Vacation Makes Me Crazy

Summer vacation is upon us, with its requisite highs (lack of undergrads) and lows (lack of job).  I'm in a very unique position (for me) in that, for the first time since the summer after I graduated college, I am without work and waiting patiently until the semester starts up again in the fall.  I understand that this is probably the last opportunity I will have to relax before the rest of my career begins, which is especially important because I have spent my last 5 summers working in the lab, but still.  As my family knows, I am the kind of person who gets extremely frustrated by being inactive, so I'm relishing the opportunity to make and (generally) follow through on lists on a daily basis.

Since my spring semester was split between taking and teaching classes, the task of finding summer employment was pushed to the back-burner until classes ended.  This ended up being beneficial in the short-term - I passed all of my courses (the lone worry being how I would do in physiology - thank goodness for a strong performance on the final) and I received good ratings from my students and professor in the course for which I was a TA.  Good news on both fronts, but it makes it more difficult to find a job if you focus all of your time on the current situation and don't look toward the future. 

Don't get me wrong, I tried.  I thought perhaps that it would be worthwhile to find a research position in a different field, giving me more of an opportunity to explore research areas while getting paid for it.  There are many opportunities for students in between first and second years of medical school, too, so I thought it would be fairly easy to find a job... until I was told that, as a Ph.D. holder, that I was overqualified (looks like I've gotten all of the research I need?) and therefore ineligible for most research opportunities.  Not that I was completely disqualified, but for the most part the big research programs in areas different from what I had done before were out of reach, so I was left to ponder that while studying anatomy dissections, among other things.  I could have asked around the old department to look for a summer position, but decided against it primarily because I wanted to do something other than chemistry.  Maybe not the best decision, but I needed a break.

So here I am, a week into summer vacation, without a job lined up yet.  I've been applying, both within and outside of my fields of expertise.  I don't think I've decided against any particular job, but I think I would prefer either something that a) would give me experience relevant to my training (i.e. medical office assistant) or b) is completely outside of my field and can be left at work when I go home (i.e. bartender).  I would like to work during the day, during the week (keeping hours similar to  my wife) and have the opportunity to review and plan for M2.  Getting petty cash isn't that difficult (hello psychology studies) but I would prefer having an actual paycheck so I can pay my bills.  Probably a good idea, right?

In the meantime, I've got to make more lists and clean more things and try to make the house and myself presentable for my wife, who needs to relax after a hard day of work.

(PS - if you have need of someone to do something and are either local or have something that can be done online, please contact me.  I need something to do!)

2013 Illinois Marathon Race Report

No expectations.

I basically went into this race with no expectations.  Having spent the month previous working through IT band syndrome, I didn't think I needed to worry too much about my time, but only that I felt good enough at the finish that I could actually get to the finish.  My second-to-last long run, a 13-miler, went wrong at around mile 9 when I felt a strain in my IT band that made me walk back to my car.  The 8-miler on the following weekend went better, but I knew that I shouldn't be working too hard in order to ensure that I didn't wreck myself and not finish. 

Thus, I went into the race with no expectations.  I arrived early enough to get a break at the bathroom before heading to the race start.  The race has used corrals the last few years, and my targeted race time put me in corral C, 3:30-3:59 projected time.  This was probably a little ambitious, but at the time I signed up I thought it was possible.  It was still possible, of course, but I was ready to slow down if needed.

Pre-race selfie

The morning was cool and overcast, with a little sun peaking through.  I had plenty of time to sit and think about the race and what was to come, with plenty of room to stretch and sip on some Nuun water.  The Illinois Marching Band that plays at the basketball games was playing at the start line, which really psyched me up and reminded me of the games I used to go to. 

A little after 7, our wave started and we were off.  I started off slow and comfortably, trying not to worry about people moving forward and behind me and the excitement of the start of the race.  I passed the first mile around 9 minutes, right on schedule, and continued on through campus and into downtown Urbana.  I high-fived a gorilla, and climbed "Mount Urbana" where we passed the highest elevation gain (probably 50 feet) and someone offering oxygen for the climb :-).  For the first few miles, the knee felt fine, but probably after the third mile I felt a twinge.  I knew it wasn't going to be the "race day miracle", unfortunately.

I passed by my neighborhood around mile 6, running around 9 minute miles and sticking with the plan of hitting my 4-hour marathon goal.  I was a little hesitant as I approached the 10 mile mark, as this was around the point when my leg gave out on the 13-mile run.  Luckily, it appeared that the pain was not as bad as it had been before, and I was able to continue moving slowly forward.  I hit the half marathon point at just over 2 hours, right after the crowds thinned when the half-marathoners split off, and I thought that I would still be able to hit the four hour marathon goal.

As I traveled into downtown Champaign and through the Champaign neighborhoods, I started to realize that it would not be the best thing to try to push through the pain, as being able to run later was more important than going down in a blaze of glory.  Around mile 16, I decided that it was time to implement the run-walk strategy.  I started my interval timer on my watch, four minutes running and two minutes walking.  I knew it would be slower, but this gave me the opportunity to take the strain off of my knee and hopefully recover.  After the four hour pace group passed, I settled in and traversed the streets of West Champaign.

