Explain (in terms of blood chemistry and respiratory physiology) why the victims in the manure pit did not realize that they were suffocating. What would be the expected blood pH values of the individuals involved (high, low, normal)? What mechanism accounts for this?

Carbon dioxide levels in their blood did not reach a high level to be able to process the Oxygen.It takes a high Carbon dioxide level and low blood pH to feel like you are suffocating. The people in the pit didn’t realize they were suffocating due to these factors.

In the real sense, they were suffocating as there was no oxygen in the pit but their carbon dioxide and pH chemoreceptors indicated that everything was alright.

I would expect their pH levels to be normal.

no, because those are both different running competitions. while distance runners train their legs and their lungs to run long amounts of time, the sprinters are training their legs and their lungs to give all they have in the little amount of area they need to cover. the brain also plays a huge part in all of this.

the brain is the only thing in your body that sends messages to your body telling you to run. if you are a long distance runner and you have the mind set of a sprinter, you will not get anywhere. if you have a long distance mind set and you have to run 200m in 20 seconds then you will not make it in time.