THE uncertainty of our English climate has made, and will always make, training for ice sports very difficult. It is impossible to know a week beforehand when frost will set in and skating be possible. Thus the skater cannot make sure of securing the one essential of training practice. Any time between November 15 and March 15 the weather may turn cold, and sharp frosts occur; within two or three days of umbrella or light-coat weather, the ponds and still waters may be covered with an inch of ice, and then in a very few days skating may become general. On the whole, only about once in ten years is it possible to obtain in England a fortnight's continuous practice ; but as long as English skaters kept to their own shores and did not compete with foreigners, this difficulty affected all alike and favoured none. Also, as long as the Dutch did not train, although they can always depend upon getting more practice than the English, the Fenman, by his superior style for distance-skating, could more than hold his own against them. It was Axel Paulsen, the Norwegian figure and speed skater, who proved the great advantage of training. Taking advantage of the long Norwegian winter, he, in a month or so, got fit, came down south and won his races as he liked, ultimately crossing over to America to astonish the Americans on their own ice.
Mr. Alexander von Panschin, in 1889, had made good use of his two months' skating in Russia, as on January 8 he won the half-mile and one mile at Amsterdam, though opposed by men far superior to himself in style and physique. On the Hudson River, in the States, Mr. T. Donoghue appreciated the value of training, and was determined that his wonderful skating sons should not suffer for the want of it. From their earliest skating days he put them through a course of systematic training. On February 22, 1889, James Donoghue, the youngest son, had only missed two days' practice on the ice since the year opened, and probably he had some thirty days' skating before January 1 ; this would mean some eighty days' skating before he competed for the American championship, when he would, of course, be in the pink of condition. The idea of sending skaters abroad to colder climes than their own in order to secure for them the earliest skating originated with the Dutch Association. At the end of November, 1889, Mr. K. Pander and Marten Kingma went to St. Moritz, and the splendid performance of Mr. Pander afterwards at the International Races was doubtless the encouraging result. In 1890, by public support, the writer was able to send James Smart and George See also to St. Moritz, and although, unfortunately, they were only able to obtain six days' practice before having to return to compete in the International Race at Heerenveen, James Smart succeeded in winning the most important professional race ever skated for, everyone being struck by his improved form. In 1888 the trained skaters of Norway went to Stockholm and easily defeated the Swedes and Finns ; after which the Swedes, taking a leaf out of the Norwegians' book, made better use of their splendid opportunities, and have during the last two years completely turned the tables, accomplishing times, moreover, which a few years before were considered impossible. Messrs. A. Norseng, J. T. Donoghue, and Von Panschin have each declared to the writer that it was madness to race without at least thirty days' practice ; and in the winter of 1890-91 the Norwegians refused to race with Mr. Donoghue during December, because they did not consider themselves fit until January.
The earliest instance of practice is perhaps that of the redoubtable William 'Gutta Percha' See, who some thirty-five years ago, during a prolonged frost, used to get out of bed at 4 A.M., light his fire, put the kettle on, and have a spin down the Old Bedford in the dark 'just to ease his legs,' returning to find his breakfast ready, and then go to work ; the result being that in a few days he was able greatly to surprise his opponents by his ' turn of speed.' Doubtless the agricultural work of our Fenmen puts them in hard condition, and affords a good general training, so that their muscles, wind, and staying power are in splendid order. But they still lack special training.
It was always said that William Smart's occupation of claying that is, digging trenches on the fen-land down to the clay, which is beneficial to mix with the surface soil accounts for the great power in his legs, thighs, and back. No doubt the work of a farm-labourer does put his frame into splendid order, although, if he works very hard, it has a tendency to destroy his elasticity. For skating, more than for any other sport, power and endurance as against quickness and litheness are necessary. Hence it is that ordinary amateurs have but little chance in England against those whose occupation is outdoor and laborious. For the same reason it was considered that the Frieslander acquired his superiority as a skater in Holland by punting the barges along with a pole, which, as Baron de Salis said, ' expands the chest, hardens the muscles of the calves and ankles, and accounts for the superior skating powers of the Friesland boatman.'
