Why People Use Natural Bridges Park :: Study Ecology Environment

Why People Use Natural Bridges Park Perhaps it was being born to two hippy children but I find myself making excuses to trek over Highway 17 just to spend hours of my time taking in all the wonders of nature the town holds. One place that I have found that holds so many of the wonders is Natural Bridges State Park. From the trails, the natural bridges and tide pools, down to the monarch sanctuary, the park holds a plethora of nature's precious delights. The trails that wind through this park are breathtaking in many ways. Natural Bridges sits on 65 acres of coastal land in Santa Cruz, California. As the trails wind, the untouched beauty of wetlands and meadows are exposed within the park's interior. Many coastal birds and other creatures find sanctuary from the harsh surrounding environments while giving visual pleasure to bird watchers and natural scientists of the like. The trails are gracefully laid out around the land in order to maintain the harmony between human beings and nature. Moore Creek runs peacefully through the wetlands and under the trails as it makes it course to the sea. Taking these trails is one of the best ways to catch all the hidden secrets that exist inside the park. Once you make it down to the ocean, a spectacular natural bridge greets you as it wades in the waves below. As the tide flows out, amazing sea stars, sand dollars, and other shore dwellers become visible in the remarkable tide pools. This is one of the main ways children can learn about plants and animals hands on. If timing is right and you look out at the ocean you might catch migrating whales or seals playing with each other while searching for a meal. There is no end to the mystical creatures that pass through the parks perimeters. Another wonder of nature that I find most enchanting is the monarch butterfly. These migrating butterflies fly to this Natural Preserve, the only one in California, to take shelter from the harsh winter. They nestle in the eucalyptus trees in huge clusters to stay warm. They usually arrive in October and are off again in March. The park knows how important it is to protect these butterflies and they have constructed a beautiful viewing area that allows you to get an intimate view without damaging their habitat.

How to Write a Synthesis Essay :: Synthesis Essay

1. What is a synthesis? A synthesis is a written discussion incorporating support from several sources of differing views. This type of assignment requires that you examine a variety of sources and identify their relationship to your thesis. 2. Synthesis is used in: Analysis papers to examine related theories. For example a comparison between the theories of evolution or who shot JFK. Research papers to incorporate multiple sources. For example looking at economic and social effects of proposed legislation. Argument papers to compare differing views and support a coherent claim. For example, is Turn it in a violation of student’s rights? One side may argue that the company steals students’ papers while others claim that students agree to have their work archived. Business reports to examine differing ideas and blend into a coherent plan. For example, what are some of the plans to improve Toledo’s waterfront to attract more visitors and increase business opportunities? 3. Tips for an effective synthesis essay: Establish your purpose to shape the way you want to argue and form your thesis. The thesis is the main claim or idea of your essay. Select your sources and become familiar with them so that you can discuss them in relationship to your thesis and supporting argument(s). If you simply quote sources without evaluating them then the sources will control your paper and your audience will may misinterpret the information. Develop an organizational plan. Arrange more than just one source per point; multiple sources will increase your credibility. Look at how sources may agree or disagree with one another and evaluate which source has better logic or more credibility. Evaluate or interpret each source, then show the relationship between the sources and your thesis. Document each source; note the author and page number as well as listing the source on the Works Cited page to avoid plagiarism.

