Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES gun, can be given. After a rest let the men practise cornering round the curve of the track over a distance of about I 20 yds. This practice can be repeated twice. Mter a rest send the men I i miles at three– quarter effort, their times being checked for level-pace running by th@ stop-watch. This run can either be tapered off for a further t mile at a jog-trot to cool the athlete down, or, after a rest, he can jog 66o yds. in his sweat suit. Tuesday. Mter limbering up send the men t mile at a faster speed than they would actually use in running a mile. At this stage of the training it is a good thing to aim at the optimum speed you want the man to use later on in both half-miles of his mile race. After cooling down and resting for an hour have the men out again, and this time send them ! mile at about seven-eighths effort to see how they are standing the strain of training. This practice should be d ocked with the stop-watch for level-pace running. Wednesday. Mter limbering up and doing the ordinary body– building exercises let the men take an easy day by striding through their racing distance very easily. Mter a short rest send them 66o yds., jogging the first 440 yds. and striding easily through the last furlong. Thursday. If there is a competition on the Saturday it may be well to rest the milers on Thursday; otherwise they can do some light jogging at about 66o yds., and, after taking one or two starts with the gun, can conclude the day's work by striding through an easy 88o yds. Friday. Rest. Saturday. Ma~e all necessary preparations for and take a time trial at either 88o yds. or a mile. If the athlete in question is going in for both the 88o yds. and the mile it will be advisable for the coach so to build up his stamina that ·he will become capable of running trials and races at both distances on the same afternoon. FINAL, OR CoMPETITIVE, SEASON oF TRAINING (For milers of a team) This is the tapering-off period of the training, and the coach should be at pains to find a means of filling in the athlete's spare time in such a way that his attention will not be distracted from athletiC.s, unless, of course, there is any sign of staleness, when his mind should be divorced altogether from his particular branch of sport, if that is possible. At this period I think the coach should open up each training session with a talk to his athletes of an encouraging and interesting nature, should get them to study photographs and cinematograph 252