Downtime

Posted 11:34 AM, September 03, 2006, by tenforde

After a challenging week of orientation and classes, I've decided to take a little time to organize my thoughts and life. The Labor Day three-day weekend is the perfect opportunity.

I was prepared for medical school to be challenging. Whenever people heard that I was applying to med school, they would tell me that it was going to involve a lot of work. In addition, people questioned my ability to continue running professionally. The term student-athlete has applied to my life for as long as I can remember. After graduating from Stanford in 2003, I continued my education by fulfilling my pre-medical requirements. During this time, my passion for running did not change at all. I was given an amazing opportunity to run professionally for Reebok and be represented by an agent. However, injuries have prevented me from competing for the past two years.

Going into medical school, I decided that I would make a goal to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Trials in the 10,000 meters. I'm throwing that goal out there for everyone to see, as I've learned in sports psychology that a good goal-setting strategy is to publicly post your goals. I've looked at my running as an extension to my life as a student, and my current career projection lands me somewhere in the specialty of sports medicine.

Yet, I am not Superman, as I have humbly learned my first week of classes. Eight hours of sleep is hard to come by as our schedules are filled with classes (and last week by orientation materials), and life continues to go on while we are students. We have bills to pay, friendships and relationships to maintain, and occasionally we need to take out the garbage. Today I've plowed through the drifts of papers and emails that have cluttered my room and mind. I'm going to go for a leisurely run this afternoon, lift weights, and do some core-strength exercises. In addition, I'm going to spend some quality time with my girlfriend who has been very supportive but has seen little of me due to the week's demanding schedule. Most importantly, I'm going to take a moment to remember that I'm human and need to satiate my needs for nourishment of the body, mind, and soul.