Athletics of To-Day 1929

The High Hurdles of the old bent-leg style, which carried its exponents so much higher over the hurdle than does the new straight-leg, step– over action. TRAINING In the early stages of training, the hurdler should work in the gymnasium to build up his body muscles and do body– bending exercises to keep him supple. He may also begin to practise hurdling in the gymnasium during the winter months, but must go easy with this, or he will know what "shin splints" are like, for there is not the same give in a board floor that there is on a cinder track. Work hard in the pre– liminary training season to master and improve the proper form and go for jog-trot runs up to half a mile to get your legs into good condition. Work with the sprinters for speed in starting and on the fiat, and with oth r hurdlers for speed ov r the sticks, but train alone wh n you are working for form. Get the start, approach run, take-off, and hurdling clearance and balance right by running from the scratch-line over two flight , as shown in striding diagram, Fig. II, but do not try for Simpson's stride length until you are able to go at full speed. The striding of the individual will always vary with his physical make-up and condition. For form and speed, work from 3 to 7 hurdles and do not run the full IO flights more than one a week. Jog a quarter mile twi ea week and run a fast 220-300 yards three times a week on the fiat. r ctise also over two flights with a IS yards run-in, giving full cone ntration to changing from the swinging hurdling stride to sprint action and finishing speed. Here is a suggested training schedule for the competition season, when one is really fit : MoNDAY- Form, speed, and endurance. Two hurdles half sp ed three times ; six hurdles three-quarters speed twice. TuE DAY- Speed. ISO yards s ven-eighths speed. WEDNE DAY- Approach, finish, and speed. Two hurdles .. ...