Our brains get a pretty good workout during the long days here at the Institute for Advanced Analytics. But one of the most important notions for any aspiring data scientist – especially those whose brain is pumping logistic regression dumbbells all day long – is recovery.
Life at the IAA can get hectic quickly.
Taking time for yourself outside of class is imperative to minimize stress and not overburden yourself.
Recovery for me is running. I find running liberating because it is the one time of day when it’s just me. It gives me time to decompress and think. As an active runner, I usually run six days a week for 25-40 miles in total. I ran my first official marathon in Philadelphia in November 2022, and I am currently trying to run a sub-19-minute 5K.
I track performance metrics through wearable fitness trackers (Apple Watch) and running apps (Strava) on every run. One of my favorite measurements is resting heart rate (RHR), an excellent test of heart health and overall fitness.
The line graph below shows my RHR since the start of this program. Interestingly, there was a big spike in the week of the summer practicum presentations. Since then, it recovered and has been on a decreasing trend. This trend is good to remember for some of the more demanding weeks throughout the year.
Similar to being a student at the IAA, as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other – you will reach the finish line. So get out there, go for a run, and reap the benefits.
Columnist: Tyler Farr