It will be thus seen that alcohol formed no part of Weston’s diet, and that his principal drinks were tea, coffee, and milk.
This says much for the advantage of the practice of total abstinence, especially in view of the fact of the continuity of muscular exertion. The number of steps taken in Weston’s great walk has been calculated at about 11,000,000, and the daily work of the muscles equivalent to that of raising 793 tons one foot.
Another testimony to the advantage of abstinence from stimulants in the development of “muscle” is given by Louis Cyr, the Canadian athlete, who secured the title of, “Strongest Man in the World” at a Paris Exhibition. He weighed 315 lbs., and mentioned, among his feats, that he could break with his bare fist a stone two inches thick, four inches wide, and six inches long. He took his wife (who weighed 110 lbs.) and balanced her on the top of a 12-ft. ladder, resting on his chin. Cyr said that the great secret of his strength was his total abstinence from all alcoholic drinks, and this bears out Dr. B. W. Richardson’s statement that “the idea of alcohol giving force and activity to the muscles is entirely false.”
CHAPTER III.
WALKING, RUNNING, AND JUMPING
Walking.—As a rule, the walking of long distances in a short time is a sad mistake. There is little or no pleasure in it, and the injury it may do you quite counter-balances the satisfaction you may feel in having accomplished it. I wouldn’t give a pin to be able to do my three miles in 21 min. 28 secs. like Webster, because I know perfectly well that my mind would gain nothing, or my body either from such an achievement. Every day of the year, unless specially hindered, I walk between eight and ten miles, and I am always discontented if anything stands in the way of my walk. From my own experience, I feel sure that boys, whether training for football, or school examinations, cannot do better for themselves than walk whenever they have the chance. You never know what call may suddenly be put upon the muscles of your legs. A life may depend upon your ability to sprint seven or eight miles in the hour. And if you can walk as many miles straight off and enjoy every yard of it, you may rely on being able to walk and run the distance in the time.
A few words may be said on style in walking. It is simply wonderful how people differ in this respect. Hardly two persons walk alike. They either carry their heads, or bodies, or arms differently, or there is a distinct difference in the way they use their legs or feet. However, there is nothing very sad about this. Variety is charming, even in pedestrianism, though in professional walkers this variety is apt to show itself in a walk that is almost twin brother to a trot. The following words of the once celebrated Westhall are valuable for boys and men who walk for health and pleasure, as well as professionals who walk for pots or purses:—“To be a good and fair walker the attitude should be upright, or nearly so, with the shoulders well back, though not stiffly so, and the arms, when in motion, held well up in a bent position, and at every stride swinging with the movement of the legs well across the chest, which should be well thrown out. The loins should be slack, to give plenty of freedom to the hips, and the leg perfectly straight, thrown out from the hip bodily and directly in front of the body, and allowed to reach the ground with the heel being decidedly the first portion of the foot to meet it.” Some people insist on the toes being turned out in a most unmistakable way when walking. It is not at all a pretty sight, and much more suggestive of a duck waddling out of a pond than a well-trained human being. Besides, it throws an undesirable and harmful amount of strain upon the smaller toes. Better to point the toes downwards and forwards, never outwards; spring sharply towards the tiptoe, straightening the knee. Learn also to hold the ground with the great toe at the beginning and at the end of each step. We cannot grasp the ground; good foothold is only to be obtained by pressure of the toes against it. This may, at first reading, seem rather strange counsel; but if we have any physical relationship with monkeys, the strangeness of it is at once removed. Mark how the monkey holds with his feet. Perhaps a million years ago we also (or rather our prototypes) held the ground with our feet in like manner.
One thing is certain, that bad walkers (bad in style, I mean) are very ugly to see, whereas there is something majestic about the carriage of a good walker.
Sprinting.—Not many athletes can excel in all kinds of running, and the champion sprinter is not generally a winner of long-distance races. Moreover, it is necessary for each runner to decide which he will be, for the training for each is different. Train gradually. At first take sharp walks of three or four miles. This will make the muscles begin to harden. Then run steadily for a quarter of a mile at a time, not troubling much about the speed. Cultivate the use of the toes and stride straight forward. Towards the end of the run the speed may be increased, for the muscles will then be in working order. Even now, however, the young sprinter should not tire himself. A week should be employed in this way before the more severe training is undertaken. Never begin to run violently at first, and this rule should be observed particularly in cold weather, for until the muscles have warmed to their work they are liable to strain, or even to suffer more severe injury. Practise starting. If you have a friend ask him to act as starter, and start over and over again, going to the mark and putting yourself in position time after time. In a short race like this a good start often makes all the difference, for it means sometimes a gain of a yard.