As I move closer to the completion of my graduate degree and switching over to medical school, I have been reflecting on the different aspects of life that have interested me and kept me occupied for the past 5+ years. I have spoken about them before - science, research, running, family, friends... and beer. Since moving down to Illinois, I have been exposed to the many varieties and styles of beer available. I have enjoyed spreading my horizons at the Blind Pig, Crane Alley, and events like Beer and Chili Cook-offs. I have tried many different styles, refining my palate and learning which beers I enjoy, and which beers I could stand to live without (mostly IPAs - sorry beer snobs).
Those who are uninitiated to the many benefits of beer may think that this love with having a brew may not be in sync with my other interests. Aside from the requisite "grad student who is avoiding work" benefits of beer, it's fairly clear that beer goes along with just about everything. One of my first follows when I started blogging was Homebrew and Chemistry, penned by a chemistry prof with a penchant for brewing. In fact, my undergrad adviser himself is an avid homebrewer and lover of beer (not sure how having kids has changed that... hopefully not a lot?).
Beer and running also go quite strongly together - just ask The Beer Runner. He's gone over 500 days running every day, while also sampling at least one beer. His posts range from hilarious to informative, even highlighting how beer can help to build a running habit. Many folks (as well as some scientific evidence) have suggested that there may be benefits to using beer as a recovery drink. Not only that, but it is quite refreshing when consumed in the shower using a Tub Mug.
Despite these benefits, however, I have been trying to reign in my beer drinking lately. As with any good thing, moderation is key, and despite the stress of finishing my graduate career I need to take a break in order to ensure that I keep beer in the place of reward and not something I need to get through the day. Not only that, but my graduate student salary limits the breadth of possible beer choices, so reducing my consumption means I can build up a cache of sorts. This can help increase the variety I have available to myself later, and crease a stockpile from which I can draw in case I don't feel comfortable spending the money.
So, the strategy is to grab a six-pack, try out one or two on the weekend, and keep the rest for future consumption. Repeat once a week. I'm hoping that I can build a fairly substantial variety of different styles and brands, trying stuff I haven't tried before and having the rest to share with friends and family or, if I'm greedy, to save for a rainy day.
The benefits to this strategy? A little less drinking overall, a little more money in the pocket, a little more available for when I don't want to spend the money I have, and fewer pounds on the body.
Most importantly, it gives me an incentive to work hard during the week so I can reward myself on the weekend. And isn't that what it's all about?
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Running Update 2-23-12
I know I talk about this all the time anyway, but I did want to let you know what's going on with the running lately.
I'm currently training (officially, thank you Mom) for the Green Bay Marathon, which is taking place on May 20th this year. I decided to follow along with the Hansons-Brooks plan discussed in an issue of Runners World last year, which would do two things differently than the training plans I had followed before:
1) More consistent weekly mileage (i.e. run nearly every day)
2) Longest run would be 16 miles
This departure from the norm stemmed from several things, including the fact that I had tried it last year before getting hurt (because of new shoes, I hope) and because I had been running almost every day anyway, so the schedule seemed to fit into what I was already running. The only difference between what I had been doing for the past 6 months and the training plan was an increase number of miles per run.
I'm about 5 weeks into the plan, and overall things are going well. I've hit nearly all of my mileage marks (with only one run being cut short due to time), and I'm running faster than I have in a long time (due to my previous 6 months of running, which helped me to lose some weight since starting up). I usually average somewhere around 8 minute miles, sticking just below that pace for my speed workouts. I'm switching between two different pairs of shoes, both Asics (Speedstar 5 and Gel DS Sky Speed), which are different from my previous shoes in that they are much lighter and less cushioned than my previous pairs of shoes (such as the Gel Nimbus, the Cadillac of running shoes). I think that they're probably assisting in my speed, but they also have a little less padding, which is making my legs a little more sore after my longer runs.
The main point right now that I want to get to is that, while the running is going well, I'm having a bit of concern about possible injuries. It has nothing to do with the style of the shoes (i.e. I'm not having any foot problems), but the lack of cushioning compared to previous shoes has made the pounding on the pavement a little harsher on the legs. I'm dealing with a number of chronic, but not too awful conditions, including hamstring tendonitis, shin splints, and (more recently) Achilles tendonitis. None of these things are really affecting my running at all (i.e. I can still get out there), but I have to pay special attention to each of these areas to ensure that they don't become bigger problems. The Achilles tendonitis is especially challenging, as I hadn't dealt with it specifically until recently. Luckily, I put the question out about it on Daily Mile and Mark U. linked me to an article on Sweat Science, which discussed the effects of eccentric stretching on the Achilles and how effective it is at treating and preventing further problems. If you look at the papers linked in the article, there are several figures showing the type of stretching that you need to do - and it turns out I had been doing that stretch last spring after getting advice from a physical therapist! Looks like I need to add it back to my routine...
