ATHLETICS

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1926, Page 4

ATHLETICS

AILMENTS OF ATHLETES

HOW TO PREVENT THEM.

(By “

“Also Started.”)

During the past two weeks or more athletes in New Plymouth have been training fairly hard. As a result many are finding certain ailments common to athletes when training and during races. Almost every athlete experiences stiff muscles at the commencement of training and while the sufferer need loee no sleep over being sore he should not neglect the sore parts. Again, while the legs are sore too much hard running should not be done, 'but gentle trots and exercises and plenty of walking. Some runners like to have a hot bath after their first two or three runs. This is good only for a while, but is harmful if kept up after each run. The benefit derived is that the heat loosens the muscles and opens the pores, but these hot baths also weaken the muscles just as a cold bath hardens them. Relief is also derived by rubbing the affected part with linament. Seal oil is a great thing for easing sore legs and possesses no harmful elements. Care must be taken not to use thick embrocation as it blocks the pores, while any mixture with turpentine in it should be avoided. In beginning training many runners have to run over roads as they are not near enough to a track. This is where most of the complaints come from. Road running is beneficial providing thdt training is begun very easily, and any severe work lead up to by slow stages. Besides it is not so monotonous as running round and round a track about twenty times, espically if a circuitous route can be found. The seat of the soreness caused by road work is generally down the front of the leg, near the ankle, and also down the sides. These pains make it difficult to get up on to the ball of the foot, thus hindering the stride and resulting in a loss of pace. BLISTERS. Another general complaint, particularly among road walkers and crosscountry. runners, is blisters. Some athletes have more tender flesh than others, and it is this section that needs to exercise great care. 111-fitting shoes, usually too large, with rucked up socks, are the usual cause of blisters. The first essential is to see that shoes fit properly. Some try to harden the feet by a pricking process, but I am not a believer in this. It is best to keep the flesh soft, and the application of grease is useful in this respect. Another method in to dust the ieet and the inside of the shoes with borie powder. Cramp in the stomach is a serious trouble for runners and walkers when engaged on a long distance journey. In the majority of cases this is owing to damp and cold. Away goes the athlete on a long journey, clad in the regulation kit. AH goes well for a time, but eventually there is a reaction, and the athlete begins to feel cold. It is now that there is danger of cramp in the stomach, particularly when facing the wind. Here the method of prevention is to wear suitable clothing, and it pays to carry a few ounces of extra weight when it ensures warmth. Another method recommended by Loyd Hahn, our American visitor of last season, is to have a belt of brown paper fixed around the stomach. The paper keeps the heat in’and thus prevents the stomach from gecoming cold. When cramp does appear brisk rubbing with whisky or one of a few good spirit embrocations will help. Of all the ailments which athlets are worried with, “the stitch” is most troublesome. No one seems to be able to say with certainty what is the cause, or to give an absolute cure. Probably want of condition, taking a meal too soon before a run, or a meal of an unsuitable kind, are apt to bring in the stitch. Assuming an athlete is fit, his best safeguard against stitch is to take his final meal quite three hours before his race, and also make sure that what he has can be easily digested. It should be remembered that whilst a man may digest a meal in three hours under ordinary circumstances, there are some individuals who are so worked up before a big event that all their internal organs are thrown out of gear. Many will know the feeling, and will have experienced that stirring up of the inside. Athletes of this nature should take extra care regarding their diet. They may also take eomfort from the faet that soime of the greatest champions experienced these symptoms, including the best miler Britain has yet produced. It might further be remembered that cold may also have something to do with stitch, so the remarks about suitable dress should be remembered. The only relief that I can suggest in the case of stitch, is to bend down and to press the.-hands firmly against the spot affected. Of course in a short race this will impede the athlete a bit, but in a longer race the bending down will not count so much. Some, mostly young lads, think that running with grips stops stitch by keeping the muscles of the stomach taut. This practice is decidedly wrong in that it is injurious in keeping the muselee hard instead of loose and flabby. Just as the nature of food taken prior to a race has a bearing on ailments such as cramp in the stomach, and the stitch, so it affects a man when taken during a long distance race. TRACK NOTES. Fast times still continue to bo the vogue in the races held at the evening meetings. Those on Monday showed further improvement on others held earlier in the season,, which goes to show that members are training hard and benefiting from it. C. Head seems to have a great liking for third place. In every race he has run in this season he has filled that place. However, with a little more knowledge of the art of running be will soon fill the higher places, as he seems to possess stamina and stride. The juniors and hsaidens are a verv promising lot. In the two lap race, which was not far short of the halfmile, some surprising form was shown as the time of 2imin § 2-ssecs shows. Shrimpton blossomed forth with a great finishing effort and won after a great

race with Robertson and Gorringe. Shaw, who went out and led the ■ field, made the pace a “cracker” for an all scratch race. With a little more judgment he will become a useful runner. The new member, J. Jackson, opened well for his first race by gaining second place to Norris after a neck aud neck go down the straight. This member is going to trouble the others after a few weeks’ training. Gilmour put up another meritorious performance by winning the mile off 40yds in 4min 43%sec. "Also Started” would like to see a race between this man and D. Robertson over a mile. It should be a great go. * Next Monday the senior race will be a 440yds and there will be a high jump, as well as a 75yds race for girls. The programme for the Combined Caledonian Societies’ sports to be hen at Hawera on January 26 is now out. The events aie a veritable feast for amateur runners, and should draw large entries from far afield. The races comprise 100yds, 220yds, 440yds, 880yds, one mile and 120yds hurdles handicap. Extra good trophies are offered for the first three places in each race, the value being fifty, twenty and ten shillings iu each event. The field events comprise a high jump, long jump, hop, step and jump, throwing the javelin, putting the shot, throwing the hammer and tossing the caber, all being handicap events. Such a programme must be considered as one of the best provided in Taranaki. A gold medal also goes to the ‘competitor, gaining the most points. The second club inn will be held on the Fitzroy Beach on Saturday afternoon. The club is making every endeavour to have the new javelin and discus on the grounds, and every enthusiast in this branch can expect “to have a shot” at -it then as the implements will be obtained by Mr. South, who is at present in Auckland.