The Rice belt journal., 1908-05-15
WORK FOR A YOUNG
ATHLETE IN SCHOOL

how to run. Here are a few hints that
may make the task easier:
In walking the heel should always
touch ground before the toe. In run
ming the heel must never touch ground
at all. In running there is never a
time when both feet are on the ground
at once. The toe alone, from the ball
Of the foot forward, should touch the
ground and the next stride should be
a spring from the toe. Don't run fiat
footed nor force your legs to do all
the work. The toe should supply the
spring. Avoid stiffness Of motion in
ankle, hip and knee. All Of them
should bend freely, and the entire
body should be free from all rigidity.
The bent arms should swing in har-
mOny with the motion of the body,
thus aiding instead of impeding the
momentum. The left arm should
move with the right leg, and vice
versa. This keeps the balance true and
aids the speed. The body and head
should be naturally mot stiffly) up
right. Never lean forward when you
run. 1t cramps the lungs. gives false
and awkward balance and does not
bring as many muscles into play.
Run short distances on the toes;
long distances more on the ball of the
foot.
Put down each foot in a perfectly
straight line in front of you. Never
toe out You waste space and
strength by such a fault Make your
stride with one foot while the other is
directly beneath the body. Breathe
with slow, deep, regular respiration,
the mouth, Of course, being shut.
Avoid tricks when running, such as
kicking the heels up behind you or
making any unnecessary motions. You
cannot afford to waste strength and
energy that way.
There is no form of college athletics
which does not include running, either
in training for the event or in the
event itself.
If you decide to try for Iaurels as
runner while in college you will great
ly aid your chances by practicing
starts beforehand In a mile or even
a half-mile race the start counts for
comparatively little. In a 100-yard
dash it counts for everything.
The ''crouching start" has grown in
favor Of late years. Place the left foot
for this start about ten inches back Of
the line, both heel and toe touching
ground. Place the right leg far enough
behind, so that when you crouch you
right knee will touch the heel Of the
left foot. Place the hands Fingers
spread) about foot and half apart
on the starting line. Every muscle
must be tense, the thighs little high
er than the head.
Spring from the toe of the right
foot at the word Co" getting all the
force you can into the "push-off," and
falling at once into your stride. A good
starter in a short sprint will often
beat a faster man whose start Is poor.
You will not have practiced long-dis.
tance running for any length Of time
before discovering the phenomenon OF
second wind" in other words, before
finding that, when you seem at ths
last gasp for shortness of breath, you
suddenly breathe with perfect ease
again, and are refreshed and ready to
continue Indefinitely.
Running is as much habit as walk.
ing. Once acquire it and you can run
for an hour without WEAKNESS. The
more correctly you run, the longer It
will be before you are tired. If the
first few trials at the style of running
which | have here described make