When Running is MORE than Running: Running for Stress Relief

SNAPSHOT

Running is my SANITY

DIGGING DEEPER

I have taken the first step on many of the runs this winter not just for exercise but for relief. Mounting mental stress crests to the level that it turns into physical anticipation for the movement of running. I must move. I must run. I need freedom. When so overwhelmed and with no other outlet, running becomes my hour of escape.

I have thought of many other reasons that very well could be the cause for my internal drive to run. And each take their turn to keep me stepping forward. However, these last two months, I have turned to running to escape stress. I know for at least that one hour I can forget problems and annoyances and be productive with accomplishments.

Being able to pick my pace, elevation, end time or distance gives me the freedom that stress won’t. To be swept away into another world, where all I need to do is take another step. And spending time with my running friends and hearing of their days helps me put into perspective my stress load.

All of this combined helps to relax my mind and body. I feel renewed and ready to venture forward into the rest of the day.

Running to reduce stress is a real strategy says John J. Ratey author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (a MUST read)

“We can literally run ourselves out of that frenzy. Just as the mind can affect the body, the body can affect the mind.” Spark (p. 63). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition.

“Regular aerobic activity calms the body, so that it can handle more stress before the serious response involving heart rate and stress hormones kicks in. It raises the trigger point of the physical reaction. In the brain, the mild stress of exercise fortifies the infrastructure of our nerve cells by activating genes to produce certain proteins that protect the cells against damage and disease.” Spark (p. 71). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition.

Most likely you are runner who uses the sport in order to relieve stress and refresh yourself. Don’t be afraid to say, “Life is hard and running helps me along the way.”

SOLUTION

So lace up those running shoes and hit the road because running can be your stress relief.

MISSION COMPLETE: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

#30 Mission Complete

SNAPSHOT

I must be honest, 30 days of writing in a row contained some struggles but after completion, just like training and racing, I am a changed person, more experienced and I hope a better writer. It was a positive experience and I feel a sense of accomplishment. I set out a challenge, stuck with it, and had fun along the way.

DIGGING DEEPER

At first, it was easy to find topics to write about. Oh, course I had to cover female training, sleeping, shoes (part 1 and 2), winter running, gear (including watches), treadmills, training plans, and sitting. But then came the inspirations day by day, like listing my runner’s phone uses, and when to stop or start running. The polar freeze brought topics of training partners, motivation, Minnesota play, and strength training. I love reading so I naturally shared favorite authors and books, as in Fatigue Tolerance, Fast or Slow, Older Runners, Runners Stretch. Topics close to my heart crept into the blog with Run Like a Kid, No Pretty Runners, A Runner’s Will, and Rest Days. My training partners brainstormed and uncovered a few gems like Runners Vacation and Running Friends.

Through all of these posts I shared knowledge and experiences along with links to articles and shopping. I hope this 30 day series is a resource for you and your training partners for many years. An added SEARCH BAR at the bottom of the page will aid you in finding the information you seek. Please share the posts in order to help others find joy in running.

Although my 30 days are up, I am not powering down the computer, since I have plans for weekly blog posts. And I am excited to bring into the discussion guest bloggers whose experience and viewpoint can enlighten us all. I am hoping to find another blog that will give me the chance to share my love for running with their community as a guest blogger. Perhaps these first ventures into select topics can continue to mature into published articles.

SOLUTION

Tomorrow when I wake up and don’t need to complete a blog, I will be sad, for I will miss our time together.

I am a learner, wanting to grow and grow. If you have ANY feedback for me as a writer and coach, please contact me. I value your thoughts. Thanks, friends!

LAST POST — This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

Older Runners: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

#29 Older Runners

SNAPSHOT

OLD, a word I dislike. The word old takes away all the beneficial qualities of years of experience, knowledge, and mastery. I prefer the word MASTERS. In running once you pass your 40th birthday you are officially a masters runner. The men and women masters runners that I have trained and raced with throughout the years have colored my world, broken glass ceilings, and taught me the value of patience. THANK YOU!

