The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-11-29
TRAINING FOR A FOOT RACE.
How = Professional sprinter Diets and Er-
ercises While Preparing for a Run.


In aiming al the removal OF superfuous
Lesh-the training of Of which virtually re-
duccs the weight which one has 20 csrry--I
begin 10y adopting such diet AS will add
strength, bat not weight, to the body. With
this object in view, carefully avoid all fat
meats, soups, butter, starchy foods, potatoes,
sweets, etc. | eat n great deal OF rare lean
meat, and only the most easily digested at
that such as beef and mutton. Eggs-es-
pccially I. .ached-poultry, fish and game,
may Ice eaten plcntifully, but such meats as
veal and pork are 10 be avoided Stewed
vegetables arc % be psrtaken OF freely, as
are also greens, such as lettuce, crosses, etc
Fruit is a necessity, and is % he taken at
breakfast
Whatever bread is used should be either
toasted or used when about forty-eight hours
old For desserts, jclles are probably better
than anything else; but all pastries such as
PIE cake, and the like, together with all rich
puddiugs and sauces, must be ahstained from
For beverages | use weak tea and coffee IN
small quantities, and but little water. Stimu-
lants ~ all kinds, and alcoholic drinks espe-
Cslly, are 70 be summed, as between the use Of
these and that Of tobacco in any form what
ever il is hard 10 decide which is the most in
furious
By adhoring 10 such system Of diet, and
10y inducing pcrsPiration 10y exercise, the
weight may he gradually reduced to the re-
quired point A. 10 the form of exercise, it
Is, Of course, 90 be OF such "A nature as will
best secure endurance and muscle The best
exercise for this purpose is running. Begin
ming gradually, | do just 30 much rs will
make me feel that some demands have been
made on the muscles. Great care must be
-. 4
customcd 10 the eEertion, you may become
stiff and sore, aud moro harm will be done
than good As training progresses the work
/, increased, either 10y running further or do
ing the same distances faster.
At the end OF two weeks the entire distance
al which you intend to compete may be run
over at racing speed, and this may be re
peatod as often as once every week there
after. On the day preyious 90 this effort
would do mo- work whatever, aud AS ! always
run these trials on Saturdays, do nothing
on the day following either. An this work
will bc found 10 havo improved the wind
also. With each days work YOU will find
that YOU breathe more and more freely as
you run, and in very short time YOU may
run hard race with little or no discomfort
20 the breathing
Judgment I'M pace can be acquired only
10y constant practice. Many races are lost
10y selecting at the start a paCc which Is
either too fast or two slow. II the former be
the case, the runner finds himself when near
the finish too exhausted 10 continue running,
aud is therefore beaten by man who has,
perhaps, not nearly his ability. II, on the
other hand, the pace ON the start be too slow,
there is danger Of the other competitors nc.
quiring a greater lead than he can over
come
\ device 70 which | resort 90 study my
pace accurately Is 10 take one-half or three
quarters of the distance at which am %
compete and run IL al my regular racing
gait AT regular intervals along the course
j have timckecpcrs stationed, who inform me
rs | go by OF tho time which am making
Suppose for instance, am able 10 run "A half
mile in two minutes Instead Of running the
full $50 yards, which would be very exhaust
ing. ] run three furlongs, and at the end Of
each furlopg, or 22D yards, the timer there
stationed calls out the time. II this he less
than thirty seconds NJ the end Of the first fur.
long, know that ! am running too fast, and
can decrease my pace until / get 10 the next
timckccpcr, where, being again informed of
how / am running, ] can regulate my pace
accordingly. Besides the excellent practice
which this gives In Judging pace, there Is
no better way Of developing those qualities
which are needed for success in racing
Walter c. Dohm in Narper's Young People.