Objectification Theory Essay example -- Psychology, Body Shame

Women are bombarded by images of a thin-ideal body form that is extremely hard, if not impossible, to emulate. Comparing themselves to these women can lead to feelings of inadequacy, depression, and an overall low self-esteem. (Expand on, need a good opening paragraph to grab the reader’s attention) Objectification Theory Objectification theory has been proposed as a standard for understanding the effects of living in a culture that sexually objectifies women (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). Objectification occurs when a person’s body is treated like a separate entity and is evaluated on its own merit, without consideration for the rest of the person. When an individual is sexually objectified, they are treated like an object that exists only for the pleasure of others and objectification theory asserts that women are uniquely subject to these types of experiences, especially in Western culture. Self-objectification (SO) leads the individual to create a third person perspective in their minds that they use to compare their physical selves to and in turn causes them to see themselves as an object instead of a whole person. SO also creates a form of self-consciousness, causing a habitual and vigilant self-monitoring of outward appearance. There are many cognitive and emotional consequences of SO. Among these consequences are increased body shame, increased appearance anxiety, and a decreased ability to reach high states of motivation. Many studies have shown that there is a positive relation between SO, body shame, and eating disorders (Mercurio & Landry, 2008). It can also be argued that depression, sexual dysfunction, and eating disorders are additional consequences. Depression is most often caused due to body shame an... ...ly asked them to name the color of the ink in which the words appeared; and the rate of their responses were recorded. The experiment completed by Quinn et al. reported that the women who wore the swimsuits rather than the v-neck sweater experienced feeling more defined by their bodies and increased feelings of body shame. It also took the women in the objectification condition longer to respond to the Stroop task, thus showing a decrease in performance. This split in attention could happen throughout the day with women in â€Å"real world† situations, thus hindering every day performance and possibly removing joy from their tasks due to a lack of complete immersion. It is also important to note that this experiment focused on a task that is in no way related to any gender stereotype, helping to rule out stereotype threat as an explanation for the results obtained.

Bmgt 488 Chp 8 Exercise 6

Page 286-287 6. You have prepared the following schedule for a project in which the key resource is a backhoe. This schedule is contingent on having 3 backhoes. You receive a call from your partner, Brooker, who desperately needs 1 of your backhoes. You tell Brooker you would be willing to let him have the backhoe if you are still able to complete your project in 11 months. Develop a resource schedule in the loading chart that follows to see if it is possible to complete the project in 11 months with only 2 backhoes.Be sure to record the order in which you schedule the activities using scheduling heuristics. Activities 5 and 6 require 2 backhoes, while activities 1, 2, 3 and 4 require 1 backhoe. No splitting of activities is possible. Can you say yes to Brooker’s request? Legend |ES |ID |EF | |SL |RES |SL | |LS |DUR |LF | RESOURCE | | |Schedule the resources load chart with ES and Slack updates | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ID |RES |DUR |ES |LF |SL | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |1 | | | | | | | | | | | |1 |1 |1 |0 |5 |4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |2 |1 |2 |0 |3 |1 |1 |1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |3 |1 |3 |0 |3 |0 |1 |1 |1 | | | | | | | | | | | |4 |1 |2 |2 |7 |3 | | | | | | | |1 |1 | | | | | |5 |2 |4 |3 |7 |0 | | | |2 |2 |2 | | | | | | | | |6 |2 |2 |7 |9 |0 | | | | | | | | | |2 |2 | | | RESOURCES SCHEDULES |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |1 |1 |2 |2 | | | |RESOURCES AVAILABLE |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2 | | Yes, you can give Brooker one backhoe, however, you have increased the risk of being late if a delay should occur. List the order in which your activities were scheduled. (3, 2, 1, 5, 4, 6)

Marriott Case

