Manual of British Rural Sports

444 PEDESTRIAISLSM. he increases the width of his jump. In leaping over high objects it is only necessary to fix the attention upon the gate or bar to be cleared, and endeavourto surmountit by aneffort of the legs;at thesame time raising the weight by the arms on the pole while in the air, and reversing the position as in jumping over a ditcn. At first tliere is some difflculty in managing the pole over the object, but to effect this, the l aper at the time of crossing the bar, and just when he is beginning to descend, must dra pole upwards and raise the lower p his one hand whilst he depresses the u?. i- part with the other;by whichaction t; • pole istilted over in unison with the bwl, and the small end reaches the grou When the leap is to be a very high oao indeed, the leaperleaves his pole on t a k i n g o f f s i d e , q u i t t i n g h o l d o f i t a s i as it touches the bar, or rather just bu-.re that time. CHAP. 11. TRAIXIXG FOR PEDESTRIAN AND OTHER PURPOSES. S ECT . 1 P REPARATORY T REATMENT. 292. G ENERAL R EMARKS ,—It is an indis­ putable fact, that no animal is so much improved by training as man—none stands such long and severe preparation with advantage—and none displays the differ­ ence between condition and its absence in so great a degree. Next to him in this respect stands the thorough-bred horse, which certainly displays these attributes almost to the sameextent; but still the advantage is in favour of man, who can sustain without injury repeated trials of his powers to tlieir utmost limits—whilst even the thorough-bred horse requires the great­ est care, lest by continual and constant work his speed, and what is s ill worse, his temper, should be ruined. But it is not only that man may be enabled to do certain feats of activity and strength that training is desirable, but that e may do them witli pleasure to himself, and even with advan­ tage to his general health; and this marks the grand principle which every man who values health should constantly keep in view, namely, that no oneshould attempt to compete in any contest requiring agility or strength, unless he has had such a pre­ paration as shall enable him to perform his task without feeling any ill effect fromit. For instance, the man in condition can row through a race of three or four miles, in which his whole powers are taxed to their very utmost, and shall, at the endof it, be almost blind from the exertions he has made; and yet before he gets out of the boat ho Is " all right," and could go through the same in half anhour without injury— whilst the man out of condition lies nearly fiiinting, or perhaps quite insensible, for many minutes, or evenstill longer, and is only revived by stimuli to an extent which will not allow any further liberty to bo taken with his naturally strong constitu­ tion. Pluck will do much in place ofcon­ dition ; but numberless are the insUncws of rui ed health from the excessive dralis which have beenmade upon this valuab.o quality, whilst a little care and bstlii' 1 :! - j would have prevented any such irr misfortune. To enable the man who i» 1 sound constitution—but, from mismana ment, out of health—to restore hims • 1 such a state as will allow him to g 1 in 0 training without mischief, is rather a di.- flcult task In most cases, because it not only requires some skill to know whato do, but also great self-command to that which ought not to bedone. IniM -vast majority of instances thea.ai • been impaired by excess of ome kma. ^ in many by everyvariety of excess« if human ingenuity can suggest H"' • wonderful how completely th anticir 1 of an Oxford and Cambridge maua Putney, a pedestrian match, or an »• contest, will enable a "fast man tJ all temptation on one side, and to a all the rules laid down f r his guidamx ^ the rigidityof an anchorite. His rei 1 all tempting offers is, "No, that w training." Such is not alwaystheca. is true; but to a great extent; a. pluck is frequently shown ^ t from temptation, than in sustaining longed efforts which such a ra( ^. the There are two kinds of excess w i ^ most likelyto have produced ^ as I am supposing—namely, e *f1 iteril in?, drinking, &c., and excess in^ ^ other sedentary pursuits. ^ ltn " , tM a time entirely upset the power 1 ^ stomach, and in fact of the treat- and eachwill require very differeni ^ ment in order to restore th 1 =