Remember when peer pressure was aimed at getting you to do stupid, unhealthy, mean, or otherwise less-than-tasteful things? I felt like, most times, those pressures were relatively easy to resist. I definitely fell into the trap set by all social circles containing 12-14 year old girls in which you gossip too much and get talked into saying/doing mean things at one of your "friend's" expense. I am not proud, but I did it. But the real dangerous and illegal decisions I found pretty easy to avoid, always being quick to cite that most of the "peer pressures" had research-backed negative health effects.
Fast forward 10 years. All new environments have social networks, and grad school is in many ways no different from junior high school. Except now all the peer pressure has positive health effects.
"Hey! We should all run a 5K (or several)!"
"Let's swim twice a week all second semester! Let's do it at 8 in the morning!"
"Let's run 200 miles from La Crosse, WI to Minneapolis-- in 24 hours!"
Yep. That's the next big adventure. As if running a triathlon wasn't enough for me-- I decided that I would join a 12 woman relay team to run from La Crosse to Minneapolis. At the end of August. Each runner runs 3 legs, totaling approximately 16.5 miles per team member. Allllll the way up the Mississippi. Day and night. Night and day. Rain and shine. Uphill and down. Just me, 11 of my closest/newest friends, my pink and white pavement slappers, and a whole lotta roadway.
Those Friends. Such persuasive buggers.
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