The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-24
A Correct Start the Great Thing
in the One Hundred Yard
Race.
Two Days Rest Should Be Taken
Before Big Event on the Gin.
derS-Baird's Advice.


first start.
The commonest errors OF green athletes
is an extravagant spirit of emulation.
Understand, l say extravagant; for moth
ing Is more desirable than a iudicious
spirit of this nature.
For instance, beginner steps out.on the
track to run. An old rival joins him. "I'll
run quarter with you" the rival cries.
Now nothing would suit our friend better,
so off they go down the track together. 1t
is a hard race, and our friend runs for dear
life, as he does not propose TO be beaten
by his rival, so he runs himself to stand
still at the finish.
What is the result? The enthusiastic
not to say foolish, young man stays in bed
the next day, and his mother nurses him
for rheumatism. Moral: Begin slowly;
pay no attention to those who are doing
more harm than good to themselves by
chasing around like children playing tag,
but go about your training soberly and
intelligently, using yonr brain in concert
with your arms and legs, and you will at
tain two results-you will have very few
of those aches and pains that are such
a burden to the average beginner; second,
and most important, you will succeed.
Unless cautioned the average beginner
is likely to do some very injudicious
things. For example: l had long been
confined within the narrow limits of the
gymnasium; consequently, when / stepped
out on the track | was so delighted at an
opportunity to stretch my legs that |
walked violently and became sick at the
stomach.
Once a friend told me that he was going
up to the grounds to take some exercise.
A few days after met him and casually
asked how he felt. ''All broke up" was
the sad reply. why, what's the mat
ter?'' l inquired. Il guess it must have
been the exercise 1 had the other day." he
responded, incorporating ''swear word"
into the reply. On plying him with ques-
tions l discovered that he had actually be-
gun mis- course of training by run OF five
miles. Is it any wonder that every joint,
sinew and muscle in his body was stiff
and sore? Thus does nature revenge her
self on her thoughtless children.
We will now say for argument that our
young friend has decided to be a sprint
runner-and, by the way, "sprinting"
means nothing more or less than short
distance running For the benefit of the
beginners we will now have few rules for
starting.
Now, starting is the most I'm portant part
of 1C0-yard running, and it is positively
necessary to master the art if the aspirant
hopes for success. One method is as fol-
lows, practiced by English professionals:
Stand with your left toe to the mark
with the foot fat. Let the right foot be
from 10 to Is inches back with the toe
turned out and pointing to the scratch
line at an angle of about 45 degrees. The
feet should be far enough apart to balance
the body. When the word "set" is given
your whole weight should rest on the
back foot, which is braced, and both knees
should be slightly bent, with the feet fat
on the ground. The position of the arms
is also very important. With the body
inclined slightly forward the LETT arm
should hang stiff1y just outside the left
knee, while the right arm should be held
rigid and slightly bent, with the hand
just off the right nip. When you leave
from this position your muscles are
strained to their utmost. You rise on the
left toe, press the right foot violently to
the earth and go off so quickly that it sur
prises even yourself. Fig. L. Never aim
at long strides in the first thirty yards,
but get the motion with the start and fin
ish with as long a stride as convenient
Many race has been won in the first
twenty-five yards.
Another method used by amateurs of
ten years ago and highly esteemed as well
as successful is as follows:
Stand on your mark leisurely with the
left toe touching the scratch and pointing
slightly to the right and the right foot
firmly placed in a shallow hole dug for
the purpose, parallel with and about fifteen
inches behind the scratch. You should
face down the track, resting on the hind
foot, and when the word is given to "set"
you should slightly bend at the knees and
incline the body little forward at the
waist. The right arm should be raised
about two feet from and a foot above the
knee. The left hand should be placed in a
reverse position behind the body. When
the pistol is fired push from the right foot
and quickly draw the left hand back and
around. This at once gets you into run.
ming form. Fig. p
The method practiced by many anna
tours of the present day is the following
Plant the left foot 10 the scratch line.
pointing directly down the track, the knee
considerably bent, the right foot is placed
in small hole dug for the purpose about
eighteen inches directly to the rear, the
knee somewhat bent. The hands are
planted on each side of the left foot. the
joints of the two first fingers and the thumb
resting on the line. This will bring the
athlete in a STOPPING posture, the back al
most horizontal. A friend to fire the pis-
toll and continual practice must do the
rest. The position of the limbs, by the
way, may be reversed if convenient. Fig. 3.
There is still another method, but !
have known it to be practiced by only one
person, but that man won many cham
pionships of this coast. He would stand
with his feet in precisely the position
have mentioned, but his body would not
be inclined as much forward, his right arm
would be extended forward as far as pos
sible, his left drawn back, elbow bent, FORE
arm and hand pointing to the left heel.
At the pistol shot he would simply re-
verse the position of all his limbs. Theoret-
ically it was the simplest thing ever saw.
Fig. a. / am told, however, that this
runner came 10 l1se the hcrouch start'j at