Athletics of To-Day 1929

Throwing the Javelin 277 a three or four miles stroll; and bedtime, in a warm, quiet, well ventilated room, came at ro o'clock to the very tick. In April I was asked to do a lecture tour of the Provincial Universities and, much against Mussabini's wishes, I agreed, mainly because I thought we might find a good deal of Olympic talent in that quarter. On that trip I did 156 ft. at Man– chester University, r68 ft. at Liverpool, and 176 ft. 8 ins. at Cardiff, so there was evidently quite a lot in Mussabini's methods, but my folly in not following his advice cost me very dear. For in demonstrating discus, javelin, shot, jumps, pole vault, and hurdles almost every day for three weeks I fairly wore my arms and legs out. In fact the muscles went so dead that I don't think they've ever fully recovered their elasticity. One great training stunt of Mussabini's for improving pulling and throwing power consisted of my walking about the field and continually throwing the javelin down into the ground about 20 ft. ahead of me. He made me execute this sort of throw from a full backward extension of the throwing arm and in such a way that the body was brought well under the javelin in an erect position while throwing. The arm was fully extended backwards with a strong bend of the side to get length into the pull and also in order that the power might go into the javelin in the dir ction of its length. I did a lot of throwing with three steps only, a lot more with a slow run, and I practised the approach run until you could have chalked the track and I would have hit the same foot marks twelve times out of every dozen. And that is the only way that the big successes come, by patience, perseverance, and methodical practice under proper supervision. My diet, incidentally, was everything I fancied that was not too rich or spiced, and I got a tankard of beer with my lunch and another with my supper. Since I am a heavy smoker I was allowed three pipes a day-that is, one after each principal meal, and I think I enjoyed those three daily pipes more than any others I have ever lit.