Christopher Frear is a doctoral candidate in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina.
What a time to take up trail running. As I’ve studied for comprehensive exams and writing a dissertation, trail running—taking off in the woods to climb hills, splash through streams, and pick my way around roots and rocks for an hour or more—has become a fixture in my daily life. No, I’m not recommending it, but trail running has taught me useful habits.
Work the hills. Uphill is harder but more rewarding. On trails most people won’t take, and going when they won’t, that’s when I find the surprising, interesting things. A journalism history dissertation feels a lot harder than other methods in the social sciences I’ve used, but it has made me a more thorough researcher.
Be easy when it’s hard. On the days when it feels hard, I’ve learned to be easiest on myself. I tell myself to just show up and do what I can. It works for running and research.
Watch when I get tired. In thousands of miles on the trails, I’ve fallen three times, all more than an hour into a run when I failed to lift my toe past a small root or rock embedded in the trail. The first one gashed up my knee and ended my run. The latest one was an uphill chest plant on a soft, muddy trail, and I bounced up and kept running. In research, late in the day or when my attention is low, I remind myself to switch tasks rather than sit and stare at a blinking cursor or rush through a vintage newspaper to finish a pile.
Appreciate the isolation. In running and in research, most of the work is alone. When I’m way out on a trail or deep in a legal file, and I have a long way to go, I repeat to myself, “Relax into it,” to keep moving at a steady pace and not overlook the details. Just last week, a case file in the Fourth Circuit Court archives yielded several deep in files as I paid attention to details.
Find occasional community. No one wants to hear the details of a run, or my training for a race—except another dedicated runner. My daughter-in-law is my fellow run junkie. We trained in separate states for a 12-mile trail race this spring and texted plans, runs, worries, and encouragement in the months before. While we all get comfortable giving a polished one-sentence capsule of our research, we still need to someone with whom to share the details, the finds, the worries about theory. Advisors play this role, and so do fellow researchers in our History Division, and in other associations and conferences.
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AEJMC social: Swap stories and find a new colleague at our History Division graduate student social at the Capitol City Brewing Company, August 7, 8:30–10:30 p.m. (after History and GSIG meetings). It’s a short walk from the hotel and will include a buffet with meat and vegetarian options.