The Pedestrian's Record

THE PEDESTRIAN'S RECORD. 3 proved fatal. Disease amongst athletes comes on in­ sidiously but surely, is not recognized at first, and later on is only thought to be of a very temporary nature, which a little less or a little more exercise will put right. Vand spe illusit imago; the trivial dis­ ease grows dangerous ; symptoms evince themselves ; the youth, thus affected, sits as helpless as an old man in his grandfather's arm-chair. Although apicture of disasters has been painted, it is presented, not with an idea of discouraging people from indulgence in ath­ letic exercises, but to point out the quicksands and rocks which are likely to be met with by injudicious training. A man about to race must inure his body to endure the continuance of severe strain, the effects of which cannot be withstood on the day of trial without careful preparation. A man cannot with impunity jump up from his dinner-table and run a mile race, neither can any one accustomed only to daily walks compete in a sprint, without injury super­ vening. No work and too much work, both are detrimental tothe runners about to toe the mark at any race meeting. It is evident thereforea line must be drawn somewhere, and that a certain system of living be adopted whereby the body may in the first place fit itself for those physical exertions which it is about to undergo. Many books have been written on men training for running, walking, boating, etc. ; in some curious views at utter variance with physiological facts have been recorded, which by their propagation have led athletes to destruction, and in some instances B 2