Whereupon I crash back to earth...

Over the past year, my confidence has grown as my skills and experience increase. Some days, I really feel like I get what I'm doing!

So naturally, it should happen that the world would conspire to keep me humble.

Since finishing my fellowship, I've been working away, and darned if things just haven't been going as well.

Maybe the cases have been harder, but it just feels like things aren't coming as easily and that the unexpected is occurring more frequently.

In short, I feel I have lost my mojo. Now, I must figure out how to get it back...

Expert

When I was in Vancouver, I would often get into discussions with one of my mentors about how someone becomes "expert" at something.

I personally find this topic very interesting. Watching a master practice his/her craft is a wonderful thing. I remember when I was a younger, I used to think that perhaps I just hadn't tried or found the activity that I had a natural gift at. Perhaps on some level, I've tried so many random things in the hopes that I would stumble on my one true gift.

It's such a naive view of mastery. No one just falls into it! Studies show a common denominator: effort! 10 000 hours they say!

My mentor in Vancouver used to talk to me about this slow progression from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence. We talked less about the mechanism that underlies this progression.

My father's advice was always to do something you love. The interesting thing being that you tend to like things more as you get better at them. Like a lot of my Dad's advice, it is deeply truthful, but hard to act upon.

My views on how one becomes an expert at something have changed over time. I wonder if they've changed in relation to my own expertise? In any case, if some youngling out there were to ask me my opinion, on how one becomes a master at something, here's what I currently think:


Find your thing. Then practice it thoughtfully and humbly OVER and OVER and OVER again.

My Talented Ear

I think I have a talent for picking songs that will become pop hits.

I wonder if this is a talent at all, or whether perhaps it just means I am that lowest common denominator.

In any case, the first time I heard this song, I thought, boy that's catchy. And sure enough it's now everywhere!

I think maybe I should sleep less

I've become very spoiled recently.

On a weeknight, I usually sleep until 7:30 or so. This contrasts sharply with my years in Vancouver, when I was always out the door before 6:30.

I think that perhaps if I go back to earlier mornings, I'll have a whole extra hour of productivity to make use of!

Go go willpower!

10 km to Glory!

Announcer (off screen): Thank you for all those joining us at home for this live telecast of The Age Run Melbourne 10km race! We now bring you live to our studio, where Pablo and Hemingway are standing by.

Pablo: Thank you and good morning! Hemingway, could you imagine a better day for a run?

Hemingway: I can't. It's a beautiful sunny morning and forecasts predict that it'll stay that way. Perfect conditions for this event.

Pablo: Truly. Now I understand that among the thousands of competitors, there is actually a Canadian running?

Hemingway: That's right! It'll be Simon's first 10km race. I spoke to his team, and apparently his training runs have never been more than 4km long. This is very likely the longest he's ever run. Period.

Pablo: Wow, that's a lot of pressure. Is there a reason for this unusual training regimen?

Hemingway: Understandably, he's been tightlipped surrounding this, but we've heard rumours of iliotibial band syndrome troubling his left knee.

Pablo: I can't imagine the bravery it must take to compete while fighting such a debilitating condition. He is a far better man than I.

Hemingway: Than either of us.

Pablo: Here, here. Let's take a moment of silence to salute his manliness.

Hemingway: ...

Pablo: ...

Hemingway: I'm glad we did that. For those of you just joining us the 10km race is just about to get underway. I can see Simon at the starting line now.

Pablo: Who is that standing next to him?

Hemingway: That is Steve. He'll be tough competition for Simon. He has competed in multiple marathons. 10km is routine for him. He's also Simon's boss.

Pablo: Can Simon hope to compete against all that experience?

Hemingway: We can only wait and see.

Pablo: And ... the starting horn has sounded! They're off! What can we expect in this first part of the race?

Hemingway: I think the racers will be keeping a steady pace. Feeling each other out.

Pablo: That's exactly what it looks like. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsors!

Pablo: We're 2.5km into the race. What have we learned?

Hemingway: Well, both Steve and Simon are running very comfortably. They've rarely been more than a few metres apart. And.. holy smokes!

Pablo: Simon has surged ahead! What's he thinking?

