Wichita eagle., 1888-12-16
WALKING MATCHES


How the Pedestrians Train for One, and
Live While II Il In Progress
Walking matches like the one recently 6n-
ished in Madison Square garden are much
more serious matter to the participants per
haps than most people imagine. OF course
the financial feature is one which greatly in
terests the pedestrian II he doesn't cover =
certain distance he gets nothing at all for
many hours Of exertion, the violence Of
which the spectator can have little idea Of
In six day walk the minimum distance is
usually put somewhere in the neighborhood
of 500 miles. Of course pedestrian who is
worthy of the title could easily cover that
distance in six day walk-barring acct
dents But accidents viii happen. A man
may turn his ankle, or strain tendon, or do
any Of a dozen equally disagreeable things
There is always chance, and big one, too,
that the six day tramp may prove too much
for him in some way.
Not the least disagreeable part of long
contest is the necessary preliminary training.
Few people realize what it means for q
walker to ''go into training" 1t takes from
six weeks to two months for most men to get
in shape for six day walk. Albert, who
has made record of 62l miles, says:
$50 train for long race like these six day
contests one has to be very careful Six
weeks to two months should be taken to get
into condition before the race commences,
and when / begin TO train am careful that
/ am in good health. Exercise should be
taken slowly at first. To get all the muscles
pliable | take exercise both with the dumb
bells and Indian clubs. Two weeks devoted
to this work, and at the same time taking
short, brisk walks or short runs, will get me
into shape for hard work. Then commence
to train in earnest. First, begin with tax
ing run of ten or fifteen miles with a
sweater on This distance l gradually in
crease every day until after two weeks I go
thirty to thlrty-iive miles day, and in addi-
ton to this take walking exercise Two
weeks before the race l put in the hardest
work Of the training season, which consists
of long spins every day. The last week /
only take easy exercise, just to keep my mus
cles Timber
II don't diet myself much, and eat any.
thing that is wholesome and not injurious
Milk, custard, beef, mutton and some kinds
of poultry easy of digestion eat great deal
Of" And Albert doesn't carry training any
thing like as far as some professionals do
The life Of pedestrian during long con-
test is peculiar. Each contestant has a hut
to which he retires when leaving the track to
rest. These huts are kept by the trainers,
with the help, perhaps, of the pedestrians
sister or wife. Some Of them are most
deliberately fitted up, and many of them re-
semble drug shops on a small scale. In these
huts the contestants take what sleep they get.
Albert averages only about three hours a
day, and some men get along on even less
As soon as man enters his hut from the
track his trainer strips him and rubs
him down with towel while he is
falling asleep on his cot. When the time
comes for him to start again the trainer
rouses him, puts on his clothes, and some
times has him well started around the track
before he is fairly awake. Before the six
days are over every man, no matter how
carefully or how long he trained, has fear
fully sore feet. The contest is a terrible
strain on him in many ways Sometimes it
Is too heavy, and the man breaks down. In
that case there is one less man to divide the
money among. Taken all in all, the life of a
professional pedestrian is not happy one.