Running = Therapy

I saw this on a shirt once. (Or maybe it was "Running is Cheaper than Therapy"). I never really bought into it all that much, and not because it didn't work, or that running doesn't always make me feel better, but that I just think there are so many other benefits to running for me, that outrank the therapy one.

This weekend though, I came to the realization that during my pregnancy running DOES equal therapy. Maybe its because while I feel like the tangible physical benefits are much less than before I DO feel the psychological benefits.

I actually feel like my long runs with Bill have become my emotional dump sessions. No matter how the runs start, when they get about halfway through I end up dumping all of the stress that I've had. Some of it is just incredibly silly stress and some of it is more substantial stress. All of it is stress that I don't realize I am stressing about until I get out there and run and talk it out. So I think that running has a great psychological benefit to pregnant women in addition to all of the physical ones (earlier births, lighter babies, less back pain, easier sleeping). I mean, everything you read about being pregnant always emphasizes that you shouldn't be stressing out about anything...which, for a type A person like me is sometimes kind of funny. (I think I told Bill "Haha. Try to avoid stress? Just another thing to stress about!")

I am getting slower and slower, but I think I have finally for real come to terms with it. I guess articles like the ones in Runner's World this month help make me realize that it is a huge accomplishment to be running this far along anyways (I just passed the 35th week mark this weekend...that means that next week I will be starting my 9th month!), which always helps.

I am actually now officially walk-running instead of run-walking. It just helps a lot with all of the calf muscle tightness I experience now. But I still logged 4 miles. And I still kept an impressive pace for me. So that makes me happy :)