No. 4

Well in non-related BS I decided to get a temporary job this Christmas season working at Fleming's Christmas Tree Farms here in Indiana. Some may ask why I would do such a thing but as it turns out, a little idle time and a desire for some cash makes for enough motivation for me. So as of this Saturday (the 29th) I'm going to work!

I think I got on this idea to post today because of the aforementioned, but then I was thinking about some of my readers and I imagine there exists some curiosity about my job and such. Well for starters and to clarify, this job is more like an internship but comes off as a job. Hard to exactly define it but I am including in the following paragraphs the write-up that came from the school's website, and for which I based my decision off to apply. So with that I will paste the document below.

High Altitude Performance Lab Manager

Western State College of Colorado

Recreation and Exercise and Sport Science Department

POSITION: The lab manager oversees the day-to-day operations of an undergraduate human performance lab at 7750 feet that includes VO₂max with gas analysis (Parvo Medics True One System), lactate threshold (via handheld Accutrend analyzer), metabolic caloric assessment, Wingate (via Excalibur Sport Cycle Ergometer and Monarch Cycle with load tray), muscular strength, muscular endurance, and body composition tests. The manager interacts with Western undergraduates and Exercise and Sport Science (ESS) faculty during weekly meetings, testing sessions, and follow-up consults related to test data. Other duties include exercise/sport testing and follow-up consults for Gunnison Valley and Western State athletes, Western State faculty and staff, and Gunnison and Crested Butte residents in addition to scheduling and posting all lab activities. Opportunities for research, travel to conferences, one-on-one exercise training, and assisting with ESS courses exists. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable experience in the area of sport and exercise science in a hands-on environment. Other lab equipment includes a new 6’ by 8’ treadmill (with a top speed of 25 mph and grade of 40%) for a variety of testing, including roller skiing, mountain biking, hand-cycling, etc. Visit the ESS wiki page at http://wiki.western.edu/ess/ or the ESS webpage at: www.western.edu/ess/index.htm for additional information.

SALARY: Summer 2008 (May 19 – August 17): room and a $1000.00 stipend. Fall 2008 (August 25 – December 19) and/or Spring 2009 (January 12 – May 8): room and a $3000 stipend each semester.

QUALIFICATIONS: Interested individuals should have a strong desire to work in an exercise and sport testing lab with undergraduate students and ESS faculty. Candidates should have advanced exercise science knowledge and some practical experience in exercise and sport testing, including accurate dissemination of test results. A Bachelor of Science degree in exercise and sport science or related field is mandatory and an MS degree is preferred. Certification through the ACSM (HFI, PT, or ES) or NSCA (CSCS or CPT) is desirable.

Sounds a bit wordy through parts of there that are specific to mostly an exercise scientist such as myself but if you'd like to learn more I'd be glad to simplify and explain. So a short post today but just a little more insight into what I'm getting ready for. Comment as needed, and as always tune back in soon:)


P.S. to entertain those that prefer visual stimulation with their words, I've included 2 picture of the giant 6 foot by 8 foot moving treadmill surface in the lab...pretty cool stuff. Ttys ya'll