pain is inevitable. suffering is optional.

September 1, 2008


i will try to keep this tenet in mind as i go through another challenging month. while there is physiologic discomfort in, say, working 30 hours in a row, or running 26 miles in a row, or holding that ridiculous pose in the above photo, there is always choice in how one chooses to react to the pain.

last month, i did not choose wisely.

this time, i will try to do better.

goals for the month:

1. lead my team well: this means being real support to my intern/sub-I, a good mentor to my students, and a strong advocate for my patients. i really want to keep everyone happy to be working together and feeling like they are getting something positive from each day. specifically, i want to

• work on maintaining a positive attitude for the team even if things get crazy

• spend time teaching the med students basics of pediatrics and ward life, and be prepared to do so each day

• read about each patient’s issues so that i have academic backup behind treatment plans

• not be afraid to get down and dirty in helping the intern out — sometimes there is just more scut than one person should ever be asked to handle, and i am a scut-MASTER, so i might as well share my skillz

2. take time to relax: this weekend i spent more time reading (yes, still owen meany) and it was wonderful. i need to block out time for myself each day to just chill and read or just sit and relax. even if it is only 15 minutes, it makes me feel so much more balanced.

3. work on my reaction to pain: because suffering isn’t fun, it isn’t productive, and it makes NO ONE happy.

that’s probably enough. i could write more, but i spent some time reading the zenhabits website (which is really cool, by the way) and learned that when it comes to goals, less is more. maybe i ought to rethink my non-zen habit of making 20ish new years resolutions at once each year.

———————————————————————————–

8.31.08

run: 9 miles with my new Polar RS200sd! so far, i love it. i still need to work on the calibration a bit, but i’m at the point where it will tell me that 1 mile marked is 0.97 or so on the watch — not bad! i also have not mastered all the features (at all), but it wasn’t too hard to figure out how to use right out of the box. as for my actual run, it was quite hot by the time i got out there and i had to go slowly. and even at a wimpy pace, my heart rate average was 179! i am looking forward to some crisper september days . . . i love this month!

2 Comments

  • Reply Jenny March 10, 2019 at 7:30 pm

    When you calibrate it make sure you go to the track!!! Just choose “settings”, “footpod” and “calibrate”, then choose “run” and pick a (longish) distance of at least one mile, preferably two. When the watch tells you to start, run that distance on the track at your usual pace. That is the best way to get a good calibration. Unfortunately most trails with mile markers are just semi-reliable and you want the calibration to be 100%. Good luck!

  • Reply Anonymous March 10, 2019 at 7:30 pm

    Sounds like this month is going to be much better than last. Just stay postive and stick to the plan.

    Great job on the run and glad you are enjoying Polar.

  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.