Part 4

A mild medicine is usually required to cleanse the blood, as, unless the blood is in good order, and in very many cases it is in any other condition than a good one, the food taken will not digest well.

Upon getting up in the morning take a sponge bath, dry well with a coarse towel, after which walk about two miles before breakfast.

Breakfast should consist of a good tender porterhouse steak, broiled rare, and thoroughly masticated before swallowing. As a drink, a cup of black tea. Drink no more than absolutely necessary either at meals or any other time.

After breakfast, eaten slowly, no exercise should be taken for about an hour; at the expiration of which time, the crew can get in the boat and row the same distance expected to be rowed in the race, and at a good pace.

After returning from the row, a rub down and then a moderate walk, until shortly before dinnertime. Dinner should consist of roast beef or broiled chicken, with soft boiled eggs, etc.

If any drink is taken, tea or water, in moderate quantity, should be used. After dinner no exercise for about two hours, when the crew take the afternoon pull, which should be over about the same distance and at the same pace as that of the morning.

After coming ashore, rub down as in the morning, with a coarse towel, and then take a moderate walk, returning home about an hour before supper, which, when eaten at all, should be a light one, composed of a little broiled meat, with a piece of dry toast and a cup of tea.

Two meals, at the least, should always be taken; and where only two are taken, they should, in all cases, be what is known as breakfast and dinner, as both these meals, or rather either of them, are more essential to the man in training than supper, particularly if he, as I would advise him to do, rises with the sun and retires at about nine o’clock, or half-past, in the evening.

After a night’s sleep, and after having left the bed at five in the morning and walked or ran two, three or four miles, as well as taking a bath, the system is generally quite importunate for sustenance by seven o’clock or half-past.

This is not always the case, however, in regard to supper; as, after having eaten a hearty dinner, at 1 o’clock, without any other exercise thereafter than the afternoon row, a man with very little practice can accustom himself to doing without more food until the following morning, if he retire at about nine o’clock.

Up with the sun in the morning and pursue the regular plan of bath, walk, etc., unless stormy, in which case exercise indoors should be substituted for the walk.

The dumbells and clubs are proper implements to use for this purpose, and every man in training, whether amateur or professional, should have one or other, or both.

The man in training should always have plenty of exercise given him at regular and proper intervals. By plenty of exercise I mean just enough, neither too much nor too little; and to be able to tell just when a man has just enough belongs only to those who have had an extensive experience in preparing men for aquatic or other contests.

His habits must, of necessity, be very regular, otherwise the course which he is pursuing will result in very little good.

In regard to the oars which myself and brothers--the Ward crew--generally use, they are sweeps, about twelve feet long and five inches wide. A boat for our crew of four would be forty-six feet long and twenty inches wide. In pulling we use the legs, and in a four or six-oared boat pull forty and forty-two strokes per minute. In pulling a pair of sculls, I pull about thirty-eight strokes to the minute, and use the legs.

We used spoon oars, and our boats were constructed with the stroke on the starboard side.

In sculling, I have always pulled open-handed, but I think cross-handed is the better style.

To make a successful rower great practice will be required, although in this, as in everything else, some learn much more rapidly than others.

* * * * *

Benjamin F. Brady, ex-president of the Amateur Rowing Association, furnishes the subjoined:

Coxswains are carried in the gigs and barges only; all the shells being constructed to dispense with them, and it is safe to predict that they will soon come to be a thing of the past in all American shell races. Whether with or without a coxswain is the more practical or scientific, depends, in a great measure, upon the nature of the course pulled, and the efficiency of the bow oar; but an experienced crew can well get along without one. While the fact has been several times proven that a good coxswain has been the means of winning a race with an acknowledged inferior crew.

COXSWAIN’S ORDERS

Among the Clubs of the Association, are given as follows:

1st. “Oars.”--The crew raising their oars to an angle of forty-five degrees and then placing them in the thole pins.

2d. “Out.”--The crew running their oars out to the proper distance for rowing, the blade being parallel with the gunwale of the boat.

