For those of us who are “habitual” runners, this daily ritual is not an option but a necessity.
While some regard exercise as a luxury located somewhere on the “to do” list after wiping out the silverware caddy, I find that the tougher and more stressful life gets, the more I am compelled to run. I have never been sure why the population seems to split itself between sedentary and non-sedentary in this way, but it certainly does seem to be so.
For me, a long run works like an anti-depressant– and at no time during my life have I ever needed to “pop a pill” than now.
The economic tsunami that hit full-force nearly 12 months ago shows very little signs of abating…at least here in L.A. Every day it seems, I receive email from friends about being laid off, put on half time, not being able to pay rent. Last week it was an entire marketing department I worked closely with several years ago. I don’t ever seem to receive a note from someone having finally found a job.
All through this long-hot summer I have been running. I am not doing this to prepare for a particular race or reach a weight goal. I am doing it to maintain my sanity and to keep the hungry wolf called “fear” at bay. Some sacrifices have been made. I back-burnered the time I was spending writing and participating in various online social communities to focus on work – what little there has been of it. I thank my lucky stars for the clients I do have and hope that more work will come soon. Still, I consider myself lucky.
A lot of people ask me how I keep from getting bored while I run. Let me tell you I am never bored. The time on the road is spent in intense thought and concentration. I work out creative problems with work (this is when I get most of my inspiration for lead-ins and story direction), personal issues, and budget challenges. I try focusing on friends who are having a hard time and send them love and strength. Sometimes I spend my time sending energy out to the universe – calling in the perfect gig that will push me to the next level. Hills are the best, for they require supreme concentration. I move my mind out of my body as it pushes hard, and into a place where a particularly knotty problem resides – an issue I have been struggling with - and the hill seems to evaporate. I am nearly always surprised when I “wake up” and find myself back on level ground.
I sometimes wonder if other people feel this way and use running as I do, to maintain mental stability. Women tend to be such social creatures, so I guess I have always felt like something of an aberration because I loathe running in groups. I am a Garbo in Asics; “I want to be alone.”
This summer has also marked a milestone in my life; turning 50 years old. The realization just hit me that I have been running for nearly 20 years! Unlike the potential side effects of medical anti-depressants, MY prescription’s benefits are quite obvious to anyone who meets me. At 50, I am in better shape than most American 20 year olds. I have incredibly great numbers (heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol), low body fat and a terrific figure. I feel good about my body (OK, I did have a little work done, but who’s quibbling?) This all seems like good news to me since it appears unlikely that I (or any other American citizen) will see affordable health care any time soon. Let’s hope I don’t fall off a curb any time soon. Here’s my end-of-ad disclaimer (read in10 seconds):
Runninghabituallymaycauseunusuallyupliftingmoodswings,anoveralldecreaseinbodyweight,extraordinarilypositivethinking
anareductioninperiodcrampsandpmssymptoms.womenwhouserunningshouldavoidwearinghighheelsforextendedperiodso
ftimeandconsumeadietrichincarbohydratesandprotein.eventhoughyourdoctorisunlikeytocare,informherthatyouarearunnerso
thatshewon’tbeshockedthenexttimeshetakesyourbloodpressure.
I wish I could speak to all of the women taking pharmaceutical mood altering drugs and just get them to train for a 10K race. I wish I could tell them about the extraordinary memories you get from running and racing and how much better they will feel – how much self-esteem they will regain– from being fit and strong. But I can’t avoid the fact that “some just do and some just don’t.” I try to have the sense to just stay quiet…and keep on running.
