Forums >General Running>Help My Students: A Simple Running Experiment
All, some of my students who are part of the running family are looking for a favor. They're doing a science class experiment that they'd like as many runners to help with as they can. I would love to show them support and get them a lot of data for their science class. They have been, well, unimpressed at the unwillingness of some local track coaches to help them, and I know the running community is better than that.
If you are willing and able, it's a very simple experiment. You can use yesterday's run or today's run as #1 if you didn't chew gum. Simple:
1. Go for a run. Don't chew gum. Record this. Please send me the results (or post them here) including mile splits.2. Go for a run. Chew gum. Record this. Send me the results (or post them here) including mile splits.
Thank you all so much!
(Obviously, we know there's a lot of "noise" to the data, being that different runs have different purposes.
"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." Emil Zatopek
Interval Junkie --Nobby
What are the parameters for "chewing" gum.
What if you frequently tuck the gum between your molars and cheek so as not to interrupt breathing? Does this invalidate your data? I would imagine so.
Should I assume run #1 and #2 should have the same objectives?
I'm asking more for the interest in science; I'm on the bench right now and can't participate.
2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do
Stadjak, they didn't give any parameters, but I would assume actively chewing.
I feel compelled to point out that I have these students for two classes: CP English 12 and Creative Writing. I am not their science teacher. I would have made them include more controls (e.g., "Runs must be of the same basic type and accomplish the same purpose, such as two 'general aerobic runs' or two 'tempo' runs," "Runners cannot observe their pace during the runs. GPS displays should be set to show only time," etc).
I will say I have mentioned this to both them and to their science teacher. I am an English teacher now, but spent two years in he hard sciences before realizing that literature and writing are where I find my joy. Whenever I talk to students about their science projects, my head starts screaming about properly isolating variables and properly establishing controls. This is one of those times.
I actually had an internal debate about posting in such a way to include proper controls (assuming perfect self-reporting, which is never true), but chose to just let it lie as they want (as the student athletes they have contributing won't be subject to my changes).
Sorry to hear you're on the bench. Achilles giving you fits?
Shameless bump for my students.
You know you all run anyway, just do one extra with some chewing gum.
I just did. It's...well, I did not enjoy chewing gum and remembering to chew gum.
When do they need the results? I'm stuck on the treadmill this week and I'm assuming you'd rather have data from runs that the speed isn't controlled by buttons. : )
"...You have to have faith, to know that you can do what you want to do." -Joseph Nzau
Next Monday, ideally.* That said, when asked about where to run, they did say, "Anywhere..."
I will double-check tomorrow, though. And thanks!
*MTA: This was totally wrong. We apparently have a few weeks.
The gum fell out of my mouth before I hit the half mile point.
Mark me up for not being able to run and chew gum at the same time, which I already knew the answer to because I find it hard to walk and chew gum also.
No gum: 2 miles total in 34:45= 17:01 mile 1/17:44 mile 2
With gum: couldn't do it
Sorry to skew the stats...I just started running in April 2012 and took off the last 3 months for tax season. Just started running again this week!
Good luck!
Counting my local group, I have a ~15 or 20 responses so far.
Not being able to run and chew gum is actually kind of common :-P. There's 4 people who have spit it out mid run. When I did it, I actually struggled to not accidentally swallow it. Twice.
Faster Than Your Couch!
Aaarghh, race weekend coming up, so I can't really participate. Can the results come back a bit later?
Run for fun.
Sure. I think they have until end of semester for this, actually (which is in May). Thanks!
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Very cool. I'm glad we have a few more weeks, since I'm recovering from races the past 2 weekends and am running on really leaden legs for probably the next few runs.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
I'll try and remember for the next couple of 5k runs - so Friday morning and Monday morning
First or last...it's the same finish line
HF #4362
Thank you! I hope no one aspirates on gum :-P
I am just curious what the purpose of this experiment is for.
I can't imagine I would be able to chew gum while doing a speed workout and breathing heavily. I think the gum would be just swallowed down to my stomach when I heavily breathe in. I haven't chewed gum for probably about 10 years. I could be wrong.
If it is an easy run, then I think chewing or not chewing gum won't affect the speed, since it is easy. However, I am just thinking it may affect the feeling on a long run.
5k - 20:56 (09/12), 7k - 28:40 (11/12), 10k trial - 43:08 (03/13), 42:05 (05/13), FM - 3:09:28 (05/13), HM - 1:28:20 (05/14), Failed 10K trial - 6:10/mi for 4mi (08/14), FM - 3:03 (09/14)