Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-25
HOW FAR CAN YOU
SWIM? 70 MILES?
Charles B. Durborow Says It's Very
Easy,-if You Take
Your Time

Charles B. Durborow. Philadelphia S
leading long distance swimmer for the
Public Ledger sporting magazine has
written a discussion of long distance
swimming which will be found ex-
ceedingly interesting to Harrisburg
lovers of this sport. He says:
Long distance swimming is a sport
which is on the boom and when once
established is bound to stay and
thrive, as it has in England. Being a
sport that the public cannot follow
and watch. unless it be at the start
or finish, they, therefore, must con-
tent themselves by merely reading
newspaper accounts, and 1t has been
quite difficult to get them Interested.
But now conditions are changing;
every one, man, woman and child, is
striving to see how far he can swim.
And with the Amateur Athletic Union
and newspapers helping, interest is
at white heat.
There is no sport on the face of the
earth which will develop a person as
will long distance swimming. Every
muscle in the entire body is benefited
1t forces one to breathe deep and long
which will enlarge and strengthen the
chest, and thus is bound to improve
the health. 1 firmly believe that 1t
would be impossible for any one who
swan regularly to have stomach
lungs and stomach in such fine con-
dition, the weight is increased and the
entire system strengthened and built
up. And ! might add that regular
salt water swimming will cure any
case of nasal or throat catarrh.
While people marvel at distance
inning, yet it seems so easy and
/ of - e. |.
he feels almost ashamed to take great
credit for his feats.
Take Your Time
THE one main thing to become a
great long distance swimmer is to
learn to take your time. Swim as
slowly and as easily as you possibly
can. Take your time is the gateway
to all distance honors. BY such a
method you develop a gait which
never varies and in a swim like the
English Channel, the goal of all dis
tance swimmers, steadiness will tri-
umph over both speed and skill COM
bined
Learn one stroke, the one which
suits you best, and which you be-
lieve you can do the best with, and
then stick to that and nothing else.
In a long swim-be it five or twenty
five hours-it will pay to rely on your
familiar stroke. 1t you are growing
tired you might as we'll quit-as to
change your stroke will not rest you
but only tire you more quickly.
The less weight you carry the bet
ter. Most distance swimmers wear
only pair of trunks or a light one
piece cotton suit at most. 1t is ad-
visable to wear a rubber scull cap, for
not only does 1t prevent serious effects
from a burning sun beating down on
ones head, but in cold water helps
beyond belief by protecting the back
of the head and upper neck from the
cold. The base of the brain is the all
important part to be protected.
As to Training
Il dare say no two men would agree
on the subject of training. Men like
Brown and Richards believe in taking
things easy while in training and will
probably not swim more than two or
three miles at sprints-thus saving
their weight and stamina for the SUI
preme test. Brown, who is now in
England ready to try to cross the
Channel, swan not more than one
mile at any time in all his prepara-
ton; with the one exception of a 49,
mile swim five days before he sailed.
my methods are exactly opposite
to other distance men. l believe in
hard work and lots of ii. In prepar-
ing for big swim l start open water
work as soon as the ice Is out of the
river, and confine myself to short dips
until the water is bearable. Then |
swim about two miles daily, while
once week l insist on a swim of ten
or twenty miles, BY the time my su-
preme test is at hand 1 know that I
can swim hours with ease-that will
not tire or cramp. True, lost weight,
and, from constant work, may grow
stale to a certain degree, but. never
theless, l would not change, and am
convinced my method is the best and
safest