100 meters butterfly stoke,
Three Prefectural Swimming Race
1st arrival at official record of 67 seconds flat.
During college days for four years from 1961,
team member, rugby football.
In 1965, I retired from 10 years of the the serious athletics in my youth
holding no remarkable records, 
only many memories.

In our country side in those days, without any sport physiology, to drink water during play was prohibited because of presumed bad effects on the body. Nobody did it. I still vividly remember the sweetness of the sliced lemon we took at half time instead of water. It tipped my tongue, filled my mouth and spread into my whole body. Those days, no field and track athletes swam during the season, and on the other hands, no swimmer entered track-and-field sports. The then accepted view was that the muscles for both are different. .For better or worse, the spiritualism of Pierre de Coubertin had governed athletic performance in those days.

It was not so long time ago that theory of physiology in relation to sports made remarkable change. To ingest water or food during the time of play was never recommended in those days, but now is considered indispensably necessary. And, the triathlon consisting of swimming, bicycle and marathon, which would have astonished the athletes those days is now even in the Olympic games. After roughly half a century since that time, I think of what an athletic life was for me in my youth. Now I confirm to myself; My spirit is sill in an extension of those days, and I do hate feeble sentiments or so-called thoughts lacking flesh and blood. 

How far could the physiology of sport be developed?
What records could be achieved?
What could the human spirit achieve in the future.?
How far might I still go on in my own spirit?