run365challenge: Jack: Day 277-284/365...Interviews, Birthdays and Injuries.

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Jack: Day 277-284/365...Interviews, Birthdays and Injuries.

These were all minimum distance efforts as I was desperate for my sore ankle to get better. I did not want to risk attempting a longer run for fear of making things worse. This was incredibly frustrating as I should really be racking up some long runs over these weeks and 5km at a time is really not going to cut it at the Edinburgh Marathon in 2 months.

On Monday 25th March I had my first every interview for a teaching post. I was happy to get the interview as 57 applicants went for the job and 9 were selected for the interview process. Whilst I have only one year of probation for experience I was hopeful that my enthusiasm, along with my accomplishments this year, would be enough to see me in with a chance against more experienced teachers. Unfortunately it was not to be however and I was told that I had narrowly missed out on the job. My interviewer informed me that it was purely a lack of experience that had cost me the job but that the application was very strong. I was offered first refusal on a maternity cover position that could be coming up in August which was an exciting consolation as it confirmed that they did actually like my application and were not simply letting me down gently. This means I have something lined up as a back up for August just in case nothing else materialises!

It was during my preparation for this interview that the Run365Challenge really revealed it's benefits to me. Apart from the obvious benefits to my fitness and the sense of achievement which it is delivering, I realised how much thinking I actually do on my daily jogs. The opportunity to step back from everything else that is going on and have twenty minutes to completely indulge in self-centered thought is a rare thing indeed. To be able to completely focus on the interview and to reflect on my year of teaching enabled me to put things into perspective and really learn from everything that I had done. This was a huge benefit in my preparation for interview and also in my post interview state. I was able to reflect on the interview itself and I know that I will be in a much more confident position when the next one arises thanks largely to my daily running.

Tuesday 26th March was my birthday. 26 years old and what better way to start the day than with a 5:45am alarm and a run in the cold! I hit the streets and did a quick 5km before heading into work. The run itself was fairly uneventful and felt very similar to those which I had completed as a youthful 25 year old. This evening I enjoyed a fantastic curry takeaway with Vicki and opened some awesome presents. Highlights included a new set of headphones that actually fit in my over-sized ears, a new pair of fancy running leggings and a book of 'The World's Toughest Endurance Challenges'...where do I begin!

The remainder of these runs were fairly standard 5km outings (although I was now armed with some fancy headphones!) and took place in and around Shawlands.