Dr. Caitlin Gabor is a professor of Biology in the College of Science and Engineering. She teaches courses covering Organismal Biology, Behavioral Ecology, and Evolutionary Ecology and her research interests include Animal Behavior, Behavioral Endocrinology, Behavioral Ecology, and Conservation Physiology.
While a lot of her time is dedicated to teaching and research, she is also able to get out and go for a run, lift weight, do some Pilates, or stretch things out with a yoga session. Dr. Gabor participated the Spring into Motion challenge this past spring. She and her teammates of the Quaranqueenies finished second in the challenge and logged an impressive 2,048,475 total combined steps – from our campus to Osceola, Iowa!
She was kind enough to sit for a brief interview.
Q: What did you like about the Spring into Motion challenge?
A: I really enjoyed the immediacy. Seeing the uptick in points and movement of yourself, your teammates, and your competitors. It was a lot of fun to have that available and be able to gauge what I had to do to stay on top.
Q: What kept you motivated throughout the challenge?
A: Pretty much the same as the first question. Knowing that there were five points available per day that I could get and add to the team’s total. And knowing how to achieve that goal. Team messages were also a big help. If we noticed a teammate who hadn’t reached the 5 points that day, we could get in touch and give them the motivation needed to push through. Being able to sync and log activity immediately after finishing a workout made things so much simpler.
Q: How did you get your steps? What were your activities?
A: There were a few: weightlifting, running, walking, and bike riding. I also did some yoga and Pilates. Since the activities were converted into steps, I was able to do what I wanted and then log it.
Q: What were your favorite activities?
A: I’m a runner, but I can only really run a couple of times a week. The weightlifting helps a lot in that regard by strengthening the legs and allowing me to get back at it again.
Q: Did your team have any meetings or gatherings?
A: No, we mostly kept to messages.
Q: Did you have fun with Spring into Motion?
A: Yes! I only wish it had been a semester long competition instead of the shortened pilot. That would have been awesome. I really hope that we can do this again soon!