3d. “Give-way.”--At the word “Give” throwing the handle of the oar forward well over the toes, the blade being at a proper angle to strike the water; and at the word “Way” dipping the oar in the commencement of the pull.

4th. “Weigh.”--To stop rowing.

5th. “Weigh-starboard,” or “Weigh-port.” To turn right or left.

6th. “Easy-all.”--To slacken speed.

7th. “Oars-apeak.”--To salute when at rest. The oars to be raised perpendicularly, the handles resting on the floor, and the blades running fore and aft.

8th. “Weigh-across,” “Apeak.” To salute when under headway. Running the oars across both gunwales.

9th. “Let-fall.”--To regain former position. At the word “Let,” raising the oar about four inches, and at the word “Fall,” throwing it into the thole-pins, the blade “first” touching the water.

10th. “Across-ship.”--To get the oars in the boat. At the word “Ship,” raising the oar at a distance to clear the heads of the crew, and dropping it lightly in the centre of the boat.

11th. “Trail-oars.”--In passing through bridges, culverts, etc., unshipping the oar and trailing it at the side of the boat.

12th. “Recover-oars.”--To regain former position.

The number of strokes pulled by the association crews it would be impossible to designate, with any degree of accuracy, as all rowers have their own peculiar styles; and in many cases a man, or a crew, may start at the rate of thirty-six to the minute and increase to forty, and finish at, or near, thirty-two. In practicing a crew, a “pull,” and “tire out,” is certainly detrimental to proper training, as a crew should “never” be over-worked.

The mode of dipping the oar among the association crews is, as a general rule, to immerse about one-half the blade; row with the back straight, elbows well at the sides.

STEPHEN ROBERTS’ SYSTEM.

In training a crew for a race, the habits and mode of living of a man are to be consulted more than any set of rules. If he is used to eating meat well cooked, it will not do to give him meat cooked rare, as this is apt to produce a looseness in his bowels. A man must eat according to the state of his system, and if he trains hard, eats meat, and is troubled with loose bowels, he should train light and live on toast, bread, and coffee or tea, for a few days, with puddings, or bread and milk; and if he is used to drinking, good fresh ale will not hurt him, but no liquor stronger than porter or ale should be used. On the other hand, if costiveness is present, no longer than forty-eight hours should be permitted to elapse without a motion, and this should be brought about, if possible, by making use of the suitable food and drink; such, for instance, as the veal steaks cooked rare, with cider or water as a drink.

The main thing, in training a man or crew, is to give him or them plenty of the same kind of work performed in the race. Be careful, however, not to put on too much at first. If a mile race is to be pulled, twenty days’ training will be required.

The first day, row, say one mile; the second and third day, about the same, or a little more, not too hard. After this, increase the distance half a mile every day, until five miles are gone over at each row. Then, if there are no blisters on the hands, row the whole distance at racing pace. Every other day, row eight or ten miles, up to within twenty-four hours of the race. Less rowing than this should not be taken; more will not hurt.

Clerks, bookkeepers, etc., generally require two weeks more of training than men who have been always used to heavy lifting; but, when a man once does get into good training, his race becomes an easy matter for him.

THE HARVARD SYSTEM.

Broiled steak or chops, potatoes in almost any style, without grease, bread nearly fresh, tea if desired, water, or milk if preferred, oatmeal porridge or gruel, and eggs poached or boiled--not very hard--render the breakfast of a Harvard student in training palatable and even attractive.

The best roast beef or mutton procurable, potatoes, bread, cracked wheat, rice, oatmeal gruel, and the various vegetables in the market, often, if not regularly, make the dinner inviting; and a piece of salmon or a dish of poultry or game is an occasional visitor, aiding to vary yet more the programme. Tapioco, farina and other vegetable puddings make an admirable substitute for heavy puddings as a desert. Milk, water, and tea again, and also butter and salt, in reasonable quantities, are permitted.

Bread and milk, or tea, butter, oatmeal gruel, dry toast and crackers, are the chief and often only articles taken at supper.

