Manual of British Rural Sports
450 GEXERAL TRAINIKG OF MAN. on a hard mattress, or horse-hair sofa; after which the snme distance should be gone over, or nearly so. It shouldbe borne in mind, that according to the intention of the pedestrian must be the distance over which he is trained; thus, if he is only preparing for a short race, either running or walking, he need only get himself into good health, and keep in that state by the means I have already described; and, in addition, take two orthree hourswalking and running exercise per day. More than this has a tendency to diminish the speed, though, if the Intentionis to trainfor along dis tance, that quality must, to a certain extent, be sacrificed. There is no question that speed is, to a great extent, lost, if the work is kept up morethan three or four hours a day—that is to say, speed for 100 or 200 yards. But if the object is to attain the highest speed for10 or15 miles, then the powers of endurance are to b tested; and the trainingmust be not so much at a op speed for that distance, as ata less pace with occasional spirts for five miles farther at the least. The trainer should be a good walker himself, and should draw outhe powers of his pupil by walking against him, taking care noto disheartenhim, even if he hasthe power, by walking a-head; but just stimulatinghim by competition, and yet keeping up his spirits by allowing him to beat himin theamicable contest. Everything in many cases depends upon mental treatment, and many races are lost by the anxiety which is felt for many days and nights prior to the day of trial. In other animals there Is not this knowledge of what is to come; but this is the worst difficulty met with in training man, many of whom will lie awake night after night from a nervousness as to the result Hence, the trainer should by allmeans encourage Ms man, and endeavourto doaway this fear of losing by inspiring confidence in his powers on all occasions. 297. T RAININGFOB E UNNING is conducted on similar principles to that for walking, except that it is necessary to avoid too much running work in short matches. Here walking must be made the means of improving the general he lth, and running only adopted for about the length which is to be run. Beyond this, long-continued running makes a man slow, and he is apt to get his handsdown, a habit which is fatal to running spirts. The trainer will, in preparing his man for these short matches, make him run daily two or three times over the distance intended; and either run against him with a start of a few yards in advance, which gives confidence, or time him exactly, keeping the result to himself. When the distance is a longer one, it must b done once or twice every day, accordiiig to Its length, at a good speed, and with nil the encouragement and excitement petiti n with the trainer. In all cases of t aining for long distances, at least five or six hoursa day mustbe spent In walking and running, changing from one to the other as a relief during thearly part of training; but at lastgoing a little beyond the racing distancevery day, unless that is the very outside of which the man U deemed to be capable, when he will be overworked if he attempts it every day, anJ he must only do just as much as his thinks he can perform without this Inju rious effect.Man, however, bears severe work in a wonderful manner; and if the appetite continues good and the sleep is sound, without dreaming or starting, tlia trainer need not be apprehensive that his man is doing too much. 298. REDUCTION OF FAT —It will, I think, generally be advisable, before comm ncing strict training, to take an ordinary dose of aperient medicine. This may be either castor oil or Epsomsalts and senna, com monly known as black draught, or the compound rhubarb pills will answervery well in some persons. If the liver is torp.J (which may be known by the pale c the motions), then fivegrains of blue pill should be taken at night, and the oilor draught in the morning, and the same should be repeated every two or three till thecolour becomes of a good brown or yellow. For any other purpose aperient medicine is to he avoided, and it will K 1 ' rally be found that, beyond the first doso, which I think good as clearing off au undigested food, It will seldom be wanU i Some menhave such an abundance o « that they weigh 2 or even 3 st. more they ought to do. The consequence is tu not only Is all thatweight a dead loss, ' the fat itself actually interferes with t,. due action of the muscles, and ' of the heart. Two modes of sweating m be adopted—one natural, the o' ficial; but eithershould be used 1,1 r, thing in the morning, rising from little earlier for the express purpose. 299. NATURAL SWEATING 18 putting on extra clothing 0 ^ er ' , with fjt more particularly which are loaded ^ Thus, if the legs are very fat, tno . if pair of trowsers should be dra ' of the abdomen is full, then a dou'i P^ flannel should be suspended ^ ^ under the trowsers ; and if the a ^ neck are loaded,one, two, or , v00 iicn Jerseys may bepulled on, am. wtien shawl wrapped round the r . in of a thus clothed, a brisk walk, 8 ira tion, few miles, brings on a protusc p
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