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 :)
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Poor Little Blog
My poor little blog gets neglected when I am too crazy at work. In fact, so did all of my running workouts last week, INCLUDING my long run. (It's bad when stress starts to leak into your body and you end up sore and achy from doing nothing.)
I am definitely back on track this week, although I will say that I've moved my runs indoors because of the cold. I figure that when the wind blows the big steel door open with amazing force and I have the push all of my weight against it to shut it while I take my dog on her evening walk, that it MIGHT be okay to do this. (I know, that was the biggest run-on sentence I think I have ever written.) Tonight is one of my double workouts...running AND sculpting. I am NOT looking forward to my 16 miler this weekend.
But what I REALLY wanted to write about was the Biggest Loser.
I don't know if anyone watches/notices/cares, but last week (not last night) Dane got kicked off. In his little "where are they now" video he said that his wife was training for a marathon and he decided to run it with her. He said it was so rewarding to run the entire thing with his wife, and they showed him crossing the finish line.
Bill swears he saw the clock say 5:53, but then in the little epilogue they said something about him running it in 3:53. I was like HOLY COW. Then it ticked me off, because I KNOW they train like 5-7 hours a day on that show, and I've seen them do all kinds of things that I could never physically do, but I was like "I train for marathons ONLY, and I can't do that!"
It also ticked me off that he wasn't training for a marathon specifically. I mean, I am sure he is very fit, but even Lance Armstrong had to train for the marathon.
But I kind of forgot about it.
Then, the next day Bill found all of these articles.
The gist of it is that he didn't actually finish the marathon because he got picked up in a van by the producers, driven, and then filmed finishing. I'm not going to make a call on where he was picked up, how far they drove him, how far he ran, or any of that...it seems like there is some dispute about these things.
NBC removed the video from online where he said he finished the marathon.
It just makes me sad. To me, that is one of the most inspiring shows out there. And finishing a marathon at any time is a huge accomplishment. Believe me, I have thought about cheating in the middle of races....like at the turnarounds. Haven't you ever thought to yourself "Ha! I could stop for water here and just go to the other side of the turnaround and cut out some mileage." I have. Especially when I am tired. But I could not live with myself if I did that. I know there is probably a lot of pressure from producers and all that, but I still feel sad about it. It makes me wonder what else they exaggerate. And wouldn't it make just as amazing of a story if he said he finished a half-marathon? I mean, the man lost 100 lbs in 8 weeks! What is there to lie about?!
And I see that he apologized...but what if he hadn't gotten caught?
It just disappoints me.
I am definitely back on track this week, although I will say that I've moved my runs indoors because of the cold. I figure that when the wind blows the big steel door open with amazing force and I have the push all of my weight against it to shut it while I take my dog on her evening walk, that it MIGHT be okay to do this. (I know, that was the biggest run-on sentence I think I have ever written.) Tonight is one of my double workouts...running AND sculpting. I am NOT looking forward to my 16 miler this weekend.
But what I REALLY wanted to write about was the Biggest Loser.
I don't know if anyone watches/notices/cares, but last week (not last night) Dane got kicked off. In his little "where are they now" video he said that his wife was training for a marathon and he decided to run it with her. He said it was so rewarding to run the entire thing with his wife, and they showed him crossing the finish line.
Bill swears he saw the clock say 5:53, but then in the little epilogue they said something about him running it in 3:53. I was like HOLY COW. Then it ticked me off, because I KNOW they train like 5-7 hours a day on that show, and I've seen them do all kinds of things that I could never physically do, but I was like "I train for marathons ONLY, and I can't do that!"
It also ticked me off that he wasn't training for a marathon specifically. I mean, I am sure he is very fit, but even Lance Armstrong had to train for the marathon.
But I kind of forgot about it.
Then, the next day Bill found all of these articles.