Marriott Corporation: The Cost of Capital Executive Summary J. Willard Marriott started Marriott Corporation in 1927 with a root beer stand, expanding it into a leading lodging and food service company with sales of over $6 billion by 1987. At the time, Marriott had three main lines of business, lodging, contract services and restaurants, with lodging generating about 51% of company’s profits. The four key elements of Marriott’s financial strategy were managing hotel assets rather than owning, investing in projects with the goal of increasing shareholder value, optimizing the use of debt, and repurchasing their undervalued shares.Marriott Corporation relied on measuring the opportunity cost of capital for investments by utilizing the concept of Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC). In April 1988, VP of project finance, Dan Cohrs suggested that the divisional hurdle rates at the company would have a key impact on their future financial and operating strategies. Marrio tt intended to continue its growth at a fast pace by relying on the best opportunities arising from their lodging, contract services and restaurants lines of businesses.To make the company managers more involved in its financial strategies, Marriott also considered using the hurdle rates for determining the incentive compensations. What is the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for Marriott Corporation? WACC = (1 – ? )rD(D/V) + rE(E/V) D = market value of debt E = market value of equity V = value of the firm = D + E rD = pretax cost of debt rE = after tax cost of debt ? = tax rate = 175. 9/398. 9 = 44% Cost of Equity Target debt ratio is 60%; actual is 41% [Exhibit 1] ?s = 1. 11 ?u = ? s / (1 + (1 – ? ) D/E) = 1. 11/(1 + (1 – . 44) (. 41)) = 0. 80 Using the target debt ratio of 60%: Ts = ? u (1 + (1 – ? ) D/E) = . 8(1 + (1 – . 44) (. 6/. 4)) ?Ts =1. 47 Using CAPM: rf = 8. 95% long-term rate on U. S. government bonds (rm – rf) = 7. 43% a verage 1926-1987 rE = rf + ? Ts (rm – rf) = 8. 95% + (1. 47)(7. 43%) = 19. 87% Cost of Debt rD = government bond rate + credit spread = 8. 95% + 1. 30% = 10. 25% WACC = (1 – ? )rD(D/V) + rE(1 – D/V) = (1 – . 44) (. 1025)(. 6) + (. 1987)(. 4) = 11. 39% If Marriott used a single corporate hurdle rate for evaluating investment opportunities in each of its line of business, what would happen to the company over time? WACC for Marriott= 11. 39%WACC for lodging division = 9. 25% WACC for restaurant division = 13. 84% WACC for Marriott’s contract division = 23. 07% The main use of the hurdle rates is to assess investment decision in order to determine if it’s reasonable. Using different rates for different division is also good, but one has to be careful when applying a single cost of capital across the various departments. Based on the WACCs stated above for the company and its various departments it’s obvious that the values are different. The cost of capital for lodging is lower than for the entire company, while that of the other departments are higher.We can equate the cost of capital with risk, so therefore the risk in the lodging department is lower when compared with other departments that have a higher WACC. If Marriott was to use a single corporate hurdle rate then they will be using the 11. 39% rate which is for the entire company. By Marriott using this rate, then any project that arises out of the lodging division will be rejected since its cost of capital of 9. 25% is lower than the cost of capital for the company. Using a higher rate will result in a negative NPV as well as a reduced cash flow.Projects from the restaurant and contract service division will be approved since they are evaluated at a lower rate than the determined cost of these various divisions. Over time, Marriott will be approving more high risk project from the restaurant and contract service division by evaluating them at a lower rate, while they will be rejecting lower risk projects from the lodging division because they are using a higher rate. In summary, the risk that Marriott will be assuming will increase over time as it continues to approve high risk projects. What is the WACC for the lodging division of Marriott? |Market Value Leverage | | |Unlevered | | |D/V |Beta |Tax Rate |Beta | | | |? s |? |= ? s / (1 + (1 – ? ) D/E) | |Hilton |14. 00 |0. 76 |44. 00 |0. 70 | |Holiday |79. 00 |1. 35 |44. 00 |0. 43 | |La Quinta |69. 00 |0. 9 |44. 00 |0. 40 | |Ramada |65. 00 |1. 36 |44. 00 |0. 67 | |Total | | | | | |Average Unlevered Beta |0. 55 | | | ?u = 0. 55 Cost of Equity Using the target debt ratio of 74%: ?Ts = ? u (1 + (1 – ? ) D/E) ?Ts = . 55 (1 + (1 – . 44)(. 74/. 26)) ?Ts = 1. 427 Using CAPM: rE = rf + ? Ts (rm – rf) = 8. 5% + 1. 427(7. 43%) = 19. 55% Cost of Debt rD = government bond rate + credit spread = 8. 95% + 1. 10% = 10. 05% WACC = (1 – ? )rD(D/V) + rE(E/V) = (1 â⠂¬â€œ . 44)(. 1005)(. 74) + (. 1955)(. 26) = 9. 