So, overall, things are going well. I'm sticking to my numbers, taking a lot of time to stretch, and holding off when I need to. I'm looking forward to continuing the training, getting some runs in on the grass, and racing that marathon this spring!
I'm currently training (officially, thank you Mom) for the Green Bay Marathon, which is taking place on May 20th this year. I decided to follow along with the Hansons-Brooks plan discussed in an issue of Runners World last year, which would do two things differently than the training plans I had followed before:
1) More consistent weekly mileage (i.e. run nearly every day)
2) Longest run would be 16 miles
This departure from the norm stemmed from several things, including the fact that I had tried it last year before getting hurt (because of new shoes, I hope) and because I had been running almost every day anyway, so the schedule seemed to fit into what I was already running. The only difference between what I had been doing for the past 6 months and the training plan was an increase number of miles per run.
I'm about 5 weeks into the plan, and overall things are going well. I've hit nearly all of my mileage marks (with only one run being cut short due to time), and I'm running faster than I have in a long time (due to my previous 6 months of running, which helped me to lose some weight since starting up). I usually average somewhere around 8 minute miles, sticking just below that pace for my speed workouts. I'm switching between two different pairs of shoes, both Asics (Speedstar 5 and Gel DS Sky Speed), which are different from my previous shoes in that they are much lighter and less cushioned than my previous pairs of shoes (such as the Gel Nimbus, the Cadillac of running shoes). I think that they're probably assisting in my speed, but they also have a little less padding, which is making my legs a little more sore after my longer runs.
The main point right now that I want to get to is that, while the running is going well, I'm having a bit of concern about possible injuries. It has nothing to do with the style of the shoes (i.e. I'm not having any foot problems), but the lack of cushioning compared to previous shoes has made the pounding on the pavement a little harsher on the legs. I'm dealing with a number of chronic, but not too awful conditions, including hamstring tendonitis, shin splints, and (more recently) Achilles tendonitis. None of these things are really affecting my running at all (i.e. I can still get out there), but I have to pay special attention to each of these areas to ensure that they don't become bigger problems. The Achilles tendonitis is especially challenging, as I hadn't dealt with it specifically until recently. Luckily, I put the question out about it on Daily Mile and Mark U. linked me to an article on Sweat Science, which discussed the effects of eccentric stretching on the Achilles and how effective it is at treating and preventing further problems. If you look at the papers linked in the article, there are several figures showing the type of stretching that you need to do - and it turns out I had been doing that stretch last spring after getting advice from a physical therapist! Looks like I need to add it back to my routine...
So, overall, things are going well. I'm sticking to my numbers, taking a lot of time to stretch, and holding off when I need to. I'm looking forward to continuing the training, getting some runs in on the grass, and racing that marathon this spring!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Quality Craftsmanship
As we move ever closer to finishing up in the lab and sending everything away, I can't help but notice that there are many things here that are, in fact, falling apart. I'm not sure what this is a reflection of, be it the somewhat sad state of the lab after contracting several times for other students from different labs to move in, or simply a reflection of the fact that we're not really getting anything new in anticipation of the lab moving, but what it has turned into is a somewhat panicked state of trying to keep everything together while we try to finish up.
In the past few weeks, a number of pieces of equipment have fizzled out. Granted, some were quite old (the oven that started shooting off sparks apparently dated back to 1959), but others suffered from some malady or another that made them inactive and made us question whether it was worthwhile to fix them. A broken centrifuge that's technically property of the department, for example, gets attention eventually... that pair of gloves for taking hot glassware from the (now broken) oven, not so much.
This is also why I burned myself taking glassware out of the (currently working) oven this morning.
I find it interesting to be in this state, this "fugue" of sorts where we sort of have to keep working, keep pushing, without really having an end goal other than "this is when you have to move out". We've been informed that we're probably going to have contract even more if we're still here in July. Hopefully that won't be the case (both that we'll have to contract, and that we'll still be active in the lab in July), but it's a somber thought because it means that we're gradually becoming more and more insignificant in the department.
Don't tell anyone I said that, though.
The other thing that I wanted to get to about quality craftsmanship (or lack thereof) is my teeth. In particular, one of those little guys popped out today, less than a year after being put in there.
