Evening star., 1922-08-13
andLi
MntaD DuveanC Constitute BforeC CompaA

I do? It's all very simple. Don't
think you have to lock yourself
in room and sleep from morning
until the time of your race In order
to conserve strength.
Last night you should have been In
bed at 10 o'clock and slept until
this morning.
You might say you tried to go to
sleep, but tossed and tossed for hours.
That shows the nervousness of a be-
ginner.
Remember this. though. while you
were in bed you were resting. The
longer you are in the game the less
you will worry about what Is going
to happen in the race; ce;u.
If you have practiced faithfully ana
conscientiously you have done your
part. Let the best swimmer win. If
you can say that and mean 1t your
sportsmanship will help you in avoid
ing a lot of your nervousness.
cold water and have good break
fast. Fruit, soft-boiled eggs, toast;
Just eat the regular meal.
l A VOID an excess of liquids. l never
"A drink coffee and seldom drink tea,
whether I'm training or not, but l do
consume just gobs of water and that
is what try to avoid the day Of my
race.
Follow Usual Routine.
4 FTER you have your breakfast,
n follow your regular morning
routine. Have your dinner at IL OF
1 o'clock. The menu should consist
of meat, a medium or well done steak.
baked or boiled potato and a light
vegetable if you want one.
I always have a dessert because no
meal see1.s complete without one and
on competition day I satisfy myself
with a plain pudding.
have my dinner at noon and give my
stomach a rest until o'clock and
then 1 eat a light supper.
When / first started racing, / al
ways used to have my dinner at noon
and rest all day. At pm. l would
drink milk punch. OF all the fool
things that one is the worst. Milk
and egg curdle in the stomach. l did
this twice before l learned my lesson
Never eat a heavy meal within an
hour of racing. Just recently l went
to Atlantic City to SWIM i didn't
reach there until late and couldn't
eat until 2:so. l raced at 3:15- Conse-
auently, the strain made me sick and
I deserved to be sick. But it is only
through experience that we learn.
X X X
4 VOID fats in your meals before a
n race. They coat your stomach with
a heavy, greasy wall which the stomach
juice cannot penetrate. The rest Of your
food lies there in a hard. undigested
mass. Never eat hot bread, rolls or
anything doughy the day you race.
4 x X
Divert Mind.
TN THE afternoon of competition
day always go to the theater or
some other place where your mind
can be diverted from the race. I
usually go to the movies. Only re-
Gently !! swan the ffty-yard national
in Baltimore. l didn't reach my hotel
until about $50 in the afternoon and
there I met some of the New York
girls.
The chaperon. who has been a swim
ming manager for years, told me they
1--WE have just been to the movies"
she told me. Ever since I read an
interview of yours in which you said
you always go to the movies the aft
ernoon of the day you race, l take
my girls to one and it does them so
know through experience that get
ting your mind off a coming race Is
good policy.
Not very long ago I congratulated
a lady on the success OF her daughter
in winning a plunging contest The
girl is young and has fine possibilities
and after told the mother thought
her daughter did splendidly, she said:
"She would have done better. but
we were visiting this afternoon and
she didn't get any rest"
+ + \
THAT is the wrong idea. Tho visit
i ing did her more good than sleep
would have. 1t took her mind off the
competition.
Don't let yourself get dopey. Keep
your mind alert.
Copyright. 1922. BY Public Ledger Company.)
In her nert article, Miss Arten t1Sll
tell of many thrilling roces. during her
athletic career.