Bredin on Running & Training

70 RUNNING AND TRAINING. will prevent soreness caused from dust and minute particles of cinder accumulating between the running shoes and the skin, if socks are not worn, during track work. Running shoes themselves can be made to order in various degrees of thickness according to the distances they are required for. I have tried many makers, and so far have found the lightest sprinters' shoe is manufactured by Hill & Son, a Manchester firm. But they seem to do a large amount of this business, and. are apt to cause their clients to remember the old adage that "patience is a virtue." A few words might with advantage be written with reference to the manner of passing the time, and the amount of exercise taken, during the last few days before an important race . Presuming this event to be decided on a Saturday, training should have been concluded, and all hard work, by the preceding Thursday. If a trial or any extra exertion has lately been undergone, the latter day can wisely be passed away from the track; otherwise this and the following day's practice may be restricted to running 150 yards or so a couple of times at a medium pace, both in the mornings and afternoons, or varying this on one of these occasions by a few sprints for any of the short- and middle-distance events. Covering one mile steadily during these days is ample track work to conclude the distance runner's training. If the athlete is able to spare sufficient time to turn out and stretch his legs on the track on the morning of the race, he will derive benefit from so doing, without running any risk of thereby causing fatigue. These remarks are only applicable to men in good