Our Fenmen have plenty of stamina ; what they require is the power of using their strength. They can never do themselves, or their Fen-style, full justice until they have been sent abroad and had real skating exercise for a month or two. The longest practice, if the ice can be kept clear of snow, may be obtained in Canada, where skating can often be enjoyed from October until the end of March.
I do not wish here to discuss or advocate any system of training as it relates to dieting, &c. : that has been well considered in the volume on 'Athletics'. But it might be well to warn enthusiasts that nature proceeds upon the principle. If you wish to suffer, then suddenly alter your course of diet and exercise, as a certain enthusiastic Dutch amateur did. He announced to the writer that he was in training for the International races, and proceeded to detail his daily consumption besides his regular meals. It amounted to ' two pounds of beef-steak, eight eggs, and four cans of milk,' size of cans not specified. His bloated face told the tale, and it need hardly be added he did not distinguish himself in the races. The best indications of a man being in good condition are a good appetite, a healthy appearance, sound sleep, enjoyment of exercise, good spirits, and ability to recover rapidly after exertion.
It may be useful just to refer to those exercises which develop skating muscles. Of these, rinking undoubtedly comes first. It resembles real skating, and may indeed be considered a sort of half-brother to it. But that it is not own brother was seen at Lingey Fen in the International Amateur Race, where the efforts of Mr. Tennant, a splendid rinker, and in first-rate condition, were of no avail. Rinking will strengthen the power of the ankles, legs and thighs for the lateral or outward pressure so necessary in striking, and it also brings into use those muscles of the back which support the body when under this exertion. The bent position of the knees and back are again the same in speed-rinking as in skating ; but rinking is apt to affect the stroke of the skater. It will not give him that precision and command over his stroke which are so characteristic of such trained skaters as Messrs. Donoghue and Norseng, whose strokes are the exact reproduction of one another. But, as a makeshift, rinking is very good, and doubtless the success of Mr. Joseph Donoghue as a rinker, which may be seen from his medal list, has been a great help to him in skating. In wintertime, should a thaw set in, he keeps himself in condition by rinking for an hour or so each day. It was for this reason that the writer arranged in 1890 for James Smart and George See to have two months' rinking during the summer at Olympia. Their wonderful success during so short a time, without having previously had a rink-skate on, shows the near relationship of the two sports.
In New York a ' Fresh-air Club ' exists whose members are enthusiastic skaters. They consider that mountain and hill climbing is a good preliminary practice for skating, and, if we may judge by the pounds of superfluous flesh some of the members leave behind on the mountain slopes, it doubtless is. A tramp over hill-sides, ascending and descending, &c., must strengthen the ankles and develop many of the skating muscles. In 1889 Messrs. Joseph Donoghue and K. Pander might have been seen, when the ice did not bear, daily for hours toiling up a toboggan slide near the ice rink, and a tramp along a bank or dyke half-way up its steep sides and back again would be a good thing to make the ankles and legs ready for the outside and inside edge. By some, riding is considered a good exercise, the pressure and bent position of the knees and the strain on the loins and back being all in the right direction. Other means have been proposed, some ingenious, some effective perhaps, and some crude. Enthusiasts have endeavoured to invent exercising machines on which to grind their muscles into condition. Others have trampled a grass field, or cut up a Turkey carpet with skates on their feet, so as to get used to them, and no doubt an imaginative reader may invent for himself some other curious, if not effective, dodges. But there is only one royal road to success, and that is practising on the genuine article ice.
Considering the speed of skating, it is wonderful how long a man with a good style can hold his own. Until he is forty years of age such a man is as good as a younger skater. After that he may fairly consider his racing days over, although Alfred Hawes, who had then passed his forty-second winter skated so well in the winter of 1890-91 as to be reckoned among the first dozen Fenmen. But an upright skater, who depends principally upon his activity, is seldom much good after he is thirty years old. Short, scratchy, active men like the Sees begin racing early, when seventeen or eighteen. But those with long powerful strokes like James Smart are not at their best until they are twenty-two or twenty-three. Old 'Turkey' Smart always tells his sons that they will not do much until twenty- three or twenty-four years old.
Starting-- Excepting for short-distance racing, little advantage arises from a jump-off start. The object of every skater, when the race is over half a mile, should rather be to get as rapidly as possible into a full stroke.
