There are a lot of things I like to do (you already know of some of the things I don't like to do). One of those things is running. I ran cross country and track in high school, though I didn't enjoy it too much then. I love it now.
As any of you who have read here know I struggle with depression and anxiety from time to time. Recently it had gotten pretty draining on me. For the past 5-6 months Melissa and I have been batting around the idea of getting on antidepressants. I've been on meds before and they work great, but I'm not too keen on the side-effects. I'm not talking about the side-effects that perk everyone's interest more the manner in which I lose some of my spontaneity especially with the kids. The withdrawal symptoms when I got off weren't too pleasant either.
About two months ago one of the Psychology PhD students in the ward gave a lesson on depression in our combined priesthood/RS meeting in church. Among other things he talked about a study that compared Exercise to SSRI's (a class of antidepressant drugs). The results of the study showed that those patients who exercised had better outcomes than the SSRI group or the group that was getting exercise and an SSRI. I don't know how valid this study was. I don't know if it's worth anything at all, but I figured I'd give it a shot. Melissa and I kind of decided that we would give the exercise thing a try and if that didn't work I'd still be able to start meds before the snow flies (winter is not a pleasant season for me).
I've been running pretty consistently for about a month and a half now and it is wonderful. I tend to run in the evenings so that I don't have to carry my pager with me. Any emergency that ocurs when I'm not on call can wait for 45 minutes. I have run with my pager a few times (during the lunch hour or after a short surgery day) and two of those times I have had to return home early to answer a page. Verizon doesn't make runner friendly phones anymore, they all have to have stupid keyboards on them making them huge (this is the fault of you texters out there, you know who you are).
Melissa has been great letting me go out for a run each evening when I get home. After which I am refreshed and happy and I figure 2 good hours with the kids each night is a lot better than 3 stressful hours.
Yesterday one of my friends from high school (actually one of the one's that's pretty high on that list I talked about the other day) sent me an email about a 50 mile relay in December. He does this from time to time with marathons and I always say no, but I thought about it and then I went out for a 6 mile run. It was a great run. I came back and said I'd do it.
In all my running back in high school I never understood the runner's high. I do now. When I'm out running everything in the world is right. My cares seem to fade away and I can think clearly. It doesn't hurt that Notre Dame is just 2 miles from my front door. There may not be a better place to run that ND campus.
I have some exercise aspirations that I want to achieve. I've always wanted to do a triathlon, but truth be told I could probably do that tomorrow (they have some pretty short one's these days). I've never wanted to run a marathon, in fact I have been vehemently against them in the past, but now I think I may want to do one, maybe in 7 years or however long it takes me to draw out in the St. George Marathon. After that maybe I'll be looking to do a half ironman or maybe even a full someday.
I'm looking forward to December 5th. Thanks for the opportunity J.
"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian and sub-2:12 marathoner
"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired...You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going." - George S. Patton, U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian
"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable." -Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile
"Running long and hard is an ideal antidepressant, since it's hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time. Also, there are those hours of clearheadedness that follow a long run." -Monte Davis
7 comments:
Wow Jake, thats impressive!
I cant imagine getting to run somewhere as beautiful as Notre Dame.
I have to agree with you on the running being a great antidepressant.
Good luck with your running, I'll be plodding along with you!!
My sister-in-law Jen was talking about a girl in our ward who has to run everyday. When she doesn't run and her husband comes home he will say "You didn't go running today did you?"
Running is wonderful. Whenever I feel stressed or angry about something I am amazed at how much it helps. Keep up the good work!
You forgot this quote, "Running makes you delusional. Running has the unbelievable effect of creating an idea that what you are doing is fun when in all actuality running is not fun. The sport even calls its competitive event a Fun Run (just the sound makes me want to throw up). Painful, yes, agonizing, yes, exhausting, yes, rewarding, yes, fun, NO." Doug Corry, 4 month owner of Nike Air Pegasus which have currently logged 10 miles.
Runner's high? I thought that was called nausea. The next time I run and I want to toss my cookies I'll just remember "Oh yeah this is a runner's high, now I can enjoy the taste of bile in my mouth."
You got to love brothers. I can almost imagine having this conversation in person and watching Charlotte over in the corner laughing so hard that tears are coming out of her eyes.
I guess I better start running... because without a husband, I want to strangle all my children at the end of the day!
I have to say that I didn't know you had depression issues, but I'll admit that you ARE NOT ALONE! Anti-depressants totally saved me after Ella was born and I suffered with post-partum for nearly 9 mos. before I gave in and went to get help!
Everyone looks great, though! You have a super cute family!
Good luck with running... and residency... and everything else!
Wow. I needed that. I've been on the dep. meds, too, and yes, they work, but yes, I suffered side effects. While I haven't been on them for a couple of years, I've started struggling lately, and I've been trying to find other ways to keep me going. I've never been a fan of running, but sometimes my spirit wants to run when I'm facing a long straight road or a wide-open field. It's kid-instinct, I think--like how kids always have to run down long hallways, even in church. So I think I'll give this a try. I'll let you know what happens.
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