Mile 25 or so - I'm in the middle of yelling "my knee is killing me!

I approached the final miles of the race and passed by my family.  They had been worrying about me because an ambulance had passed them earlier... a runner had passed out a mile earlier and was surrounded by EMTs, and attempts to call me had been unsuccessful (I had a phone but it was on silent and I didn't hear it).  I found my family around mile 25, letting them know that my knee was painful and that was why I was moving slowly.

Finish line - they make you walk up into the stands right afterward

As I approached the finish, I managed to continue running without stopping toward the finish line.  I let out a shout as I came to the 50 yard line of Memorial Stadium, passing over around 4 hours and 17 minutes.  I got my medal, took a picture, and got some water and Gatorade.  I could manage a few bites of pizza and met with my family, happy to be done with my 8th marathon.

Post-race selfie

All in all, the race was fine.  I would have been in the shape for a sub-4 marathon, had I not injured myself.  The race itself was great - great volunteers, great staff, great fuel stations, and great finish line food and activities.  I have been quite happy with the race in the past, and they continue to provide a world-class event.

Post-marathon with the wife

I hope to participate again!

Marathon Musings

This year I turn 30. 

I had hoped to finish 10 marathons by the time I turn 30.  Although there's still some time, I don't know if it's going to happen.  Tomorrow I will be participating in the Illinois Marathon, which will be my 8th.

This includes, of course, the two marathons that were cancelled mid-race, after which I completed the distance and didn't receive an official time.  I don't envision that happening tomorrow, but... you never know?

I have been running since I was 12 years old.  I was inspired by two people in particular - my uncle, Dr. Greg, who had been called "The Hulk" in medical school after a lifetime of athletic activity throughout his youth but later slimmed down and became a Boston Qualifier; and my mom, Dr. Michelle, who was likely as inspired to run by her brother as I was and later went on to complete 7 marathons, a whole list of half-marathons and TC-10's, and many trips down Lexington Avenue where I grew up.

(One might surmise that they were also inspiration for my current career path, although my dad would argue that my abilities within the field of chemistry came from him...)

One of the constants in my life growing up was the annual trip to Duluth for Grandma's Marathon.  It became an expectation that in the middle of June we would take the Friday off to drive up, pick up race packets, go to a pasta feed somewhere in town, play in the pool at the Best Western Edgewater at the end of Highway 35, then get up the next morning and watch mom and Uncle Greg as they came up Lemon Drop hill (with the creepy man in the lemon costume handing out unwrapped lemon candies... hmm.).

I went many times up to Duluth for Grandma's Marathon weekend.   I went as a spectator, I went as a participant in the 5K (try to beat my dad), I went as a participant in the half marathon (still my half marathon PR by a long shot), I went as a volunteer.  Those weekends solidified for me the importance of running, the importance of participating and volunteering, the importance of the marathon and all of its lessons to my life. 

Work hard, push through the rough patches, don't go out too fast, and smile at the finish line.

I realize now that it's been a very, very long time since I have been up in Duluth for marathon weekend, and although I have run 7 (coming up on 8) marathons I haven't been quite able to recreate that buzz and anticipating that I had growing up.  I've been trying, sure, but there was something magical about marathon weekend that made it feel like there was electricity in the air.

My friends, I think that it's happening this weekend. 

I'm running in the 5th Annual Illinois Marathon, a race for which my expectations are low for performance (having spent a chunk of time fighting with ITBS) but quite high for enjoyment of the weekend.  I'm inspired and excited and looking forward to the fact that I get to sleep in my own bed on the night before the race. 

It may not be the same as those early experiences, but it's going to be great.

If you are running in any of the races this weekend (or any other races, or if life is a race and you're running it) - good luck. 

It's going to be great.

Laughing at His Nightmare

I'm not sure what stopped me from doing it. 

A few months ago, one of my good friends and former co-workers sent me a link to a site written by a young man dealing with spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that I had read a lot about and tried to conduct research on during my graduate school years.  I saw the link and the description, and then promptly moved on to other things.

It wasn't apathy, I don't think, but rather the fact that I had been out of graduate school for a few months and moved on to medicine, and for whatever reason I didn't want to think as much about my former work while delving into new topics.

I don't know what prompted it, but yesterday I actually went to the site.  I can't say why.  But I started looking and exploring the different posts, and then watched the documentary about this kid (kid meaning >5 years younger than me). 

Go watch it. 

Wow.  That's all I can really say.  I have gotten really hung up lately on very petty things, and tried to make myself feel justified in complaining about not having enough time to do what I want and being stressed out about studying and making sure all of the relevant information in the handout and...

Just stop.  Breathe.  Relax. 

Think about how well this kid (his name is Shane) is handling his lot in life.  He's "living it up" as my old friend Egon used to day.  There are many ways that his life is not as "good" as mine, but he's handling it, and handling it well.  Much better than I am with my petty problems. 

