Ramirez1

AssignmentTwoFullDraft

Draftoftheintroduction:

The whole crowd is cheering and shouting your name, and over andoveragainbutyou
cant even hear them. Youre not even really breathing. Adrenaline flowing through your veins
and all you can think about is leaving it all on the track. Relax. Breath. You got this. Ready.
Set. BANG! Everything is a blur as you take off. Clean, cut, perfect form is all thats on your
mind. No one can out do you, you put too much work into this life. Track is life. You feel your
muscles wantingtogiveout,butthatsjustasigntoyouthatyouhavesomemoreinyourgasin
your engine. You remember that pain is temporary and that this race is already yours! Keep
your form, only a few more strides WINNER! Youre first to cross the finishline,allyourhard
work finally is paid off. All that work that you put into that no one ever saw. The physical and
mentaltoughnessyouhadtoendureithasfinallypaidoff.
A major factor of what makes an athlete such a great athlete is all the sacrifices each
individual has to make in order to become successful. Not being able to go to certain get
togethers because of a track meet, cutting off sodas and other foods to stay in shape, or
learning how to push ones self past their breaking point to only learn that theres a little bit
more to give inordertobecomethebest.Asmanyforthemanypeoplethatare familiarwiththe
term track is life, they know the severity of it. Being a track athlete is so much morethanjust
running but it is awayoflifeandaffectsdifferentaspectsoflife.Especiallysince,track andfield
is deemed as one of the more self disciplined demanding sports. It is rather interesting as to
what drives anathletetogreatnessisitjust involvementalorphysicalattributesorperhapsitis
both? It is obvious that being a track athlete is rather strenuous. Therefore, this paper will be
focusingonthedifferentrequirementsofbeingatrackathleteandhowitaffectstheathletes.
I find it necessary to state my own personal relationshipwiththetopicoftrackathletes
forIam onemyself.Istronglybelievedinthesaying that trackislifewhenIrantrackandIstill
do believe in the sayingalthoughIamnolongerapartofatrackteam,ithasmoldedmeinalot
of ways. As an athleteIfullyunderstandtheamountofphysicalandmentalattributesofbeinga
successful runner requires. You must do more than theworkoutsthatthecoachprovides.One
must take it upon themselves to go the extra mile, literally, to become decently outstanding.I
entendtolookintohowgoingtheextramileaffectsathletesmentallyandphysically.

ReviewofRelevantLiterature

Understandinghowthebodylooksandfunctionswhilerunningisanimportantvisualaidfor
everyathletebecauseitallowsthemtoseeandfullycomprehendproperrunningform.Ifthe
properrunningformisnotimplementedthentheathletemaygetinjured.Whilerunningit's
importanttokeepthekneesup,handsopens,shoulderssquared,andeartopocketmotion
(thehandswillmovefromthetipoftheeartothehipinacircularmotion).Allthesethingswill
drasticallyimprovetheirperformance,anddecreasethechanceofinjury.
Thisarticleemphasizestheimportanceofmaintainingtheproperrunningformforathletes.If
notcritiquedthentherunnerwillinjurethemselvesandmayneverbeabletorunagain.Many

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coachessearchofindividualswithproperrunningformandprefersomeonewiththeproper
formofrunningversussomeonewhocannotdosoandtheywouldhavetospendtimewith
themtomakethatperson'sformcorrect.Havingtherightformwhilerunningcandrastically
improveaperson'srunningtimebecausetheyuseandwastelessenergy,andarelesslikelyto
haveaninjury.

Thereisamassivedifferencebetweenpeoplewhoruneverydayandstationarypeopleasto
howandwhattypeofexerciseisneededforthem.Skilledrunnershavetheabilitytomanipulate
anytypeofworkoutthatmayseemeasyandmakeitworkfortheirbodytype.Theintensity
anddurationofeachworkoutdetermineswhattypeofrunnertheathletewillbecome.Short
(distance),repeatswithatimehackwillmorethanlikelydevelopsprinterslonger(distance)
withsetpaceswilldeveloplongdistancerunners.

Skilledrunnersoftenrelyonfeedbackinmanyformsfromtheircoachingstaff,mayitbeverbal
orvisual.Runnersmustbecritiquedconstantlyespeciallyabouttheirrunningformbecauseit
couldhaveamassivenegativeimpactontherunnersfutureifnot.Skilledrunnersknowhowto
listentoinstructionandinterprethowthecoachistryingtocritiquethemandperform
accordingly.

