Bredin on Running & Training

RUNNING AND TR INING. think, at his best, he might have even got inside 31 seconds, but it certainly seems a most unwise policy, after the lapse of some years, to so reduce on paper an established record, and one likely to throw suspicion on records generally, and, at any rate, to be a most dangerous precedent. Shortly after the West of Scotland sports I left Glasgow for Crewe, where I turned out in a level 350 yards race, and found the fifty additional yards to my last contest with Downer much in my favour, for although he led by nearly eight in the first 200 yards, I was close up when he broke the worsted. Although about this time running in my best form, I commenced to be somewhat erratic, and frequently came on to the mark with a feeling of uncertainty– not that I was afraid of anyone I might encounter, but rather owing to my occasionally finding the extra effort was not always at hand when required, which gave rise to a suspicion-·unknown during the two preceding years-that when I seemed very fit I might in reality perform poorly. To explain my meaning, on the 11th of May I ran half a mile round a rather large field in I min. 55 sees. Continuing to train as usual, at the Civil Service sports, June the 8th, on an equally good day with regard to weather, I was beaten by one-and-a-half yards over a similar distance, and with only some five starters, in I min. 56~ sees. What with the Glasgow and Crewe sports within a few days of each other, I had a considerable amount of railway travelling, and turned up at Fenner's ground on June 13th feeling rather tired and very slack, for