Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Running it all out.

I seem to be finally be getting over that little bout of depression or whatever it was I've been going through the last few weeks. All I can say is...THANK GOODNESS.  I was a lean, mean, bitchy machine to just about everyone.  Everyone and everything was annoying me and I was pretty disinterested in things that would normally really get my juices flowing.  All I wanted to do was sleep.  Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), I've been down that road before and I recognized the feeling.  I did what I could to self medicate through exercise, good food and being gentle with myself.

In hindsight, I think the little black raincloud was a combination of post-marathon blues, the weather and just feeling overwhelmed by work/volunteer stuff/personal commitments and relationships/etc., etc. It was starting to scare me, though, so I'm glad that things seem to be on the upswing.

One thing that really helped pull me out of my funk was a half-marathon in Colorado that I ran on Saturday.  It was a clear, cold day and the course had a good view of snow-covered Rocky Mountains.  I wasn't worried about the distance...it was only a half!  I just ran all my stress, my sadness, my funkiness out- tried to leave it all on the course and I think it worked.  I PR'd-  1:58:58...my first half in under 2 hours!!  And it was cathartic.  Afterward, I felt like a new person, scrubbed clean on the inside. 

I'm just so glad I found running.  10 years ago I was on anti-depressants.  Today, the road is the only antidepressant I need.  I know that's not how it is for everyone, but I'm glad that's how it is for me.

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