4 weeks down of grad school, 251 to go

Instead of the individual one on one questions that I've been getting about my transition to grad school here in Utah, I decided to write a nice summary of how things are going, how I'm liking the city, and what my experience has been like so far. I'm much more comfortable now that I have 4 solid weeks here under my belt, and I think things are only going to get better.

The riding
To be quite frank, Eugene riding is better. The routes here are absolutely gorgeous, and there's nowhere in Oregon that even remotely compares to the Canyons, but there's no routes that loop up. Everything is an out-and-back, and the cycling community here is nowhere near as close and friendly as it is in Eugene.  The one common route to get out of the city (Emmigration Canyon, the SLC profile equivalent of Fox Hollow) is so sprawled with cyclists that random shmucksies consistently change their pace just to hop on my wheel. It's mostly just old guys trying to prove their worth, but I honestly don't care and it's getting rather annoying.

Commuting is worse here, too. This city and the infrastructure are designed for cars and cars only. I would say I see about 1/20th the amount of bike commuters I saw in Eugene, and the population is 5x more.

When all's said and done, the reality is that I've just been spoiled by Oregon riding. Portland is consistently ranked as one of, if not the type bike friendly city in the US. It's really not bad here, but it's just not Oregon. Oregon has nothing on these views though, as I can easily ride up to an elevation of 9,000 ft from my apartment.

The City

The city proper is unique, and I haven't really been able to explore around much to be honest. Like I said before, the city is designed for cars and cars only, so roads here are HUGE. I mean, 3 lane by 3 lane wide streets throughout the city; it's ridiculous. It actually gives you a sense that there's not much traffic because lines aren't so lengthy, when in actuality everything as a mass just moves faster. The streetlights here are ridiculously long, which means it's rare if no one runs at least one red light per light cycle... it's been really keeping me on my toes when I'm riding. By car, it's really easy to escape the city and get out for a hike or go ski (when it snows, which it hasn't yet). Last week some lab friends and I climbed a 9200 foot peak just by driving 15 minutes from home.

On the right, the University of Utah. Left is downtown SLC

A lot of people have been asking me about the Mormonism in the town, and to be honest it hasn't affected me in the slightest yet (outside of their stupid beer laws here). With my lab in at a total of 14 people, and 7 of the lab members not coming from the US, the majority of the people I spend my time with aren't Mormon, and I haven't had any religious interactions with the LDS community.

The School.

Classes suck. Technically, the program I'm in is "Exercise and Sport Science," which includes other programs such as Coaching Wellness, Nutrition, and Athletic Training. That's fine and all, and I respect what they're studying, but we still all have to take the same classes. I'm in "Research Methods" and an Exercise Physiology + lab class (both of which I haven't learned anything in yet), and they're really just holding me back. It's basic physiology, basic research methods and things I've been exposed to in my undergrad that they haven't yet, and the worst of all of this is that they still take a butt ton of time. Writing papers, making powerpoints and studying for tests are a major waste of hours that I'm pressed for these days. The majority of my learning comes from lab these days, and class just feels like it's getting in the way.

The lab

Let's make one thing clear: the lab is THE reason I'm here. I chose Utah over a few other schools, and it's never been more apparent than now that I made the right decision. My new professor is both a combination of a friend and a mentor, which makes coming to lab and wanting to do work all the more enticing. There is an IMMENSE amount of pressure to get work done here (way more than at the University of Oregon), and the great thing is that there are no limiting factors to stop us. Money? We have multiple grants and guaranteed funding for at least the next 5 years.  Subjects? We have a pool of willing patients/diseased populations that we can pull from previous studies, and if we're short on subjects we can head up to get some from the med school no problem. Personnel to help? There are a total of 7 grad students and 5 post-docs ALWAYS here, ALWAYS willing to help you out. It's the most amazing/productive research program I've ever seen.

The way the lab set up is that I'm with my professor, another grad student and a post doc (so, 4 of us in total), but within our entire lab there are a total of 3 professors and the grad students/post docs listed above. You can help with anyone on their projects, which helps get you involved in fields that you may not have been, and get your name on publications that you otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to be on. It's a great system, and the more you help out the more they help you out.

My first project will be starting up soon; I'll be working with patients with COPD (not the first time) to quantify their increased respiratory work and oxidative stress on locomotor fatigue. It's a nice segue way to combine a little bit of pulmonary phys (my previous background) with physiology of fatigue (my new focus). I still have a ton to learn, but I know that the group and professor I'm with will get me there.