I love running. I always have, ever since my teens, and I ran my first marathon in my very early 20’s. But little did I know how much it would help me with maintaining good mental health as I got older. It was my go-to whenever I felt stressed, it was my medicine. There's something about being outdoors (treadmills just don’t cut it) - fresh air, getting out of breath, that makes you forget what you were worrying/ angry/ stressed about. Some people run with friends. I prefer to run alone, because I put my earphones in and zone out. It’s my sanctuary. I am a worryier at the best of times. I worry – a lot. I over think, and I over analyse, and I then over think a bit more. And then by the time I’ve catastrophised the whole thing, I’ll worry about that too. Running stops me thinking - even if it's just for a while - and for me that’s great.
I’ve run a few marathons now, because long distance is my thing. The longer the better. Maybe I will go onto ultra’s one day, but for now I will stick with the marathons. There is a feel good factor to marathons – the race itself, and for me being able to complete the race in a time I want, but also that you might be raising money for a charity, there are people cheering you on and wanting you to do well, the medal at the end……..there is just such a buzz.
But mainly it’s just me, a pair of trainers and some earphones, pounding the streets.
Quite literally without a care in the world.
Leave a comment