The essential nature of a negative split
Today I ran the 10k at Pickering in a slow, but not unreasonable, 46 minutes. It was faster than some of my times (such as at Castle Howard.) Considering my lack of fitness and training, and insoles, it was acceptable.
At the end I felt happy, not least in that I attempted to run a negative split. I was 0.18 on my Garmin off 47 minute pace, and finished 0.1 ahead with a 2km run. Pleasingly, those around me were running a negative split too.
I received a medal. I have happily already got enough mementos of other runs more worthwhile on my wall. Therefore, I though initially of destroying or discarding it; why would I want to remind myself of a casual race in which I achieved a casual time?
Perhaps it should have a place. Today I played expansive management games for several hours, pausing only to eat two carefully prepared (and portioned...) meals. The clock rolled to 6pm, and I felt a familiar urge to immerse myself further in such imaginative worlds. Yet I didn't. With the useful routines of this apartment, I completed all more chores - clothes, dishes, marking, tidying - within the space of a few hours. Furthermore, I managed to make inroads up marking mountain: I speak of how all subjects have their requirements. Effective, focussed English marking takes a certain amount of time.
What perturbed me, though, was how easy it was to get my head into work once started. There is an element, yes, of needing to work through longer projects such as updating the school website: its complexity is such that regaining the overview when returning to its design is improbable. However, much other work, such as marking, can be picked up and dropped.
But that isn't usually what happens to teachers. Many (although certainly not all) work incessantly at marking and planning. I did.
Yet now, usually, my work is more considered. I put more time into strategic planning (such as viewing Kristian Still's excellent 36 learning objective ideas.) But this takes some discipline. It takes discipline because getting into work is like drinking. After a time I feel drunk on work - its purpose is definite, its rewards are tangible (if not always lasting.) But the hangover is that I am cautious to start any slog-effort again knowing that I am likely to put myself into it to the extent of working for hours more...
The same thing can be said of running. Usually I want to run fast. And I run to expend all my effort. The idea of a domestic run - of running to work most days, or running for 20 minutes slowly - is not one that appeals to me. But it is one that will benefit me tremendously. And it is also one that will benefit my running overall; the fitness I seek can only be achieved by years of domestic running.
And so what does this blue replica medal mean to me? It means running and working with an eye on the domestic - of giving it a value necessary for a busy professional who urges to be a specialist, but needs to iron his clothes. On an abstract note, I believe it was a Zen man who said that if you can't find the meaning of life in washing the dishes, you can't find it anywhere at all.
At the end I felt happy, not least in that I attempted to run a negative split. I was 0.18 on my Garmin off 47 minute pace, and finished 0.1 ahead with a 2km run. Pleasingly, those around me were running a negative split too.
I received a medal. I have happily already got enough mementos of other runs more worthwhile on my wall. Therefore, I though initially of destroying or discarding it; why would I want to remind myself of a casual race in which I achieved a casual time?
Perhaps it should have a place. Today I played expansive management games for several hours, pausing only to eat two carefully prepared (and portioned...) meals. The clock rolled to 6pm, and I felt a familiar urge to immerse myself further in such imaginative worlds. Yet I didn't. With the useful routines of this apartment, I completed all more chores - clothes, dishes, marking, tidying - within the space of a few hours. Furthermore, I managed to make inroads up marking mountain: I speak of how all subjects have their requirements. Effective, focussed English marking takes a certain amount of time.
What perturbed me, though, was how easy it was to get my head into work once started. There is an element, yes, of needing to work through longer projects such as updating the school website: its complexity is such that regaining the overview when returning to its design is improbable. However, much other work, such as marking, can be picked up and dropped.
But that isn't usually what happens to teachers. Many (although certainly not all) work incessantly at marking and planning. I did.
Yet now, usually, my work is more considered. I put more time into strategic planning (such as viewing Kristian Still's excellent 36 learning objective ideas.) But this takes some discipline. It takes discipline because getting into work is like drinking. After a time I feel drunk on work - its purpose is definite, its rewards are tangible (if not always lasting.) But the hangover is that I am cautious to start any slog-effort again knowing that I am likely to put myself into it to the extent of working for hours more...
The same thing can be said of running. Usually I want to run fast. And I run to expend all my effort. The idea of a domestic run - of running to work most days, or running for 20 minutes slowly - is not one that appeals to me. But it is one that will benefit me tremendously. And it is also one that will benefit my running overall; the fitness I seek can only be achieved by years of domestic running.
And so what does this blue replica medal mean to me? It means running and working with an eye on the domestic - of giving it a value necessary for a busy professional who urges to be a specialist, but needs to iron his clothes. On an abstract note, I believe it was a Zen man who said that if you can't find the meaning of life in washing the dishes, you can't find it anywhere at all.
posted by A teacher at
14:19
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home