The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland

TRA I N I NG . 135 three tries, or in as few as possible. Second, never continue practising until exhausted,nor begin practising at any timewhen stale or tired. Not only should particular attention be given to making the best of the first three attempts,but every succeeding try, even although the athleticis practising alone, should receive the same attention as if competing to decide a tie. The faculty of taking pains is the foundation of success no matter what object is in view. Half-a-dozen tries, onevery oneof which the athlete concentrates all his strength and skill, are wortha week's careless practice. The foregoing remarks apply equally to throwing andleaping feats. Wrestling, of course, cannotbe practised without a companion, and an athlete cannot become a skilled wrestler without practice with one ormore whoare adepts at the styleadopted. Practice of the skilledwith the unskilled will, as a rule, merely tend to perpetuate and confirm a bad style. Recent treatises onwrest­ ling have reproductions of photographs from life illustrating the various positionsand chips, a greataid to those anxious to learn, but who cannot get practice with practical exponents of the art. Training forunning will vary with the length of distance the athlete intendsmaking his mark at. For acquiring speed there is but one method with insures success—topractise startingand running for30 to 40 yards asfast as possible. It is the quick­ ness with which one canget up full speed that generallydecides a short race. The tyromay think he is wasting time pullingup time after time, just when he has got to full speed, and the better way would be to run atleast 100 at top speed every time, but after afew weeks' persistent practice at 30 to 40 yard sprints, with occasional runs of from 100 to 150 yards at three-fourths' speed, when he then letshimself outto go the full100 yards,he will find to his astonishment and delight that he can get over the ground at a rate of speed, andwith an ease of movement as novel as it is pleasant. Even for long races sprintingfor speed must not be neglected,