Running Recollections and How to Train

132 Think of starting on two ounces of Glauber's salts,to be followed by a similar dose four days after, and another four days afterthat. Then to get up every morning at five and do two hours of strong work before breakfast; and to continue day after dayupon a diet consisting solelyof beef, stale bread,and old ale. In these old days therewere some good men, though ;I read in a newspaper of 1807 that on October 12th of that year, a foot race, for ten guineas, was run near Manchester between a cotton spinnerand a hatter of that town, " when (to quote the paper), shameful to say, the former, being the best runner, was stopped at about a quarter of-a-mile after starting by a friend of the latter. Ihe spinner, however, knocking down the intruder, fellover him, rose again, and actually beat his antagonist by upwards of 40 yards." The time for this race was returned as 4min.30sec. The nameof the victor is, unfortunately, not recorded, but a man who could run a mile in 4min. SOsec., with a fight " thrown in" en route, must have been a champion. Even in those days the matches made were sometimes subject to a suspicion of having been arranged. In 1807 one, Abraham Wood, made a match with Captain Barclay, before mentioned ; Wood to go as he pleased and Barclay to walk for 24 hours. Woodto give 20 miles start. The match was for 600 guineas. Wood went 40 miles m six hours, having then gained four miles upon Barclay, who did 36 miles. Then Wood stopped, and when the paper from which we take the accountwent to press, the dispute as to the paymentor non -paymentof bets was stillraging. How they settled we cannot tell, further intelligence being wanting. Tom Cribb was trained by Captain Barclay forhis g with Molineaux forthe championship, which took place on