Mental Health Day.

I stayed home today. I submitted my grant yesterday. It’s an R01 equivalent. 4 Years, $1.05M. I’m co-PI. It’s a resubmission. First time around our priority score was 29.2.  Funding line is around 20, and variable. Our revision was essentially a wholesale rewrite. I’m hopeful. If it hits, I’m in good shape for my career. Not so many people get grants like this, even in the cohort of people who really want to be major scientists, and have the talent and background to do that. I got a really nice note from my co-PI telling me I’ve learned a lot about grantwriting and submissions. It was quite a compliment.

So after working on it for a month straight, and getting everything done, I crashed. I needed to sleep in. Then I went running. It’s gorgeous out there today. 63 degrees, blue sky, light breeze. I set up about a 10:30 mile pace and just kept going. My plan was to do 2.6 miles. I did 6.22 (10 kilometers) without slowing to walk once. In just under 66 minutes. That’s the furthest by far, far, that I’ve ever gone. In my life.

As I just tweeted, four and a half years ago I was a suicide drunk. I smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. I was significantly overweight. Today, I am well employed, forwardly mobile, and in very good health. It’s incredible to me, and I’ve felt like weeping with gratitude all day long.

I’m tired. But I’m well. It’s a wonderful world out there. And there are no boundaries.