Posted 4:02 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013
A competition Saturday, Aug. 10 in Onalaska rolls together athleticism and educational research.
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Katie Rick, left, competing at the 2011 Three Rivers Roleo at the Great River Landing in Onalaska.[/caption]
A competition Saturday, Aug. 10 in Onalaska rolls together athleticism and educational research.
Two UW-La Crosse alums Katie Rick, ’08 and ‘12, and Jacob Rick, ‘13, have organized Three Rivers Roleo Log Rolling Tournament for the last six years. For the first time, they’ll be joined by Jacob Hawes, a UW-L graduate student in clinical exercise physiology, who will be measuring a handful of the elite log-rolling athletes to determine their heart rate, oxygen consumption, strength and body fat while they roll and afterward.
The tournament will be at the Great River Landing in Onalaska. The amateur division begins at 10 a.m., followed by the professional division at 2 p.m.
Hawes says athletes are always interested in answering the question “How hard am I working?” With growing interest in log rolling in the region, he is dedicating his graduate thesis paper to finding out just how good of a workout log rolling can be.
Hawes has so far run tests on Katie, but also plans to find other elite log rollers to assess at the tournament. He likely won’t have trouble finding elite athletes as subjects. Numerous competitors who have been on ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games and the STIHL Timbersports Series®. A number of world champion log rollers will also be in attendance.
The research will provide great baseline knowledge to help train in the future, says Katie.
“I was surprised to see my preliminary numbers and I look forward to seeing them at another tournament,” says Katie. “Solid numbers about how good of a work out log rolling is will hopefully be useful in getting others hooked on the sport.”
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Jacob Rick, left, competing at the 2011 Three Rivers Roleo at the Great River landing in Onalaska.[/caption]
Among the tests, Hawes will use a special instrument to determine athletes’ body fat. He’ll measure heart rates using a special monitor that is strapped around the waist and measure oxygen consumption while athletes run on a treadmill post race.
Also, for the first time, the general public will have a chance to try log rolling — between the amateur and professional competition.
“I’ve always been fascinated by log rolling,” says Hawes. “I was a spectator until a few weeks ago when Katie gave me a crash course. Now, I’m hooked.”
Hawes says log rolling, a sport that requires great coordination and balance, isn’t for everyone. But he hopes his research results will help athletes decide if it’s an additional form of exercise for them. The research could also be useful to log rollers who want to develop better training programs.
Hawes would one day like to work in cardiac rehabilitation in a hospital setting.
Admission to the tournament is free for spectators. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Concessions will be available onsite. Parking is available in the bicycle trail parking lot along Hwy. 35 in Onalaska; then head down the hill on Irvin Street toward the river for the competition.
Katie Rick, left, competing at the 2011 Three Rivers Roleo at the Great River Landing in Onalaska.[/caption]
A competition Saturday, Aug. 10 in Onalaska rolls together athleticism and educational research.
Two UW-La Crosse alums Katie Rick, ’08 and ‘12, and Jacob Rick, ‘13, have organized Three Rivers Roleo Log Rolling Tournament for the last six years. For the first time, they’ll be joined by Jacob Hawes, a UW-L graduate student in clinical exercise physiology, who will be measuring a handful of the elite log-rolling athletes to determine their heart rate, oxygen consumption, strength and body fat while they roll and afterward.
The tournament will be at the Great River Landing in Onalaska. The amateur division begins at 10 a.m., followed by the professional division at 2 p.m.
Hawes says athletes are always interested in answering the question “How hard am I working?” With growing interest in log rolling in the region, he is dedicating his graduate thesis paper to finding out just how good of a workout log rolling can be.
Hawes has so far run tests on Katie, but also plans to find other elite log rollers to assess at the tournament. He likely won’t have trouble finding elite athletes as subjects. Numerous competitors who have been on ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games and the STIHL Timbersports Series®. A number of world champion log rollers will also be in attendance.
The research will provide great baseline knowledge to help train in the future, says Katie.
“I was surprised to see my preliminary numbers and I look forward to seeing them at another tournament,” says Katie. “Solid numbers about how good of a work out log rolling is will hopefully be useful in getting others hooked on the sport.”
[caption id="attachment_25276" align="alignright" width="550"] Jacob Rick, left, competing at the 2011 Three Rivers Roleo at the Great River landing in Onalaska.[/caption]
Among the tests, Hawes will use a special instrument to determine athletes’ body fat. He’ll measure heart rates using a special monitor that is strapped around the waist and measure oxygen consumption while athletes run on a treadmill post race.
Also, for the first time, the general public will have a chance to try log rolling — between the amateur and professional competition.
“I’ve always been fascinated by log rolling,” says Hawes. “I was a spectator until a few weeks ago when Katie gave me a crash course. Now, I’m hooked.”
Hawes says log rolling, a sport that requires great coordination and balance, isn’t for everyone. But he hopes his research results will help athletes decide if it’s an additional form of exercise for them. The research could also be useful to log rollers who want to develop better training programs.
Hawes would one day like to work in cardiac rehabilitation in a hospital setting.
Admission to the tournament is free for spectators. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Concessions will be available onsite. Parking is available in the bicycle trail parking lot along Hwy. 35 in Onalaska; then head down the hill on Irvin Street toward the river for the competition.