25% What is the WACC for the restaurant division Marriott? | |Market Value Leverage | | |Unlevered | | |D/V |Beta |Tax Rate |Beta | | | |? s |? |= ? s / (1 + (1 – ? ) D/E) | |Church’s |4. 0 |1. 45 |44. 00 |1. 42 | |Collins Foods |10. 00 |1. 45 |44. 00 |1. 37 | |Frisch’s |6. 00 |0. 57 |44. 00 |0. 55 | |Luby’s |1. 00 |0. 76 |44. 00 |0. 76 | |McDonald’s |23. 00 |0. 94 |44. 00 |0. 81 | |Wendy’s |21. 0 |1. 32 |44. 00 |1. 15 | |Total | | | | | |Average Unlevered Beta |1. 01 | | | ?u = 1. 01 Cost of Equity Using the target debt ratio of 42%: ?Ts = ? u (1 + (1 – ? ) D/E) =1. 01(1 + (1 – . 44)*. 42/. 58) = 1. 420 Using CAPM: rE = rf + ? Ts (rm – rf) = 8. 95% + 1. 42(7. 43%) = 19. 50% Cost of Debt rD = government bond rate + credit spread 8. 95% + 1. 80% = 10. 75% WACC = (1 – ? )rD(D/V) + rE(1 – D/V) = (1 – . 44)(. 1075)(. 42) + (. 1950)(. 58) = 13. 84% What is the WACC for Marriott’s contract services division? ?u for Marriott is the weighted average of the Divisional ? u’s: | |Identifiable Assets |Ratio |Beta Unlevered | |Lodging |$2,777. 4 |0. 61 |0. 55 | |Restaurants |$567. 60 |0. 12 |1. 01 | |Contract Services |$1,237. 0 |0. 27 | | | |$4,582. 70 | |0. 80 | .61(. 55) + . 12(1. 01) + . 27(? u) = . 80 ?u = 2. 514 Cost of Equity Using the target debt ratio of 40%: ?Ts = ? u (1 + (1 – ? ) D/E) = 2. 514 (1 + (1 – . 44) (. 4/. 6)) = 3. 45 Using CAPM: rE = rf + ? Ts (rm – rf) = 8. 95% + 3. 45(7. 43%) = 34. 58% Cost of Debt rD = government bond rate + credit spread rD = 8. 95% + 1. 40% = 10. 35% WACC = (1 – ? )rD(D/V) + rE(E/V) = (1 – . 44)(. 1035)(. 4) + (. 3458)(. 6) = 23. 07%

Mass Media Essay

Without a doubt mass media communication is a major source of influence in the 21st century. Mass media is not only about information dissemination and entertainment but it can also be used as a tool to bend the will of the people. For those who will find this difficult to accept they need only to observe the impact of the advertising agency as well as the impact of Hollywood films. While the significance of mass media in the modern age is undeniable there is less agreement when it comes to defining its true nature. But the following discussion will help in understanding the heart of the matter when it comes to mass media. This can be achieved by providing an overview of the development of mass media from the 19th century up to the present. Media Giants from the 19th century onwards Mass media did not start in the 20th century, but a century earlier. There is evidence to prove that even in the 19th century, Europeans were able to gauge the impact of mass media in society and therefore investors began to pour money into the production of books, pamphlets and other written forms of communication that can be sold to the public. While businessmen dabbling in mass media communication can be considered as media moguls there is no comparison when it comes to the resources, scope, and impact brought about by media giants in the 20th century. In the 21st century another radical change is happening to the media moguls. While they enjoyed robust growth in the 20th century, it can also be said that their better days are gone. The new media moguls are finding it hard to fend the impact of globalization as well as the rapid development of technology. With the use of the Internet there is no longer a waiting period from librarians. There are books that can be ordered online and shipped immediately to a far away place. But more importantly information can be accessed for free. Media Capitals A media capital is a place where the art and science of mass media communication is being keenly observed by media practitioners all over the globe. A few examples are Hollywood, Chicago etc. A media capital is also a geographic location where mass media communication is broadcasted on a global scale. Therefore the influence of media practitioners in this area is very significant. While media capitals can stay profitable for long periods of time the more interesting topic is regarding the emergence of new media capitals outside America and Europe. The emergence of China as a new economic superpower can only be fully understood and appreciated if the Chinese people are ready and willing to build infrastructures that would help increase the capacity of the nation to handle rapid growth in the near future. But aside from the rhetoric, it must be pointed out that there are emerging markets, especially those in Hong Kong and India where creators of mass media content are generating world wide praise. Ownership and Media Mass media is supposed to be a business that aims for objectivity. A company that is supposed to present information regarding current events must be able to show this information without bias and with truthfulness (Lendman, 2008). This is because mass media communication is about telling the truth