Modern Athletics 1868

TRAINING. 71 on no acconnt should any man who donbts the sound­ ness of his Inngs andheart, be advised to gointo training without previous medical advice. To those weakly con­ stituted by nature, training is undoubtedly injurious, perhaps fatal. Among the ancients the athlete wetnhtrough a system of training whichlasted overseveral months; but from the nature oftheir diet, chiefly pork, and other things of a like nature, whicha modern athlete never thinks of touching, it would appear from the excellent results, inspite of the bad diet, that the main point consisted in their living a quiet and regular life, in fact, as was quoted above, keeping the body in "temperance, soberness, and chas- tity." In giving the followingdirections on training, it must be premised that I amwriting for amateurs only, and not for professionals, who go through a much stricter and different system, forthe following reason. A gentle­ man having in all probability been accustomed to a liberal diet, has consequently good blood in his system, and a sound foundation on which to commence. On the other hand, the professional pedestrian or oarsman has more than probably been leading a loating, public-house kind of life for some time past, and living on deleterious "slops" compared with the gentleman's nutriment. A professional accordinglywants blood put intohis system, which is usually done by a liberal allowance of steaks, chops, and port wine, beforhee is fit to undergo the ordeal of training. _ The old system of training consisted in constantly ringing the changeson "physicking and sweating," but such a notion is now quite exploded; and the four admit­ ted and primarypoints in training are, diet, sleep,cloth­ ing, and exercise. The great obejct tobe rememberedbeing, that every particleof the human frame whichdecays has to be replaced by another particle, although perhapnsot of a like nature; e. g., a reduction of fat has to be compen­ sated for by a corresponding increaseof muscle. A new body, in fact, has to be built up for running. "Practice makes perfect." A man has gradually to unbuild hoirs dinary heart and lungs, and then, bit by bit as it were, reconstruct those organsin a manner suited for whatever branch of exercise may be required. The time necessaryfor the training oafn athlete varies