Athletics and Football (extract)

TRAINING 177 to' decidewhether a man should do anything more before breakfast than get air into his lungs. Some men we have known actuatloly gohard spinbsefore breakfast, othaevres taken walks aof mileor two,others merely stroll out andwalk a quarterof a mileor so just for an'airing.' Which of these courses should suit any particular individual depends both upon his constitution and his previous habits. Our own opinion is that as a general rule a man should never neglect to get out before breakfast, be it wet or fine, but should re­ frain from anything like work. We have seen so many men collapse in their training as soon as they tried work before breakfast, that we are sceptical of its good results. But a walk of not more than a mile before breakfast is sure dto good to a healthy maWn. e need also scarcely say th t, wet or fine, warm or cold, he should sleep wihthis windowpartly open. There bcean noquiet sleep for a man in a confined atmosphere. There is no reason why anathlete wmhaokes thriasining consist aofsound and healthy system of living should break down in health, but without doing theat maynevertheless find himself hdoercsombat from someinor evils.Before a runner puts on his first pair orfunning-shoes he should pare his toe­ nails close down to the flesh, or thepounding on the toews ill result in the nail being pushed up at each stride. In afew days afttehris thneails wipllrobably turn black, aind aweek or two therunner may findhimself minus oonretwo otfhem. All danger of this, however, is obviated by not allowing the nail toprotrude in the slightest degbreeyeond the enodf the toe. Occasionally the feet get tender from the exercise, and when this happens the athlete will do well to giveup the cinder- track for the grfaosrs a day or two. Soaking the feet in alum and water is also much recommended as a cure for tender feet. Prevention, however, is better than cure, and the best preventative is a sofwt ashleather sock coming over th balolf the foot. This is also comfortable, and acts as a safeguard against blisters. With blisters the best thing tois prick them N