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MY BKEATHING SYSTEM

to set u rathcr quick strokc, putting a little morę than lmlf power into it. And I always went a few hundrcd yards past tlie starting-post before I tumed : and we tlien madę one or, if the first failed, two starts in the direction of tlie course. Tlien we restcd awhile, prcparing ourselves and applying resin to tlie palrns of our hands. I was caieful tłiat tliis rest should not last so long as to deprive our bodies of the warmth and our lungs of the elasticity gained by tlie smart row to the starting-post. lf we werc a little too early, I would, therefore, make one morę start, only flvc strokes, of course. Tliesc prcliminary short starts before the real one, and under tlie same conditions of wind or stream, are verv useful. I think most rowing athletes have esperieneed tliat włien practising starts, the second or the third will always be much morc successful than the first. The first time I started as member of an liight upon the Thaines, we paddled up against a very liard stream, and had to race back with the stream. I, therefore, recommended our strokc to make a trial start with the stream. I think ii would havc proyed useful especially for pcojilc who had ncver before startetl together. Hut be did not do this, so I supposed it was not the custom herc in England.

Xow, as to combining the time of tlie stroke with the nicasure of respiration, I make it a generał rule that only one complete respiration should be taken during a completc stroke (puli and recovcry), w hen the time is slow and no great exertion employed, and always when the time is vcry ąuick ; whereas two respirations may be taken when fuli force is used with out the strokc being quick. The reason is that the rcquisitc amount of air depends morc on the force applied than on the ratę of strokes. If a ąuick stroke lacks energy it will not give so inucli speed nor cost so much effort as a slow stroke with a morę energetic puli. W hat, in this connection, should be deemed a “ ąuick ” or “ slow "