Internship

Internship Student(s)

Internship Presentation(s)

Internship Student(s)

Name: Leong In Tyng
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 16th May 2011 - 8th July 2011

Name: Liew Cai Yan

Age: 23
Gender: Female
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 16th May 2011 - 8th July 2011

Name: Nor Amanina binti Mohammad Shabri
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 16th May 2011 - 8th July 2011

Name: Mohd Faizal bin Lan
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Education: Bsc Hons (Statistics)
University: University Technology Mara
Internship Period: 3rd July - 30th September 2009

Name: Anaurene Roy
Age: 22 Gender: Female
Sport: Basketball
Education: Master’s in Sport and Exercise Psychology
University: University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Internship Period: 1st June - 31st July, 2009

Name: Ong Chong Jie
Age: 21 Gender: Male
Sport: Swimming, Waterpolo
Education: Advance Diploma cum Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise
College: Tunku Abdul Rahman College
Internship Period: 1st July – 28th June 2009

Name: Puah Pei San
Age: 23 Gender: Female
Sport: National Netball Player (Malaysia)
Education: Bachelor Degree in Education and Sport Science
University: University Technology Malaysia
Internship Period: 11th May - 3rd July 2009

Name: Azah Azawi
Age: 22 Gender: Female
Sport: Hockey
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: University Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 4th May – 26th June 2009

Name: Juliana binti Johan John
Age: 22 Gender: Female
Sport: Athletics
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: University Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 4th May – 26th June 2009

Internship Presentation(s)

Puah Pei San (2009) Dynamic Interaction Among Athlete, Coach and Psychologist : Communication.- presented on 5.5.09.

Noorazah Mohd Azawi (2009) Psychological Issues of Athletic Injury Rehabilitation.- presented on 03.06.09

Juliana Johan John (2009) Joy, Fun and Flow in sports.- presented on 9.6.09

Puah Pei San (2009) Group Cohesion : Social Position with Netball Team.- presented on 11.6.09.

Ong Chong Jie (2009) Team Cohesion in Water Polo.- presented on 25.6.09

Anaurene Roy (2009) Impact of Mental Training on a Strength Task.– presented on 25.6.09

Natural Pacing

Time can be a runners best friend and enemy. Having the goal of a target finish time in a run or race provides the motivation you need, both at the beginning and when you're flagging. Another Marathon researcher, Richard Shipway, from Bournemouth University, is writing an ethnography of distance running for his PhD and has focused on runners obsession with the clock. Get talking to any semi-serious recreational runner and they'll go on at you about their times, Personal Bests, and how you might compare with them via the medium of hours, minutes and seconds. It can come across as one-upmanship on some peoples parts, a source of pride for others, and just plain tedious in some cases.

But it provides a measure for your progress, and as I'd advise anyone, don't let others intimidate you or make you feel inadequate, just because someone else might be faster in a race or at that point in their running journey. The point of taking times when you run is for you to see your progress. Its your journey, and damn the (predominantly) alpha males if they come across as cocky or arrogant.

In my research, I'm interested in the progression of runners development, from when they first start out as possibly nervous but inquisitive joggers, through to completing their first competitive race. Theres then another leap when people go about improving their performance, whether time based or in any other way (cadence, gait or breathing for instance). I'm sure I'd get picked up by physiologists on this point, but its my conjecture that it takes years for people to chip away at their personal bests, dependent of course on the amount of effort or bother people put in and the races they complete. With this in mind I took a run this morning to see what I comfortably run at. Sluggish as I was after a late finish yesterday, I ran my first mile by the watch and consciously did a 8 minute mile (to within a second). It felt alright and I felt up to speed. I then didn't check the watch for the next mile, but ran at what felt comfortable and in a steady rhythm. I eased off ever so slightly for 5 or so seconds, and hey presto, my next mile was completed in 16.03!! I tried to then do the same for the final mile home, but I am pretty confident in saying that it is almost impossible not to speed up when you know the finish is within sight. I did the last mile in 7:43.

My goal? Why am I doing this? I think for my next half and full marathon I don't want to be too much of a slave to the watch. It distracts your focus, but you need to know how you're making progress. My goal, is to be able to 'feel' a mile without having to really check the timepiece. I don't think I'm too far off knowing what that is but I'm going to practice. Give it a go. Sometimes runs get pretty tedious going round the same old routes and neighbourhoods. When you can let go and know you're on steady autopilot you can relax a bit more. And that is when running is most fun.

Second marathon of the year

Nope - fear not. I'm not running one, but mentally, I'm bang in the middle of one. I've spent the last month writing my thesis up. Its been long and arduous, but like doing a marathon, I'm not asking for your sympathy. I got myself into this situation out of choice.

The next week is that bit where you've passed the wall (miles 15 to 21 when your bodys glucose level go through the floor :-) and I'm not *quite* within sight of the end. The confidence from knowing I've cleared most of the course is building up inside me and I'm thinking about what I do when I cross the finish line.

I'm reminding myself to enjoy this run but its not always so easy to do. One thing I will say about training and running marathons (as well as researching them!) is that I feel mentally tougher now. Sure, I want to give up now and again, but finding out physically about mental toughness and now writing about it, I'm interested in how we put ourselves through and successfully negotiate difficult challenges. I think I've found the quote to start it all off with. Took a while to locate but see what you reckon:

"The marathon is a rich and appealing domain of psychological study. In certain ways, the marathon may act as an encapsulated mechanism representative of life challenges." (Buman, Brewer, Cornelius, Van Raalte and Petitpas (2008:178).

Personally, I think its pretty accurate. Right. I've got to get through Blackfriars tunnel! x