I should clarify - I have two fake teeth (both of my maxillary lateral incisors, in case you care), the result of them simply not being there as an adult. Since 2000 I have had fake teeth attached to the surrounding teeth by use of dental bridges, which were not supposed to be permanent solutions but are suitable substitutes for surgical implants, which I currently can't afford. And, since 2000, the left bridge has been in place, no problems. The right bridge has been replaced perhaps 4 times since then.
Last March was one of those times... and it came out again. Today.
So, I have an appointment in the morning to (hopefully) keep myself from falling apart further. *UPDATE* Fixed up, free of charge! They felt really bad about it, too. Turns out that they used a type of dental bonding that uses blue light to cure the adhesive, but for whatever reason it didn't stick to my teeth! This time they used a combination of light and chemical bonding that should keep it in place this time. Time will tell...
Let's just hope we can keep it together (literally) for finishing up grad school this spring.
In the past few weeks, a number of pieces of equipment have fizzled out. Granted, some were quite old (the oven that started shooting off sparks apparently dated back to 1959), but others suffered from some malady or another that made them inactive and made us question whether it was worthwhile to fix them. A broken centrifuge that's technically property of the department, for example, gets attention eventually... that pair of gloves for taking hot glassware from the (now broken) oven, not so much.
This is also why I burned myself taking glassware out of the (currently working) oven this morning.
I find it interesting to be in this state, this "fugue" of sorts where we sort of have to keep working, keep pushing, without really having an end goal other than "this is when you have to move out". We've been informed that we're probably going to have contract even more if we're still here in July. Hopefully that won't be the case (both that we'll have to contract, and that we'll still be active in the lab in July), but it's a somber thought because it means that we're gradually becoming more and more insignificant in the department.
Don't tell anyone I said that, though.
The other thing that I wanted to get to about quality craftsmanship (or lack thereof) is my teeth. In particular, one of those little guys popped out today, less than a year after being put in there.
I should clarify - I have two fake teeth (both of my maxillary lateral incisors, in case you care), the result of them simply not being there as an adult. Since 2000 I have had fake teeth attached to the surrounding teeth by use of dental bridges, which were not supposed to be permanent solutions but are suitable substitutes for surgical implants, which I currently can't afford. And, since 2000, the left bridge has been in place, no problems. The right bridge has been replaced perhaps 4 times since then.
Last March was one of those times... and it came out again. Today.
So, I have an appointment in the morning to (hopefully) keep myself from falling apart further. *UPDATE* Fixed up, free of charge! They felt really bad about it, too. Turns out that they used a type of dental bonding that uses blue light to cure the adhesive, but for whatever reason it didn't stick to my teeth! This time they used a combination of light and chemical bonding that should keep it in place this time. Time will tell...
Let's just hope we can keep it together (literally) for finishing up grad school this spring.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
In Which the Author Talks About Food
First of all, in an effort to "class up the place", I have gone through the archives and removed some of the more "unruly" posts regarding the gross things that can happen while running. We all know about it (those of us who are runners, anyway), so if you have any desire we can talk about them when you're interested. Nothing too gross, just your standard aches and pains of being a runner. Don't worry too much about it.
What I wanted to talk about today is food, a subject near and dear to my heart. In particular, I wanted to get into the science behind fueling for athletic activity. Last year, listening to Marathon Talk, I heard an interview in which the interviewee Matt Dixon, consultant to Olympian Ryan Hall, discussed how one of the major changes made to Ryan's training plan was to add calories. Although he was eating a healthy diet and, obviously, quite an athlete, he was nowhere near what the elite runners of the world (i.e. "The Kenyans") in terms of caloric intake, not "fueling" (taking in calories during and immediately after exercise) as well as he could. Dixon felt that an increase in caloric intake would provide beneficial results... and he seems to be right, as Hall ran the American record for the marathon at Boston this year. How did he do it?
There are several ways that we can approach this to find out why his change helped:
- Proper fueling increased his performance. In the interview, Dixon highlights the importance of fueling properly during and immediately following the workout. This involves getting good food in during the run (one can have gels, sports drinks, etc.) and getting your meals in after the workout is complete. He points out that, while many people can get out and do the run in the morning without having consumed breakfast, it's important to have something to eat afterward to reduce the physiological stress of the workout and help promote recovery, not increasing the stress caused by the absence of food. Importantly, "fueling" differs from normal "nutrition", that being the food that you eat on a normal basis not involved in your workouts. One of the things he points out is that improper fueling can lead to problems with nutrition - if you don't eat well after your workouts, those caloric deficiencies can lead to eating too much or the incorrect foods later. It's important to support your workouts so that you don't mess up and start eating junk later!
