The Athlete for 1866

HINTS ON TRAINING. 125 form an opinionof bis speed sufficiently near to be a guide. The mistakes of time in sprinting are ludicrous ; in fact, the uninitiated are as careless about seconds as ifthey implied nothing. To see good time in print is frequently their ambition, and it often misleadsmen into contest with competitors much superior. The man who times, or technically the docker, should watch the j, movements ofhis man onthe scratch,—he should take no notice of the starting signal, but with fingeron the check ofhis stop-watch (other watches are useless for accuracy in sprinting),he should start it the moment hisman leaves the scratch. His station should be at or in a line with the winning-post, and simultaneously with•• the breasting of the tape the check should be pressed. The docker should move about as little as po sible, as nothing interferes so much with theaccuracy of a stop-watch as being shaken. If you find that touts are trying to time your man, a ruse like the following may often put them off tho scent:—Have two pistols, and get your man to feign a start at the first report, upon recovering himself, he can be timed without inconvenience at the second start. This ruse canbe applied to starting by signal or not. Running a dis­ tance too short or too long, though putting touts off their guard, is not such a satisfactory criterion as the actual course. Th best description of stop watches are those that mark the ruth ofa second; and the cronographs that mark the start and the finish on the dial. The one beat centre-second watches are always against the runner. For perfect accuracy thewatch should have a compensa­ tion balance : always see tliat it is well wound up beforebeing used. Running against time at practice is a great mistake; there are so many different causes to operateagainst, andfor, the runner,which he cannot sufficiently take into account, that he is often discouraged by what seemson paper a bad perform­ ance, butwhich js in reality a very fair one. HINTS IN, BEFORE, AND AFTER THE RACE. In sprinting, a good start is of such importance, that we would suggest a careful practice in it.It is a curious fact, that a novice will invariably stare, with one foot a yard or so behind the other, either with the body bent down low, like amember of the feline genus about to spring on its prey, orwith the. body erect, and swinging the arms as if they werethe means of propulsion about to be trusted to. In the former case, he runs one yard more than his distance, in the latterhe exhausts and unsteadies himself. Start with both feet withinsix inches of one another, the weightof the body restiug on that foot which is farthest from the scratch, and the toe on the side nearest the goal. Just touching the ground, and ready to take the first step over the mark ; the body must be kept well up, so that the first spring is taken steadily and in a straight line. As this method is the quickestfor getting off the mark, it will apply to every description of pedestrianism. Before any contest, whenyou are stripped,take a trot to get the limbs into order and keep them warm ; the muscles will be l ss likely to get strained if well heated beforehand. In putting the stone, jumping, &c., get the musclesinto play and warm by rubbing, or have a quiet bout with a friend. In the contest do your best.By persevering to the end, you will always win the confidence of your friends, though you may not increase their admiration of your abilities. In running with a chicken-hearted man, race at him, and if you feel done, fancy that he feels worse. Run as straight to the goal as possible : it is the nearest wayhome, and therefore the quickest. The arms should be kept well up, and moved in the direction of the course, and not swung across the body. Any scrambling in the race is fatal to a good runner; the motion of his