Therapy

Running is my therapy.  It's available whenever I need it, as long as I'm willing to head out in bad weather sometimes. Except for good shoes and gear, it's free.  Most of my running is by myself, and I never listen to music.  I don't know why I feel better when I run - it could be because I don't think about anything else for a while, or because I focus on my running and the rest of my brain is free to roam around, or because endorphins start swirling around.  Probably it is a combination of all those things. My body feels loose and powerful, and my brain is calm.  The farther I am able to run, the better I feel.  My feet just seem to do their thing, and the rest of me is free.

When I'm stressed or worried I benefit the most.  Somehow, when I'm all tied up in knots, the rhythmic pounding, the increased heart rate, and the forced focus on my breath starts to loosen those bands, and I can start to relax again.  It's not like I think about the issues, or solve any problems when I run - I have to think about my body when I'm out there.  But something happens.  Sometimes I get emotional, sometimes just relaxed.  I feel better, always.  The problems don't go away, but they do feel manageable for the moment.  Not a bad outcome!