Week 13

http://www.mensfitness.com/training/endurance/train-like-an-olympic-sprinter

Upon visiting the website in the link above you'll find that the opening to this article is,"Since we were kids, the fictious lives of superheros made us wonder what it would be like to have their powers. Even now we see them on the silver screen being bigger, stronger and faster than the average human. Today's athletes have evolved so much that they seem to actually possess these super-human qualities. If you ever wondered what it would be like to train for superhero strength and ability, take a look at the life of an Olympic Sprinter.

These athletes are the total package of strength, power, speed and explosiveness wrapped up into a lean mean running machine. But what does it really take to compete on the national stage when all you see on TV are sub 10-second races?" Average Olympic trainees for track have to do Power Cleans - 5 x 5, Barbell Squats - 6 x 3, Bench Press - 6 x 3, Plate and Body Weight Complex Finisher - 3 x (90-second rest), Chin-ups - 10, Jump Squats w/plate - 12, Hanging Knee raises - 20, Reverse Lunge w/knee drive - 8 each leg, Dips - 10, 40-foot Sled Drag. Have we even heard of some of this stuff? On top of this there is the specific foods you need to eat and a schedule to follow.

What really does all of this mean? Well, if you think about it, people training for the Olympics are put through a lot. The amount of strength, power, and speed they need to attain by the end of four years seems impossible. Each sport comes with new challenges. Someone who is looking to go to the Olympics needs to put all of their focus into it. This leaves a mental affect on the individual and a physical effect on their bodies.

Week 12

For this week I will post the interview I got. My friend Julia trains vigorously for dance at her college. Each day she has practice and recitals along with teaching over the weekend. It affects her in a few ways which I asked her about. The red will be her answers.

How long have you been taking dance for?

I have been taking dance since I was 3. Ever since I could walk.

In what ways would you say your life differs from others due to all the training?

Along with having to miss out on family parties and hanging out with my friends, I have had some nights where I didn't sleep. I would come home at 11 then shower, eat, and spend hours on homework due to the classes I was taking. Most of my friends are from dance so when we have our time off we hangout, but I haven't had time for other activities like school sports and clubs. It is always school and dance which affected my life socially.

What challenges have you been faced with throughout your years of doing dance?

During periods in dance I had to memorize 13-14 dances at a time. Some of my challenges was staying awake at competitions and the week before my competitions where my practices were extended. Some of my instructors have pushed me to do things I never even thought I could do. Getting point and having to practice it 3 times a week left me aching every time I would walk. They take staying in shape very seriously too. We would work out our abs, legs, and arms all the time. We always had to be in shape because if you ran out of breath in a competition and got sloppy I could ruin the whole dance. We would even have to keep our bodies looking good because we have to fit into the costumes. When I was in high school I started teaching dance for the little kids at our studio which was a challenge at first. We would make their dances and made sure the kids knew it well. It wasn't always easy. Coming home after long days I would be exhausted and it affected the way I treated my family. Doing dance definitely has affected me mentally and emotionally.

Would you say being an athlete benefits you? If so, Why?

Looking back at it I could say dance has benefited me throughout the years. It kept me away from staying out of trouble. It made my focuses limited to school and dance. With school I would always do my work the very best I can because if I fall back I can't do dance for college. I have always been a good student and dance just taught me to get more engaged in what I was doing. They made me become the person I am today. I look at myself as the type of student to plan my schedule accordingly so that I can get all my work done. I focus and put 100% effort into everything I do because if the long hard hours has taught me anything it is always to give my best effort.

Week 11

http://www.euronews.com/2012/07/19/what-does-it-take-to-win-an-olympic-medal/

Today I entered in the google search, "What does it take to be part in the Olympics?" Many answered came up from this but I focused in on one article which is the link above. If you find interest in reading the article you will see what an individual has to go through to find success in the Olympics. This article focuses in on the factors it takes to get far such as wealth and raw talent. A quote from the article states, "That individual’s talent must first be recognized, then it must be nurtured, harnessed and channeled to result in a technique that will be competitive at the very highest level. The raw talent needs a coach, infrastructure, equipment and facilities." This gives us a better understanding that even once you get the raw talent, there is a lot more to have. You need to train in facilities and become competitive. This would leave a mental effect on the individual training for the Olympics because you need endurance.

