A Long-Distance Swimmer.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11744, 22 September 1902, Page 7

A Long-Distance Swimmer.

Mr Montague Holbein, who has made several attempts to swim, across the English. Channel, contributes an interesting article to the "Dailiy Express" on long-dis-tance swimming. The greatest obstacle which has to be contended • with, he says, is cold, and it is necessary therefore, to train in sioch'a way as to leave the body well covered with flesh, besides bringing the muscles into good condition. Mr Holbein's? method of training is to take a long wall, once or twice a week, and indulge in a six or seven hours' swim ever- two or threq days. On the days when he is not walking he puts in half an hour with a Siundow developer. This weekly routine is. commenced several months before the .contemplated awim, and adhered to strictly throughout the period of training. Mr Holbein ha? never been a smoker, and never while training takse any stimulants. "I may say," lie writes, "that I think smoking is more in jurious to a man's staying power than moderate drinking. Spirits, however, are very harmful, even if taken moderately." Dcring a long swim Mr Holbein takes constant nourishment —about every half-hour, if possible. The stroke he finds most useful in swimming is one of his own invention. "Lying on my back," he says. "I bring the hands from the thighs close to my body up to the chest. With a turn of the arm at the elbow, I extend the arms beyond the head until the hands meet. I then bring them with an outward and down* ward sweep with as much power as possible, to the thighs. In this way the hands never leave the water, and so the minimem resistance is offered to a contrary wind. This stroke also keeps me high in the waiter. About twenty-two to the minute is the rate of striking I find most profitable." In swimming a long distance he finds that he suffers chiefly in the eyes, the salt in the water acting on his sight-, and after some hours' immersion causing considerable pain. To obvia.te this difficulty he used in his recent Channel swims a small mask, which, fits tightly over the upper part of the face, and lias two watch glasses let in to see through. Though very cncomfortable to wear when swimming for any length of time, the mask served its purpose admirably. "The more "hard work the better white training," is Mr Holbein's' final advice to aspirants for long-distance he ours.