Bredin on Running & Training

!I 'i !I \! 11 i! l i -· RUNNING AND TRAINING. sermon preached on the text, " All roads lead to London," which to the best of my belief is one that it would be vain to seek for in the Scriptures. However, there are certainly many roads, in addition to the correct one, leading to athletic fitness, and often, more by good luck than judgment, one may happen to strike a "day out," athletically speaking, although having previously undergone a most unwise system of training. Not infrequently, for instance, when in a half-fit condi– tion an extra hard week's work, followed by a few days' total rest, will find a man fresh and well on the occasion of a race. Such a method cannot be recom– mended, being a most risky experiment, and only likely to prove successful when the athlete happens to be somewhat overburdened with flesh which had not disappeared from the amount of exercise previously taken. Some years ago training was synonymous with sweating. No man was presumed to be in good running (or fighting) condition unless previously dosed with aperients and periodically kept in a state of perspira– tion. The old order is now changed, and has given place to a new one of the opposite extreme ; certainly the majority of runners do nothing beyond practising on the track to keep their bodies from being over– burdened with superfluous flesh. Although this exercise may prove ample for some few athletes, or during hot weather, this is rarely the case in winter months. Without doubt the correct course is an intermediate one. Though personally resembling one of Pharaoh's lean kine, and increasing in weight rather than the reverse by training, I have found sweating exercise ·,. II ,· ,,