Running Is My Therapy: 3 Scientific Reasons Running Provides A Mental Boost

The phrase “Running Is My Therapy” can be found on everything from t-shirts to inspirational posters.  Before I started running, I thought this was a silly mantra runners used to justify putting their bodies through torture.  Then, I joined in on the crazy.

Running isn’t easy, and sometimes, I do feel like I am torturing my body.  One of my 20 mile training runs for my first marathon was an incredibly awful experience, and I still cringe at the thought of that day.  But, I do understand why people consider running to be a form of therapy now.  Running relieves my stress.  It clears my mind.  When I’m having a bad day, running strips away the negative and restores my positive outlook.  When I finish a challenging run, I feel like I can accomplish anything.  Running provides an amazing boost to my mental well-being.

It’s not just other runners that agree.  Science backs it up.

3 Scientific Reasons Running Provides a Mental Boost

Why Do I Run?

My running over the past month or so has not gone as I originally planned.  By this time of the year, I had expected to have already participated in multiple races.  I had been hoping that the speed training I did on the treadmill over the winter (on the days the windchill and blowing snow were too much to conquer), would have translated to new personal bests.  I thought that once spring finally sprung, I’d be able to up my mileage with ease.

None of that happened.  Sigh…

Girl Scout Cookies (and other ways I sabatoge my goals!)

It’s Girl Scout Cookie season.  Girl Scouts here no longer take orders for two weeks and then deliver cookies.  They sell for two months and have access to get you your cookie fix the entire time.  Many boxes are conveniently kept waiting at their homes for anxious buyers.  Guess what?  I have a Girl Scout.  And our house is the home to many boxes of cookies waiting to go to their new home.  Unfortunately, many boxes have not gotten the opportunity to leave and have ended up in my stomach.  I really, really like Girl Scout cookies!  Thin mints, peanut butter patties, caramel delights, thanks-a-lots…yum (I will eat any flavor, those just happen to be my favorite.)

Thin Mints…Mmmmm

5 Healthy Food Trends I Might Try in 2015

January always brings an onslaught of all things diet and fitness.  Advertisements start to switch right at the Christmas holiday to remind you of all the unhealthy ways you’ve been treating yourself over the season.  I know I am guilty!  I thoroughly enjoy all the yummy desserts and huge buffets present at most holiday get-togethers.  While I tend to do a decent job at maintaining my exercise routine through December, my eating definitely goes way WAY up.  (And it was all delicious!)

Now it’s January 2nd, however, and I feel mushy and bloated.  I need to get my diet under control so I feel better during my runs!  My approach is to aim for an overall healthy lifestyle that I can model for my children, and not a fad diet (although I am doing the cabbage soup diet next week.  I happen to really like cabbage soup!)

Here are 5 healthy food trends that I might try to integrate into my diet in 2015:

Holiday Food Hangover: Desserts….So Many Desserts

Ahh, the holidays.  A time to spend with family and friends, enjoying their company, and EATING.  I have eaten so SO much over the past week that I am unsure how it all fit into my now slightly bloated, heavier body.  I don’t regret it.  Not one bit.  I love all the goodies at the holidays.  So many cutely designed cookies, extravagant chocolates, rich trifles, comforting pies, and other sugar-filled sweet concoctions (I’m making myself hungry again) at every holiday get-together.  Not to mention all the “regular” food (that has often been made more delicious and fattening by being turned into a casserole) that we all (I mean, everyone does do this right?!) overindulge in by eating huge giant sized portions at multiple parties.  As I said, I don’t regret it.  I love eating all this delicious food!  But (yes, there is a but) now I don’t feel very well at all.  I’m very sluggish, unfocused, and mushy.

Air Force Marathon 2014 – Recap – My First Marathon!

The 2014 Air Force Marathon took place on September 20, and I am just finally getting around to writing my recap of the race!  Life got incredibly busy for me right around it was time to taper for the marathon (so thankful I got through the majority of training without the craziness that has been my life since!)  The Air Force Marathon was my first ever marathon.  While it didn’t go exactly as I planned (what does?!), it was a wonderful first experience!

Sweat Pink (I think it’s a perfect fit!)

I recently discovered the Sweat Pink community and Fit Approach.  I love LOVE love their motto and mission:

We believe that kicking ass is best done in pretty shoes. We’ve learned that real women sweat, and sweat hard. We know that assertiveness, strength, and ambition are the ultimate feminine qualities. We concede that sometimes it takes hours to get ready, but we’re also no strangers to just rolling out of bed and going. We’re convinced that we run faster in pink shoelaces. We believe in pushing ourselves, and we believe in giving ourselves a break, too. We’re all about the rush of endorphins and the thrill of the challenge. We’re all for looking great and feeling even better. We’re committed to finding our best fit, and making it stick.

Sweat Pink with us.

Indy Mini Marathon / One America 500 Festival- Overall Event Review

I participated in my first Indy Mini Marathon / One America 500 Festival on May 3, 2014.  The run takes place in downtown Indianapolis and allows runners the chance to run on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  It is the nation’s largest half-marathon!

The Expo

The Expo was in the Indiana Convention Center.  I opted to stay in the City Center Sheraton Hotel, and it was a very easy walk to reach the packet pick-up.  Picking up my bib was smooth and easy, as was getting my friend’s bib.  (The email from the event states that you need an ID and your confirmation e-mail.  I needed neither.  I just gave mine and my friend’s numbers and both were handed to me without question.)  The expo didn’t have as many vendors as I expected, so I was slightly disappointed.  I did, however, discover a new brand of headbands – Hair Huggers – and I purchased some for myself and my daughters!

Why Don’t Cupcakes Count as Clean Eating?

I love to run.  Love it.  SO keeping a running schedule is not difficult.  Even when it’s hard, even when the weather is awful, even when it downright stinks – I still enjoy it.  Strength training and I don’t have the same love affair as running and I, but I still enjoy it.  I like getting stronger; I enjoy seeing new muscles.  Clean eating and I?  Well, we don’t really like each other.  In fact, at times, we downright hate each other.  I love food.  Even healthy food.  I just also really, really, really (etc.) enjoy food that isn’t good for me.

St. Patrick’s Day Run – Race Season has Started!

My first official run of the year happened Saturday March 15 in the local 5-Kilt run put on by the Fire Department for St. Patrick’s Day.  This was my third time participating in the race.  The first time I participated, two years ago, it was my first race.  Although I still wasn’t really sold on the whole “running thing” at the time, it was really fun and knew after my experience that I would keep signing up for more events.

The weather was not ideal, but it could have been much worse.  At start time, it was about 30 degrees with a little bit of wind.  The sky was full of clouds, but no rain or snow!  My lovely friend joined me, and it was her first race.  I hope I squelched any nerves she had by running super late in the morning, leaving a bunch of stuff in my car that we had to go back and get, and missing any chance of using the bathrooms before start time.  Oops.  She handled my lack of ability to get myself together very well!