Academic nerdy stuff...

Me giving a presentation at an academic conference

In this edition of my blog, I want to talk about ways that I have brought my academic life, and the rest of my life together.  

My academic background includes a Bachelor's Degree in Theater Arts (Upper Iowa University '77)...thus my penchant for costume running, a Master's in Library and Information Studies  (University of Wisconsin, Madison '88) and a Ph.D. in Information Studies (University of Texas, Austin '06).  I then taught for the next 13 years in the field of Library and Information Studies (LIS) as either a full-time tenure track assistant professor (University of Rhode Island) or an adjunct, part-time or per course instructor online or in person  (San Jose State, Sam Houston State, UT-Austin, Drexel, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Alabama).  Throughout that time I conducted research (required or not) mostly in the general area of the intersection of information and recreation. 

I'd like to share and talk about and share three of my projects having to do with how serious recreational athletes get their information, the gamification of fitness and the reasons why people run in costume. 

HOW DO SERIOUS RECREATIONAL ATHLETES GET THE INFORMATION THEY NEED?

My first research had to do with virtual play spaces and video games...but it wasn't long until I encountered the idea of Serious Leisure and the work of Robert Stebbins. From there I interviewed people who run or biked or swam or triathlon, etc .... basically people who chose an event to do and trained for it. I asked for how they got all kinds of information...how they found events, planned workouts, chose clothing, etc. etc.   I found that in one community (Austin, TX) the same names came up over and over.  These people were "gatekeepers" of information and another ethnographic research study was born as I interviewed as many of these folks as I could get to talk to me about how they got their information.  What follows is a link to a class lecture I made about my results, which were also presented at the Information: Interaction and Impact Conference, June 2011 in Aberdeen, Scotland.  

My question to you....do YOU have a gatekeeper? How did you find them?  Are YOU a gatekeeper? How do you get your information? 

Gatekeeper VoiceThread

If you don't get audio...copy and paste this link https://voicethread.com/share/5545236/

THE GAMIFICATION OF FITNESS

A few years ago, there was a boom in all kinds devices and websites to measure, keep track of, and reward fitness activities.  Although I was fairly early on the bandwagon and enjoyed having the data on pace and distance etc.  I began to wonder about rewards.  Wasn't doing this a reward in itself?  I remembered all the stuff I had learned years before about intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation...and began to wonder if sometimes the "rewards" didn't do more harm than good.  So I found myself doing a review of gamification literature, as well as what little work had been done to that point in looking at motivating fitness. 

I came away unconvinced one way or the other.  This still is of interest to me...and I wonder if my readers use any of these devices or websites...and what your thoughts are on their motivational effects.   The VoiceThread linked below is from a conference presentation (SW/TX Popular Culture Association. February 2014. Albuquerque, NM) on the topic. 

Gamification VoiceThread

If you don't get audio...copy and paste this link https://voicethread.com/share/5467881/

RECLAIMING THE JOY: MAKING PLAY OF SERIOUS RECREATIONAL ATHLETICS THROUGH THE USE OF COSTUME 

If you know me at all you know that I love to run in costumes and themed outfits.  I know what I love about it,  but I wondered about other people.  I am also a big believer in deliberately bringing play and joy into adult life...so this little side project was born, and eventually presented at The Association for the Study of Play conference at Rutgers University in 2016

Have you ever run in costume?  Why?

Here is a link to a blog post I wrote about my results

and a link to the powerpoint from my conference presentation

So that's enough academic nerdiness for one day...thank you for letting me share!

Finding the why...looking back to the beginning

The photo above shows Glenda and I each after our own very difficult race.  But the truth is that there is some point in nearly every race, and a lot of runs when I ask myself that question.  And after 12 years of ups and downs as a runner, I find that once every couple of years I have a need to revisit my motivation, usually during times of stress when it becomes more difficult to find the time and motivation to continue...despite the fact that there is a lot to love about it.

So I am in a season of rekindling my motivation. One of the ways I do this is to revisit my running history and the reasons that I started and continued over the years. I'm sure there may be some more posts in the coming months, but here's a start.

I have run for a lot of reasons over the years.  And I posted earlier the role my daughter had in my starting.  But she was not the only factor. 

At the time I began the journey, I was a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas, having returned after my daughter's accident and a leave of absence.  I was working on my dissertation (lots of intellectual work every day, but very sedentary) and as you can see about 60 pounds heavier than now. Glenda and Melanie were both working out and racing some.  I designated myself the "cheerleader" and was smugly "the world's greatest indoorswoman" and "would run if chased."