and most importantly it is a form of public service (Beadouion, 2007). But the reality of mass media communication can be described as a huge undertaking requiring the financial muscle of a businessman. Since a businessman exists to make a profit this mindset will influence the way news is being delivered to the public. For instance a media corporation can be financed by a hugely profitable company accused of dumping toxic wastes to major bodies of water in the area. If the said corporation is a major financier in the said media corporation then it can be expected that the firm will attempt to reduce the negative impact of the news report. In some cases mass media corporations will no longer remain objective concerning the case (Shah, 2009). This is the reality of present day mass media firms. Mass Media Determining the exact scope and limitation of mass media can be a difficult undertaking. But the mere mention of the term, one can think of at least five major subgroups: 1) Newspapers; 2) Internet; 3) TV News; 4) Commercials; and 5) Radio. If mass media communication can be subdivided into these five broad categories then it means that it is a subject matter that encompasses a wide range of issues. Although mass media is a complex subject matter it is easy to understand its significance in the 21st century. If newspapers are part of mass media then it is easy to see its impact in the 21st century. There are millions of people around the world who reads the newspapers. This is a traditional medium of communication that continues to serve its purpose which is to inform, entertain and to persuade. Newspapers are shapers of opinion and that a good piece of writing can illicit a response from the readers. While the Internet is eating up the market share once dominated by newspapers, acquiring information using ink and paper is still as reliable as it first appeared a few centuries ago. TV news is also being challenged by the popularity of the Internet. In its heyday TV new is the only authoritative source of information especially regarding life, politics, business and more. But when world-wide-web became a global phenomenon, TV news is seen as slow and antiquated. For instance TV stations invest in producing TV news because in the midst of the broadcast they can insert TV commercials and earn money to sustain the operation. But consumers of this type of information are demanding for quicker access and zero TV commercials. Aside from the decline of TV news, brought upon by the dominance of Internet fuelled information sites, there is another traditional mass medium that is taking a beating. And this is none other than the radio. It is hard to imagine that there was a time when radio messages are the main source of information and entertainment in many parts of the globe. But today this practice of tuning into a radio station is almost non-existent in the lives of the younger generation. For them it is impractical to listen to a radio when they can have the same experience in cyberspace. The Impact of the Internet Just like mass media, it is notoriously difficult to gauge the scope and limitation of the Internet. It seems that in the 21st century, the Internet is almost everywhere, from news reports, Hollywood films, chat rooms, blogs, etc. The Internet is not only beneficial to mass media but also the banking industry, transportation, politics, health and medicine. But is in mass media where people can really see its potential to change the world. In terms of mass media communication the Internet means cheap and reliable access to information. Today, thanks to the Internet, a child can have access to data even if he lives off-the-grid so to speak. The Internet allows for quick transmission of data and enables people to view information using a variety of tools and strategies. For instance, a campaign against the perils of drug abuse will show a plethora of strategies that will help a drug addict seek professional help. Since the Internet is easily accessible then there is a greater chance for the addict to meet the right people who will help him or her – this is information dissemination at its best. Federal Communication Commission Since mass media communication is vital and crucial to the lives of every American, mass media communication in the United States requires the guidance of government agency. By describing the different bureaus and offices one can have a good understanding of this government agency: †¢ Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau: This bureau informs consumers about telecommunication goods and services. †¢ Media Bureau – regulates AM and FM radio stations as well as cable television and satellite services. †¢ International Bureau – represents the Commission in satellite and international matters. †¢ Mass media – must be about free speech and the ability to write what one felt and what one has seen in the present. The government is raising the standard by creating an agency in-charge of harmonizing all competing forces. The FCC plays a vital role in sustaining the admirable communication infrastructure in the country. It is a government agency in-charge of keeping things in order. The FCC is like a coach guiding all interested parties to have a deeper understanding about mass media communication. References Beadouion, C. (2007). Mass Media Use, Neighborliness and Social Support: Assessing causal Links with Data panel. Communication Research. 