DIGGING DEEPER

#1 You’re not old! You are still a growing developing individual seeking new challenges and experiences.

#2 You’re not who you use to be. Your mind is stronger, your actions wiser, and your experiences are more vast. However, your body has changed along with time. Don’t try to relive the past, instead forge a new future.

#3 Your past mileage counts for a lot! You have this wide foundation in which to draw upon. Don’t train like a beginner, train like an experienced runner.

Run Less Run Faster by Bill Pierce is my favorite book (I even have a signed copy from meeting him at a coaching seminar) detailing how to train as a masters runner. The combination of Pierce and training with the Willow Street Athletic Club’s masters runners I have shown me you can be an impressive runner into your master years.

HOW TO BE A MASTERS RUNNER

Strive For Realistic Goals and Progressions - Be your current YOU. You are impressive. I admire you. I want to be a masters runner chasing current personal records, just like you. As you progress through your training season give yourself flexibility in your training. You may have more traveling to navigate around or need extra time to recover from illness. Lower your expectations in training and racing and enjoy the experience and friendship community you have grown.

Complete Three Quality Runs- Quick, Steady, and Long. Hit these three paces most weeks of your training season and you will be set for toeing the line at your favorite races. The workouts don’t need to be long, just consistent. Your body has a great memory, able to rebuild central nervous, metabolic, and muscular systems quicker than in your early years of running.

Do Critical Cross-Training - Cash in all your years of mileage and replace some of your easy runs with cross-training activities. Recovery is critical for all runners, but especially for you. You need a few more days of recovery than in your early years. Enjoy cross-training and less pressure for weekly mileage goals.

Be Strong - You loose muscle each birthday year, shore up your muscle fiber count with a couple of short strengthen sessions a week, bodyweight training is quick and effective.

Stay Flexible - Be bendable. With the flexibility will come better mobility (a key to fewer injuries)

Be Adventurous- Yes, completing your 20th Thanksgiving Turkey Trot is admirable but you may find joy in trying a new distance, location, or terrain. Shake up your racing schedule and try a new race.

SOLUTION

Masters runner, YOU AMAZE ME!

ONE DAY LEFT in my QUEST —This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

Running Friends: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

#28 Running Friends

SNAPSHOT

The Sweetness of Running Friendships

DIGGING DEEPER

”I wish I could run, but I get bored.” exclaimed a woman in the Y locker room. My friend and I turn to hear her thoughts about running. She went on to list all her family members that run and enjoy it. Wanting to experience the same joy as they do, she was in a state of wishing. I replied with, “You need to run with others.”

It has been two long weeks of running on my local YMCA’s treadmills and yes it can get boring very quickly when alone. Another running friend texted me this morning when she had to run without our group of runners, “It’s boring now running without you!” I totally agree. Once you have running friends, it can be difficult to run alone.

I certainly had my fill of running alone after moving to Minnesota from New York in 2017. In NY, I had someone to run with almost every day of the week, possibly several times a day. However, in MN, run after run was alone.

At first, I was diligent and out at 6 am every morning as the lonely runner. Figuring I would find runners out on the roads, as plentiful as in NY. But I decided no one ran in my town, they all drove into the Twin Cities and worked, leaving no time for running through our small town. Once there was a 6 am morning running group of three men that I made a few mornings a bit sweeter. But I had to change my running time due to not enough sunlight exposer in order to keep winter depression at bay. Next, a chance encounter united me with a new dear friend. Our friendship grew as we ran together at least once a week: rain, snow, or heat couldn't get in our way. All this time, anyone that I have heard is a runner, I boldly and quickly set up a running meeting. Some have not been the right fit and others have been awesome! Each runner has a unique friendship story, all valuable.