About a half hour’s careful rowing at a tolerable pace, with an occasional stop or “easy,” for instruction and rest, in the morning.

In the afternoon, an hour’s rowing, with not more than two or three rests, will complete the day’s water work.

The rate of speed in the afternoon should go up from thirty-five strokes a minute when commencing training to racing gait during the last two weeks, and pulling over the proposed course once “on time” will be plenty of work for this last period.

A three or four mile walk, at a four-mile gait, starting an hour after breakfast, will not, unless in extremely hot weather, prove too much for a vigorous young man with ordinarily good legs. The speed of this walk should be reached gradually, and after, perhaps, if a man in the start is much out of condition, say two weeks slower going.

A thorough rubbing of the entire body, until the skin is absolutely red, should “immediately” follow each row, and then a dry suit should be donned. Flannel is the best material for it.

Eight hours should seem a good medium for sleep. If a man feels all right with a less amount than this, he should regulate his own hours; but if he is nervous and excitable, he should have more. He should never lie abed awake in the morning, but spring up at once, and take his sponge bath, or in warm weather, if convenient, a plunge into cold water.

HARRY CLASPER’S SYSTEM.

Rise between 6 and 7 A. M., walk four or five miles. Breakfast at 8 A. M.--Chop or couple of eggs, bread, tea, Rest for half an hour, and then a brisk walk or run. If morning exercise has not been heavy, a row, terminating about 11 A. M. Dinner at 12 M.--Beef or mutton, broiled; egg-pudding, with currants in it if desired, or other light farinaceous pudding; old ale, one glass; wine, one glass, (port); or ale, two glasses, without wine. Rest for an hour, and then on the river again for a hard row. “Rowing exercise should be taken twice every day.” Tea, with toasted bread sparingly buttered, with one egg only--more has a tendency to choke the system. Supper, not recommended. When taken, to consist of new milk and bread, or gruel, with raisins and currants and a glass of port wine in it. Bed about 10 P. M. _Summary_: sleep, between eight and nine hours; exercise, walking and rowing about four or five hours; diet, limited.

CHARLES WESTHALL’S SYSTEM.

Rise at 6 A. M. or earlier in the summer; cold bath and rub down; sharp walk about a mile out, and run home; or a row of a couple of miles at three-parts speed; a dry rub down. Breakfast at 8 A.M.--Mutton chop or steak, broiled; stale bread or toast, tea, half a pint. Dinner at 2 P. M.--Meat as at breakfast with a mealy potato, stale bread, old ale, one pint. Rowing. If dinner be late, luncheon to be taken, to consist of beef or mutton, hot or cold; bread, old ale, one glass. If dinner be early, “tea with viands and liquids as at breakfast” to be taken. Supper--Half a pint of thin gruel, or dry toast and a glass of old ale. That the above rules are of course open to alteration according to circumstances, and the diet varied successfully by the introduction of fowls, either roast or boiled--the latter preferred; and it must never be lost sight of that sharp work, regularity and cleanliness are the chief if not the only rules to be followed to produce thorough good condition. _Summary_: sleep, about eight hours; exercise, four or five hours; diet, limited.

H. F. WALSH’S, OR STONEHENGE’S SYSTEM.

Rise at 8 A. M. According to season and weather, cold bath. Exercise, 8.30 to 9 A. M.--Let all take a gentle run or smart walk. In most instances a smart run of three miles will be about the best distance.

Breakfast; 9 to 9.30 A. M.--Oatmeal porridge, with beef or mutton broiled, and bread; tea or coffee, or old ale, one pint. Tea is preferred to coffee. Cocoa is too greasy.

Exercise, 9.30 to 11.30 A. M.--Billiards, skittles, quoits, or other light exercise. 11.30 A. M. to 1.30 P. M.--Rowing. 1.30 to about 2.30 P. M.--Running, rubbed dry and linen changed.

