Evening star., 1925-02-28
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Last Saturday I promised to tell the
readers of this column how went the
week of walking a mile day, upon
which ambitious program the writer en-
barked The second week is to see 2
miles a day, the third miles and the
fourth miles walked.
I'D walk a mile for a -" says the
cigarette ad. but the writer wouldn't
walk a step for that bit of rolled tobacco
or any other. He would, however walk
several miles for health.
This he has been doing religiously,
having heroically stuck to his self-m-
posed program Of walking for a full
week. 1t is with the hope that he may
induce others who need this constitu-
uonal exercise to undertake the task
that he writes OF IL here
For walking. real walking, to one who
IL not by nature an enthusiastic hiker,
is something that does not bring the
light of happy adventure to the eyes 1t
is undertaken after the manner of a
penance, in the full belief that ii is a
good thing, if not a particularly attrac-
tive one
/ know automobile addicts who think
1t is terrible hardship to be forced to
walk as much as 4 blocks A mile, TO
such an one, would be something beyond
imagination
Yet a mile, after you get into the
swing OF ii, is no distance at all The
hard thing is to hold yourself down to
the allotted distance. You want to "step
out and roll the miles behind you. But
that would never do.
In beginning Il program Of walking
the amateur cannot do better than to
take 1t gradually This is necessary. if
ne wishes to continue in it, and at the
same time build up natural enthu-
slaSm, something without which neither
walking nor any other endeavor can be
carried out happily or really successfully
); 4 y !.
The first two days Of the first week
went rather hard. The weather was
heglnnlnE to get pretty warm, for
FEBRUARY, and a big overcoat did not
add any to the pleasure of the pro-
ceeding.
At the end of the first walk the sub
Ject was in what can be called moth
ing more polite than a good sweat
me oNercoat being nothing more nor
less than a big blanket, acted in that
capacity.
Perhaps this was the very best
thing that could have happened But
ii was decidedly uncomfortable. What
need of Turkish BATH when one
can get all the benefit OF one out in the
fresh air?
This result, of course, arose from
fast walking. The program called for
walking, it will be remembered, not
strolling. This was no old ladies'
down the street, no ''see-you-a-
piece" business
This was real walking getting fast
er and faster the distance was COW
cred. All the strategy OF a good mile
runner was called into use. The start
was taken easily, so that the walker
would not get out OF breath but
would be able to comfortably swing
through the distance, and have
enough reserve left to finish the dis
tance at full speed
1t need hardly be said that a cool
shower was necessary at the conClu-
sion of the walk. When one is warm,
it is possible to take cold shower
with pleasure and benefit. To hop out
of bed, however, and plunge into a
tub of ice-cold water is just mild
form of potential suicide Many have
done ii, Of course, but they would do
better by themselves and the world
If they would make it a shower, not
plunge. Br-r-r-r'
Now. TO many Of you a mile a day
may seem child's play, as indeed il is,
but wait until we get to the week
demanding 4 miles per "a hours! How
do ! know? Because ] tried out the
4-mile walk Sunday.
What a Spring day last Sunday