Bredin on Running & Training

MY CAREER AS AN ATHLETE. 135 shillings at odds of five to two against my winning. He had reached the town on the previous day to aid in the general arrangements with regard to the track, etc., and informed me that W. J. Holmes, whom I had defeated a month earlier at Southport, had arrived with a small party, who seemed anxious to have a little gamble, and one of the latter had questioned Nat as to what I could run half a mile in. The conversa– tion ran something after this style : "Well, I suppose he'll be sure to do two minutes?" " Oh, yes, certain to do that." "I suppose he might do I min. s8 sees.? II "Shouldn't be a bit surprised." "Wouldn't be likely to get inside I min. 57 sees., do you think?" "There's no knowing." "Anyhow, a man doing I min. s6 sees. will beat him all right? 11 "Well, I shouldn't be inclined to think it quite a certainty. 11 Holmes was well backed, and made the pace a cracker ; the track not being four laps to the mile, no time was taken at a quarter; but, considering the rate I was running at, and the fact that he led me at least twelve yards after completing about half the distance, I have no doubt it was equal to, if not better than, fifty-four seconds. I judged the race so as to be level with him at the commencement of the straight, and had a second easy win in I min. sst sees. Holmes did I min. s8 ~ sees., so that I dare say he would have run the distance in nearly I min. 56 sees. had he taken two seconds longer over the first quarter. The third and fourth men, A. Millett and A. W. Andrews, both gained standard medals by beating 2 min. 2 sees. Bacon won the mile on that day, amongst others defeating W. E. Lutyens and Harold Wade; the la tter collided with