Running Recollections and How to Train

58 starts, butas I am writing from memory, my readers will pardon me if I am in error. After the usual delay at the mark. Hepplethwaite took us in hand, and we were des­ patched to a magnificent start. It was soon evident that Hardman was going to win, which he eventually did by three -quart ers-of-a-yard, with Shepherd and myself dead- heating forsecond place. Harper was fourth, while Briggs brought up the rear. The dead-heat between Shepherd and myself occasioned a lot of talk, and, indeed, a match was made a few weeks later, but of that anon. It is always my rule (I say " is," for my running days, I trust, are by no means over), once a race has been run, to bother no more about it, but to look out for " fresh woods and pastures new." I could not, however, help indulging in a little self- commiseration upon this occasion. It wassuch hard lines. I had not run up to my trial bytwo yards. Of course, my adventures in the earlypart of the dayhad knocked all the running out of me. All the same, Hardman ran a great race, and fully deserved his victory. I did not return to Ormskirk that night, for the BoltonWanderers were holding a professional meeting the following day, as wellas on the Monday afternoon. I therefore stayed over the week-end with some friends inBolton. I did not greatly distinguish myself at Buruden Park, as the starts Iwas called \ipon to give away were beyond all limits of common sense. 1he Saturday meeting, by the way, was postponed for a week, and so I had to again break training, and this time only a week before the quarter-mile match with Brcchn. The morning of . the 1st of May found me as lively as acricket, and, with my usual crowd of followers, I arrived at Rochdale about mid­ day. Before lunch I had a walk up to the track, but as 1 had my matutinal spin before leaving Ormskirk, I did not strip, bixtcontented myself with a walk round the track.