Running as Therapy

Some people think runners are crazy. I beg to differ. I think runners are some of the most sane people I know because running is a kind of therapy.

I know for me it works wonders. And John Bingham talks about it as Physical Therapy in this article (though he actually touches on the mental benefits as well).

With the impending move, I've found getting out of bed to run a far easier thing to do than it has been in the past. As Zoe and I run along, I can feel the stress leaving my body. It's almost like I leave it in my wake. And by the time we return to the house, I feel calmer than I had even upon waking.

I don't know why it works for me. Maybe the stress or whatever toxic feeling I'm experiencing leaves the body with the other toxins as I sweat. Maybe it has to do with reflexology and I'm actually massaging some areas of my foot that benefit my mood. Maybe it's just the steady pounding of my feet that hypnotizes me into feeling chill. Ultimately, I don't care why it works, just that it does.

What Bingham said about climbing a hill is very true for me. Capitol Hill, along Independence Ave, is my regular "hill" and I can often judge my mental and emotional state, as well as my physical one, on how I take the hill. Do I attack it? Is it easy to get up the hill or am I begging for Zoe's help the entire way? When I finish, am I sucking wind or easily moving toward home? The best part of the hill, is that while I'm running it, it's the only thing on my mind. Everything else takes a back seat until I'm all the way up and running at my regular pace.

I think I'll have to give the "all out" (which I usually do at the very end of the run - my so-called kick) a try. See if I can't run harder every now and then. Remove me from my comfort zone.

If it brings peace of mind, the hard way is the right way.