Bredin on Running & Training

MY CAREER AS AN ATHLETE. 143 ends well, and I reached Paris, somewhat tired and very dirty, in time for a general wash-up and few hours' sleep between the blankets before breakfast, at about 10.30. In the afternoon I won the level 400 metres championship easily, and gained first place in the 8oo metres handicap-874 yds. 14 ins.-after a severe race round seventeen French starters. The limit man, from I 10 metres start, led gaily throughout and along the final straight until a short distance from home, where I struggled up to his shoulder, when, luckily for me, he refused to make the slightest effort, and allowed me to win in I min. 56g sees. Considering the grass course was far from being either level or firm under foot, this was much my best performance over, roughly. speaking, half a mile on turf. At Havant sports, one month later, I won the level 300 and r,ooo yards races. Bacon had entered for the latter, so that I anticipated a good race, but he failed to turn out, which gave me practically a walk over. The prizes for both races were advertised as of the value of ten guineas, and consisted of a set of cutlery in a case and an electro-plated urn. I did not want either of these articles, but took the former, leaving the latter with the Secretary, who kindly gave me the address of a London firm from which the local jeweller had obtained the majority of the prizes distributed at this meeting, asking me to choose anything else I liked of equal value. Calling some days later, I interviewed the manager, who produced a ledger containing an account of his business transactions with the Havant jeweller, and I called his attention to the tea urn by observing," I believe you charged five guineas for that