Bredin on Running & Training

RUNNING AND TRAINING. non-existent to the half-miler proper during his race. He need not bother his head as to how they are running, but set out from the start with the firm determination of doing his best time over the distance. With correct judgment of pace he will run so as to be completely "out" at a few yards from the worsted, and should the time he performs not enable him to win, he has done his best, and, at any rate on that occasion, met a supenor runner. By way of recapitulation, suppose we take three men, one from each class, and follow them throughout an imaginary level half-mile race, presuming that two minutes represents the best time each can and will accomplish. From the start the miler leads, closely attended by the half-miler proper, the striding quarter– miler following behind. After 200 yards has been rattled off, the second man finds the pace a little too severe to suit him and wisely slackens, allowing the miler to pass the quarter post with a four yards lead in fifty-seven seconds, at which point the strider is an equal distance in the rear of the half-miler. Along the back straight they go, keeping much the same positions, but on rounding the last bend the quarter-miler gradually closes up, and now commences to sprint home, which effort enables him to reach the tape simultaneously with the other two, the miler having perceptibly tired towards the end, and the half-miler with his extra speed has over– taken and is just level with the latter. Before leaving this subject I may observe that the best half-milers are likely to be also very fast two-furlong runners. In fact, the few men who have SO far done inside I min. 56 sees. for this distance have invariably been able to complete