Hemingway: Well, Steve's sons are also running the race. Simon looks like he wants to try and keep pace with them. Meanwhile, it looks like Steve is running with Lisa, another runner from Canada.

Pablo: Can Simon keep this pace up? Can Steve afford to let Simon run away on him? All this and more when we get back!

Pablo: 5km in. Things are starting to get interesting!

Hemingway: They've broken up into three groups now. Steve's sons have run ahead. Simon is perhaps 300m behind with Lisa and Steve another 200m behind him.

Pablo: I know it's early, but do you think Simon can hold the lead and beat Steve to the tape?

Hemingway: It's hard to say. Both runners are moving very well and.. Oh!

Pablo: What is it?

Hemingway: Simon is starting to grimace just a little. I think his IT band is acting up!

Pablo: Oh no!

Hemingway: He looks like he's going to put his head down and power through it. He's trying to avoid concrete and run on the grass when possible.

Pablo: Oh the humanity!

Hemingway: I don't know if he'll be able to hold on. We are halfway to 10km. Simon has not run this far before. It's uncharted territory.

Pablo: What's IT band syndrome like?

Hemingway: A hot poker into the side of your knee. I can't imagine what he's thinking. Almost half the race still to go. It has become a battle just to finish the race.

Pablo: I'm tearing up.

Hemingway: On that note, we bring you a word from our sponsors:

Pablo: With only 2.5km left, we've truly entered the endgame of the race.

Hemingway: Simon is still running well. The adrenalin must be carrying him through.

Pablo: Look at Steve!

Hemingway: Steve is making his move! He's making his move! Simon doesn't see him coming up on him!

Pablo: He sees him now!

Hemingway: And look at how it has motivated him! For those of you just joining us, Steve has caught up with Simon and the two are now running neck and neck!

Pablo: Steve has surged ahead!

Hemingway: And Simon has responded! They are level again! With less than 2km left, the two are running in lock step!

Pablo: Look!

Hemingway: And Simon now surges ahead! He's looking to created some distance between himself and Steve! Let's see if he can hold this small lead!

Pablo: They're just coming to a hill now.

Hemingway: The climbs are just soul sucking, this far into a race.

Pablo: It looks like Steve is catching up!

Hemingway: Yes. Steve has craftily used the hill climb to pull even yet again. They're running together towards to last climb of the race.

Pablo: What monster puts a climb 9km into a 10km race?

Hemingway: And look! Steve surges ahead! Can Simon respond?!?!

Pablo: He's trying! He's pumping his arms. You can see him grit his teeth!

Hemingway: And Steve has broken free! And Simon has cracked! The last hill did him in. Steve went and Simon could not go with him.

Pablo: sob.

Hemingway: There's not much road left. The runners are rounding the bend toward the finish line. Steve crosses and turns to high-five Simon as he finishes not even 20 seconds behind him in a time of 59.45. A new personal best!

Pablo: What a race.

Hemingway: Truly. A fine performance by all involved.

EXEUNT

Running in Melbourne

I'm doing a 10km run this weekend!

In fact, if you'd like you can sponsor me. I'm running to raise money for the hospital.

I've been training, albeit very lightly. My goal is to run the whole thing. ie, no walking. We'll see how it goes!

I've been jogging around the lake where they hold the Melbourne Grand Prix. It's a very pleasant thing. Beautiful Australian weather. Wind through my hair.

If any of you bump into me in the decades to come, as I become old and crotchety, remind me of when I was young, and enthusiastic and full of life and having a ball down in Melbourne!

Leadership Training for Dogs

I get the feeling that Ben bullies Lucy a bit. He always gets fed first, and is quite pushy with her on our walks.

In an effort to build Lucy's confidence, I have recently been encouraging her to take the lead on our walks. I do this by holding Ben back a little with his leash. And then I'll let Ben scurry to catch up, only to hold him back a little again so that Lucy can get the experience of running past the larger (and normally faster) Ben.

The first time I did this, a discombobulated Ben completely forgot to go potty in the woods! I was overjoyed to have taken the dogs for a walk without having to pick up after anyone. I tried this again, and you'll never guess what happened. Ben now no longer poos on our walks, but LUCY is now pooing in the woods!

I think pooing in the woods must be some show of dominance or something.

I wonder if the dogs respect me less because I don't poo in the woods.