Athletics (British Sports Library)

SPRINTING 43 to put on shQes with short, medium, or long spikes. He will see that they are warmly enough clad for the occasion, and ·that they set their circulation going with a few brisk bursts of speed (not full speed) before they get down to the actual work of the day. He will see that each man's starting-holes are properly dug, as described farther on. Then he should give them two or three dashes of thirty to fifty yards, started by the report of the pistol, with an interval between each dash. During these intervals the coach should read what is written about each runner's work upon the surface of the track ; for there every improvement in or falling away of form is clearly set out for the information of the instructor who knows his job. A runner feeling " good " on a fast track, or with the wind behind him, will get in extra strides which signify quicker movement and better pace. Con– versely, uneven striding or lessened strides may be due to a wind against the runner, bad track surface, or the man himself being off colour. The work will probably finish up with some striding through at a distance beyond that for which the men are training, finishing with a final top-speed burst for the last third of, say, 150 yards. When checking up the runners' work, the coach should stand well to the side, as a rule, so· that he can get a good view of each man's running angle,