Week 10

Gabby Douglas, Julie Johnston, and Mckayla Maroney have not gotten back to me yet unfortunately. If they don't get back to me I created my backup plan. This Spring Break I am going to Phoenix, Arizona to visit a close family friend. Someone I am visiting is training for the Olympics. They are not of the age to start trying, but  I can interview them. My next post will either be their interview or one of the three people I tried to reach out to if they get back to me.

Week 9

This week I have emailed Gabrielle Douglas (a gymnast training for the Olympics), Julie Johnston (a women on the Team USA Olympic team), and Mckayla Maroney (a 2012 Olympist) in hope they could do an interview for me. By next Friday I would like them to get back to me. I feel that they will be a great resource for an interview.

Week 8

Within the next few weeks I will be getting an interview from someone who is either training for the Olympics or was previously training for them. Here are the questions I will be asking.

1) How long have you been training for?
2) In what ways would you say your life differs from other people's lives due to the training?
3) What challenges have you been faced with throughout your years of training?
4) How would you say the training affects your life?
5) Would you say being an athlete benefits you? If so, Why?

Week 7

For week seven I thought I would do something a little different. All this time I've been talking about the affects of training for the Olympics, but today I read an article about tips while training. Shannon Happe is a three-time Olympian so she has been through the whole process. She gave us 10 tips to make sure the training goes well. We all know that training requires a lot of focus. Shannon said that personal goals help you stay focused and on track. In order to maintain a mental health you should always believe in yourself more than anyone else does. Have a little confidence. Fear can be what makes you or breaks you. If you can't overcome doing a triple front flip or a steep height while skiing you won't go anywhere in the training.  Where all the stress comes in you should realize that relaxation is just as important as achieving your goals. Physically, staying hydrated, sleeping, and eating a balanced diet are important to the way you think. In the end yes, there are a lot of affects that come into play while training, but there are ways to find the good in them. The link to the article: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231297

Week 6

Today I watched a video that talked about one of the 3 Olympic training centers in the U.S. This video talks about the strength, power, and endurance they require the athletes to have. One of the factors that fall into Olympic training centers is that you can stay move in. Moving into a center with athletes from all over and living with them seems a bit hard. You have to be taken away from your family for years. This definitely would take the right mindset. They are put in small suites with another person, but usually spend most their time training. These centers even feed the athletes, and make sure they take in the right nutrients. It takes a lot to eat healthy while training because most of the time you have to meet the right nutritional standard for the sport your training for. Overall living in a training center would not be easy emotionally, mentally, and physically. Below is the link to the video I watched.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2LEo3hxZPM

Week 5

Today I watched The Gabby Douglas Story. This movie shows her journey to the Olympics starting from when she was born to when she took home the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic games. The journey there could be described in many different ways. There was times when she was excited that she learned a routine, but there was times where she just wanted to give up and go home. Gabby faced many hardships throughout it all. Some of the least thought of problems occurred such as money for the training. The journey left a mental and emotional effect on Gabby which changed her as a person. What got Gabby so far was her passion for gymnastics and determination to win the Olympics. Most athletes can relate to Gabby. I recommend everyone to watch this movie because it really shows you what it takes to be the best of the best.

Week 4

After looking at the results to the survey most people can agree that Olympic training requires a lot of effort and they respect most people training. I decided to take one of my questions into a lot of consideration. The question was, "In your opinion, What kind of effects does training for the Olympics leave on a person?" I found the answers to this most useful. While reading the variety of answers most of them had the same conclusion. Throughout anxiety, pressure, responsibilities, a social life, and commitment it leaves an emotional and mental impact on the athlete training. This could be made into a struggle left on the athlete. Fortunately, it does make the athlete stronger as a person which could make them into a very good leader one day. As for the training days, it is quite a challenge. Most athletes receive many types of training that leaves an individual effect on each person. Thank you to everyone who took part in my survey. The results were very helpful.