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Middle Distances - From 2,000 Yards to Four Miles

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Training for these middle distances, as I have called them, will be all pretty much on a par, the length of the trial spine constituting the sole difference. They are wearying races, as they are naturally run at a faster pace throughout than the long-distance ones, and resemble rather the mile in some respects.

Now, 2,000 yards on paper does not look much longer than 1,760, but there is a real difference when one comes to run it. That extra 240 yards takes some doing at a fast pace, and no runner yet known has been able to do a mile in anything like record time and last out decently for the balance of the 2,000 yards.

As evidence of this, compare George’s mile record with my own for the 2,000 yards, viz., 6 min. 7 1-6 secs., or only a shade under 66 sees. for the 240 yards. One record is professional, whereas mine was made as on amateur; but there is little or no difference between the paid and unpaid man on the running path. The only pull which the former may be said to possess is that he has greater leisure and opportunities for training than the average amateur advantages which do not exist in the case of a Varsity man or any other amateur who lives and works near a track and can take time off when he wishes for training purposes.

As another comparison it may be mentioned that the one-and-a-quarter-mile world’s record is 6 min. 30 sees., or over 77 sees. for the fifth quarter, supposing Lang to have run the mile part in George’s time, which, of course, he didn’t, and couldn’t have done if he wanted to last out the one and a-quarter miles. My own amateur one-and-a-quarter-mile record (which is world’s amateur) is 7 sees. longer than Lang’s American one, but then I wasn’t going for that record particularly on that occa-sion, and have never laid myself down to be a world’s champion at middle distances.

This somewhat lengthy preamble has been introduced here in order to give my reasons for recommending severe training for these middle distances. They are more than likely to be punishing distances, and so necessitate n competitor’s sparing no pains to get himself into the best of trim.

In order to do this he must set aside quite four or five weeks for severe preparation, making his practice spins for the 2,000 yards a series of varying spins, working from 1,600 yards up to one and a-half miles and back again. The actual 2,000 yards itself should also be run over every now and then at a good fast pace, taking the quarters at about 66 sees., 70 sees., 72 sees., 73 sees., and leaving 32 sees. for the final 240 yards gallop. This is only given as a standard to train to, and works out at about 6 sees. over my own record, so that there is a fair margin which could he cut down in the actual race.

The two miles training would be run through in much the same style working up from one and a-quarter miles to three miles and back again, with, of course practice for the actual two miles itself. In all these middle-distance races it is as well to remember that the practice spins should not be run at too fast a pace. No man can go on running several miles a week (any eight or nine.
and sometimes more) at a fast pace every time. Don’t kill yourself trying to beat the clock, but run long, steady, striding rune three or four times a week, sprinting bit now and then just to keep your pace up to the mark, and go for longish brisk country walks an often as you can. Get as much into the open sir as circumstances will allow, live regularly, and adhere to the dietary scheme. Your actual trial spins will, of course, have to be fast, but these should not be repeated too frequently. Remember that they are trials and not training, and be content with one only, or at most two, supposing your training period to be a reasonably long one.

Training for three- or four-mile races, as also for any intermediate distances, should be carried out on the same principles. For three miles run from two miles up to four and back again, and for four miles from three miles up to five and back, observing the other directions, slightly altered to suit the circumstances of the case.

HOW TO RUN A MIDDLE-DISTANCE RACE.

For a 2,000 yards race, or any other up to a two-mile one, stride off at first short and quick, keeping the feet as close to the ground as possible, gradually lengthening out 6 in. or 1 ft. at n time until you are covering from 4 ft. 10 in. to 6 ft. each stride. Keep this up well until the time comes for your sprint home. This should pre-ferably he as long as you can make it, or perhaps it may be put more clearly by saying that this final burst of yours should start as early as possible Middle-distance runners are not as a rule well practised in long sprint-ing, so that if you have devoted your attention to run-ning at pretty nearly top speed for, say, 300 yards during your training and can manage to pull out a burst of that length to finish with, after having gone a whole mile or a mile and a-half, or thereabouts, you will in all pro-bability leave your opponents standing still. The times given in my suggested standard trial spin Rave some in-dication of this, but theme times would naturally depend
very considerably on circumstances in the actual race itself. You should be fairly well up to the leaders when you start going away, and unless you want to spoil your sprint by getting into that position, should have got there early, and should, further, have stayed there.

For a three- or four-mile race stride out about 4 ft. 10 in. for the first half-mile, then lengthen out to b ft. up to two and a-quarter to two and a-half miles. After that drop down to 4 ft. 6 in., going easy and gathering your forces for a wild dash over the last quarter. It is an awfully punishing way of finishing, I know, but if you have trained up for it and can pull it out you will easily spread-eagle your field, since very few runners would care to plan out and train for such a smashing style’ of covering the distance

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