There are two outcomes to this realization that I want to follow through with, and I want you to do the same.

1) Quit sweating the small stuff, do the work, and enjoy the fact that you can do it
2) Get back into genetics research and find ways to treat stuff like SMA (that's more for me, I guess)

I don't know who reads this, or if there are folks who have dealt with SMA (or other disease) who are readers, but if you are one of those people: I am going to work my ass off to make a difference for you.

And that's a promise.

ITBS and That "Duh" Moment

As the semester has continued forward and I've oscillated between confidence and frustration, one constant has been my running.  I signed up for the Illinois Marathon and was leading (sort of, anyway) a pace group, and my confidence had never been higher for a good race. 

Then, about a month ago, problems struck - during our first 20-miler, I came down with knee pain.  Particularly, anterolateral knee pain radiating from about the midpoint of my knee down to the patella.  A quick search of the internet and my previous experience during last semester's lower extremity section of anatomy isolated the problem to a number of possible culprits - the lateral collateral ligament, the anterior cruciate ligament, and the iliotibial band.  Consultation with a few experts that I know personally suggested that I was dealing with the dreaded IT band syndrome. 

I took it easy the next few weeks - we were going to be traveling anyway, and I had plenty of confidence in my running and workout routine, so I thought I'd be fine - and tried to strengthen my hip abductors and wear supportive gear while I ran.  I did a few 5-milers and felt alright, so last weekend I decided to throw back in with the marathon group for the final long run - the half marathon course.

I made it about 9 miles before the IT band gave out on me.

Coming home, I was trying hard to figure out why I was going wrong.  I could have sworn that I had heard something like this before - was it the shoes?  The way I was running?  The mileage increase?

I did a search focusing on running shoes... and came up with this. 

Yes, it turns out that I was correct and that I had heard something like this before.  Almost identical to this, in fact.  The story was the same, the result was the same, heck even the name was the same.  It turns out that I'm likely the unlucky recipient of ITBS via a pair of shoes that I picked out online back at the beginning of my campaign.  I haven't confirmed this yet, but I'm guessing that if I switch back to running in only a stalwart pair of shoes I've been using previously, the problem will dissipate. 

Although I'm glad I figured this out, I wish I had given myself more than 2 weeks to prep for the race.

Unfortunately, it means that this particular pair of shoes (who shall remain nameless) are now on the banned list of shoes for me.  The good news is that I have compiled a list of shoes that I have worn previously without causing this level of ITBS, so I should have a rather large potential selection for future use. 

Just goes to show you that it makes sense to go with what you know, and to not discount the impact of footwear on development of injuries. :/-

This Too Shall Pass

I am one to freely admit when he is not working to an optimal level.  Mostly on the internet, where it's easier to say such a thing and let it float away, wafting on the breeze and catching whomever it catches, but I am still willing to admit that things are not going the way they are supposed to be going.

Unfortunately, it appears my distractions are getting the best of me.  The time around, I had plenty of time, but a lot of ways in which to creatively use that time in a manner that wasn't productive.  Now, don't get me wrong, I actually did seem to get a fair amount out of it... just not enough.  Not enough to get everything accomplished in a satisfying way.  I'm kind of beating around the bush here, but let's face it - bad test. 

It happens, yes, but my expectation placed on myself for this year was complete mastery of the material.  I don't have an excuse.  I have reasons - a trip halfway around the world.  Teaching responsibilities.  Injuries screwing around with my running mojo.  The thing about it, though, is that there will always be reasons.  There's never an optimal time in which I only have to focus on one thing.  It's just not how the world works, and the sooner I can realize that and work with it, the better.

I think the part that bugs me the most is the fact that I already know this.  I've been through it, on multiple occasions, no less.  Granted, the world-spanning trip was a new wrench thrown in to the mix, and perhaps I didn't give it the attention it deserved, but I don't think that I can rely on that as an excuse for poor performance.  There's always going to be something, so it's no reason to say "well, I deserve a pass on this one". 

Okay, I'm done being negative.  It's an opportunity to learn, and like I said when I purchased a lemon of a car a few years ago, let's hope that this is the worst thing I end up doing to myself during medical school. 

(I suppose I didn't say that exact thing when I bought the car, considering that it had nothing to do with medical school... more along the lines of hoping it was the worst decision I've made)

As the family motto goes - this too shall pass.

In other news, I have realized the great benefit of friends and former colleagues with regard to my running injury - consultation with a number of friends who have gone on to careers that are medically oriented, I have identified the likely cause of my running injury as IT band syndrome combined with weak hip abductors (look it up!) that's causing imbalances in my knee.  I already knew that my IT band was something of a hassle (things, in part, to sleeping on it), but understanding the connection between the IT band and my knee was something I had on a superficial level only.  I've been doing exercises to strengthen the muscle, and wearing a supportive brace while running, and it's definitely helped.

The marathon is two weeks from Saturday, so I hope it will!

In the meantime, I've given up social media (aside from, perhaps, advertising this on it).  I'm hoping it helps with my distraction level.

Contrast

Last week:

This week:

Glad to be back home. :/-