abstract: While there are many elements to consider when determining one's risk of heat or cold stress, acclimation could prove to be an important factor to consider. Individuals who are participating in more strenuous activities, while being at a lower risk, will still feel the impacts of acclimation to an extreme climate. To evaluate acclimation in strenuous conditions, I collected finishing times from six different marathon races: the New York City Marathon (New York City, New York), Equinox Marathon (Fairbanks, Alaska), California International Marathon (Sacramento, California), LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon (Austin, Texas), Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon (Cincinnati, Ohio), and the Ocala Marathon (Ocala, Florida). Additionally, I collected meteorological variables for each race day and the five days leading up to the race (baseline). I tested these values against the finishing times for the local runners, those from the race state, and visitors, those from other locations. Effects of local acclimation could be evaluated by comparing finishing times of local runners to the change between the race day and baseline weather conditions. Locals experienced a significant impact on finishing times for large changes between race day and the baseline conditions for humidity variables, dew point temperature, vapor pressure, relative humidity, and temperature based variables such as the heat index, temperature and the saturation vapor pressure. Wind speed and pressure values also marked a change in performance, however; pressure was determined to be a larger psychological factor than acclimation factor. The locals also demonstrated an acclimation effect as performance improved when conditions were similar on race day to baseline conditions for the three larger races. Humidity variables had the largest impact on runners when those values increased from training and acclimation values; however increased wind speed appeared to offset increased humidity values. These findings support previous acclimation research stating warm wet conditions are more difficult to acclimate to than warm dry conditions. This research while primarily pertaining to those participating physically demanding activities may also be applied to other large scale events such as festivals, fairs, or concerts. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Geography 2011

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No description available.

O crescente aumento da expectativa de vida tem culminado na constante preocupação com qualidade de vida na população idosa. A corrida de rua é um dos esportes que mais adquiriu adeptos dessa faixa etária. Alguns estudos têm reportado um aumento no número de lesões associado a este aumento do número de praticantes. As alterações teciduais decorrentes do envelhecimento biológico podem alterar a mecânica da corrida nos idosos e deixá-los mais susceptíveis a lesões. Contudo, ainda é desconhecido se tais efeitos realmente provocam esses resultados. O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar a cinemática da corrida em adultos e idosos. Foram analisados 17 adultos (31±6 anos) e 17 idosos (69±2 anos) recrutados voluntariamente para o estudo. Os sujeitos correram em uma esteira ergométrica nas velocidades de 8 e 11 km/h (idosos) e 11 e 14 km/h (idosos). Os sujeitos foram filmados por quatro câmeras de vídeo com freqüência de 120 Hz durante a corrida em esteira. Foram realizadas a digitalização e reconstrução das coordenadas dos pontos digitalizados no espaço real a partir das imagens das quatro câmeras e da calibração pelo método DLT. Os idosos apresentaram menor excursão de movimentos de flexão do joelho e de rotação medial da tíbia. Aparentemente os idosos apresentaram maior assincronia entre os movimentos do retropé e do joelho em relação aos adultos. Esses resultados sugerem que os idosos adotam padrões de movimentos diferentes dos adultos durante a fase de apoio da corrida. A prescrição de exercícios e as estratégias de prevenção de lesões em idosos corredores devem considerar essas diferenças / The growing increase of the life expectancy has been culminating in the constant preoccupation in quality of life in the elderly people. Running is one of the sports that has gained more participants in this age group. Some studies have shown an increase of the number of injuries associated with the increasing number of runners. The tissues changes resulting from the aging can alter the mechanics of the elderly running and leave them more susceptible to injuries. Nevertheless it is still unknown if such effects really cause changes in the mechanics of running in the elderly population. The objective of the present study is to compare the kinematics of the adults and elderly runner. Seventeen adults and 17 elderly runners participated in this study. The subjects ran in a treadmill at two different speeds: 8 and 11 km/h for elderly and 11-14 for adults. The subjects were filmed by four camcorders at 120 Hz. The digitizing and reconstruction of the coordinates of the digitized points were made at APAS System and calibrated with the DLT method. The elderly runners have showed a lower knee flexion excursion and lower tibial internal rotation excursion. It seems that elderly runners presented more asynchrony between rearfoot and knee joint movement than young adults. These results suggest that elderly runners adopted different movement patterns when compared with adults during the stance phase of running. The prescriptions of physical activities and strategies for injury prevention in elderly runners must consider the findings of the present study

[Conclusions] l) The two forms of human locomotion, walking and running, are distinctly different and in evaluating these gait patterns consideration must be given to this fact. 2) The impression created by the energy cost curves, that there is a single locomotor interface for both walking and running is a false one . There are two distinctly different locomotor interfaces, the walk-to-run interface and the run-to-walk interface. The former appears to correspond with the "metabolic intersection point" and therefore has some metabolic significance. The latter appears to be merely an "overshoot" of the walk-to-run interface and presently has no apparent metabolic significance. 3) Because the walk-to-run interface speed corresponds with the intersection point of the energy cost curves, physiological responses to walking and running at this speed do not differ significantly. However, cadence and stride length patterns for these two locomotor patterns are distinctly different at this point. 4) The identification of single physiological or kinematic factors during perceptions of exertion in any given situation is an extremely difficult if not impossible task. Perceived exertion should therefore be considered a multi-factorial concept and should be evaluated as such. 5) The use of relative speed as a technique for reducing inter-subject variability in physiological and kinematic factors is worthless unless diverse ranges in morphological linearity are a characteristic of one's subject pool