Everyrunnercannotemphasizeenoughtheimportanceofcontrollingtheirbreathingwhile
running.Atasteadypace,therunnerissupplyingtheirmuscleswithaconstantflowofoxygen.
Ifthispatternisinterrupted,thentherunnerismorelikelytocatchacrampandnotcontinue
running.OTherfactorssuchasmagnesiumandpotassiumintakebotheffectcrampshowever,
supplyingthemuscleswithoxygenisimportantforthebasicfunctionsofnotjustanathlete,but
foreveryoneingeneral.

Theamountofoxygenandsugarflowingintoyourmuscletissuedetermineseachrunner's
endurance.Itisimportantforeachathletetobeawareofwhattheyareconsumingandtheir
sugarintake.Asthebodyprocessesthesugarfortouseasenergyitstoresitmomentarilyto
useforlater.Ifoneisnotcareful,theycandomoredamagethangoodtotheirmuscles.Their
muscleisliabletocollapseandnotfunctioncorrection.

Justlikeinanyothersport,injuriesdooccur.
McKenzie
statesthatthe
trainingsurface,alack
offlexibilityandstrength,thestageofgrowthanddevelopment,poorfootwearandabnormal
biomechanicalfeatureshaveallplayedaroleinthedevelopmentofrunninginjuries.Every
individualmustknowtheirownweaknessesandusethepropershoesoinjuriessuchas
posteriortibialistendinitisandstressfacuresdonotoccur.Thisiswhywearingtheappropriate
footwearissovital,especiallyforrunnersbecausetherightshoeismaketohelpabsorbthe
constantpoundingandsupportthefoot/anklewhereneeded.Ifallofthesefactorarenottaken
intoaccountwhenselectingtheappropriateshoes,itwillhighlyaffecttherunnersperformance,
runningform,ands/heisliabletobeinjuredtothepointofnoreturnruiningtheirrunning
career.

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Thereisalotmorethatgoesintobeingatrackathletethanwhatpeoplerealize.Itisphysically
andmentallydemanding,takesupalotoftime,andrequireseveryounceofbeingforaperson
tobedecentlysuccessfulintrack.Oncemuchlearnhowtorunproperly,allowthemselvestobe
vulnerableandcritiquedpracticallysacrificingthemselvestotrackitself,however,the
interactionbetweenintcoachesandtheteammatesthemselvesallowsapersontoseethatthey
allhaveacommongoaltobecomethegreatest.

Enteringtheconversation

Whenimaginingagreatathleteonethinksofstrength,muscles,speed,etcanyand
everythingthathastodowiththephysicalbuildofanathleteiswhatreadilycomestomind.For
manysports,peopletendtolooksolelyatthephysicalattributesofanathlete.Ofcourse,that
wouldseemtomakesensebecauseinordertohaveagreatathlete,heorshemustbe
physicallyfit.However,notmanypeopleseemtoputasmuchasanimportancetothemental
developmentofstrongathleteasonewouldtothephysicalstrengthofanathlete.
Withinthelastthirtyyears,scientisthavestudiedtheneurologicalstandpointofsports
thatinvolvephysicalcontactorcollisionswithotherathletessuchasfootball,wrestling,soccer,
lacrosse,etc.Therehasbeencasesandithasbeenproventhathavingtwobodiescollideinto
eachercausescertainbraindamagethatcanseriouslyimpactoneslifenegatively
permanentlyparalyzingpeople.Thestudiescontinuedandwerepublished,yetathletes
continuedtoparticipateintheirrespectivesport.Whywouldanathlete,especiallyaprofessional
athleteschoosetocontinuetoparticipateinasportthatcoulddestroytheirfutureifinjured?
Whatgoesthroughanathlete'smindwhenconsideringtheprosandconsoftheirchoices?
Thankfully,trackandfieldathletesdonothavetoworryaboutanyintentionalphysical
collisions.However,thepreviousquestionsstillapplytotheserunnerseverysporthastheir
owndownfall.Whataboutthesituationswhenanathletegetsaninjuryandchoosesnotto
informthecoachaboutapossibleshinsplintoramusculartear?Whydoestherunnernot
realizesometimesbynotacknowledgingtheproblemitonlyfurtherworsenstheinjuryand
lessensthechanceoftherunnereverperformingagain?Whatisitthatgoesthrougharunner's
mindwhencontemplatingallofthesedifferentscenarios?
Itisfullycomprehensiblethattheathletewouldfeelpowerlessbecausetheyare.Its
necessarytolookintothementalaspectofandathletesbeing.Whatgoesthroughtheirmind,
whataretheirselfconfidencelevels,whatarethecharacteristicsofamentallyhealthyathlete?
Obviously,plentyoftimeandresearchhasbeenputintothephysicalbuildofcreatinga
physicallyfitathlete,nowletlookintotheaspectsofamentallystrongtrackandfieldathlete.

