Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES alike are fatal, in that they destroy the ability of the athlete to reach the right take-off for the next fence 'in step.' Control is another important factor, because as fatigue sets in the athlete shows a tendency to shorten his strides, and it is then that he must make his mind take charge of his body, or he will entirely lose his form. Blind courage alone will s~metimes bring a desperately tired quarter-miler home in a flat race, but not over "the hurdles at the same distance. A man must retain his stride– length and some resemblance of style if he is to negotiate the last three fences successfully. Despite the brilliant career of Lord Burghley, I do not advocate putting a man into concurrent training for the high and inter– mediate hurdles. _The former is a sprint-speed race, the latter, very largely, a stern endurance-speed test. Four main considerations should be borne in mind in planning the training schedule. They are the development ofspeed, stamina, style, and courageous self-confidence. PRELIMINARY-SEASON TRAINING Preliminary-season training should be designed to lay the foundations of endurance, strength, agility, and suppleness by means of distance running and steady walking, body-building exercises and apparatus work, and bending, stretching, and agility exercises, while the rudiments of style may be engendered by teaching the athlete hurdling exercises. Here is a suggestion for one week of training in the first month of the preliminary season, each day's work starting with experi– mentation to ascertain which kind of limbering-up process best suits the individual athlete. Take pains over this limbering-up business. Monday. Run 88o yds. with even, regular striding. IO mins. of hurdling exercises in dressing-room. Tuesday. Run 440 yds. at half effort (timed 1 ). I o mins. of hurdling exercises in dressing-room. Run 440 yds. at half effort (timed 1 ). Evening: I hour in gymnasium. Wednesday. Run I50 yds. with long, free strides (timed 1 ). IO mins. of hurdling exercises in dressing-room. Run I 50 yds. with long, free strides (timed 1). Thursday. Run 88o yds. at half effort (timed 1 ). Rest for half an hour. Run 88o yds. (timed 1 ). 1 Compare times as a guide to pace judgment. 3I4