The gist of it is that he didn't actually finish the marathon because he got picked up in a van by the producers, driven, and then filmed finishing. I'm not going to make a call on where he was picked up, how far they drove him, how far he ran, or any of that...it seems like there is some dispute about these things.
NBC removed the video from online where he said he finished the marathon.
It just makes me sad. To me, that is one of the most inspiring shows out there. And finishing a marathon at any time is a huge accomplishment. Believe me, I have thought about cheating in the middle of races....like at the turnarounds. Haven't you ever thought to yourself "Ha! I could stop for water here and just go to the other side of the turnaround and cut out some mileage." I have. Especially when I am tired. But I could not live with myself if I did that. I know there is probably a lot of pressure from producers and all that, but I still feel sad about it. It makes me wonder what else they exaggerate. And wouldn't it make just as amazing of a story if he said he finished a half-marathon? I mean, the man lost 100 lbs in 8 weeks! What is there to lie about?!
And I see that he apologized...but what if he hadn't gotten caught?
It just disappoints me.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Running Again!
I finally got to run outside again this weekend!
I can't figure out what I want to do with running this winter...I think I've found out that Bill's job pretty much makes him come home too late to run. I mean, I guess I COULD save my running until after dinner/after Bill gets home. But a lot of times that would mean that I wouldn't get my workout in at all (because I would have to run after 11pm-ish). I also have to be realistic about this...after I eat dinner am I REALLY going to want to go out in the dark and cold and do a run?
The other option is to run in the morning.
I am NOT a morning person. Plus, when my alarm goes off for me to run in the morning I basically just reset it and promise to do my run at night. Plus, my life is a little stressful right now and I am counting my blessings when I actually do get a full night of sleep. So I don't really think I should be skimming off of that end.
But it looks like that might be the only option. So I'd better learn to be a loser and go to bed at like, ten, and wake up early. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
It WAS nice to run outside instead of on the machines this weekend. My legs are even a little sore. I think this is because there is no way a treadmill can replicate the workout you get outside. Running outside clears my head, and I was even happy to do the 4-mile loop around the park, even though just a while ago, I was so sick of it.
Well, I am not going to worry about the running schedule thing TOO much, until after Christmas, when I start really training for the Pig. I do have a fun little run in Prospect Park (which is in Brooklyn) on Thanksgiving morning. Bill is running it with me too!
I just couldn't give up the tradition of doing a race on Thanksgiving. Even though it is only a 5-miler, it makes me feel so much better about piling on all those potatoes later in the evening. ;)
I can't figure out what I want to do with running this winter...I think I've found out that Bill's job pretty much makes him come home too late to run. I mean, I guess I COULD save my running until after dinner/after Bill gets home. But a lot of times that would mean that I wouldn't get my workout in at all (because I would have to run after 11pm-ish). I also have to be realistic about this...after I eat dinner am I REALLY going to want to go out in the dark and cold and do a run?
The other option is to run in the morning.
I am NOT a morning person. Plus, when my alarm goes off for me to run in the morning I basically just reset it and promise to do my run at night. Plus, my life is a little stressful right now and I am counting my blessings when I actually do get a full night of sleep. So I don't really think I should be skimming off of that end.
But it looks like that might be the only option. So I'd better learn to be a loser and go to bed at like, ten, and wake up early. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
It WAS nice to run outside instead of on the machines this weekend. My legs are even a little sore. I think this is because there is no way a treadmill can replicate the workout you get outside. Running outside clears my head, and I was even happy to do the 4-mile loop around the park, even though just a while ago, I was so sick of it.
Well, I am not going to worry about the running schedule thing TOO much, until after Christmas, when I start really training for the Pig. I do have a fun little run in Prospect Park (which is in Brooklyn) on Thanksgiving morning. Bill is running it with me too!
I just couldn't give up the tradition of doing a race on Thanksgiving. Even though it is only a 5-miler, it makes me feel so much better about piling on all those potatoes later in the evening. ;)
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