A jump-off start is very fatiguing, and another disadvantage in getting off quickly in skating is the slipperiness of the ice and the difficulty of obtaining a foothold. In springing off a skater is very likely to slip about, and may strain himself or lose his balance.
Once in full swing, the impetus of his body helps him to get a firm stroke against the ice, as will be explained in the next chapter, on Style. Some skaters regard the first shove off as of the highest importance, and make a violent effort with one foot, only to find they go so short a distance that the shoving leg has not time to recover, be brought back and dashed down, so as to allow the other leg to act as a propeller.
The Dutch are the best starters, as they do not trust too much to the forward impetus to get a hold on the ice, but strike violently backwards at the end of the stroke. It is wonderful to see them dash off in their 175 yards races.
Mr. G. D. Phillips, of the United States, in his one-eighth and one-quarter mile sprints, made a hole in the ice to act as a scotch for the toe of his right-foot skate in his spring forward. But the Dutch and Mr. Phillips are not distance-skaters.
The writer thinks it is the second, third, or even fourth stroke which should be thought most about in starting, the first being more or less preparatory. The object should be to get into a full swinging stroke with as little effort .and as quickly as possible. The first shove off with, say, the left foot should be merely to make the right foot effective in striking. It must not be allowed to get extended behind, but be at once picked up and dashed down in the right direction.
It should be remembered that the right foot can do but little striking or propelling until the left foot has been placed on the ice and has begun to support the body. As the first shove off will be only while the weight is on the left foot and is but a mild affair, there need be no occasion for digging or scratching the ice for a scotch, and little danger of slipping and falling.
Some dig a hole in the ice for the heel of the blade, but seem to forget that the striking is done by the flat or toe of the blade, and the heel is out of the hole at the critical moment. Other skaters attempt to jump off like a Sheffield sprinter, but as they are neither on turf nor wearing spikes they defeat their own object. The leisurely way in which the Fenmen get off strikes most on-lookers for the first time, and doubtless annoys a skater who has gained a few yards by an energetic start only to find himself rapidly overhauled by his apparently phlegmatic opponent. Doubtless Fenmen have carried this peculiarity to an extreme, which the importance of wasting no time under the time test will soon alter, but their unfitness for violent movements provides them with a good excuse for the adoption of their method.
A yard' or so may be gained at the start by practice and adroitness, and it may very likely be that at the finish this will prove invaluable. The writer has five or six times won and lost races by less than a yard. Those who watched Mr, Donoghue get off in the half-mile at Amsterdam in the winter of 1890-91 saw the advantage of carefully practising starts ; he felt that the half-mile was his worst distance, and took the more pains to get off well.
Turning -- The step over step action with which Mr. A. von Panschin went round the curved end of the Amsterdam course revealed to the Dutch and English the importance of learning this movement. Viewed from the inside of the curve, it looked just like running.
By a little practice it is easy to thus rush round a small curve with but little loss of speed, and to regulate the strokes to the size of the curve. In skating to the left round a curve, the body is leaned to the inside. Instead of bringing the right skate alongside the left, it is carried over and in front of the left, and, if the curve is small, is put down to the inside of the left skate. Care is necessary, if skating with prolonged heels, not to clash with the toe of the hind skate. The left skate then strikes with the outside edge, and is brought forward to the left of the right skate. By regulating the number of strokes when the right skate is brought to the front and to the left of the left skate, and the direction of the skate when placed on the ice, it is possible to manage any sized curve with precision and safety at great speed. Hugh McCormick is the most wonderful skater round a small rink in the world.
It is very necessary to learn how to go round curves, as most courses abroad have curved ends. As a rule, Fen skaters are very bad turners, and when rounding a curve look as awkward as rooks hopping with the wind as a preliminary to flying. On the parallel Fen course it is best when approaching the turn to keep well to the outside of the course ; this will allow as big a curve as possible. Slacken speed if possible by placing both blades at right angles to the course, and pointing towards the turn. Then, with one or two foot -over- foot strokes, go round. With a little practice and judgment it will be found easy, as Mr. Donoghue has shown it is, to get round rapidly without stopping. Abroad, courses are mostly skated to the left (against the sun and clock), but it is useful to be able to round curves either way.
