An Athletics Compendium

The Uterature of Athletics prohibitedand during the nights platesof leadwere worn on the loins,with a view to preventingvenerealinclinations.' Thorn's Pedestrianism (1813),an account of the competitive history and training methods of Captain Barclay Allardice, is often referred to as the seminal work on nineteenthcenturytraining.However, Pedestrianism's trainingmethods merelyecho those described in the earlier studiesof Sinclair, themselvesa reflectionof the conventional wisdomof the eighteenth century. Up to this point, there is no technical content in the literature, which is mainly concerned with enduranceconditioning. Barclay's methods, though firmly rejected by amateursin the second half of the century, lingered wellinto the twentiethcentury in manysports and are reflectedas late as the 1920sin the writingsof SamMussabini. His influencecanbest be ascribedto hispersonalsuccessas a match-racerand to his training of the pugilistCribb rather than to anyoriginalityor efficacyof method. There was, in the finalquarterof the nineteenthcentury,a reactionto the training methods of CaptainBarclay and the professionaltrainerswho had copied his methods. This came from the university-based amateur movement, and is reflected well in The Pedestrian'Rs ecord (1890) by the Lupton brothers: Severe exercise will ngoivte the body that townheich an athletsehould possess, unless at the same timdeue attention piasid to the mode of living. The Luptons make a strong case for athletics to develop links with the medical profession,in effect creatingthe disciplineof sports science,and stressing the need for gymnasticconditioningfor athletes.This is a remarkablework and is requiredreadingfor any student of the evolution of trainingmethods. In the earlier Modem Athletics (1868),Wilkinsontakesa similar,albeitclass-based, line. A gentleman, having in all probability been accustomed to a good diet, has consequently good blood in his system.... On the other hand, the professional 'ped' has probably been leading a loafing, pub house kind of life for some time past andlivingon deleterious'slops', comparewdith the Gentlemann'sutrient. Here it is onlyfair to observethat match-racerswerein manywayslikeprizefighters,in that theypreparedfor specialcontests, returningimmediatelyafterwardsto their normal mode of living,often centredon publichouses. The rapiddevelopmentof pedestrianism andHighlandGames in the third quarter of the century and the growth of the amateur movement which culminated in the creationof the AmateurAthletic Associationin 1880did little to substantiallyadvance the development of technicalworkson fieldevents.This is becauseamateur athleticswas primarily a harrier-based culture, and few amateur handicap track and field meetings featuredfieldevents. Indeed, eventssuch as triplejump,discusand javelindid not appear in the AAAChampionshipsprogrammetill manyyearsafter their appearancein the first Athens Olympicsof 1896.This i s reflectedin the limitedtechnicalliterature.Wherefield events were developing, in Ireland and in Scottish professional Border and Highland Games, theywere doing so withina static ruralculture whichproduced littlein the wayof [ xxxvi ]