I’ve been having such a lovely time playing with #Cardinal (free software modular synth) in Ableton. I started tinkering when I had to have something to make while sitting in a glass box on Gravesend Pier in September, not really expecting it to go anywhere, or thinking it might only be a 5min piece if it did, & now I have 6mins of music & I suspect it’s all just an introduction. Ideas bubbling away for where it might go from here. Hurrah! Brain is returning! #synths #ComposerLife #PhDRecovery

Into the belly of the build. Five weeks in, five weeks out.

Warmer than usual for this time but still cold enough for long tights and gloves. I have been making my own hydration and nutrition for long runs this build. I figured that silicone baby food containers would work for my "gels" - a mix of honey, ginger syrup, and maldon salt. So far so good!

My elevation runs are laps of the sledding hill. Boring but lots of time to think and reflect. And it makes elevation on race day seem luxurious! I was observing today how different I feel since finishing the phd. I feel it in my muscles. In my bones. It's been about seven weeks since graduation and I am still marvelling at the change. I am excited for the next five weeks of build!

1040m of climbing today in the middle of my long run today. Yoga practice 1174 - self guided yin.

#LongRunDone #SilentSunday #UltraTrail #TrailRunning #Run #Running #DailyYoga #Yoga #PhDLife #PhDRecovery #GetOutside #Gels #Hydration #DIY #GratefullyGrinding

Enjoying that liminal space between graduation and full time work. Being hedonistic and doing some language training, brushing up on my Mandarin. I lived in Taipei for eight years and my speaking/listening are okay but my written is awful. Time to rectify that! Simultaneously doing French - easier to read and write than Mandarin but more challenging grammar! Funnily enough, during the phd I had access to free French classes but never had time to take them. The last time I studied French was many years ago.

I am also learning how to build a website. I have noticed in the past little while how much space the phd took up and how many activities I need to fill that vacuum! All of the learning!

#Languages #PhDRecovery #LifeAfterPhD #PhD #Mandarin #French #StudyTime #BrainCandy #FeedMyBrain

Pup has the right idea. We are in rest mode over here. Once all the paperwork from finishing my PhD got completed, I crashed hard. I took a whole week off running. My watch has me in recovery mode. I've been doing yin, restorative yoga, and a lot of meditation. I feel like I need a little physical, mental, and emotional reset. I'm slowly easing back into running. I feel really different. My body feels really different. I am less stressed and anxious. I feel lighter. I'm a month out from the start of my training block for an 80km race in May. I'm really curious about how my body will feel in training when I'm not in the stress mode of a PhD. I'm hoping how light I feel emotionally will translate into fleet feet!

#SilentSunday #SleepingPuppy #DogsOfMastodon #RecoveryMode #Rest #PhDLife #PhD #PhDone #PhDRecovery #Yoga #DailyYoga #UltraTrail #UltraRunning #Running #Run