For Those Times You're Too Torqued
There's the stress relief running provides, and then there's the stress running produces. Some people run purely to burn calories or win medals and others just to enjoy. Most runners I know fall somewhere in between, investing in the gear, clothes and race fees to keep their running interesting and add a little more purpose to weekly workouts.
A couple of weeks ago my friend Deborah passed along an older article in Runner's World that should sound familiar to anyone who runs as a form of stress management. Eventually running itself drives you crazy.
It's easy to do. Most runners I know are Type A personalities. Why else would anyone need a Garmin? And if you like to enter races, you suddenly have a timeline to follow. Most of us also have other people who depend on us, so if their plans don't mesh with ours, we get irritated. And, as we enter cold and flu season, there's always the debate about when to run and when to sit out a head or chest cold with our A race looming.
Here are a few ways to "stress-proof" your running, according to my interpretation of the article:
Get off busy roads and take to trails, which have fewer distractions (but require a heightened sense of safety) and allow you to just let your thoughts go.
Recognize you maybe aren't the runner you once were. Stop chasing your PR from when you were 16.
Watch who you hang out with. Running with ultra competitive, ultra fit people can make you push too hard beyond your own limits. You're supposed to feel good about yourself when you run, right?
Remember your priorities. Life doesn't stand still, and we all know what happens to humans who refuse to adapt to change. The same goes for running. If you introduce a new member to the family or change jobs and commutes, chances are your schedule and availability will change too. Stop clinging to your old life just because you liked it better. Remember: If you can't change your fate, change your attitude.
Think more carefully about your future. We're pretty much forced to sign up six months to a year in advance for big, important races. It is impossible to predict what can happen between now and then but if you know there are milestones coming, think twice about training for a marathon or Ironman when you know it's going to conflict with a big event. And limit how many of these races you do so that other people in your orbit aren't constantly working around your schedule.
By reprioritizing and putting problems in proper perspective, you can reduce the stress and keep the sleep aids at bay. There will always be big decisions that weigh on you, but, honestly, going for a run shouldn't be one of them.
A couple of weeks ago my friend Deborah passed along an older article in Runner's World that should sound familiar to anyone who runs as a form of stress management. Eventually running itself drives you crazy.
It's easy to do. Most runners I know are Type A personalities. Why else would anyone need a Garmin? And if you like to enter races, you suddenly have a timeline to follow. Most of us also have other people who depend on us, so if their plans don't mesh with ours, we get irritated. And, as we enter cold and flu season, there's always the debate about when to run and when to sit out a head or chest cold with our A race looming.
Here are a few ways to "stress-proof" your running, according to my interpretation of the article:
Get off busy roads and take to trails, which have fewer distractions (but require a heightened sense of safety) and allow you to just let your thoughts go.
Recognize you maybe aren't the runner you once were. Stop chasing your PR from when you were 16.
Watch who you hang out with. Running with ultra competitive, ultra fit people can make you push too hard beyond your own limits. You're supposed to feel good about yourself when you run, right?
Remember your priorities. Life doesn't stand still, and we all know what happens to humans who refuse to adapt to change. The same goes for running. If you introduce a new member to the family or change jobs and commutes, chances are your schedule and availability will change too. Stop clinging to your old life just because you liked it better. Remember: If you can't change your fate, change your attitude.
Think more carefully about your future. We're pretty much forced to sign up six months to a year in advance for big, important races. It is impossible to predict what can happen between now and then but if you know there are milestones coming, think twice about training for a marathon or Ironman when you know it's going to conflict with a big event. And limit how many of these races you do so that other people in your orbit aren't constantly working around your schedule.
By reprioritizing and putting problems in proper perspective, you can reduce the stress and keep the sleep aids at bay. There will always be big decisions that weigh on you, but, honestly, going for a run shouldn't be one of them.
