Athletics of To-Day for Women

142 Athletics of To-day for Women are carried lower than in sprinting and are more rela..xed. It will lengthen your stride and keep the body forward at the correct angle if the foot is placed down dir ctly under the body and rather further back on the ball than in sprinting. Th knees should be drawn well up, but not so high as in sprinting; do not let the h el rise high r than the back of the knee wh n it is behind. Bow the back a little to get good balance, but never, in any circum tances, run with the back hollowed. The start, the stride, and the finish are the three sections of the race which must be studied. If you lack speed you must 1 am to run at an ev n pace throughout and build up the best sprint you can for th finish. You must know your pac , and how to avoid being hut in. If you are bl ed with long striding ability ke p clear of the ruck. If you are foolish nough to make one f a party, you will find yourself fore d to chop your long strid s to avoid treading on som one's heel . Beside , you must have elbow and arm room. All quarter milers should hav a sprint at comn1and to carry them clear of the press when n ces ary. After the first fight for po ition a long, ea y swinging stride should carry you through the back traight, but you mu t g t a final br ath, gath r your f rces, pitch the body forward t the sprint r' finishing angle, ri e right up n the t , an hit your best pa wh n you come to th top f the home stretch. Above all, d velop the will t win an that grim d termination which will enabl you to fight on to th fini h. You can begin to buil up sp d for your fini hing bur t from som wher about the 300 yards mark, and, v n at the risk of taking on too long a print, you mu t hrug th hould rs forward, clench the hand , and m k the final ffort \ hil you have still perfect control; once the r ce ha 1. ld on y u and ·haustion i nly a few trid ah ad it i t o 1 t t thin}~ a out producing your fi rt, but the x it m nt f the fight will oft n carry an oth rwise xhau t d runn r to victory wh n only the pirit to h ld n r m.. ins. If you ar lev r nough t g t th 1 , cl at th st rt, you sh ul ontr 1 th rac by running it fa . t ~nough t pr v nt