Bredin on Running & Training

!70 RUNNING AND TRAINING. be the case. Turning out again some three days before I had to run, I endeavoured to cover a steady half-mile, but felt generally slack and so bothered by this some– what stitch-like feeling, that I slowed down after com– pleting one lap, and mentally resigned myself to an easy defeat. During the short space of time left I indulged in no further vigorous exercise, and arrived "on the track" at Rochdale considering my chance of success so slight that I asked Kilpatrick to slow down if he entered the straight with a very long lead, in order that all public interest might not evaporate concern– ing the next two races that were already entered into contract for. As events proved, he must have allowed the excitement caused by the first race, in which much money in addition to reputation was at stake-there was a fair amount of betting, the American starting a strong favourite at five to two on-to considerably interfere with his judgment, for he covered the first quarter of this 6oo yards match at such a fast rate that although then leading by nearly ten yards, he suddenly died away, and I managed to struggle home first by a long yard. Immediately after the race was decided our strides were measured by their respective foot– prints left on the track. I was informed that the American's, close to the finishing post, were just under three feet in length, and mine only six inches longer. That night I left Rochdale for London, and weighing myself on the following Monday, found I turned the scales at 9 st. 12 lbs., nearly six pounds less than my proper running weight. Needless to say, I did little more than daily stretch