Hello Blogosphere!
There’s something about being in graduate school that puts some aspects of your life into perspective. For example, as a doctor I will have a unique privileged responsibility to not only be, as one of my classmates calls it, a “health professional, but a healthy professional.” I’ve really taken that message to heart at SCO and so have many of my classmates. Whether it’s exercising, making better meal choices, or simply living life with a more positive attitude, my classmates and I have adopted a new outlook on life as healthcare providers.
In fact, SCO has really become a community of runners. Not only have I jumped on the bandwagon, but many of my classmates have decided to pound the pavement alongside me. As you may recall, I joined the Memphis Runners Track Club last year and participated in my first Road Race Series and Half Marathon. Well this year I upped the ante…not only did I race the Road Race Series again this fall hitting a few 5ks, 5 milers, 10ks, 10 milers, and half marathons over five months, but my timing has surprisingly improved too. Best part is that my roommate has joined me on these running escapades as well! I even managed to snag a few race medals along the way, including a second place finish in both SVOSH’s Eye5k and the MRTC’s RRS for my age group!
Earlier this month, SCO had over 40 students, faculty, and staff signed up to race the St. Jude Marathon. Unfortunately due to an unexpected ice storm the race was cancelled…even for a committed runner like myself, running in icy, single-digit-temps wasn’t too appealing. Nonetheless, the SCO team still raised over $14,000 toward St. Jude’s research endeavors and I still enjoyed being a part of such a good cause. Way to go SCO!!
So, what’s my secret to maintaining a running schedule and still doing well in school? I guess you could say I just slap those class notes on the treadmill and I could go for hours (well maybe not hours, but at least I can take a little bit of time and kill two birds with one stone!). Also, running races are great study break motivators. As I round the corner to take Part 1 of Boards I can definitely see these sprints coming in handy, if anything, it’ll be a necessary break for my brain to recoup!
I tend to be a bit of a milestone gal, so I’m leaning towards running my first marathon in 2014 too…26 miles for my 26th birthday :) I’ll keep you all posted on how conditioning goes too!
Carpe Diem,
Amy