I went through the stage of participating in races alone. The pain of a disappointing race couldn’t be masked with friendly conversation. When there were good races there was no one to share the joy with. And so this fall, I vowed to not run another race alone. It just was not worth it, however well my race turned out, to not share the joy with another runner friend.

Running friends are more than someone to have small talk with as you cover the miles. They are sounding boards, sympathizers, cheerleaders, comedians, and wise counselors. They have shared my journey through life. Each run recounting recent news or detailing future plans with each other. We have chatted about the simple things in life and dig deep, searching to solve the world’s problems. Those miles together never forgotten.

I swam on my high school swim team. I wasn’t all that great at it, but do have some natural ability. However, it did not become my favorite sport because it didn’t include enough time talking with others. Hence why running has fit my personality so much better, with plenty of opportunities to talk together. I find it fascinating to learn about others and hear about their thoughts and lives. Running gives me a chance for more friendship time.

So how do you find new running friends? Well when I moved to MN, I checked out Meet Up running groups, joined local running Facebook groups, talked with runners that finished near me at the end of races, asked runners if they knew other runners that lived in my town, and was flexible with when and where I could run and what pace I could run in order to have more opportunities to run with others. Season by season my running friendship group has grown. Currently we are brainstorming a name for our running group. So far Purple Pandas got knocked out by Northwest Distance Club or Woodlands Distance Club.

Whether you have many running friends or none, I hope you look for a new running friend this month. Take the time to be a friend.

SOLUTION

And so back to the story of the woman at the Y, I ended with, “Next time you see me at the Y or outdoors, come next to me and we can run together.” I hope to see her soon!

This 30-day series is a quest for me as a writer, coach, and runner. I promise to write about running for 30 days in a row. In doing so I intend to gain in knowledge and expression of running and daily life. My hope is that we all grow together.

Run Like a Kid: How to Become a Better Runner in 30 Days Series

#21 Run Like a Kid

SNAPSHOT

"Young people think outside the box, because they don't know there is a box. Their minds haven't been programmed to say no that's not possible." George Lucas

DIGGING DEEPER

The opportunity to raise four children that are drastically different in personality and interests has taught me so much about people and the world around us. To see these personalities grow up from day one to now almost 17 (son has made that almost point very clear), has grown me as a runner and person. With freedom children/teens observe and dare for rewards.

FREEDOM

Many children display freedom and independence from societal norms.

Watch children run. Often, they run fast as if they will never run out of energy. Children understand tangents. Instead of making wide turns or going with the racing crowd, they may take the shortest route possible. They understand how to train: using sprints, intervals, and rest at just the right points within the run. We could do well playing with running (fartlek workout) as they do.

OBSERVE

Children look around while they run, noticing the world around them. There is abundance and wonder surrounding us. Have you stopped to stare at a sunrise, lately? Do you see figures/shapes in the clouds? Do you wonder and ask questions?

DARING

On Sunday as I watched swimmers from age 6-18 power through water (a liquid wall) with limited air, I marvel at their courage and drive. You too are courageous and daring when you toe the start line of a new race. You too can believe in accomplishing the difficult.

REWARDS

Children love rewards. As a lover of games, children are quick to participate because of the chance to be the winner. Rarely do you get children’s interest without declaring what is at the end of the road, the purpose of the journey, the reward. Have you designed your running routes to involve rewards and locations of interest?

Does your box have windows and doors?

Do you, as a runner, live within others’ expectations?

What unnecessary boundaries within your training and racing have you set? Can you explore new training theories? What race have you ruled out that you need to find courage to attempt?

• Consider a 10 day training week instead of 7 day.

• Consider less mileage or more mileage.

• Consider sprint workouts (not in cold air).

• Consider running without bio feedback (no watch).

• Consider racing in an open or masters track meet.

Dare to run like a kid!

SOLUTION

BE FREE, Run FREE

Read a favorite ADK Sports article of mine about KIDS AND RUNNING