Aaaaaand I’m back

It’s been awhile, right? Almost a year actually. And I’m back to writing because I re-booted my commitment to writing for 30 minutes a day (at least weekdays, ha). Technically, that’s supposed to be academic writing buuuuuut, baby steps, people.

It’s funny, I’ve been itching to write–mostly because I’ve been wanting to think through a bunch of runnerdy things, like intermittent fasting, different training plans, sleep cycles,  stuff that the general everyday person in my life doesn’t want to hear about. But some of you must, right? *insert desperate eyes* I was just telling my undergrads how writing can be a great way to “think through” complex things. Considering these students are in there because they’re on academic probation, I’m not sure they believed me. It’s true, though. I get my best mental sorting of the chaos through writing.

So what’s happened since I last wrote? I bonked my two attempts to qualify for Boston. I got approved for a sabbatical for next spring (a full year away, sigh), I published a book, I turned 40, I got chosen as a Skirt Sports ambassador, and I signed up for a 50 miler. My kids turned 6 and 8, the world turned around the sun…so yeah, life happened. So about that 50 miler…

I decided to do a 50 mile race because 1) I’ve been hanging out with some bad influences (as in people who run multiple 100 mile races) and 2) I was pretty demoralized not qualifying at two different marathons last year. I needed a new goal to work towards and to take a break from chasing the unicorn. I always said speed wasn’t my thing, and while I’m generally not a back-of-the-packer, I do feel like I have to scrap pretty hard for any speed I get. The more accepting attitude trail and ultra runners have towards pace/speed/time was alluring. I’ve also really appreciated not pounding the same pavement day after day and forcing myself to get out to the trails more. And I’ve been running with some different people because of that. Change can really be good.

HOWEVER, part of me is freaking out every other second about the 50 miler. I think when my friend said, “I think you could run Ice Age around 10 hours, but most people would say you should just worry about the cutoff” and then I looked up the cutoff (12 hours), I might have had a slight heart attack. I think the fact that 50k and 50 miles share the number 50 makes it sound “not that bad” to go from one to the other. However, running a 6 hour’ish 50k (31 miles) to running a 12 hour 50 MILES is a different thing. A way bigger thing. That is almost double. So, yeah, freaking out.

But don’t worry, doing things like affixing screws to the bottom of your shoes so you can run intervals on hills covered in ice totally makes you feel better

Not convinced, huh? Yeah, neither am I. But that’s enough chit-chat for today (i.e., my 30 minutes is about to be up). More on the 50 mile plan tomorrow…

Meb for Mortals (ie the rest of us) and Forging a Daily Writing Habit

I am tired and not particularly wanting to write an entry tonight, but I tend to be driven by external factors/consequences/modes (see pic below)

and I signed up for a 14 day writing challenge (and today is day 1, sigh. You can’t not meet the challenge ON THE FIRST DAY!). Being an academic, one of the things that we’re judged highly upon is our scholarship–but it’s also the thing that tends to get neglected the most. With the immediacy of unplanned classes or unprepared meetings kicking you in the face, the delayed consequences of unattended scholarship is easy to ignore. Thus, there are ways to try to ensure accountability for these intangible, yet consequential, endeavors.

This 14-day writing challenge is put on by Kerry Ann Rocquemore and her National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity. “The National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity is an independent professional development, training, and mentoring community of over 71,000 graduate students, post-docs, and faculty members. We are 100% dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers.” Basically, it teaches you to “be” an academic. There are a whole crazy menu of services you can get through them. The 14 day writing challenge is a free one where they hook you up with a small community (aha! that word again) of other academics making the commitment to write for at least 30 minutes everyday for 14 days. There are daily check-ins, chat boards to virtually meet others in the writing process, and gentle hints/nudges to get you writing. It’s awesome. I’ve done several of them, and it always reinvigorates me with engaging with writing more often.

All that wasn’t written to be a commercial for them–although I do think they are amazing. AND, I would love for someone to sponsor me to be do their Faculty Bootcamp, though, if anyone’s looking to help a sista out 🙂 I thought of running connections to writing, though, because today I am sore from my workout yesterday. Let me explain. I got my most recent copy of Runner’s World, and it features the amazing magical stride of Meb Keflezighi.

Photo from Runner’s World http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/5-drills-to-make-you-a-better-runner

The man spends more time in the air than he does on the ground. In other words, he flies. But he doesn’t get that amazing stride without working at it. He does alot of form drills to help him be the amazing runner he is (you can find them here). One of the most elite runners in the world…

wait for it…

works hard.

Huh. I know. Shocker. I’ve become slightly obsessed with form over the last several years. Most of it is about trying to make small adjustments while I run–swinging my arms straight, trying to hit mid-foot, maintaining the right cadence, and “running tall.” I feel like all these things have made a huge difference in terms of injury and running efficiency. I also know that doing drills will make me an even better, more agile, possibly faster, and definitely more efficient runner. HOWEVER, I hate drils. I have flashbacks to high school track (remember I did the field events because I was a horrible runner) and the group warm-ups we would do–butt kicks, high knees, grape vine, bounding, toe touches, and running backwards. I keep seeing articles about how these drills will improve your form and your running. And Meb says they will. And Meb is practically a god. In fact, his new book is called Meb for Mortals, ha.

Getting back to why I’m sore…after my short 3-mile recovery run, I decided to do drills. I felt guilty for “only” running 3 miles (I know, I know, it’s weird to feel guilty about the “shortness” of a run, but I’m a recovering Catholic and I’m Korean. I got guilt to spare), so I wanted to add something more. Since it was such a nice day out, I decided to do some drills and get the kids outside. I was going to spend “quality time” with them, while secretly working in my drills. They quickly gave up. I mean, they’re 3 and 5, and they are my children (read, not particularly coordinated). They were happy to draw with sidewalk chalk while I bounded, grapevined, and lunged my way up and down the sidewalk. One of our neighbors next door stood outside and cheered for us. I have to say that I felt like a big loser on display, but we don’t have the length of sidewalk needed in our backyard. I felt pretty awesome afterwards, but now I’m sore today. And I didn’t have time to work out the soreness today. I know, first world problems.

So yesterday’s drills are not that different from the daily 30 minutes of writing. All of it is about cultivating a practice, an embedded form and function within you for something that seems hard or abstract. Writing a 30 page manuscript (or a 300+ page dissertation) doesn’t happen in one crazy all-nighter, and training for a marathon and qualifying for Boston won’t happen in just doing a few long runs here and there. It is the daily grind of pushing through the “But I don’t wanna!” and of working when you don’t want to, whether it’s 30 minutes of writing at 10 p.m. or speed workouts at the track at 6 a.m. (tomorrow’s reality), that will push you to do more than you think you can, of raising the bar of what to expect from yourself, and of forging newer understandings of your strength and ability.

If Meb grinds it on the daily, who are you not to at least try?

PS I write these posts at night and have them set to publish the next morning, which is why the times I’m referring to are off. Trickery!