Dinner, 2.30 to 3 or 3.30 P. M.--Beef (roast) or mutton, (boiled mutton occasionally), roast fowl, partridges, or pheasants (allowed), or venison (nothing better); bread, puddings occasionally, made of bread, eggs, and milk, and served with preserved fruits. Vegetables--Potatoes (one or two only), cauliflowers and broccoli (only as an occasional change). Old ale, from a pint to a pint and a half; wine, a glass or two, port or sherry. After dinner, until 5 or 6 P. M., a gentle stroll. Rowing 6 to 7 P. M.

Supper, 8 P. M.--Oatmeal porridge, with dry toast, or chop, with glass of port. Bed at 9 or 10 P. M.

_Summary_: sleep, ten or eleven hours; exercise, say four hours (exclusive of billiards, etc.); diet, varied.

WINGATE’S SYSTEM FOR A MONTH’S TRAINING.

Rise at about 7 A. M. (Glass of cold water recommended). The crew meet at 7 A. M., walk and run for four or five miles; or, in later practice, quick run of two miles. Wash and dress.

Breakfast, 9 A. M.--Meat (broiled), bread (brown) and butter, tea, two cups. Cocoa made of the nibs boiled for four hours is better than tea for breakfast.

Luncheon at 1 P. M.--Beef sandwich, with half a pint of old ale, or biscuit and glass of sherry, or egg in sherry. At 2.30 P. M. row about four or five miles. This altogether depends on the state of the crew.

Dinner at 6 P. M.--Wash in tepid water. Meat (roast, broiled or boiled). Vegetables--“The green foods permissible contain in their list spinach--the very best of all; sea-kale, asparagus, but without melted butter; turnip-tops, young unhearted greens, but not solid cabbages; broccoli, carrots, parsnips, and cooked celery. Turnips are also favored, and peas condemned, also cucumbers, and all salad mixtures. But boiled beet-root is good, and Jerusalem artichokes; and French beans stand next to spinach in virtue.” “Any kind of wholesome meat thoroughly cooked.” The course is varied daily, so that no two days together shall see the same articles on the table. “Light puddings may be eaten.” Old ale, one pint. Wine, two glasses of old port or sherry, or three of claret. Biscuits and dried fruits, as cherries, figs, etc., allowed. “All fresh fruits are avoided. Plain jellies are innocuous. As much spring water as they have a mind to.”

Supper, 9 P. M.--Oatmeal gruel, if desired. Bed at 10 P. M.

_Summary_: sleep, eight or nine hours; exercise, about three hours; diet, varied.

TRAINING FOR LONG-DISTANCE GO-AS-YOU-PLEASE CONTESTS.

About the first recognized legitimate contest of this kind was originated by Sir John Astley, a Crimean veteran and general athlete, giving a valuable gold and silver belt, open to the world, to the one who should cover the greatest distance, in whatever way he chose, unassisted, on his legs, for a period of six days. Long distance feats were not in themselves new, by any means, Capt. Barclay, Foster Powell, George Wilson, and others in auld lang syne figured conspicuously in England and Scotland, their journeys being traveled out of doors, on the roads, similar to the long walks of Weston, Sergeant Bates, Wm. Gale, and others. The athletic mania, which had lain dormant for so many years, was suddenly revived in this country, and spread like an epidemic far and wide, bringing with it a healthy reaction. The saloons and viler resorts began to lose caste for the running and walking match. Street cars and stages, and elevated railways complained of lack of patronage on fine days, as old and young, rich and poor, fell into the walking rage, and amateur spurts from home to place of business and _vice versa_ became visible on every few blocks. Even the working girls caught the health imparting habit, and stepped out as jauntily and with as much snap as your La Chappelle or Fannie Edwards. Dailies, weeklies and monthlies saw increased interest and patronage by devoting space to athletics, while Beecher, Talmage, Moody, and other lesser lights mixed athletics up with their dogmas, until at the present time it is the fashion, and with us style is everything. True, druggists, doctors and undertakers found their business falling off, but we are candid enough to admit feeling pleased at this state of things, as, from being looked upon as a nation of tobacco-chewing, nervous, dried-up, money worshipers, experience has proved that Americans now, instead of following, take the lead in everything worth speaking about.

