Modern Athletics 1868

TRAINING. 77 consciously used by all men, whether athletes or not. Those particular muscles which are most brought into play by any special exercise will be the most deyeloped, c.j. inwalking chiefly those of the legs and thighs, in rowing chieflythose of thearms, legs, and loins.Like all other things, the beginninsghould be in moderation, and by far the best plan is to reduce aU superfluous flesh, should there be any, before atntempt is made to contend against time. Thus a manwill be able to walk or run with much more ase and comfortto himself, andwill not be discouraged by what would otherwise be considered bad performances. Now the reductionof flesh is accom- plished by acombination of two methods—either sweating it offo, r working itinto musclet,echnically terme"dcaking it. Sweating may bpeerformed in twoways, either arti­ ficially or naturally. The former, except in the shape ot a Turkish bath, is so weakening and injurious to the system, that it need nboet further alluded to.The latter plan is by farthe most healthy, being consonant to the laws ofnature. It is accomplished by putting aonrough, but not tooporous, worsted jerseynext the skin, and run­ ning some distance at a slow steady pace, but not fast enough tocause distress or fatigue._ If the lower limbs are much overloaded with flesah, pair ofwoollen drawers may beadvantageously wornb,ut this will be seldom re­ quired, the exercise itseilnf most casessufficiently accom­ plishing the desired result. orking fatinto muscle, or " caking" it, a most simpplreocess, is performed by plenty of long and steady exercise, at a moderate pace, accom­ panied with severe rubbing with rough towels after the bath. The system ofcovering the body with several thick coats for sweatingpurposes is bad,and has a tendency to slowness in pace. The best distanceto commence running for sweating isabout a mileor more; if the pedestrian is not fatigued,and this shouledver be avoided, thepace being an easy trot at first, afterwards gradually increased from day today,as thelimbs acquireelasticity, antdhe heart and lungs become accustomed to thinecreased number oi re­ spirations, the worbkecomes a pleasure instead of a toil. After our trainee has thus got himself into condition, actual practice shoulcdommence according to the length of the race in which he is about to compeTteh.e directions for this are givenin the ensuing chapters.It isa great mistake to take no exercidseuring the day, but running