Running Recollections and How to Train

CHAPTER VI. MY FIRST MEETING WITH BRADLEY FROM SCRATCH. IN the springof 1895 I left Edinburgh to seek my fortune. After some little trouble, I succeeded in gettinga situation as a traveller for disinfectants. My ground was to be the South Coast of England, andthe principal places I was to call at were hotels, restaurants, etc. Brighton was the first town in which 1 triedto push my wares, but after exhaust­ ing the list of hotels with which I had been furnished with no success, I came to the natural conclusion that it was time for me to seek some vocation other than that of "disinfectant monger." I therefore flung my samples over the Brighton pier in disgust, andwent back to my hotel to ruminate. After pondering over my circumstances, I con­ cluded that the best thing I could do was to stay in Brighton and train for the Essex Beagles' Sports, which were shortly coming off. Hence everyday I was practising busily atPreston Park in company with Godfrey Shaw, who was then resident atHayward's Heath. I left Brighton on the morning of the sports—to be accurate, on May 4, 1895— and Shawand 1 proceededto Stamford Bridge. In the first heat, Bradley and Wittenberg ran first and second respectively, and in the other Thomas and myself finished in like order. I remember I nearly lostmy place in the final by being a little too clever. Having gone 50 yards, and finding myself well in front, I waited for Thomas, and all but let Calder, who was on my other side, beat me for second place. I never tried THAT trick again. In the final 1 made no mistake; I went from the crackof