- Examine the literature to see what effects fueling has on performance. A search of Pubmed for various iterations of "nutrition" and "athletic performance" (including "endurance performance", "running", etc.) produces a multitude of articles suggesting that fueling can play an important role in performance, especially with regard to long distance endurance events (see this abstract which suggests a deficiency of nearly 7 megajoules for athletes in an endurance cycling event... it's hard to eat enough during a race!). The composition of the fuel during exercise seems to be relatively modular, with simple sugars like glucose playing the most beneficial role, with other nutrients like protein and lipids playing possible, although sometimes less effective, roles. Reviews such as this are also helpful at looking at the most recent literature. (Seriously, look at the literature if you're up for it - there's a lot of interesting stuff out there!)
- Check out the various resources on the internet outside of the literature (often inaccessible - sorry non-academics!) for additional information. Runners World is a good place to start, especially if you want some specially formulated recipes for endurance athletes, or if you're interested in going vegetarian you can good look up the No-Meat Athlete. Another good resource for fueling information is the website for Hammer Nutrition. They actually have a pretty comprehensive piece of literature on fueling before, during, and after exercise (highlighting their products, of course) that I've read before with great interest. Plus, you can download their articles for free!
In the end, what's the best way to go about it? If you look through the different avenues for developing an "athlete's palate", there are a number of truths that float to the surface. Avoid "empty" calories. Look for foods that have a low calorie density so you can eat more without consuming as many calories, if hoping to lose weight. Find the foods that fulfill your caloric needs (protein for muscle building, "slow-burning" carbs for fueling marathons, etc.). Fuel your workouts properly during and after exercise to avoid the pitfalls of binge eating later. Everything in moderation! Following the evidence and avoiding fad diets can help to not only put you in better health, but can properly fuel that performance and push you toward achieving your goals.
And, don't forget... running a marathon is a pretty great excuse to have pizza and beer afterward. Perhaps even a shower beer. Just saying.
What I wanted to talk about today is food, a subject near and dear to my heart. In particular, I wanted to get into the science behind fueling for athletic activity. Last year, listening to Marathon Talk, I heard an interview in which the interviewee Matt Dixon, consultant to Olympian Ryan Hall, discussed how one of the major changes made to Ryan's training plan was to add calories. Although he was eating a healthy diet and, obviously, quite an athlete, he was nowhere near what the elite runners of the world (i.e. "The Kenyans") in terms of caloric intake, not "fueling" (taking in calories during and immediately after exercise) as well as he could. Dixon felt that an increase in caloric intake would provide beneficial results... and he seems to be right, as Hall ran the American record for the marathon at Boston this year. How did he do it?
There are several ways that we can approach this to find out why his change helped:
- Proper fueling increased his performance. In the interview, Dixon highlights the importance of fueling properly during and immediately following the workout. This involves getting good food in during the run (one can have gels, sports drinks, etc.) and getting your meals in after the workout is complete. He points out that, while many people can get out and do the run in the morning without having consumed breakfast, it's important to have something to eat afterward to reduce the physiological stress of the workout and help promote recovery, not increasing the stress caused by the absence of food. Importantly, "fueling" differs from normal "nutrition", that being the food that you eat on a normal basis not involved in your workouts. One of the things he points out is that improper fueling can lead to problems with nutrition - if you don't eat well after your workouts, those caloric deficiencies can lead to eating too much or the incorrect foods later. It's important to support your workouts so that you don't mess up and start eating junk later!
- Examine the literature to see what effects fueling has on performance. A search of Pubmed for various iterations of "nutrition" and "athletic performance" (including "endurance performance", "running", etc.) produces a multitude of articles suggesting that fueling can play an important role in performance, especially with regard to long distance endurance events (see this abstract which suggests a deficiency of nearly 7 megajoules for athletes in an endurance cycling event... it's hard to eat enough during a race!). The composition of the fuel during exercise seems to be relatively modular, with simple sugars like glucose playing the most beneficial role, with other nutrients like protein and lipids playing possible, although sometimes less effective, roles. Reviews such as this are also helpful at looking at the most recent literature. (Seriously, look at the literature if you're up for it - there's a lot of interesting stuff out there!)