34(6): 637-664. Lendman, S. (2008). â€Å"The Political Economy of Media. † Retrieved 22 January 2009. Available from http://www. globalresearch. ca/index. php? context=va&aid=9446 la vie http://www. dangheno. net/pwritnigs10. htm Shah, A. (2009). â€Å"Media Conglomerates, Mergers, Concentration of Ownership. † Retrieved 22 January 2009. Available from http://www. globalissues. org/article/159/media-conglomerates-mergers-concentration-of- ownership

I will Design and Carry Out my PEP on the Basis of me Being a Football Player Essay

I will design and carry out my PEP on the basis of me being a football player. I am 14 years and 6 months old and have been playing football since about the age of 5. I enjoy the game and I am quite good at it. Although I am quite good I would like to train to become better at the sport and increase my overall fitness level. I am generally fit but there is definitely room for improvement and I will look to do so. When I leave school I plan to join the British Army so I would like to become fit so that I can fulfil my plans. Over the 6 weeks that I carry out the training regime I will give it 100% and really try to improve my fitness and footballing skills. I want to make the best of my ability at football so I can enjoy what I do and hopefully it will benefit the Sunday league club that I play for. I play for Aspull Juniors. I have done so for 5 years now and enjoy playing for the team. I play in the centre of midfield and play in more of a defensive role. This position allows me to put a lot of effort in and influence the game. I am a good tackler of the ball and can pass good as well. For the job that I do on the football pitch I need to have a good stamina (so I can cope with the demands of the football math), good flexibility (so I don’t stretch my muscles when making tackles), good balance (to pass the ball and make vital tackles), strength (to out muscle opponents and kick the ball far), speed (to get to the ball quicker than the opponent), and good reaction time (this is so I can react to the ball quicker than an opponent.) My PEP should help me to improve all of these skills and as a result I will become a better football player. I have never suffered any long-term injuries of any kind and have no recurring injuries. Other sports that I enjoy to do are fishing, golf, tennis and table tennis. Although I do none of these sports competitively I am interested in them and have done for fun. PEP For my PEP I will use a pyramid session to gradually increase my fitness during the 6 weeks. I will use a badminton court as my guide and say that double the length of the court is equal to one length. I will increase the lengths as the program progresses to create an overload required to increase my fitness. I chose a pyramid session because I feel it is the most reliable way of increasing my fitness. Also I know that it will be easier to create an overload in either the amount of lengths or exercises that I do if I use a pyramid session. From when I have used this session in the past I have found that it always gives me a good workout and can be used to good effect. I will start and progress my PEP over the weeks using the FITT principal. I will increase the frequency by doing more exercises and by doing more running more often. I will increase the intensity by increasing the amount of exercise that will be done. I will do this by adding more lengths onto my pyramid session and more exercise in between. I will increase the time by putting more time into the exercises in between runs. The type will also be changed. I will change the fitness test that I will do after the pyramid sessions each week. The PEP that I have designed is one that I think will improve my overall fitness the most and also improve the skills that I need as a football player. It will start with a 5 minute jog. This jog will warm up my muscles so that they are not too stiff to stretch otherwise I will increase the chances of a ripped or torn muscle. After the jog I will move on to my stretches. They