What Do Running a Marathon and Researching a Ph.D. Have in Common? A New Memoir Explores the Connection
, an advising dean in Georgetown 海角论坛 and a professor in the , is celebrating International Women鈥檚 Day with the publication of her debut book, .
In Corcoran鈥檚 memoir, she explores the connection between the physical and the mental, examining her personal journey as a long-distance runner and academic.
A Catalyst for a Career
The Virgin Mary, as a saint and an icon, acted as a catalyst both for Corcoran鈥檚 academic career and her personal journey. Corcoran鈥檚 fascination with Mary led her to Washington, D.C., where she began a master鈥檚 program in history at The Catholic University of America. Her Ph.D. dissertation, also completed at Catholic University, analyzed representations of Mary in the late Middle Ages, highlighting the ways in which the ensuing years softened Mary鈥檚 persona and power.
鈥淭he quiet, obedient and maternal version of Mary is one with which many Catholics are familiar,鈥� says Corcoran. 鈥淏ut in the Middle Ages there was a different representation of her as an incredibly powerful intercessor who saved people from disease, overturned ships in the middle of war and sparred, both verbally and physically, with the devil. My work seeks to reconcile how that Mary fits within a culture that often silences women鈥檚 voices.鈥�
The cover of Corcoran’s new book.
Alongside her academic endeavors, Corcoran took up running, at first jogging just a few miles. Later Corcoran expanded her commitment and found a community of runners. The act of running strengthened Corcoran physically while simultaneously alleviating academic pressures.
鈥淵ou get very confident when you鈥檙e running because you feel like you can do anything,鈥� Corcoran says. 鈥淚 ran my first marathon my first year of graduate school and I was instantly hooked. It was a life-changing experience, not just physically, but putting the time in on something difficult and achieving it.鈥�
Corcoran recalls that the time away from her books allowed her to process and synthesize her research, rehearsing the oral defense of her dissertation, making mental tweaks to her argument and even pausing her run to pull out her phone and jot down new ideas.
It鈥檚 a Marathon Not a Sprint expands upon the various roles that she has taken on since completing her Ph.D. in 2017: medieval historian, professor, advisor, distance runner, wife, mother and author.
鈥淚鈥檝e found in my advising that it helps to share with students about your failures and struggles so they learn that other people have gone through these obstacles as well and there is a path forward,鈥� reflects Corcoran.
She also shared that the mental struggles of being a graduate student were very real: Corcoran often observed others in the classroom who seemed more confident or assured of themselves. If she had only shared what she was feeling with her dissertation advisor, Corcoran notes, they would have openly supported and assisted her through the insecurities she was facing.
Inspiring and Encouraging Women
The drive to honor women and the strength which Corcoran has drawn from other women鈥檚 stories is what drove her to publish her memoir on International Women鈥檚 Day. Through her research, she wanted to offer her voice and perspective to others.
鈥淚 wanted to let my voice be heard when a lot of graduate students complete their program in silence,鈥� reflects Corcoran. 鈥淭his is the story, not only of my voice, but of the women who influenced mine.鈥�
Her advice to graduate students right now: keep showing up. It may be 鈥渉ard to see on any particular day how your work is going to pay off in the long run, but it鈥檚 the cumulative mileage of writing and reading鈥� that is the ultimate prize. Show up to class, show up to workshops and create a community around you that鈥檚 supportive of what you鈥檙e doing both within your school life and home life.