- Check out the various resources on the internet outside of the literature (often inaccessible - sorry non-academics!) for additional information. Runners World is a good place to start, especially if you want some specially formulated recipes for endurance athletes, or if you're interested in going vegetarian you can good look up the No-Meat Athlete. Another good resource for fueling information is the website for Hammer Nutrition. They actually have a pretty comprehensive piece of literature on fueling before, during, and after exercise (highlighting their products, of course) that I've read before with great interest. Plus, you can download their articles for free!
In the end, what's the best way to go about it? If you look through the different avenues for developing an "athlete's palate", there are a number of truths that float to the surface. Avoid "empty" calories. Look for foods that have a low calorie density so you can eat more without consuming as many calories, if hoping to lose weight. Find the foods that fulfill your caloric needs (protein for muscle building, "slow-burning" carbs for fueling marathons, etc.). Fuel your workouts properly during and after exercise to avoid the pitfalls of binge eating later. Everything in moderation! Following the evidence and avoiding fad diets can help to not only put you in better health, but can properly fuel that performance and push you toward achieving your goals.
And, don't forget... running a marathon is a pretty great excuse to have pizza and beer afterward. Perhaps even a shower beer. Just saying.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Motivation
I'm not entirely sure if I've written about this before, but I wanted to tackle it from a few different angles.
Or Kurt Angles, if you're the kind of guy who likes German Suplexes.
Anyway.
Lately my mind has been drifting in between a strong intensity for the task at hand and total disregard for anything and everything around me. Call it what you will - extreme senioritis (coming from my pending graduation) or extreme stress and aggravation (coming from my pending graduation). In short, I'm stressed out about getting enough to have something to present to my committee this summer, but feeling a lull because I have been at this so long that I need a break from it.
This set of random and dramatic turns has gotten me to thinking about what is driving me to pursue a degree in this field, as well as what drives me in general. What's my motivation?
A quick scan of the internet, without delving deeper into the subject, suggests that motivation "refers to a process that elicits, controls, and sustains certain behaviors". In essence, it's that "driving force" that pushes us to do things, whether that be someone motivating us with a reward ("incentive theory"), or fulfilling some biological need ("drive-reduction theory"), among other things. Intrinsic forces keep us alive and moving, extrinsic forces push us to finish those TPS reports for our bosses. We work hard on the things that are important to us, while those things that are less necessary have a tendency to fall to the side of the road, destined to either be picked up by someone else or lost forever to the passage of time.
Something like that.
I find it interesting how much our motivations can vary depending on previous and current life experiences. Those of us in similar situations can have very similar motivations (fear that our boss will yell at us if we aren't in the lab from 7 am to 10 pm, for example), while others living in the same household may have completely different motivations (which is why I'm always trying to clean something at night while my wife enjoys evening television... not that there's anything wrong with that). Every part of our lives can driven by some form of motiation or another, changing to fit the situation as needed. It may be easy to compel a child to eat candy, but it's a lot harder to find some form of motivation to get him to eat his vegetables (perhaps apply the incentive theory and offer candy in exchange for vegetable consumption). One such example I can think of from my past regarded the purchase of a Sega Genesis - my parents offered me the incentive of the video game machine in exchange for exercise, which at the time required the proper motivation to be achieved (funny how much that has changed).
While there are many theories on how motivation works, it is up to the individual to decide what motivates him to do what he does. It's quite interesting how those motivations can change over time.
My career as an MD/PhD began with the motivation to do great things within the realm of my abilities. I knew that I could do it, that I had the capabilities to succeed, and in the past my motivations had been to succeed for the sake of succeeding. I had a strong feeling that, even if I didn't know exactly what I was going to do, I had the ability and talent to do it, which kept me motivated. As time went on, and I became more familiar with how research goes (i.e. badly sometimes), my motivations began to change. Instead of being motivated by the need to be successful, it became a motivation to finish a specific goal - get an experiment completed, write out a reaction scheme, finish a piece of homework, and so forth. The motivation became much more extrinsic, with others determining how I perform and what I hoped to accomplish. Like the grad students who are afraid to leave, I was motivated by a need to make my boss happy, to make my professors happy, and so forth.
Lately that motivation had changed further, for a number of reasons. The extrinsic motivation of fear of being reprimanded has gradually disappeared (the "Honey Badger" theory of motivation) and been replaced by a sort of intrinsic pride in myself. It's not a matter of succeeding for the sake of succeeding, it's a matter of making it perfectly clear that I still have the ability to do well, and that I'm going to succeed and do well for myself first, then everyone around me. I work hard at what I do because I want everyone to see that I'm succeeding.