will be thoroughly carried out so not to allow any muscle injury whatsoever can occur. The stretches are one of the most important parts of the PEP and must be done with care and thought. If these are not done correctly than I will run the chance of pulling or tearing a muscle. The Pyramid Session starts by running the maximum amount of lengths you are wishing to do and then gradually working your way down until there are no more lengths to complete. In between lengths you are required to do exercises. For example, if I was planning to do 16 lengths I would do 16 lengths then a chosen exercise. After the exercise you then do 15 lengths then the exercise, then 14 lengths then a exercise and so on until there are no more lengths to complete. This Pyramid Session will progress throughout the 6 weeks of the PEP. Week 1 I will be doing 10 lengths, Week 2 and 3 I will be doing 12 lengths, Week 4 and 5 I will do 14 lengths and for the final week I will do 16 lengths. As the weeks progress an overload is created which will help me improve my fitness. The Warm Up For my warm up I will be doing a 5 minute jog around the All Weather pitch. The warm up is to warm the muscles up before stretching so I do not pull a muscle. I will time myself and be sure not to strain myself as this too could result in a pulled muscle if not careful. The Leg Exercises – Squats, Burpees, Switch Overs, Star Jumps These exercises will build up my leg muscles and allow me to put more power into a shot or long pass. These exercises will build up the strength and power in my legs and will allow me to hit a ball further and this will improve my skill as a football player. I have done more leg exercises than arm and body exercises because I feel that my legs are needed more on a football pitch. The Body Exercises – Sit Ups, Crunches The body exercises that I will do will allow me to build up my middle body muscles and will help me to become stronger and flexible in that area. This will help me when I play football because I will be able to adjust the middle part of my body easier and this will help me when I am playing. The Arm Exercises – Bench Press, Press Ups By doing these arm exercises it will improve my upper body strength and this will make it easier to shrug off opponents when challenging for a ball in a game. The exercises will build up the muscles in my arms and this can help when taking a throw-in. The Cool Down For the cool down I will do a light jog and then stretch. The cool down is to prevent lactic acid from settling in the muscles and producing cramps. This is just as important as the warm up and is needed to prevent injury after the PEP. Stretches Hamstring- I would sit on the ground then bend over front wards and touch the top of my shin, I would hold this for 10 seconds. Then I would sit up rest and then bend over front wards again only this time touching the toes rather than the shin. Quads- I would stand and balance myself against a wall with one arm then I would grab the left leg bend it backwards so the foot is touching my bum and hold for 10 seconds. Then I would stop rest and change legs. Groin Stretch- I would sit on the ground and put the soles of each foot together in a yoga sort of position. Then slowly put pressure on the inside of each leg to stretch the groin. Upper Arm- Place one arm in front of me and place the other arm underneath the arm that is held out and grab the shoulder. After this swap arms and do exactly the same. Hold each stretch for 10 seconds. Week 1 The warm up and the stretches went well and I then began my Pyramid Session. I had planned to do 10 lengths this week. I found that the Pyramid Session worked well. I completed the 10 lengths with ease but the exercises were quite challenging. At the end of all the lengths and exercises I found myself out of breath but I was pleased with the work I had done. I then went out onto the all weather pitch to do a 50 metre sprint. I did the sprint in 8.12 seconds which was a personal best. After the sprint I did a 5 minute jog and then stretched for 5 minutes. Evaluation I was very pleased with what I did this week but thought that I could handle more lengths than what I had done. The exercises that I did were quite demanding but I thought they would be easier to handle next week and was looking forward to the challenge. I was extremely pleased with the speed that I achieved in the 50 metre sprint and although it wasn’t a huge amount of time I did beat my personal best. Week 2 This week I had set myself 12 lengths to do but I wasn’t particularly worried about the task ahead. I started off with the 5 minute jog and a thorough stretch and then I began my Pyramid Session. The session went well again this week. Similar to last week