1.     Appreciation [əˌpriːʃiˈeɪʃ(ə)n] (n.)

They also say that they have a much greater appreciation for life.

-- the feeling you have when you are grateful tosomeone

-- This is just a small token of our appreciation.

2.    Capacity [kəˈpæsəti] (n.)

Humans have only two legs but an incredible capacity for running.

-- the ability to do something

-- Harry had a tremendous capacity for work.

-- Origin:Middle English capacite, from Middle French capacité, from Latin capacitat-, capacitas, from capac-, capax

3.    Cycle [ˈsaɪk(ə)l] (v.)

The monk completes three of these 100-day cycles.

-- a series of events that happen again and again in the same order or atthe same times

-- We have to wait for the dishwasher's wash and dry cycles to end.

-- Origin:Middle English cicle, from Late Latin cyclus, from Greekkyklos circle, wheel, cycle

4.    Dramatic [drəˈmætɪk] (adj.)

They notice a dramatic improvement in all of their senses; they can see, hear, taste, and smell much better than before.

-- sudden and surprising or easy to notice

-- The change in him was dramatic.

5.    Elite [ɪˈliːt] (n.)

Millions of people worldwide watch as elite runners compete for millions of dollars on television.

-- a small group of people who have a lot of advantages and keep themost power and influence.

--  The winners of this science award represent the elite of our high schools

6.    Enormous [ɪˈnɔː(r)məs] (adj.)

And because Iten is 8,000 feet above sea level, the Kalenjini develop an enormous lung capacity.

-- very large in size or quantity

-- The enormous birthday cake dwarfed everything else on the   table.

7.    Intense [ɪnˈtens] (adj.)

The 1,000-day challenge of the monks of Hiei involoves intense periods of running, as well as a period of extreme physical deprivation.

-- very great or extreme

-- The pain was intense.

8.    Deprivation [ˌdeprɪˈveɪʃ(ə)n] (n.)

The 1,000-day challenge of the monks of Hiei involoves intense periods of running, as well as a period of extreme physical deprivation.

-- a situation in which people do not have basic thingsthat they need to live a comfortable life.

-- She eventually overcame the deprivations of her childhood.

9.    Lung [lʌŋ] (n.)

Our powerful lungs give us the stamina needed to run great distances.

--  either one of the two organs that people and animals use to breathe air

--  He filled his lungs with the clean. fresh air.

10. reward [rɪˈwɔː(r)d] (n.)

For the Tarahumara, running seems to be its own reward.

-- something good that happens or that youreceive because of something that you have done

-- Rewards for appropriate behaviour can be successful in teaching children.

11. rigorous [ˈrɪɡərəs ] (adj.)

The few monks who have completed the rigorous 1,000-day challenge say that they now see the world in a new way.

-- thorough and careful; strict, or severe

-- We subjected the data to a rigorous analysis.

12. Sweat [swet] (v.)

And because we can sweat, we can control our body temperature while we run.

-- to produce a clear liquid from your skin when you are hot or nervous

-- He sweats a lot when he exercises.

13. accurate [ˈækjʊrət] (adj.)

When Dr.Secher tried to predict how fast competitive rowers could go, based only on their sizes and the weights of their boats, he was accurate to within 1 percent.

-- correct or true in every detail

-- We need to get an accurate estimate of what the new building will cost.

14. Beneficial [ˌbenɪˈfɪʃ(ə)l] (adj.)

Physics can also explain why being big is beneficial for some sports and not others.

-- something that is beneficial has a good effect or influence on someone or something

-- One or two glasses of wine a day can be beneficial.

15. Championship [ˈtʃæmpiənʃɪp] (n.)

Dr. Joyner got a coach, worked hard, and recently ranked fifteenth swimming a mile in a U.S. Masters Swimming championship race(for people over age twenty-five).

-- the title of champion in a sport or game

-- This year she'll be defending the championship.

16. Exception [ɪkˈsɛpʃən] (n.)

Of course, there are exceptions to the rules.

-- someone or something that is not included

-- I like all his books, with one exception.

17. horizontal [ˌhɒrɪˈzɒnt(ə)l] (adj.)

Because swimmers are horizontal in thw winter, their long bodies give them an automatic edge.

--  parallel to the ground

--  Draw a horizontal line across the page.

18. Initally [ɪˈnɪʃ(ə)li] (adv.)

The best high school athlete Mr. Smith ever coached initially wanted to play football.

--  at the beginning

-- Initially she worked for us as a secretary

19. Load  [ləʊd] (n.)

“If you have large legs, you have to move a big load,” Dr. Secher said.

-- the amount of weight or pressure that something has to bear

-- The hip belt on this rucksack takes most of the load off the shoulders.

20.Musle [ˈmʌsəl] (n.)

But because water holds the boat up, weight becomes less important compared with the enormous benefits of having strong muscles.

-- a piece of flesh that connects one bone to another and is used for moving a particular part of your body

-- These exercises are good for your stomach muscles.

21.Rank [ræŋk] (v.)

Dr. Joyner got a coach, worked hard, and recently ranked fifteenth swimming a mile in a U.S. Masters Swimming championship race(for people over age twenty-five).

--  someone's official position in the armed forces, police, fire service etc.

-- Her rank when she retired was captain.

22. Reasoning [ˈriːzn̩ɪŋ] (adj.)

The same reasoning explains why elite swimmers are big.

--  the process of thinking about something in a logical way in order to form a conclusion or judgment

--  It's difficult to understand the judge's reasoning in this case.

23.Store [ˈstoɚ] (v.)

And bigger muscles can store more glycogen, their fuel for short intense spurts.

-- to collect and put (something) into one location for future use

-- The body stores fat.

24. Stride [ˈstraɪd] (n.)

Tall people naturally have longer strides, but stride length does not determine speed.

--  the distance that you go in one long step

-- The horse was within strides of the winning post.

25.Significant [sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt] (adj.)

However, they all remind us that running has always played a significant role in human life and culture.

-- very important

-- It is significant that she never mentioned him.