But if you have ever worked in a field that was sedentary, yet required a lot of mental effort, then you might have had the experience I did.  That is, after several hours of concentration, my brain would hurt and my head would feel filled with mud. I had a long distant memory of a time in my life when I was quite depressed and had a similar "muddy-headed" feeling. Back then, I recalled, physical activity had helped.  So what the heck?  I sucked up my pride and told my family I was ready to try something....not running, of course. :)  So I joined Curves, the women's circuit gym and I began to walk on a half mile track near our house. And I began to actually enjoy it!

Fast forward a few months. I was still working on my dissertation and I was still walking and doing Curves.  Sometimes Glenda would walk with me. One afternoon in February or March (so almost exactly 12 years ago) we were walking and I blurted out (and to this day, I'm not sure where it came from) "Do you think I could walk a 5K?"

After Glenda picked herself up off the ground from the shock, she said told me that if I wanted to she would walk it with me. Later that day at home, Melanie said she would come out and cheer me.

Later that day I found the Runnin' of the Horns 5k on the University of Texas campus...April 1, 2006.  And that became the race to shoot for.  I increased my walks and set my goal (modest to be sure, but it seemed huge at the time) to walk this 5K in under an hour.

Race day came.  I was nervous.  It was hot in the way only Austin, TX can be in April....and I will admit that there were moments I didn't think I'd make it.  It helped that Melanie was cheering at a few points and that Glenda was there beside me.  But I finished in 57:55, so well within my goal.  I wasn't dead last....but only because Glenda purposely stepped back at the finish so that I would finish before her! 

When the race was over, we found Mel. We were all in high spirits...and I was tired and sweaty. Suddenly Glenda and Mel exchanged a look, and Glenda said "Oops! I think I forgot something."  And pulled this medal from her back pocket. If you can't read the inscription it says Suellen's First 5k 4/1/2006.

It did not prove to be my last (and I added in the run/walk shortly after).  Nor was this the last time that Glenda came up with just the right encouraging gesture at just the right moment.

Now,  twelve years later I have done over 200 races and relays...more than 100 of them 5ks.  I am much more fit than I was back then. And I am generally a little faster.

But far more important, I'm having fun! And Glenda is still right there with me...what better motivation could there be? Guess I'll keep going ...

Sometimes there are reasons

I'm usually a very even tempered and optimistic individual, but there are certain things that drive me completely bananas.

Some of these things have to do with athletics and "motivation."  I am self aware enough to know that that the things that make me craziest are those that play on my insecurities and guilt.  Let me provide a few examples:

I have belonged to a number of running and triathlon training groups over the years.  When I started in each group it was fine that I was all about doing 5ks and 10ks and maybe the odd half marathon.  And I was always told that if I only wanted to do sprint tris, that was cool.  Yet in nearly every case it was assumed that eventually I would want to be a "real" runner or triathlete and do marathons or Ironman, etc.   I have done a marathon. I got injured training for my second one, and decided that both the time required to come back from injury and the sheer time it took to train for a marathon at my pace made it not impossible, but unreasonable, to do another.

And don't get me started on Ironman.  I have never wanted to do an Ironman...and I don't need to do one to be a triathlete.  I love the fun and challenge of a relay, a super sprint or a sprint...and the training for them is reasonable.  I swim, bike and run...I am a triathlete.

So I  hold  onto this to help me deal with the peer pressure:

 

The other, tougher example is illustrated by this meme, posted on several of my athletic friends' posts over the last months

This, if you will pardon me for saying so, is horse hockey. Or at the least very simplistic drivel.  It is along the same lines as "you can do anything you put your mind to." It suggests that somehow if things, very real and  sometimes difficult things, get in the way...then you do not want it enough.  Or you aren't digging deep enough, or you don't care enough. This plays strongly into my sense of guilt, of not being good enough or trying hard enough. And then I have to remember that this may motivate the people posting it, even though I find it does the opposite for me. 

I have to remind myself that by rights I probably should not be physically able to do what I do as well as I do.  I was born with a hip problem and a turned in foot. Fortunately my parents had these corrected in a time when that did not always happen, so although they are not perfect, they are perfect enough.  I also have spinal stenosis to a degree that once upon a time an orthopedist told me I should not expect to walk half a mile without pain.  I have since done over a hundred 5Ks and numerous other races, including my one and only marathon.  

But the other thing is that I have more than one priority in my life...and sometimes one of them blows up or needs more attention and attending to that is a REASON to reassess my goals and set more reasonable ones.  It is not an excuse.  And sometimes those other priorities like work and a sometimes complicated family situation cause me to dig deep, suck it up and use all the energy I possess just to get through them. 

And sometimes when I reassess, my goals change for a reason (not an excuse).  I skipped the Disney 10K this weekend, because after the 5k with my wife, my daughter in law and my granddaughter (which was hot and sticky and tiring), I could see that by choosing to do the 10K as well, I would be short- changing my granddaughters and myself. I could meet my goal and miss my family time. I think I made the right choice.