Still living it up in Vegas (are you sick of my Instagram photos yet?), so today I have another guest post for you. Angela blogs at Sole Sister On The Run and actually lives here in Las Vegas!
Not only did she provide me with this great guest post, she also gave me awesome recommendations for our trip. Thanks, Angela!
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Angela from Sole Sister On The Run
Running = Sanity
Well, at least for me it does. But, honestly, that is not how it started. I’ve been asked frequently why I run. When I first started… it was to lose weight and finish a 5k. Now, I run for peace and my sanity.
My husband jokes (I think) that there is me, me when I am ‘hangry’ and me when I don’t run. He isn’t very fond of the latter two. I am one of those that get angry and short tempered when I am overly hungry. (To my benefit, I warn that the line from hungry to hangry is startlingly nearby). But, it was interesting to hear him tell me about how irritable and short fused I get when I don’t run.
I’ll admit I am not the perfect runner. I am not fast, I don’t run daily. I at times miss runs. I keep my life busy. I work full time, take classes, volunteer, workout, spend time with my family and friends. I LOVE running and I love what working out does for me. But, I also made the commitment to myself to keep a balance. I will never bail on friends or family because I need to run 3 miles or make a spin class. I will do whatever I can to get a workout in around whatever, but, fun is part of life’s balance.
The past few months have been crazy. I bought a house, moved, got sick twice, traveled a lot, etc. There were times when I wouldn’t run for a week and I could feel myself spinning out of control, feeling restless, unfocused, moody. This really intrigued me. Was it all just the endorphins running released? Perhaps… but to me, it is so much more. I sat back and really thought about what running is to me. Running is my dedicated ME time. I will occasionally run with friends, but 99% of my runs are solo. Some of them are with music, it depends on my mood. So, it’s quality time with me, myself and I. The people I tend to avoid. I work through issues in my head, whether work or personal related, create ideas, think of things to write about, create mile long to do lists, relieve stress, work through emotions and tough times. Running has gotten me through good and bad times, worries, anxiety and everything else. If I am stressed, a short 3 mile run calms my nerves and helps clear my head enough for me to truly focus on the issue at hand.
This reminds me of words my grandfather always says: “had a bad day, have some whisky, had a good day, have some whisky, feel sick, have some whisky” (Can you tell we are Irish/Scottish/German). You get the point. For some, food is there go to, or drinks or whatever. My go to for good days, bad days, stress, blahs, anxiety… it’s running. It’s my meditation. I cannot sit still to meditate (I have tried) but I meditate when I run… I clear my mind, I release my tension, I let go of the day. I hang out with myself for awhile. I find myself with every footfall. Afterwards, I feel stronger, more focused, and accomplished.
“After running a few marathons I can explain to people why I run. It calms me. I can’t imagine not having it in my life. It helps me to sort through things. It’s like stepping outside myself and getting a better perspective of who I am.” Gail Kislevitz, First Marathons: Personal Encounters with the 26.2 Mile MonsterMarathons
Before the holidays, I was already running at least 2miles each day. Unfortunately, now that the holiday is over I didn’t go back to running yet. It could be the reason why I don’t feel energize all day. I guess it’s about time I get my running shoes out of the shoe rack once again.
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