Running Recollections and How to Train

CHAPTER IV. MY FIRST YEAR IN THE SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIPS. TILL I reached the age of twenty I lacked that quality which has stood me in good stead upon many an occasion since—I referto staying power. T remember once at Falkirk, afterthe final of a 220, I felt fairly dead beat—so much so, that 1 really thought I was done for, till I found myself in the dressing-room with a little breath stillleft in my body. Even now my wind— or rather the want of that desirable commodity is the chief hindrance tomy success at distances over .'500 yards. However, I manage to do without it fairly well, and one must be thankful for small mercies aswell as for great. My lack of staying power was much discussed by the athletic press of both Edinburgh and Glasgow, prior to the decision of the Scottish Championships of 1893. Writers in the former city averred that Iwould not only win the 100 yai'ds, but the 220 and 440 to boot. r l hat was only, probably, because I belonged, in a certain sense, to Edinburgh. The Glasgow Press, on the other hand, main­ tained that 1 had not "a dead dog's chance" in any one of the threeevents. That was because 1 was not a Glaswegian. A certain athletic paper proceeded to demonstrate that I possessed neither the speed nor the physique tocarry me through the training necessaryto win a championship, and further stated that "what little running Downer possessed he had learnt at Glasgow hen training on Ibrox Park 1' The eventful day was the 17th of June, andHampden Park, Glasgow,was the venue. 1 recollect the occasion as