Great Motivational Article

[Calcio]

We are 12 weeks from the races. Here is an article from this morning's Denver Post about yesterday's Denver Marathon. I suspect it will hit home with many of you.


http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4498277


Good luck training everyone. This time before the race is the hard part, building your distance and questioning your sanity and ability to do it. January 6 and 7 is the reward, and it's absolutely worth it.

Please excuse my absence everyone. I've been fighting the new semester, a course that I've never taught before and seem to have no natural elan for, "the usual suspects" of injuries, plus difficult times at work for my lovely wife. I realize, in the words of Rick, that "the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world," but I have moved from introspective thoughts to serious self doubts.

Craig

 

[Honeibee]

OK Craig, we understand, but, well....we miss our pirate.

Thank you for the article. I can use all the motivation I can get.

 

[Calcio]

Thanks Judy

I'll try to be a more regular contributor.

And yes, we are withing striking distance of January 6 and 7. It seems like a long time but if you can continue to train and build regularly you'll find the race is far easier than you anticipated. The training is the work, the race is pure fun.

Craig

 

[wtpclc]

Craig - Thanks for the article!! You may not always post, but you always seem to post what we need when we need it. Hope life gets easier for you. It may not be a hill of beans in teh overall scheme of things, but when it's your hill, it's a whole diefferent story!

Hope you don't mind, I'mm gonna' put the link on the thread to make sure everyone sees it. I think it will hit home with many!

 

[DianeL]

Wonderful article Craig!!!!

Thanks for sharing it!!!!

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Great article Craig! Thanks for posting. I agree with Carrie, it was just what I needed.

 

[escape]

Thanks for sharing the article. Like Judy says, I need all the inspiration/motivation I can get.

 

[chimera]

That's a great article, Craig! thanks for posting it!

Hope to see you around more. BTW, I may be dipping my toe into academic life. I just applied for an adjunct faculty position at the new pharmacy school they're starting here in fall. I'd love any advice you might have!

 

[Calcio]

Mel

I would be happy to talk with you about faculty life and especially adjunct faculty life at a College, University or Professional School.

If you can wait we could meet sometime during the Marathon weekend. If you'd like to do it quicker we can go back and forth by e-mail. Like anything else in life there are the plusses and minuses, but I've been in academics since 1989, with the last 9+ years at the same College, so the plusses must outweigh the minuses.

Please feel free to contact me at stephenson@babson.edu. I'd love to hear from you.

And please, keep the faith everybody. We're so close, my running log shows the races 11 weeks and a few days from today. It is hard now, but as you get closer the excitement will carry you, and no kidding, race day is the easiest of all and an amazing adventure, especially the first time. One of my favorite feelings in the world is standing in the corrals at about 5:45 in the morning, with the kleg lights up and the music playing. The excitement and anticipation makes me feel alive. I stand there and think about the year of training which got me here, all the work and sacrifice, and how much fun I'm having and will have as I get around the course.

Craig

 

[Honeibee]

And please, keep the faith everybody. We're so close, my running log shows the races 11 weeks and a few days from today. It is hard now, but as you get closer the excitement will carry you, and no kidding, race day is the easiest of all and an amazing adventure, especially the first time. One of my favorite feelings in the world is standing in the corrals at about 5:45 in the morning, with the kleg lights up and the music playing. The excitement and anticipation makes me feel alive. I stand there and think about the year of training which got me here, all the work and sacrifice, and how much fun I'm having and will have as I get around the course.

Craig

Craig! I just got goosebumps reading that! Thank you!

 

[keenercam]

Craig -- Thank you so much for posting this article. You know what it means to me, don't you? You are certainly a gifted educator, my friend. I appreciate the motivation and inspiration.

 

[Calcio]

Cammie

Thank you for the kind note. Right now I am going through one of the crises of confidence that are part of being an adult. My mother in law fell 3 weeks ago and broke both legs, my mother has blocked artery and internal bleeding issues, my wife is having a very difficult time at work, and my daughter has chosen to walk away from the activity she loves more than any other, lacrosse, due to bullying from a captain last year which was condoned by the coach, AD, and VP of Student Services (all of whom I have known for years, and am sorely disappointed in). More than 5,000 times a day I think about turning in my resignation, selling the house, and going back home to Colorado.

