Bredin on Running & Training

TRAINING. 71 condition, for when partially fit no benefit can be derived from easing ordinary work. Under such cir– cumstances trammg ought to be continued as usual up to the evening before the sports are held. What– ever food is eaten for lunch prior to the race cannot very well be of too light a description. The inside portion of a chop, or the wing of a chicken, with a slice of dry toast in addition to a glass of port wine, completes my meal on these occasions. Lunch should, whenever practicable, be followed by rest in a horizontal position, until the time approaches when a move in the direction of the grounds must be made. Shortly after– wards, if training has been faithfully gone through, with what a feeling of satisfaction is the athlete able to stand on the allotted mark! For should defeat lie in store it will lose so much of its bitterness when he can conscientiously feel that this result was due to his having encountered a better runner, and not partly his own fault, and attributable to negligence during previous training. It would be very difficult to mention any fixed period of time necessary for the athlete to pass in training before reaching a state of fitness, and a sprinter will usually require less than a middle- or long-distance runner ; generally speaking, however, two months may be re– garded as sufficient for all practical purposes, provided that the athlete enjoys fair health, and has been accus– tomed to take an ordinary amount of exercise prior to his commencing work; but as it is necessary to take into consideration the delays that may be caused by strains, blisters, severe colds, and other such evils the runner is heir to-all of which interfere with regular