30 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



whom this inquiry was addressed, strengthens my conviction that 

 unless a hoy is unusually well developed, he should not take up dis- 

 tance running in earnest until eighteen years of age, and leads me to 

 believe, furthermore, that the practise of running school boys daily 

 from the beginning of the school year in order that they may compete 

 in the spring, is a bad one, as is also that of running them in so many 

 races during the season. 



But there was found to be a credit as well as a debit side in the 

 effects of running upon the heart. One man writes : " My train- 

 ing and running caused previous heart and lung trouble to disap- 

 pear " ; another, " transformed a nervous heart into a normal one " ; 

 another, "transformed a heart beating 100 usually, with occasional 

 palpitation, into a normal one and caused the palpitation to disap- 

 pear " ; another, " when I began running, I was so weak that I was 

 supposed to go down stairs backward — at the last physical examina- 

 tion I was found to have one of the best hearts in the school. Ran 

 four years from 440 yards up to seven miles." 



Other Injuries. — In response to the question " Has racing ever in- 

 juriously affected you, and how?" eight men testify to temporary in- 

 jury due to over training or to racing when in poor condition, such 

 as weak stomach, run-down condition, nervous breakdown, etc., the 

 bad effects lasting from several weeks to as long as twelve months in 

 one instance. One of these men ran the half mile, mile and two 

 miles in one afternoon several times each year of his course of four 

 years. This, of course, was simply inviting disaster, and it is diffi- 

 cult to understand how any college trainer could have permitted it. 

 This brings us directly to a statement by one of the most famous 

 athletes this country has ever produced, namely that 



The great trouble in my opinion is the lack of knowledge on the part of 

 trainers. The tendency is to overdo. This is particularly true of the school 

 boy who imagines that unless he runs himself clean out every day of practise, 

 he is not getting in the proper condition for competition. This is where he 

 makes a mistake, and where, in my mind, he is going to feel the effects in 

 later years. 



Proper training means work suited to the strength and development 

 of the individual, and if a man is so trained, is allowed to compete only 

 when fit, and is fit to run when he begins training, such injuries would 

 not occur. 



Benefits. — In answer to the question, " Has it benefited you in any 

 way ?" ninety per cent, answer " Yes," five per cent, do not know 

 whether it has or not, and five per cent, reply, " It has not." The 

 benefits said to have resulted are in general, strengthened heart and 

 lungs, developed a rugged constitution, cured several weak hearts, 

 " gave perfect health and endurance very beneficial in recent years," 

 " cured frequent headaches," " effected a complete emancipation from 



