The Boston Marathon Running Analysis
Each part of a marathon has its own challenges. Many people think that they are not “fit” as the athletes in the race, or that their past health has shut the door on this opportunity. But, they are wrong. While a physically ready body is important, the ability to stay positive and keep your mind on track of the objective at hand is crucial. The runners of Team NOVA were not ready to run 26 miles on the first day of training, and some even had problematic pasts, such as troubles with their heart. But with nine months’ worth of training, they were able to run The Boston Marathon. This wasn’t all their coaches that got them there, a lot of it was within their mindset. Each member set their own goals and pushed themselves to fulfill them. Just
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This is what everyone thinks, but they are not necessarily correct. The most important thing that your body needs during running any amount is oxygen, that’s where VO2max comes into play. VO2max is “the volume of oxygen a person can consume in one minute as he or she exercises at maximum exertion” (paragraph 4). With Team NOVA, their VO2max levels were measured before and after their nine months of training; and they were dramatically better after. It’s not the VO2max levels that help with receiving enough oxygen when running, it is merely an indicator. The amount of red blood cells present in your body help with your oxygen intake, as their primary job is to transport oxygen to the tissues of your body. The more red blood cells, the more effective your body is at transporting oxygen. Lastly, the main thing that helps your body with oxygen flow that, in turn, makes you physically ready for a marathon, is your heart. “Elite endurance athletes have extraordinarily powerful, and often unusually large, hearts…with sweat and perseverance, all of us can strengthen our hearts” (paragraphs 16, 17). A healthy heart means more oxygen flow, and eased breathing when running. In the instance of Team NOVA, after only nine weeks into their training, their hearts became more efficient, pumping more blood with less beats. Their arteries and veins became more elastic, easing blood flow, and they had more tiny capillaries and mitochondria, and they were
This is what everyone thinks, but they are not necessarily correct. The most important thing that your body needs during running any amount is oxygen, that’s where VO2max comes into play. VO2max is “the volume of oxygen a person can consume in one minute as he or she exercises at maximum exertion” (paragraph 4). With Team NOVA, their VO2max levels were measured before and after their nine months of training; and they were dramatically better after. It’s not the VO2max levels that help with receiving enough oxygen when running, it is merely an indicator. The amount of red blood cells present in your body help with your oxygen intake, as their primary job is to transport oxygen to the tissues of your body. The more red blood cells, the more effective your body is at transporting oxygen. Lastly, the main thing that helps your body with oxygen flow that, in turn, makes you physically ready for a marathon, is your heart. “Elite endurance athletes have extraordinarily powerful, and often unusually large, hearts…with sweat and perseverance, all of us can strengthen our hearts” (paragraphs 16, 17). A healthy heart means more oxygen flow, and eased breathing when running. In the instance of Team NOVA, after only nine weeks into their training, their hearts became more efficient, pumping more blood with less beats. Their arteries and veins became more elastic, easing blood flow, and they had more tiny capillaries and mitochondria, and they were