Bredin on Running & Training

34 RUNNING AND TRAINING. by only 120 yards. These methods have always proved unavailing-in fact, usually decreased life and dash without compensating for this loss to any per– ceptible degree in regard to staying power; so that now, were I obliged to cover one mile in, say, 4 mins. 30 sees., I should train simply as if I were getting fit for half a mile, and trust to find myself extra well on the required day. In the title of this chapter I have not included such events as 6oo and r,ooo yards races. Anything I have to say with regard to the practice necessary for half a mile will equally well refer to the latter event; but 6oo yards rnay, in some few cases, represent the limit in distance at which the striding quarter-miler can show his best form, and rnay, therefore, deserve a few words to itself. It certainly belongs to the class of middle distances in which speed is of greater value than stamina. To do even a moderate performance, such as r min. 14 sees., the runner must cover his first quarter inside, rather than outside, fifty-two seconds, for he will require the full twenty-two remaining seconds for the last r6o yards. Though probably my running powers were best adapted to racing through 6oo yards, during the last eight years I only turned out in seven such handicaps, four of which I won, and was twice second, and once unplaced. Included in this number is a race at the Civil Service sports of '93, which was limited with regard to the number of starters, to minimise the chance of obstruction that a large field naturally presents to the scratch man in his attempt to lower record. I believe I have read somewhere-could it