Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

76 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS fact that the body is steadily moving forward from nos. I to 4 gives it an initial acceleration, which is rapidly increased by the straightening of the legs and flinging forwards and upwards of the arms, as seen in no. 4· This acceleration is now transferred into velocity, as shown in no. 5· When the body is travelling through the air at a fairly rapid rate, this final velocity or effort is accomplished purely from the foot, whjch acts as a spring, and has been automatically generating potential energy all this time. This movement is so rapid, that it may almost justifiably be described as " impulse" rather than "force." But as it would be an extremely intricate 2 3 4 Diagram 14. 5 and rather confusing matter to take into account all the sundry small movements which are gone through, it is better to describe the whole movement from nos. 1 to 5 as a uniform acceleration from rest, which is finally acted on by sudden applied force. As the whole weight of the body has to be pro– pelled through the air by this final action, it will readily be seen that the foot, and its muscles, has to bear the greatest strain, and plays the most important part in the whole movement, from a mechanical point of view, and the only assistance it gets is from the initial acceleration caused by the forward move– ment of the body. In fact it has to exert a force