In Taiwan, the running race has become a prevalent physical activity (PA) over the past decade. A personalized running program, Run-Up, is a middle distance running unit that integrates a series of educational activities into an existing high school physical education (PE) course for enhancing students’ efficacy beliefs and enjoyment of running. Self-efficacy theory (SET) provided a framework to help the researcher understand how and why the Run-Up program activities affect students’ efficacy beliefs and perspectives on running. This qualitative case study was designed to explore the effectiveness of the Run-Up program in promoting high school students’ self-efficacy and enjoyment of a middle distance running in a single class of grade twelve students in Taiwan. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews with students and the teacher, their course feedback forms, and the samples of their journal entries including the students’ course work and teacher’s teaching notes. Data were analyzed by using constant comparison. Three resulting themes explicated how diverse learning activities integrated with multiple learning strategies in the Run-Up program could serve as an avenue to foster high school students’ self-efficacy and enjoyment of running. Comments from both the teacher and students highlighted the value of the Run-Up program as an educational PA program. / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to explore what the supra-maximal speed interval training effect was on a 40m standing start sprint and timed 3000m running performance was for two separate study groups when using either the AlterG® anti-gravity treadmill, or downhill running as a training intervention, for moderately trained female runners. The level of delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) after each supra-maximal speed interval session was also captured. Data from 20 women was collected during initial pre-intervention testing; involving the 40m standing start sprint and 3000m timed trial run. During a four week training intervention the level of DOMS experienced by participants at increments of 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours, in each respective training group was recorded. Post-intervention testing was performed to once again measure the participants 40m standing start sprint and 3000m timed trial run values, results were analysed and compared to pre-intervention data.

Running has become the sport of the 1980s. Men and women of all ages are regularly seen running throughout the community. The recent Canada Fitness Survey (1983) indicated that jogging is the first choice of activities which people wish to begin. Most adults who begin running programs take responsibility for the selection, planning, and implementing of personalized exercise programs which represent an important change in their lives. Instead of participating in formal running programs under the supervision of a running or fitness instructor, these individuals engage in self-directed learning experiences to attain knowledge and skills relevant to running. The purpose of the study was to investigate the reasons why adults, at a particular time in their lives, decided to begin to run. Tough's (1982) concept of intentional change and a lifespan developmental perspective provided a theoretical framework. Rather than regarding adulthood as a period of stability or decline, this perspective emphasizes the potential for growth and self-improvement. Inherent in this approach, is the view that adult lives are characterized by transitions defined by life events. In addition to a consideration of life events and environmental influences, relationships between sex and age and reasons for beginning to run were also investigated. Three instruments were developed. The Initial Reasons For Running Scale identified a wide range of reasons for beginning to run and the relative importance of each to the individual. The Life Event Scale identified events experienced by adults and the relative effect of each. The External Influence Scale identified seventeen environmental factors which may have influenced a man or woman to begin running. The 205 subjects were selected while running in various locations throughout the Greater Vancouver area. All data was collected on a self-administered questionnaire. Data from the IRFRS was factor analyzed. Orthogonal rotation yielded six factors--SOLITUDE, PERSONAL CHALLENGE, SOCIALIZATION, PREVENTION, REMEDIAL, and HEALTH. Orthogonal rotation of data from the EIS yielded four factors--MODEL, MEDIA, MOVIE, and PARTICIPACTION. An analysis of variance was performed to help explain the variance between the interaction of sex and age with IRFRS scores. This two-way analysis indicated interesting differences in IRFRS factor scores among men and women of different age groups. In several instances, important distinctions appeared between total populations of males and females and specific sex-cohort groups. Results of bivariate and multivariate analyses indicated that sex and age were not as useful in predicting motives for beginning to run as were variables concerned with life events and external influences. However, men were more likely than women to be motivated by PERSONAL CHALLENGE, PREVENTION, and REMEDIAL. In terms of age, younger adults were more likely than older adults to begin running for PERSONAL CHALLENGE and less likely to begin running for PREVENTION. A series of regression equations were performed to help explain variance in IRFRS factor scores. The most significant variables, the only ones which met the criterion for entry in all regression equations, were those concerned with specific life events. The experience of Health events was especially important. Although statistical significance was found between certain variables and IRFRS factors, most variance in motives for running was unexplained. But of the variance that was explained it was clear that life events were more influential predictors of reasons for beginning running than age or sex, considered separately or together. This study represents a beginning step in the explanation and prediction of reasons why adults begin exercise programs. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship of relaxation training and flexibility training to running speeds of high intensity at three short distances for high school males. In addition to the main problem, the following sub-problems were established: (1) Was there a significant difference of effects between the relaxation training and the flexibility training on times at the three distances of 20, 50, and 100 yards? (2) Was the relationship of flexibility and relaxation to running speed the same as the distance increased? (3) Did a combination of flexibility and relaxation training produce different results then relaxation training of flexibility training alone?

This study was conducted to investigate the methods which are presently being used to train boys for participation in the University of Texas State High School Cross Country Meet.