It is not every boy or man who will make a Rowell, an O’Leary, a Blower Brown, a Frank Hart, or whoever happens to be the head of the class when this meets the reader’s eye--neither must a young lady expect to become a Madame Anderson, a May Marshall, or a Von Berg. Both sexes can, if they have the will, in time, accomplish what now seems an utter impossibility. Does any one suppose that Daniel O’Leary walked his square heel-and-toe contests, Madame Anderson her great accomplishments, Captain Webb his swimming across the English Channel, Ed. Hanlan conquering all the world as an oarsman, by saying “I can’t,” and making no further effort? To become adept at anything, perseverance is the keystone, as “Little by little great oaks from small acorns grow,” and constant dripping even wears stones away, so that “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.” If necessary, commence by walking only a block at a time, Madame Anderson used to tell her lady admirers, increasing to two, four, eight, and so on, doubling and doubling until it will be found as easy to go miles as it was before the length of a single row of houses. Youth is the best time for practice, and the smallest, sickliest looking boy or girl will, with one or two companions, manage to cover an amount of ground that would make ordinary grown-up people very much inclined to doubt, and very loth to attempt. The youth has ambition in this direction, not having yet got into politics, money worshiping or being addicted to chewing, smoking, drinking, etc., which to many men are considered absolutely necessary. A party of boys with jackets on their arms will walk and run eight or ten miles, on a Fourth of July day, cutting up, prattling away, whistling or singing, with no other refreshment than a little water or fruit. They fix upon a certain place to go to, may be an orchard, or to hunt bird’s nests, or to a place to swim, row or fish, and get there, whereas a man or party of men, unless conveyed straight to the spot, would probably consume half a dozen lagers at least, and smoke as many bad cigars, pipesfull of strong tobacco, or chew a paper of so-called solace. We have tried both, and found out we could travel twice the distance on a few oranges or a mouthful or two of spring water, a biscuit or sandwich, than all the lager or tobacco taken in our life.

Presuming the individual to be in good health, the walks, trots, or runs must be gradual at first, and increased daily, not exactly in the order laid down in previous chapters, for the six-day business is more a trial of endurance than speed. It is not necessary to measure the distance between meals, but keep on the go until pretty well tired, rest at intervals, then buckle to again. The “Rowell trot” won him the belt and drew a $50,000 gate, his share the first time he came to New York, after all expenses being over $20,000. It has been proved beyond all argument that trotting or running beats walking, and when once acquired the dog trot will come as easy to a man (if not easier) as a fast walking gait. In practicing long-distance running, style is nothing--wind and freshness everything--let your arms, therefore, swing easy which ever way comes most natural, as the legs are the motors for this kind of work. Neither attempt long or short strides, no matter what your gait, clumsy or otherwise, for it is the distance to be got over that will land you a winner, not your shape or traveling on your “pretty,” however people may criticise. An old car-horse will keep up the same jog-trot nearly all day apparently undistressed, while a terrible three-mile dash at full speed will perhaps use the fast horse up. It was not natural for the car-horse to go that gait at first, but he was broke to it, and men are pretty much like horses in this respect, except that they can endure more in the long run. You will doubtless have “bellows to mend,” stitches in your side, etc., but stick it out and they will not come again probably twice the same day. A short stick, easy-fitting clothes, light head cover, well-seasoned and easy fitting laced-up shoes, seamless, woolen stockings, and a cheerful companion are all necessary. If troubled with sore feet the pedestrian should follow Dr. Parks’ advice to the British Army, viz.: Before setting out dip the feet for a minute or two in very hot water, wipe them quite dry, and then rub them with soap (soft soap is best) till there is a good lather; then put on the stockings. If, notwithstanding, they are yet foot-sore, at the end of the day wipe the feet with a damp cloth, and rub them with a mixture of tallow and spirits of wine. Besides this, great attention should be paid to the stockings, which should be constantly washed. Worsted and merino stockings are preferable to cotton ones.