Christopher Shaw Goes the Distance to Crack the Work-Life Balance
Christopher Shaw, an Exercise Science graduate now finishing his Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, may hold the record for most miles run around Lake Fred, but more importantly, each mile has taught him about life, resilience and himself.
Over winter break, he spent 8 hours and 49 minutes at Lake Fred running 100km (62.41 miles) on the snow-covered path looping the frozen lake. He documented his run on social media, which captured our attention. We reached out to Shaw to find out what inspired him to get into ultrarunning and how it impacts his life. Chris shares his story:
If you want to learn everything about yourself, run an ultramarathon. I’ve always been one for challenges and I love what ultras do for the mind. I fell in love with running and specifically ultra running because it constantly teaches me, helps me to stay grounded and releases stress.
Over the course of an ultra you go through some really good periods and some really bad periods, mentally, physically and emotionally. Ultras mimic life in that aspect as you’ll have both good times and bad times in life. I’ve learned that you need to take the feelings as they come and let them ebb and flow and experience them because our feelings are real and they impact us.
Everything we experience in life teaches us something, and when I found out about ultras, I felt like they had so much more meaning for me. It wasn’t just about a “race” to see how fast someone could run, but to see how resilient someone can be in their darkest, most vulnerable places.
On Feb. 10, 2024, I ran 100 miles for the very first time around Lake Fred. I didn’t know what to expect as I had only run two 100ks before that, so I was in the unknown for the last 38 miles or so. I ended up completing the 100 miles in 23 hours 47 minutes. That run really showed me what the mind is capable of if you just stay the course.
So many people quit or become discouraged when things in life go awry or become difficult. I made it a point over the last few years of doing ultras and being in graduate school that I would thrive in doing hard things, in doing the things that nobody else wanted to do. I did that because I knew that’s where the growth is.
Growth and learning occurs when you step into the unknown, unfamiliar and sometimes scary or daunting situations. So I needed to put myself in a position where I was forced to step into these places because I knew on the other side of what I was doing, I was going to grow as a person and learn immensely.
I find a lot of strength in that and because of ultras, everything else in my life has become much easier. In many ways, my running and my studies feed off of one another and help improve each other.
I’ve noticed since I started training for ultras, I’ve become so much more patient, my focus has improved, I’ve learned to compartmentalize my day, live in the moment, and I’ve mastered time management, which are all things that will correlate to success in any future job or position. When you're used to training 3-4 hours a day—usually tired and never at the time you "feel" like getting a run in or training—you strengthen your mind so much.
Last year, I worked three part time jobs. I was a Resident Assistant at Stockton, a Graduate Assistant and I worked PRN as an exercise specialist in a local cardiac rehab department. I was also a full-time student taking 18-20 credits a semester for OT school (maintaining a 3.8 graduate school GPA), running 90-100 miles per week in training for marathons and ultra marathons, making sure to strength train 2-3 times a week, and I still made sure to get 4-6 hours of sleep each night. I’m not saying this is easy, but I’ve found what works for me, and I’ve developed a relentless drive to become the best version of myself. This process has taught me to live in the present and enjoy what I get to do.
One of my biggest goals in ultra running is to be a voice for this small community. Not many people my age (or in general) run ultras or understand ultras, so I want to help inform others. I also eventually want to run at the Western States Endurance Run and Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, which are two well-known ultra races around the world that are on my bucket list. I’d love to get sponsored as well, so I don’t have to spend a lot of money on running shoes and gear. I also have aspirations to run a marathon in under 2 hours 30 minutes. My current best time is 2 hours 36 minutes from the Chicago Marathon in fall 2024.
Although the above encompasses my running/ultra running journey, which is merely a hobby or side hustle, my main career aspirations and life goals lie within occupational therapy. In choosing OT at Stockton as a future career, I realized that above all things, I just wanted to make an impact within the community. Having the ability to make a difference, be a leader and influence others is something I dream of, and I’m filled with so much pride when people tell me I’ve helped them or inspired them.
Around the country and other parts of the world, occupational therapy is a career that is often misconstrued, misunderstood or even overlooked, as many people look at the word occupation and automatically think it’s a type of therapy for people who need to find jobs.
Since my first year in the OT program, I tell people that the word occupation in occupational therapy relates to the things that occupy a person’s time on a daily basis, and create a sense of meaning, well-being and purpose to one’s life. It goes well beyond looking for jobs. Everyone is born with a purpose, and as OT’s we help people find that purpose and live their best lives, no matter what physical, emotional, contextual and societal limitations or barriers they may be facing. We are also creative, which is a huge bonus.
After I graduate, I plan on working in a hospital-based OT setting as I really enjoy the fast-paced nature of that clinical setting. As a new graduate, a hospital-based setting will allow me to have exposure to diverse people and conditions, which will give me the necessary experience working with all types of people, who manage many different ailments.
Running my last Lake Fred ultra on Jan. 11, 2025, made me realize how far I’ve come since I took a chance at 17 years old and decided to come to Stockton. I’m 23 years old now and wouldn’t want my education and young adult experiences to be anywhere else. Stockton has given me a home away from home, and I’m forever grateful for that.
There is still a lot to be done in terms of my career schooling, and running, but my experiences at Stockton and in ultra running have allowed me to understand my mind and control my thoughts and emotions. I’ve also figured out a way to crack the code on work-life balance as a graduate student and truly find what my occupations in life are.
Written by Christopher Shaw
