I by no means claim to be a runner. I did a 20 minute workout on YouTube the other day that ended 15 minutes in with me watching Joe Wicks work while I sat on the sofa with a glass of water and a chocolate bar – for fuel!! However, there is something in the planning and training of a marathon runner that feels rather applicable to the PhD experience.
Embarking on this PhD, three years ago, was both exciting and daunting. I found myself at the starting line raring to go. I was interested in what my research proposal had claimed I’d be doing, and couldn’t wait to get onto the track. I was meeting people from different walks of life, and some of my colleagues seemed to have a fully-formed idea of what they were going to be writing their theses on. I felt like I was at the starting line and had missed the pistol. I knew the area of my research but still needed to work out the finer details and ensure that I could find that elusive point of originality. Just to confound these issues, I appeared to have ended up within the faculty of engineering. I immediately felt fraudulent as I attended Away Days where people presented on topics like the strength of concrete – with MATHS included!!
Even at the beginning, issues in family life, and limitations within my academic abilities caused hurdles. Changes in supervisors also often led to alterations in direction of research – in the early days. It became completely apparent that this process was not going to be a race. With everyone at different starting points, that was simply impossible. Instead, this process was going to need to be viewed as my own personal marathon. This would take preparation.
I would need regular training to increase strength and resilience. It would be necessary to create a plan that factored in resting so that I would be ready for each following training session. I would need to investigate the right tools for the task – things like a place to work, laptops, research resources.
Or at least, I should have done. I had a lot to learn about this process. It took me rather longer than the first two years to actually fall into these patterns, and to see the importance in keeping myself well. It has also been relatively recently that my research has fallen into place, and is now interestingly beginning to more or less match my original proposal. The thing that has kept me well, apart from my friends, family and colleagues, has been that acceptance that this isn’t a race, but a marathon. It has helped me, I hope, to retain an element of integrity within my research.
Feel free to make use of my experiences, and try to hold on to what matters to you within your life and your research. Also, keep an eye on your mental and physical health. Your research will most definitely progress at a rate that is different to your colleagues. That is the nature of research. I hope that this is of some use to those who are joining us, and that it provides you with a bit of a shortcut to staying well and happy in your work as you progress towards your own personal finishing line.
Lara Carballo
PhD Research Student
Institute for Future Transport and Cities