My motivation for running is different, because it hasn't gone through the same transition and need to please others. Running has always made me feel good - I like to run and race, regardless of what others think! It's sometimes difficult to explain to others (why would you do that?), but it's a pretty straightforward thing to me - running makes me feel good, and it is it's own reward!
All in all, what I would suggest if you're in a situation where you're thinking about different post-graduate programs, is to think about your motivation. What is your motivation to be in the MD/PhD program? The MD program? The PhD program? Think about that first, and then let that guide your judgement.
And if you're a runner - running is pretty good by itself!
Or Kurt Angles, if you're the kind of guy who likes German Suplexes.
Anyway.
Lately my mind has been drifting in between a strong intensity for the task at hand and total disregard for anything and everything around me. Call it what you will - extreme senioritis (coming from my pending graduation) or extreme stress and aggravation (coming from my pending graduation). In short, I'm stressed out about getting enough to have something to present to my committee this summer, but feeling a lull because I have been at this so long that I need a break from it.
This set of random and dramatic turns has gotten me to thinking about what is driving me to pursue a degree in this field, as well as what drives me in general. What's my motivation?
A quick scan of the internet, without delving deeper into the subject, suggests that motivation "refers to a process that elicits, controls, and sustains certain behaviors". In essence, it's that "driving force" that pushes us to do things, whether that be someone motivating us with a reward ("incentive theory"), or fulfilling some biological need ("drive-reduction theory"), among other things. Intrinsic forces keep us alive and moving, extrinsic forces push us to finish those TPS reports for our bosses. We work hard on the things that are important to us, while those things that are less necessary have a tendency to fall to the side of the road, destined to either be picked up by someone else or lost forever to the passage of time.
Something like that.
I find it interesting how much our motivations can vary depending on previous and current life experiences. Those of us in similar situations can have very similar motivations (fear that our boss will yell at us if we aren't in the lab from 7 am to 10 pm, for example), while others living in the same household may have completely different motivations (which is why I'm always trying to clean something at night while my wife enjoys evening television... not that there's anything wrong with that). Every part of our lives can driven by some form of motiation or another, changing to fit the situation as needed. It may be easy to compel a child to eat candy, but it's a lot harder to find some form of motivation to get him to eat his vegetables (perhaps apply the incentive theory and offer candy in exchange for vegetable consumption). One such example I can think of from my past regarded the purchase of a Sega Genesis - my parents offered me the incentive of the video game machine in exchange for exercise, which at the time required the proper motivation to be achieved (funny how much that has changed).
While there are many theories on how motivation works, it is up to the individual to decide what motivates him to do what he does. It's quite interesting how those motivations can change over time.
My career as an MD/PhD began with the motivation to do great things within the realm of my abilities. I knew that I could do it, that I had the capabilities to succeed, and in the past my motivations had been to succeed for the sake of succeeding. I had a strong feeling that, even if I didn't know exactly what I was going to do, I had the ability and talent to do it, which kept me motivated. As time went on, and I became more familiar with how research goes (i.e. badly sometimes), my motivations began to change. Instead of being motivated by the need to be successful, it became a motivation to finish a specific goal - get an experiment completed, write out a reaction scheme, finish a piece of homework, and so forth. The motivation became much more extrinsic, with others determining how I perform and what I hoped to accomplish. Like the grad students who are afraid to leave, I was motivated by a need to make my boss happy, to make my professors happy, and so forth.
Lately that motivation had changed further, for a number of reasons. The extrinsic motivation of fear of being reprimanded has gradually disappeared (the "Honey Badger" theory of motivation) and been replaced by a sort of intrinsic pride in myself. It's not a matter of succeeding for the sake of succeeding, it's a matter of making it perfectly clear that I still have the ability to do well, and that I'm going to succeed and do well for myself first, then everyone around me. I work hard at what I do because I want everyone to see that I'm succeeding.
My motivation for running is different, because it hasn't gone through the same transition and need to please others. Running has always made me feel good - I like to run and race, regardless of what others think! It's sometimes difficult to explain to others (why would you do that?), but it's a pretty straightforward thing to me - running makes me feel good, and it is it's own reward!
All in all, what I would suggest if you're in a situation where you're thinking about different post-graduate programs, is to think about your motivation. What is your motivation to be in the MD/PhD program? The MD program? The PhD program? Think about that first, and then let that guide your judgement.
