The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-01-24
THE TRAINING OF ATHLETES.
Dartmouth Track Coach Says Secret is
In Dieting.

HaALHAVuth AidCh NSdNh DAYS oSCAel 1e
In Dieting,
Not one man in ten has the remotest
idea Of how to properly train for athletic
events. They don't know how to work,
Proper dieting and the correct care Of
the body and the mind are two things
that the great majority OF athletes have
not the slightest conception Of says
Harry Hillman. athletic coach at Dart
mouth. 1T is not an unusual thing to
hear of some former athlete who has
gone bad physically. People hear Of
these cases and Immediately declare that
athletics Is not a good thing for our
young men. But you win notice that
the men who break down are always
those who haven't been good performers,
and there's good reason why this is
so. The men who have been stars are
those who started out with correct ideas
Of how to train, while the ones who
have broken up physically all started
their athletic careers without the least
knowledge of the subject.
Take the runners--they are mostly
young fellows who overdo their prepare
tory work, cat the wrong foods and have
their meals at irregular hours, all Of
which Is bound TO tell when they give
up training and settle down to business.
Perhaps ten years win elapse before
they feel the results Of incorrect train
ing, and then, you will notice, it is
usually their stomaehs that 20 wrong"
Hillman says that half the athletes
know no more about proper dieting than
does the average two-year- old child
They eat big meals just before going
out to compete, no matter what time
OF the day it may be. That's the worst
thing an athlete can possibly do, because
IL takes at least three hours for ord-
nary food to properly digest, and it
Is terrible strain on the stomach to
do any running when it Is filled.
Draw up one of your legs and you
will notice that the abdominal muscles
are brought into full play says Hill
man, adding that man should partake
Of nothing heavier than a couple of soft
boiled eggs or a little toast and tea be-
fore competing in any athletic event
Outdoor work is best because it affords
good air, allowing the lungs TO develop
without taking any chances Of breath.
Ing in the germs that are bound to in
fest the atmosphere Of an inclosed place,
and the fresh air also helps to keep the /
stomach in good ORDER
The Dartmouth coach believes that 4
club athletes who run at least twice a /
week indoors are apt 10 contract dis
Eases because Of the fine-drawn condi- +
ton that they are sure to attain. Col. +
ege men, though must do a great deal I
'f indoor work because they have only
Two months in the open air. Only the
most vigorously constituted are able to
-un during the indoor season Bonhag.
.he greatest distance runner in the coun-
Try, is q fair example says Hillman.
3onhag comes out and does lot of
unning toward the close OF the indoor
season, but he always takes at least
wo months rest before he even starts
raining for the outdoor games.
When | FIRST took charge Of athletics
It Dartmouth I saw that hardly sin
De man on the squad really knew how
o diet, and ] made q strict rule that
neat should not be allowed at more than
wo of the three meals | did a lot of
raining at Travers island during my
mateur career, and noticed that the
nen who tackled the meat platters at
very meal hardly ever made good on
he tracks. Every man will stay at
he table full 20 minutes, | told them.
rather than eat in a few minutes and
e compelled to remain at the table. |
Don found that all Of the men were
utting in the time slowly eating says ,
lilman.
When the call for cross country run
ing was issued at Dartmouth, fully 90
ZEN answered One members Of the squad
ad never done any running to speak of,
ut he was terribly bothered with in ,
igestion, and Hillman told him the run.
ing would do him good Within
aw weeks the student told the coach
c was absolutely cured "No college ,
ould exist without athletics" saws Hill :
ian. "The students would overeat and :
Il around in their rooms burning ND !
obacco. They'd never 60 to the gym :
asium because it is almost impossible :
} get them interested in this sort of :
ork even now" =