It has been a terribly long time since I posted, and I realized I left a bit of a cliff-hanger as far as my journey on the Appalachian Trail goes.
Internet connection was difficult on the route, and although I took a plethora of photos, the logistics of posting blog entry's on my iphone proved too tedious for my tired mind.
However, my trip ended in July, so I have no excuse for taking so long to post.
But here's my excuse anyway: I started graduate school. Which is hard.
Green Smoothies are power foods for studying AND running, turns out!!
In fact, I would say that grad school is arguably the hardest thing I have ever undertaken, and is likely the most painful as well. And that is coming from someone who regularly runs/ hikes crazy miles in crazy heat and got so sick after my 50 miler in the Copper Canyons, that I lost 5 lbs. puking my guts out for three days after. Sorry for the gruesome details... I just thought I'd give perspective.
Here I am on the AT trying to document the crazy humid heat I was experiencing on a climb up 4,000 feet.
Of course, this makes it sound like grad school is some form of torture, and that naturally I don't enjoy it. That is absolutely not true. I am studying Conservation Botany, and I LOVE PLANTS. I love being around them, cooking them, growing them, identifying them. They are healing, delicious, beautiful and fascinating!
Starting graduate school is painful.
It has been 8 long years since I did my undergraduate work, so I'm pretty out of practice. Caring friends remind me that our brains are like any muscle; they need to be exercised in order to stay in shape... needless to say, my brain has been a total couch potato in terms of academia.
I also tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed, especially when I'm going for a goal that I care deeply about. All I see is the challenge ahead, which is good for focus, but it also means that sometimes I push myself past what is healthy; I get sick or injured, or burn out. I am so focused on my goals, I put myself in a stress mode as if I'm running a race and forget to rest or take care of myself!!
The brain responds to stress, whether physical or emotional or mental in the same way; your sympathetic nervous system kicks in (a.k.a. fight or flight response), your heartbeat quickens, your digestion slows, and stress hormones deplete your immune function. A lot of these things are good if you are running a quick race, or under a deadline, or in an accident. Your reflexes and senses are sharpened, and other bodily functions don't get in the way.
What we need to remember is that stress is okay, it's natural, but in our achievement driven world we are often in fight or flight ALL THE TIME! We must allow our body to rest and restore, to allow the parasympathetic nervous system to kick in and build our immunity back up, get our digestion flowing again, and our cells to rebuild. Just writing about rest and relaxation makes me feel calmer.
Ha ha... Maybe NOT the best way to reduce stress...
As a distance runner, I know this; allowing your body to relax during a long run provides essential on-the-go restorative powers.
Here I am feeling blissed out during a break on the AT.
I want to be instantly good at school, and tackle the challenges, but my brain needs build up strength, just as my legs are building up strength again after being so sick this summer with pneumonia. So, I'm starting to meditate and prioritize my rest time. My program is so exciting; I am so challenged and engaged, and already feeling the rewards of time spent in the library or at coffee shops studying.
And so, as it's time to rest now, I'll leave you with this moment of zen brought to you by the Appalachian Trail.