As a rule it pays best to race hard all the way, without any bursts of speed when the distance is over a mile. I have seen many brilliant dashes at the beginning die away, and before the finish the skater crawl in last in an exhausted state. I have also seen a plodder start off as if he were on a week's journey, and when he woke up for an effort find himself too far in the rear, though quite fresh.
For a half-mile or less, throw all hesitation to the wind and skate ' like a hare ' ; keep your balance and stroke, but strike quickly and with energy. A mere scramble may do for TOO yards, or in playing bandy, but not for a quarter-mile race. For a mile, expend some energy in starting, fall into a full stroke, and do not spare yourself. Over a mile and a half or two miles course, the start and finish become of less importance; the main object is to maintain a stroke which your condition will allow from pillar to post, and put all your strength into each stroke. Some skaters, like Mr. Pander, begin to tail off almost from the start, others, like William Smart, seem to increase in pace to the finish. The former are useless for long distances, the latter for short distances.
It is very necessary for the skater to be warmly clad ; if anything, more warmly than a football-player. One seldom, if it is cold, perspires while racing, but often the hands and arms become white with cold. At the same time nothing should interfere with the movement of the limbs. They require great freedom, as they are thrown in skating into extreme positions. The loose Dutch blue or grey knickerbocker flannels, with shirt and stockings to match, are extremely suitable. But the most popular suits, as worn by such prominent skaters as Messrs. Donoghue, Norsing, Panschin, Godager, &c., consist of a woollen stocking-net trousers and jersey fitting close to the figure. These stocking-net costumes are very easy and warm, but do not look as well as the loose Dutch flannel suits. They remind one too much of a circus. If a jersey is worn, it should come well up to the neck like a Rugby jersey, and well down the figure, covering the thighs and protecting the wearer from the bitterly searching icy wind. A thick woollen cap to match should be made so that it can be well drawn over the ears, as their protection 'at times is absolutely necessary. The hands are specially liable to suffer from the cold, and should be well protected with warm gloves. Those who, unlike the English or Dutch, do not swing their arms, complain bitterly of benumbed frozen fingers. So intensely cold is the wind at times, when the skater is travelling, say, twenty miles an hour, that it is impossible for the face even to endure it. At Heerenveen Mr. Donoghue drew his cap well over his ears and head, his jersey came right up to his throat, but still he begged of the writer a handkerchief to tie round his throat, and skated face downwards.
Mr. Alexander von Panschin always had a handkerchief in his teeth to prevent the direct current of keen air rushing down his throat. In Russia he had to skate sometimes when the temperature was below zero. Doubtless, also, besides making him breathe through his nose, he found, from his peculiarly determined way of setting his teeth, that a handkerchief made a useful pad. Thick socks or stockings should protect the feet from the pressure of straps, or, where the skate is part of the boot, from the laces. It is a good plan to have boots a trifle large, and wear an extra woollen sock under the hose. By this means a thinner and tighter fitting upper can be worn. Should the feet be tender, a wash-leather sock may be necessary. As the ankles require freedom of movement, and it is necessary for the boots to fit tightly, the tops should be soft and pliable. The back of the heel is especially liable to chafe and get sore, and then a free use of vaseline becomes necessary until the skin is hardened. The method of treating and avoiding blisters will be found in the article on 'Training,' in the volume on ' Athletics ' already referred to.
Never forget to change your clothes after racing, and, if possible, between the races, and by rubbing down, &c., to work off any stiffness, and to keep quite warm. Avoid a heavy meal less than an hour or so before a race, and do not copy 'Knocker' Carter, who, within ten minutes of his final race at Cambridge, consumed a beef-steak, a big hunch of bread, two pints of beer, and a ' swig ' of whiskey. He won ; but not improbably this was because his opponent broke his skate.
I must again impress on all those who wish to secure international honours the importance of training. One cannot now-a-days roll out of bed and win a race. If an amateur wishes to excel, and has the two requisites of good physique and Fen style, he may, by getting into good hard condition in the summer, and taking the first opportunity during, say, November, to go to the Engadine or Norway for a month's practice, be able agreeably to surprise himself, if not to win the highest honours.