And if you're a runner - running is pretty good by itself!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tagging In
For the first time in quite a long time, I have been tagged and asked to participate in a "random stuff about you" post by Kennyo over at Lose The Shoes. As I believe there is some voodoo witchcraft effect that comes if you don't yourself participate, I suppose it is my duty to continue on with this tradition. Here we go.
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in your tagger's post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blogs and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about "you are tagged if you are reading this." You legitimately have to tag 11 people!
11 Random Facts about me:
1) I have run 6 marathons (planning my 7th in May)
2) I have two fake teeth, as my real teeth never grew in
3) I have been with my wife for 13 years, but only have been married for 5 (we met in high school)
4) My first CD, received for Christmas back in 1997, was Green Day's Dookie (I don't think my parents understood what it was at the time...)
5) I played trombone from 4th grade through college
6) I never pulled an all-nighter in high school, college, or grad school - I value sleep too much!
7) I had never been camping until my senior year of high school... and now I go every summer
8) I am finishing my PhD in chemistry this year
9) I wrote a blog for 5 years before I started this one (don't look online - it no longer exists!)
10) Despite being from Minnesota, I played basketball during the winter and not hockey
11) On the other hand, I'm married to a former hockey player!
The Questions:
1) What is your favorite color?
- Downhill... slowly.
7) If you could be drawn into one cartoon which one would it be?
- Futurama
8) what child would you be off Willa Wonka and the Chocolate factory?
- Hopefully Charlie Bucket, as he is the only one with values
9) Would you rather a dream truck or a Dream car?
- Car
10) If you could stay in shape without working out would you enjoy that?
- I'm not sure how that's possible
11) Would you rather be President of the biggest company in the world or start your own within its shadow?
- I'm planning on being a physician, actually. :-)
I'm going to be a jerk and not tag people, but if you want you can always participate as well!
Happy Sunday!
1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in your tagger's post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blogs and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about "you are tagged if you are reading this." You legitimately have to tag 11 people!
11 Random Facts about me:
1) I have run 6 marathons (planning my 7th in May)
2) I have two fake teeth, as my real teeth never grew in
3) I have been with my wife for 13 years, but only have been married for 5 (we met in high school)
4) My first CD, received for Christmas back in 1997, was Green Day's Dookie (I don't think my parents understood what it was at the time...)
5) I played trombone from 4th grade through college
6) I never pulled an all-nighter in high school, college, or grad school - I value sleep too much!
7) I had never been camping until my senior year of high school... and now I go every summer
8) I am finishing my PhD in chemistry this year
9) I wrote a blog for 5 years before I started this one (don't look online - it no longer exists!)
10) Despite being from Minnesota, I played basketball during the winter and not hockey
11) On the other hand, I'm married to a former hockey player!
The Questions:
1) What is your favorite color?
- Blue
2) Would you rather run up a hill or down a hill?
- First up the hill, then down the hill
3) Would you rather make millions doing something you disliked or struggle at something you love?
- I am currently struggling at something that I love and (often) dislike, so I'd rather make those millions
4) Would you rather workout with Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper?
- I work out on my own
5) If you could one place in the world, where would it be?
- Minnesota (home sweet home, where I haven't lived since 2006)
6) Would you rather downhill ski or water Ski?- Downhill... slowly.
7) If you could be drawn into one cartoon which one would it be?
- Futurama
8) what child would you be off Willa Wonka and the Chocolate factory?
- Hopefully Charlie Bucket, as he is the only one with values
9) Would you rather a dream truck or a Dream car?
- Car
10) If you could stay in shape without working out would you enjoy that?
- I'm not sure how that's possible
11) Would you rather be President of the biggest company in the world or start your own within its shadow?
- I'm planning on being a physician, actually. :-)
I'm going to be a jerk and not tag people, but if you want you can always participate as well!
Happy Sunday!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
I Had to Write SOMETHING
It's Saturday, which has lately become a quite interesting day of the week for me. In the past (first year), it would have revolved around getting to the lab early in order to attend our "Donut Class", in which we were informed of all of the different areas of the department worth noting. While I didn't particularly get anything important out of the class (which, at one point, included a 20 minute build-up to how one works a Par Shaker that ended with "well, you can ask about it if you want" and no demonstration at all), it did get me to the lab early on that day. This habit continued through several years of graduate school, but has lately dwindled with the knowledge that I don't have anyone hanging over my head, ready to strike if I don't check in promptly at 9 am on Saturday, coupled more recently with my desire to get out and go running on the weekends. It is fairly nice out today, given the cold weather.
