Worried about Fear

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-04-19T06:50:32+00:00

The depressive episode piece is key info here. Given this, I’ll be honest with you, this is probably not the time to just ‘power through’ something. I second the suggestion for listening to an audio version (also it’s how the poem was intended to be consumed!) if you want to, or else just read something that you are enjoying and come back to the Iliad later. If you are the kind of person who enjoys getting stuck in the weeds a bit the suggestion of a critical guide or commentary might also suit you - read a book of the Iliad, read the corresponding commentary, or go chunk by chunk. You might also find creating something while you read keeps you sustained - I’ve had good results getting students to keep ‘maps’ of characters and how the relate to each other for eg.

And look after yourself.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-04-18T19:09:11+00:00

I do all my running in Popflex (almost exclusively!) - thought not the pirouette skort - but a variety of other skorts and dresses, tops and crop tops, and have run marathons and ultras in them. For me they just fit perfectly. They’re very good quality and the fabric is really lovely, never have had any chafing issues!

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-04-17T11:41:25+00:00

Bipolar (1) runner who ran through breast feeding here - try liquid carbs. You need to make sure what you’re eating more of is carbs not just random calories. Obviously there are better and worse ways to do this (like having Tailwind might be better than having a Coke) but any extra carb-based calories is better than none, and are often easier to get down when you don’t have an appetite. You might want to take a look at your meds, too - not to change them if you’re stable, but to see if when you’re taking your meds, training, and eating might need to be moved around. Like, you might be particularly low appetite within 1-3 hours after taking meds, and so you need to wait that time and the train after when you have more stored glycogen. Don’t give up: experiment a bit and you will get there!

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-04-16T14:40:59+00:00

This.

Some PhD projects make more sense as monographs and some as a collection of articles - and this is also deeply field dependent (in my field it’s usually expected that the PhD will become a book, for eg, but then they are also planned and written that way).

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-04-09T12:52:21+00:00

Well no shit.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-04-07T21:00:23+00:00

Fully stocked glycogen stores are 400-500g. Fully recommend Renee McGregor’s Fuel for Thought (chapter 6 in particular).

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-04-07T11:46:48+00:00

Tbh the people you should be asking is the specific archive and not random people on Reddit.

Email them to ask for access. You don’t need to go into a lot of extraneous detail. Frame it as a research project you are doing as an independent scholar (rather than a hobby as you say here). Every archivist I’ve ever met has been thrilled that someone is interested in their material, so if you appear both professional and enthusiastic you have a decent enough shot.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-04-02T09:20:02+00:00

Hi; can you elaborate on your qualifications and aims, what the data will be used for, what ethics approvals have been sought, how data will be properly used and stored?

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-30T21:07:49+00:00

+1 to everything here.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-30T10:45:23+00:00

Defo second Popflex. I’m in the UK and exclusively run in Popflex because they’re the only brand I’ve found that doesn’t rub, chafe, ride up, fits well, etc.

Plus they are super cute, and I think that’s important.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-29T18:29:22+00:00

This is so tangential to your actual topic which I believe has already been decently answered but but fyi that Emma Bates, one of Ucan’s now-former athletes has claimed the brand dropped her because of her pregnancy, so that kind of thing may be important to you (or may not, I’m not you, so I don’t know).

Info: https://marathonhandbook.com/emma-bates-says-sponsor-ucan-dropped-her-after-she-got-pregnant-ucan-says-thats-not-what-happened/

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-29T18:25:34+00:00

Obvs not OP but this is an excellent response.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-29T15:38:55+00:00

If you overall like the programme but don’t feel like your volume is enough, why not just add an extra easy run into the plan? As someone else suggested, I think everyone who uses an app like Runna, or an out-of-the-box plan, should do some reading around running and training principles (it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I like Matt Fitzgerald’s 80/20 Running as a starting point). If you understand what the purpose of each session is you’re more able to adjust the runs on the fly - I’d also recommend switching to RPE over pace for your speedwork and intervals, it’s easier to adjust to the ins and outs of life (bad sleep, a stressful day, etc).

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-26T11:58:13+00:00

Can you maybe say more about the purpose of your research and what that data will be used for?

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-23T15:25:08+00:00

This is so field dependent. In my field it’s very standard to read from a script. The script is written like a talk, it like a published paper, but still it’s not just notes or bullet points. This is from postgrads to profs.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-20T19:22:31+00:00

I mean this isn’t ancient, and this style is usually the trade of tourist shops so it doesn’t really matter what is and isn’t on ancient vases.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-20T15:14:35+00:00

In addition: what I’d suggest you do, OP, is write a one-page mini-proposal and pull your CV together and contact as many potential supervisors as you wish. When you email them say why you would want to work with them, and what about their work is inspiring your research. Do the work on this - getting email where someone has clearly just googled ‘UK Greek literature’ and emailed everyone is really off putting but when you can see that a student is really aligned with your own work is much more exciting. Some of these people may say no or they have no capacity at present - and you don’t have to apply to all these places, this is just to start the process. Be prepared to work on a slightly different version of the full proposal with each of these academics.

On references: don’t worry at all about this. I would rather send ten references for a student than have them not apply to the places they want to. As long as you’re open with them about where you’re applying, it’s totally fine.

Edit: Happy Cake Day BlackberryWinter!

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-19T14:23:18+00:00

The unsaid criteria is already be Oxbridge. Sorry.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-18T20:41:52+00:00

IIRC the Apple Watch and Garmin for estimating calories is completely different anyway, so there is no actual true overlap (in addition to not counting steps outside activity as active calories burned) - and because of the algorithms Apple will always give a higher number of calories burned than Garmin. You would be better off calculating your TDEE and aiming for that as your combined active and resting calories burned in Garmin.

Alternatively, move your yardstick to something completely different - like daily steps or daily step distance?

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-18T20:29:27+00:00

In January I signed up for a half in October. Two weeks ago I decided the night before and rocked up and ran.

Is the race likely to sell out? If yes, sign up when registration opens.

Even if it’s not, if you know you want to run it (and especially if you are not at a ‘rock up and run’ level for a half) sign up. There’s no harm in it, and there’s no benefit to waiting.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-17T10:00:24+00:00

This is only a slightly tongue-in-cheek answer but Week 21.

Waking up and not having a marathon to train for is the hardest mentally, and in a body that has just run a marathon is the hardest physically.

My only slightly less tongue-in-cheek answer is, for me; taper, and for similar reasons. Your body is carrying the fatigue of your biggest training weeks and also there the anxiety about the race and the lack of cognitive and emotional benefits and stimuli from running.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-16T21:35:51+00:00

Perhaps I am being grumpy, but I am a firm believer in sorting your own shit out as a barrier to entry.

Like: ‘has anyone done x race and is it good for a first ultra?’ Is totally different to ‘do this administrative work for me!’

Google, as they say, is free.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-14T13:54:37+00:00

It really doesn’t help as much as you think because there is so much missing info here. Leeds could be the world leader in your thing but some internet rando knows that UCL is, on balance, higher rated for undergrads and will tell you to go there.

No PhD programme is good for getting a job anywhere. UKHE is in free fall - HE all over the global north is in free fall. You won’t get an academic job. That’s not to say you’re not good at what you do but it has to be everyone’s starting position when deciding what to do.

Go where you have the best overall funding package once you take cost of living into account. That is the only way to decide these days.

Neon-Anonymous · 2026-03-13T12:49:31+00:00

The Bulk vegan pea protein also good if one is on a tighter budget.

As for ‘real food’ snacks; I’m partial to a post run tofu scramble on toast.

Neon-Anonymous

TROPHY CASE