Conclusions/SoWhat?

Themainthingthatmanypeoplespendtheirtimeandmoneyonresearching,making
improvementsanddevelopmentsarehowtobuildaphysicallystrongerathleteandthephysical
traitsthatrunninghasonanathlete.Mostresearchnowreferencetobodilyfunctions,suchas
jointandmusclemovements/coordinations,andhowimportanthydrationisforathletes.Iwould
liketowritethispaperfromaphysicalandmentalaspectbecausebothtermsareequally

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importantforasuccessfulathleteespeciallythementalaspect.

Therereallyisnotmuch
informationorresearchontrackathletesspecifically.However,thereisinformationabouthow
trainingorworkingoutaffectsathletesphysically.Whatbuildsorbreaksdowntheathlete
mentally,howdoesthisaffecttheirperformance?
Onemustunderstandhowvitalthemindandwillpowerisforanathleteespeciallya
runner.Ifarunnercannotkeeptheirmindsane,thenhowdoesoneexpecttoperform
proficiently?Whatwouldbethepointoftheirrunninganymore?Manyathletesseemtobecome
anxiouswhentheirpassionisputonthelineandunfortunatelysomepeoplemayormaynotbe
abletohandlethebadnewsaswellasothers.Itisimportanttoinvestigate
why
and
what
makesarunnersomentallystrongbecauseattherootofallsportsrunningisinvolvedand
hopefullywithnewresearch,resultscanbebroughttothelightonwhatdrivesanathletetotruly
becomesuccessfulintheircareers.Whatisitthatrunnersdeemimportantfortheirrunning
careers?Howdotheytakecareofthemselves?Howdothey/whatisitthatboosttheir
confidences?Whataredifferentcoachingtechniques?Howdoesthismentallyaffectthe
athlete?

WorkCited

Clark,John."Trackathletetrainer."U.S.Patent5,234,392,issuedAugust10,1993.

Coburn,R.F.,andL.B.Mayers."MyoglobinO2tensiondeterminedfrommeasurementof
carboxymyoglobininskeletalmuscle."
AmericanJournalofPhysiologyLegacyContent
220,
no.1(1971):6674.

Dugan,SheilaA.,andKrishnaP.Bhat."Biomechanicsandanalysisofrunninggait."
Physical
medicineandrehabilitationclinicsofNorthAmerica
16,no.3(2005):603621.

McKenzie,D.C.,D.B.Clement,andJ.E.Taunton."Runningshoes,orthotics,andinjuries."
Sports

Medicine
2,no.5(1985):334347.

Messier,StephenP.,andKathleenJ.Cirillo."Effectsofaverbalandvisualfeedbacksystemon
runningtechnique,perceivedexertionandrunningeconomyinfemalenovicerunners."
Journal
ofSportsSciences
7,no.2(1989):113126.

Shephard,RoyJ."Intensity,durationandfrequencyofexerciseasdeterminantsoftheresponse
toatrainingregime."
InternationaleZeitschriftfuerAngewandtePhysiologieEinschliesslich

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Arbeitsphysiologie
26,no.3(1968):272278.

Ramirez,Dinora.
*ObservationOne*Wednesday,September16,2015.
*TrackandField
AthletesatUNCCharlotte*.no.1:(111).

Wagner,PETERD."MuscleO2transportandO2dependentcontrolofmetabolism."
Medicine
andscienceinsportsandexercise
27,no.1(1995):4753.

ASHYLNSFEEDBACK

Feedbackwasprovidedbasedontheupdateddraftthatyouprovidedviaemail.

OnethingIwaswonderingwhilereadingyourintroductionwhydoesthissubject
matter?Youmakeanexcellentcaseforwhatyouaregoingtoexplorewithregardsto
trackathletes,butagain,why?Whyshouldareaderthatisn'tanathleteorperhaps
doesn'truntrackbeinvestedinyourtopic?Yourtopiccertainlymatters,butyouneedto
makethisconnectionforyourreader.

Goodintegrationofsourcesinthelitreviewsection.Thesedidn'treadlike"copy/paste"
summariesfromyourannotatedbibliography.

Forenteringtheconversation,howcouldyoustudythementalstresses,etc?Develop
thisaspectofyourstudyabitmore.

FormattingCorrection:Fonttypeneedstobe12pt,TimesNewRomanfontthroughout,
anddoublespaced.