Athletics (British Sports Library)

THE QUARTER MILE 95 Quarter-milers should study the chapter in this book which deals with sprinting. They should, indeed, actually work in training with the sprinters, but they must always remember that the forward body lean when they are striding through the middle part of a quarter of a mile need not be so pronounced as the true sprint pose they will assume in the first dash for the inside place, and again over the last 120 yards when finishing. Speed is the first thing all quarter-milers have to aim at ; .in addition, the sprinter type must build up staying power. In planning a schedule of training the would-be quarter-miler can follow pretty closely the work already laid down for sprinters, but will need, in addition, plenty of good brisk walking, and a certain amount of longer distance track running. The grown man, who does not have the boy's advantage of constant participation in games, must be prepared to face a three months' preparation. First month is all conditioning work at half or three– quarter speed, and jogging, as shown in Sketch I. (Note arm action of leading runner.) In the second month comes pistol practice in the shape of starts and 50-yard dashes, interspersed with 150-yard half-speed striding and top-speed 25-yard dashes; the latter lengthen out until the athlete can hold his pace over a full · 200 yards ; 350 yards should