No More SADness
Dopey is over, and that accomplishment has now been checked off of my bucket list. So, what’s next? Of course I had to take some time to recover which lasted all of 48 hours before I was back on the treadmill, and having visions of hitting the gym and yoga studio, when all my friends, family, and running partners are saying “Girl, sit down somewhere and rest.” Why can’t I just rest? This is a question that I begin to ask myself. The answer is that for me running is not just about the swag and the “bling” (which is definitely important) but it is also a mindfulness strategy for me to handle daily stress, anxiety and fight off the onset of depression or what society considers to be the “winter blues,” while also keeping me sane enough to interact daily with my 200+ high school students. So, being sedentary is not an option.
Have you ever noticed that people who exercise appear to be really energetic and happy? So much so that if you’re not an overly energetic person it gets on your nerves? Why are we so happy and bouncing off the walls after running mile after mile after mile, you might ask. It’s the “Runner's High,” that happy feeling that runners have due to the release of endorphins.
Photo by Jennifer Birdie Shawker
Now, this is my testimony, but I know that there are others that don’t have the desire to move when the weather is cool, cold, rainy, or just dreary outside, causing you to feel tired, sluggish, lethargic, stressed or maybe even depressed. Don’t think that you are just out of shape, not really into exercising, or maybe even lazy. You could just be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is defined as depression associated with late autumn and winter and thought to be caused by a lack of light. SAD is not a death sentence you just need to get up and moving. Of course for me, running is the ticket, but cycling and strength training are a great option as well.
So what’s next on my running calendar? The Texas Big Star Half Marathon, in Frisco, Texas. This means it's time for a new training schedule, new goals, and new accomplishments. To assist me with my training, I am going to use the new and improved NIKE run club 13.1 training program.