I know, or at least hope, this will turn around eventually but it is tough now. I had an extra tutorial session this afternoon and 11 of my students came and we worked through the material and had a lot of fun doing it. After the session I briefly mentioned that this hadn't been one of my better weeks, and I really appreciated having a bunch of enthusiastic 19 year olds to work with today. At their age they have no idea how much they mean to an old guy like me. Hopefully one day they will.

I hope you, Howard, daughter, and son are well. Take care and keep your eye on that marathon finish line. I have no doubt you will cross it with a huge smile on your face. I expect to as well, hopefully faster than 2006 when you, Howard, and Mel saw me at mile 25+ in front of the Beach Club. Looking back I have no idea how I kept going after I stopped to hug you.

Craig

 

[escape]

Craig,

It sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now. Here's hoping things turn for the better soon for you and your family.

Susie

 

[wtpclc]

Oh Craig. I'm so sorry you're going through this. Sounds like a Life Stonker. Put there so we'll know how good the good times really are. Doesn't make it any easier, though. Hoping things get better soon!

 

[keenercam]

Craig -- I am so sorry I haven't been back here and I missed your post (I thought I'd subscribed to this thread ). I am so sorry you and DW and DD are all having unhappy times right now. I am soo sad for your daughter who has had to make such a difficult decision based on the misbehavior of others. That is so unfortunate, and it's pathetic that the people who should be role models/mentors and guardians participated in or condoned the bad conduct. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you and your wife to see your daughter going through this.

I am sorry, too, that your wife is having a rough time at work. Please tell her that so many of us have been there and can appreciate the heroic effort it takes to place yourself in that situation each day and to stick it out. I really hope things get better for her.

As for you, my friend, I have no doubt at all that the patience and love and compassion you show your students will come back to you many-fold. Those kids wouldn't have shown up for that extra tutoring session if they didn't feel that they were getting help in an unthreatening and more importantly, a morale-building as well as knowledge-building environment. DD needs so much help in a couple of her classes but has no faith in her professors' reception of her, which is just sad. I know that you bring something to those kids' lives every time you are in front of them or they are thinking about your class. Please take comfort in knowing that. I've always thought you must be an amazing educator -- just look at what you bring to us here. Don't let the jerks get you down, buddy.

And I cannot wait to tell you I've made it across that FINISH line! I just WISH I could be there at 24 to cheer you on. I hope you'll think of me and Howard and Mel when you get to that point and know we are with you in spirit (even if one of us is literally MILES -- and hours -- behind you! )

Hope your day is great today!

 

[Calcio]

Hey Cam

You are much too kind. Thanks for the note. Sometimes we need a friendly voice to pick us up and you've done that for me.

I do need to keep my perspective, although it can be so hard when you are struggling with your role in life. This afternoon I received a brief e-mail from one of my juniors. She's a tremendous kid and a good student, and I wrote a very strong letter of recommendation supporting her application to participate in our winter session 3 weeks in London theatre program. I'm sure she would have been accepted on her own merits, but she genuinely thanked me for "getting her in" to the program. Moments like that are so rewarding.

Plus Martha has an interview at another University in the Boston area tomorrow and Lesley has a 2nd round interview for a financial development program for new graduates at one of the local tech firms early in November. If my 2 ladies can both pull this off I suspect the rain cloud that has been over our house for 5 weeks may begin to blow away.

Now if we could only get the grandmothers to stop getting broken and sick. I suppose that one is very unlikely to turn around. At a certain age it appears the warranty expires.

I'm glad to hear Howard is still upright past the half-way point. If you recall I told you that no matter how much work he anticipated, he would underestimate it. Again, nothing is that difficult conceptually in an mba program, but the workload is a killer.

And I'm still thinking about going home to Colorado. Maybe in a few years .

Take care

Craig