The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-26
HIS METHODS
ARE ORIGINAL
CHAMPION ATHLETE HERETO
ABOUT TRAINING.
Pays No Attention to Diet and Fol-
lows No Strict Lines of Work in
Preparing for a Contest-Says Ply
steal Culture Should Be Made Play,
Not Work

afOunu amateur salulele4 OI AIIle1ACc
in 1897 and 1908, is a lawyer and au-
thor of law books. He won the cham
pionship last June after an absence
of six years from competitive athletics
-an unparalleled performance. In
the current number of Physical Gull
ture Mr.. Clark outlines his methods
of training, which are decidedly un-
conventional. as follows:
The program for the all-around track
and field championship of America Is
rather an appalling one, not only to the
layman, but to the trained athlete as we'll.
In one afternoon, with ve-miaute inter-
walls, the contestants must perform al
least ten events, in the following order:
One hundred yard dash, putting the six
teen pound shot,. running high jump, half
mile walk. throwing the sixteen pound
hammer pole vault, 120-yard hurdle race,
throwing the fifty pound weight, run
ming broad jump and mile run.
The popular idea has always been that
to win this competition an athlete must
go thru a strict course OF training, and
practically devote several months to get
ting In shape for the test, undergoing a
rigid regime of exercises, diet, sleep, mas
sage, ETC., and sacrificing all other in
terests to getting in perfect physical trim
! On July 4, 1908, after an absence of six
Years from competitive athletics, I was
fortunate enough to win the championship
from a field Of eight starters, coming
taking advantage Of my trip by playing
two rounds Of golf on the succeeding
7norning as II felt the need of a little ad-
ditional light exercise. When it became
known that, so far from being the popular
ideal of the trained athlete, I was a law
Yer in active practice. the author Of two
law books. member Of the Boston school
committee, whose duties are extremely
arduous, and that 1 was interested in
various other organizations and enter
prises. and when, upon inquiry, I stated
that 1 had paid absolutely no attention to
strict training or dieting, followers of
athletics held up their hands in holy hor-
ror. and accused me of violating all known
athletic traditions. In consequence of
these facts my ideas Of health and exer-
else have been inquired into by many
people.
To begin with, I want to emphasize one
Or two pretty obvious facts, for altho the
late Thomas B. Reed made a witty epi-
gram when he referred to President Roose-
velt's discovery of the Ten Command
lnents. to my mind there is nothing so
easy as to lose sight of cardinal principles
In the hurry and confusion of our COM
pleX national life. There are surely two
extreme types to be avoided. On the one
hand, there is the busy, nervous Anleri-
can. intent on nothing but business, allow
ing his breakfast to go untasted as he
scans the stock columns Of the morning
from the quick-lunch counter and some
times stopping a moment to wonder
vaguely why it is that he has to hold him
self constantly in check in order to avoid
being irritable even to those who are near
est and. dearest. At the other extreme is
the young Englishman described by the
inimitable Grossnith as spending half his
time in gymnasium getting fit and
spending tho other half taking care of
himself SO that he will be sure of keeping
/,
TO his long suffering friend; "Old man, hit
me just as hard as you like. I'm hard as
rails. Fit sir. fit And the tortured
friend mutters to himself Fit. Great
Heavens. l only wish he'd have one
In word. the happy mean in health
culture. as in most other things, is the
thing TO be aimed at. 1t is wrong to think
that physical culture deserves no place In
our daily life. and it is equally wrong to
allow it to crowd out other more import
ant interests
The fistic champion of England. rosy
checked. clear-eyed, hale and hearty a
three score and ten, was asked the Sc
cret Of his wonderful vitality. ''Modera-
ton he replied, moderation in eating
III drinking, in exercising and then, with
twinkle in his eye, he added, "even in
lighting.
The emblem of our Young Mems Christ
ian associations. which are doing much
splendid work along the lines of physical
culture. is the triangle, the three sides
representing spirit, mind, and body. This,
tc my thinking, is the ideal expression,
Of the relation Of physical culture to life
as whole. Spirit, mind and body, can
hot even be referred to as three separate
and Individual things; they cannot stand
alone, but form a trinity Of interdependent
characteristics.
Assuming, then, that rational physical
vail
acknowledged benefit to us in daily life.
the question arises as to what is the best
kind of exercise to take. Taste, environ
ment and characteristics Of the individual
all come into play, and I suppose a dozen
experts might give many different an
sWers. My own standard is to select some
form of exercise that is a real pleasure
and relaxation, and to stick as closely as
possible to nature. It is sometimes said
that fame fees from her pursuers and
comes to the man who does not seek her.
In somewhat the same way I doubt if
campaign for health can give as good
results as the natural. good health which
comes with a proper amount Of exercise
taken as a recreation and not as duty If
personal Renaissance will be pardoned
L think y can make my point clear. I
acknowledge, with regret, that 1 was
Brought up city boy, much addicted to
Geading In the house when should have
been out doors. A doctor prescribed a
certain amount of fresh airevery day, and
+ recall wildly how I dragged around
looking anNiously at my watch about
every other minute, to see If my time was
DIP and could return to my reading. No
relaxation, and no benefit. A year or two
later, when was more of a boy, and
belonged to the gang / would return
half an hour late to supper, with the
knees gone from my stockings with much
dirt on face and hands, with an abnormal
lppetite, and thrilling account of how
/. knocked q bully three bagger way out
10 left field Absolute forgetfulness of
self. complete relaxation, were of ines
timable benefit.
of course, we cannot always choose our
form of diversion. Fall and winter give us
little opportunity, but early mornings and
long evenings in spring and summer furn-
ish an opportunity for storing UP a fund
of health and vigor. 1 happen to be
devotee Of track athletics, and believe
that there is much to be said for them The
open n-air tracks and gymnas1a furnish an
opportunity to the people as whole, and
the spirit of track athletics is thoroly
democratic in it's tendency. Nevertheless,
i am not "crank" enough to insist that my
form of sport Is the only one. II / had
more time very likely tennis or golf would
appeal to me; if l had more money T
might aspire to a horse or an automobile.
AS it is. after a long day in the office or
in court. the ten-minute ride to the Gin
der track seems all too long. With the
crisp crunch of the cinders under foot the
swift run down to the take-of and the
eXultant bound of the broad jump, the
turn and heave Of the hammer or the fifty