I found that the exercises were again quite tough and challenging but the lengths were completed without much difficulty. After the Pyramid Session this week, I had set my self the throw/catch ball test. This was not physically challenging but I had to concentrate to get the 35 score that I got. This was not the best score I had ever had but I was pleased with the result. Evaluation I was again pleased with this week. The increase in lengths never really affected my performance this week. They were more challenging than the previous week but never caused a major problem throughout the session. The throw/catch ball test that I did was more about finding a rhythm and concentrating rather than a physical test. Week 3 After the initial warm up and stretch I moved onto another week of the 12 length Pyramid Session. This week it again never caused a huge problem but I was still tired towards the end of the session. The exercises still caused similar problems as they did in the first week and were tiring. It was this week when I began to feel an improvement in my fitness. After I completed the Pyramid Session I then went and did the muscular endurance test in the hotel foyer. My previous best at this test was 100 seconds but this week I nearly doubled that score with 190 seconds. I was extremely pleased with this result. At the end of the session I did a 10 minute cool down. Evaluation I found that the 12 lengths didn’t pose too much of a problem for me this week and I was looking forward to the challenge of 14 lengths next week. I think that the exercises again provided a challenge for me and I began to feel the improvement in my fitness. I was extremely pleased with the score I achieved in the muscular endurance test. I think that I did well this week and was looking forward to the next few weeks ahead. Week 4 Due to a Dentist appointment I was unable to complete the regime at school. As a result I set up a training course on a football field behind my house and carried out my session to the best of my ability taking the environment and lack of equipment into condition. I worked hard for 1 hour and was pleased with the workout I had. Week 5 This week was my first attempt in school of attempting the 14 lengths I had set. Firstly, I did the warm up and stretches then got started with the Pyramid Session. It began like the others had but towards the end I found that this session was a lot more tiring than the previous weeks. At the end my legs were aching and I was really tired. I had created the overload and felt the affect. Although I was tired I was pleased with the task I had done and was looking to the week ahead. The test this week was a standing broad jump. I managed to get a score of 1 metre 52 centimetres. I was quite pleased with the score although it was not a personal best. After the test I went outside where I did a 5 minute jog and stretched off to avoid cramped muscles. Evaluation I was pleased with the effort that I put in today and could feel a definite improvement in my fitness. I thought that 14 lengths were very challenging and along with the leg, arm and middle body exercises produced a Pyramid Session which would challenge me. The standing broad jump that I did was not spectacular but I was pleased with the result. Week 6 For this week I was supposed to do 16 lengths, but because I missed week 4 I decided that I would carry on with 14 lengths. I went outside and did the warm up followed by the stretches then went inside to carry out the Pyramid Session. The 14 lengths were challenging but I felt an improvement in my fitness and they were easier to complete than the lengths last week. The test for my final week was a repeat of the throw/catch ball test. I carried it out in the Sports Hall and beat the score I had gotten previously. I got a score of 33, beating the score of week 2 and equalling my personal best. Evaluation I was pleased with the work that I had done in my final week. I found that the 14 lengths in the Pyramid Session were easier to complete than the previous week. I was pleased with the level of my fitness and was pleased with the score I achieved in the throw/catch ball test. Final Evaluation Throughout my PEP I have seen my overall fitness gradually increase from week to week. I would definitely say the regime has been a success and recommend it to people wishing to improve their fitness. The Pyramid Session provides a challenge from week to week and the exercises between the lengths make it a very demanding regime. I was pleased with the work that the exercises did and at the end of the 6 week program saw an improvement in my leg muscles, middle and upper body strength. I am extremely pleased with the improvement and success that the PEP has had.