19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

GLORY AND GOO
Sirs:
I was horrified to see in John Underwood's article on Tom O'Hara (Running Is Such Sweet Torture, June 22) that Tom had given away the secret of America's sudden breakthrough in all distances from 1,500 meters to the marathon. Herb Elliott had his sand dunes; Tom O'Hara has his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

As long as O'Hara himself has let the cat out of the bag, and in the interest of continued world improvement in distance running, I suppose I might as well release the secret formula:

Select two pieces of bread, whole wheat preferred. Smother one slice thoroughly with butter. Cover the remaining slice with a layer of peanut butter one-quarter inch deep. Use only old-fashioned, oily peanut butter. Hydrogenated peanut butter is infra dig. Cover the first slice of bread with gooey jelly, preferably black raspberry preserves. Slap the two slices of bread together. Do not cut the bread!

This sandwich must be munched down in large gulps, preferably with a glass of milk. Use the tongue to quickly police up any jelly that seeps out from between the bread. This develops the speed necessary for 55-second last quarters.

With this nutritious formula practically anyone can become a four-minute miler. It also helps, however, if you run 120 to 140 miles a week.
HAL HIGDON
Michigan City, Ind.

Sirs:
As a nondescript high school miler, I was so impressed and inspired by Mr. Underwood's article that I put on my sweat suit and ran two miles as soon as I finished reading it—11:30 p.m.
GREG HOULE
Los Angeles

Sirs:
John Underwood's truly excellent article on Tom O'Hara showed that the mile was, is and always will be the glory, gory and gut race.
STEPHEN E. KARPUS
Detroit

Sirs:
John Underwood stated that either Tom O'Hara or Dyrol Burleson is the best miler in the world today. Perhaps a word of caution should be injected about a miler named Peter Snell.

Remember how Herb Elliott was counted out before the 196) Olympics? (Married, not training, no desire.) Well, he ran away from the field in the 1,500 meters and, in the process, set a world record that still stands—even in this day of supermilers.

Don't cross Snell off the list yet!
BRUCE H. DOLPH
East Syracuse, N.Y.