Athletic Training

66 ATHLETIC TRAINING or a mile and a quarter, later increasing this distance to a mile and a half. Cross-country running is ideal preliminary training for this event, and any man who is a good cross– country runner· ought to be a good two-miler. I will assume that the boy or young man who is training for this event has from eight to ten weeks in which to get into condition. For the first week his work should be limited to about three easy jogs of from one to two miles, substituting for one of these runs a cross-country jog. If he feels able and his legs are not too sote he might try a few shorter runs, but the main thing is to develop endurance without acquiring sore shins and muscles. The beginner at this distance should be able to run it, after he has gotten the necessary strength, in from 11 minutes to 11 minutes 30 seconds. This time will be steadily reduced. To run the distance in 11 minutes the first mile should be run in about 5.30, the aim being to run the second mile fully as fast as the first. To do this successfully the runner must ·know his pace and not run himself off his .feet or allow his competitors to do it for