I had a conversation last night with my wife, whilst sipping on wine at our local wine/coffee shop (which I am in love with and would marry if I wasn't already happily married), about the state of affairs in the lab and my desire to push forward and finish up with my graduate work. I complained that I felt scatterbrained as of late, to which she replied "well, you are working really hard". When I countered by discussing our recent trend of turning on episodes of 30 Rock during the work day and the subsequent lack of focus on work because of said episodes, she replied that I didn't have that much time left before finishing my research, so therefore I must be working hard. I love how she has this ability to be incredibly straightforward, opposite of my inability to get to the point when discussing a subject (as evidenced by my full paragraph to get to this point). It's true, there really isn't an option to slack off anymore. Not that I've really been slacking off (I offered my point to hers that I certainly have collected a lot of data/failed experiments), but it has felt lately that I haven't been on the ball, and her frank description that "this is how is has to be" made me realize that, yes, she's correct. There isn't any room for slacking off anymore. Any time I'm awake, I must be thinking about what needs to be done and then doing it, not allowing myself to take my eyes off of the prize.
It's been kind of interesting to see how my stress levels have affected other areas of my life. In particular, I'm finding that my normal stress habit - eating excessively - has been complemented this go-round with excessive exercise. I've been running pretty much every day since May, interspersed with occasional breaks, mostly due to travel. Full days of driving, flights, and the occasional hangover (New Years Day had a combination of those activities), have been the only deterrents from increased mileage. Overall, I actually feel pretty good about this, although it has made the eating habits a little more acceptable, which I'm not entirely okay with. In any case, I'm in about as good of shape as I've been in graduate school, hovering below the 190 lbs mark since probably November and through the holidays. Regardless of the stress level, I'd call that a win.
As our travel plans for this spring/summer have been derailed by potential graduation dates, along with my wife having to stay in town because other nurses will be on maternity leave (hooray), I re-evaluated my running plan for the spring. I originally wanted to do the Illinois Marathon again, but I will be attending a conference over the same weekend, so instead I have homed in on the Green Bay Marathon. I had actually thought about this one before, but now that my folks are living there... makes it a lot easier, doesn't it? I will let you know how training goes.
That's about it for now. I have many, many things to do, and as the wife says, I don't have a choice.
I have to be working hard.
I had a conversation last night with my wife, whilst sipping on wine at our local wine/coffee shop (which I am in love with and would marry if I wasn't already happily married), about the state of affairs in the lab and my desire to push forward and finish up with my graduate work. I complained that I felt scatterbrained as of late, to which she replied "well, you are working really hard". When I countered by discussing our recent trend of turning on episodes of 30 Rock during the work day and the subsequent lack of focus on work because of said episodes, she replied that I didn't have that much time left before finishing my research, so therefore I must be working hard. I love how she has this ability to be incredibly straightforward, opposite of my inability to get to the point when discussing a subject (as evidenced by my full paragraph to get to this point). It's true, there really isn't an option to slack off anymore. Not that I've really been slacking off (I offered my point to hers that I certainly have collected a lot of data/failed experiments), but it has felt lately that I haven't been on the ball, and her frank description that "this is how is has to be" made me realize that, yes, she's correct. There isn't any room for slacking off anymore. Any time I'm awake, I must be thinking about what needs to be done and then doing it, not allowing myself to take my eyes off of the prize.
It's been kind of interesting to see how my stress levels have affected other areas of my life. In particular, I'm finding that my normal stress habit - eating excessively - has been complemented this go-round with excessive exercise. I've been running pretty much every day since May, interspersed with occasional breaks, mostly due to travel. Full days of driving, flights, and the occasional hangover (New Years Day had a combination of those activities), have been the only deterrents from increased mileage. Overall, I actually feel pretty good about this, although it has made the eating habits a little more acceptable, which I'm not entirely okay with. In any case, I'm in about as good of shape as I've been in graduate school, hovering below the 190 lbs mark since probably November and through the holidays. Regardless of the stress level, I'd call that a win.
As our travel plans for this spring/summer have been derailed by potential graduation dates, along with my wife having to stay in town because other nurses will be on maternity leave (hooray), I re-evaluated my running plan for the spring. I originally wanted to do the Illinois Marathon again, but I will be attending a conference over the same weekend, so instead I have homed in on the Green Bay Marathon. I had actually thought about this one before, but now that my folks are living there... makes it a lot easier, doesn't it? I will let you know how training goes.
That's about it for now. I have many, many things to do, and as the wife says, I don't have a choice.
I have to be working hard.
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