JJSB Rundate 15302: Getting Myself Out the Door

Hello friends!

Here we are at that time of the year in KC when the running weather is ideal.  Generally it's still warm enough to run with short sleeves (or maybe a light long sleeve) but cool enough to keep your body from overheating.

Still, I find sometimes that I have to push myself to get out the door for a run.  With the cooler temps, I sometimes feel that autumn chill in my bones and it's much more tempting to stay indoors, warm and toasty, under a blanket.

So, sometimes, I have to remind myself how exhilarating a fall run is:

I step out the door and feel the cool air assault my senses.  I begin my run at a casual pace.  Time moves slowly.  My thoughts are occupied with the heaviness of my legs and the passing of time.  As I complete the first quarter mile, my body begins to warm and my mind begins to experience my surroundings.  The air is crisp and the colors are captivating.  My body temp continues to rise and  has now spread to my limbs.  My legs are now coursing with thermal energy and begin to pump faster.  Meanwhile, the cool air continues blowing against my face and neck and feels invigorating.  Because the air is cooling my body,  I am able to steadily increase my speed with little discernible effort.  My thoughts are now contemplative.  Concept of time has, for the most part, deserted me.  I find myself 3 miles into a 4 mile run, my legs pumping and my breathing rhythmic.  I feel euphoric.  Almost superhuman.  Outside my body.  My legs are pumping faster and faster.  I almost wish it wouldn't have to end, but I cruise slowly to a walk, my run complete.

Remembering the feeling of euphoria, the tightness of my abdomen and the relaxation of my entire body afterwards gives me the incentive I need to set my foot out the door.

My most recent weekend run was a little different.  A 12 mile, slower paced run on a nature trail in my area.  It was absolutely beautiful and I am extremely thankful to be in an area where these types of trails are being "put aside" to conserve nature.

My "Song of the Run" for this run is by Midnight Oil.  Up until 3 years ago, I had only heard three albums from this band but decided to investigate their entire catalog and I am glad that I did.  Their catalog is much larger than I had thought and there are so many great songs that Midnight Oil has become one of my favorites.

So, here it is:            

"The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years

These should not be forgotten years..."

                                              Forgotten Years by Midnight Oil.

JJSB Rundate 15279: Adrenaline Bravado

Hello Fellow Runners!  Okay... Hello to all of you non-runners as well.  I hope everyone's fall is off to a good start.  We are entering the season here in KC when there will be dreary, cold and possibly rainy days.  Those are the days when it can be difficult to make yourself get out there and run but they are also the days when (at least most of the time) you will feel so fulfilled afterwards.

When I'm out running, I do a lot of thinking.  Sometimes there are fairly shallow thoughts, regarding my surroundings, etc. but the majority of the time, I am processing through issues and relationships in my life.

I've noticed that as I process relationship issues while I'm running, I'm very brave.  I make seemingly firm decisions about confronting people in my life regarding disagreements, ways they have hurt me (or me them), feelings that I have (good and bad) and truths that I strongly believe.  I say "seemingly firm" because the significance and urgency of these decisions seems to wane after a run fairly rapidly.  Occasionally, I still take some action as a result of my running reflections, but most of the bravado that pushes me to aggressively confront people dwindles as the adrenaline rush subsides.

Adrenaline (or epinephrine) is produced by the body's adrenal glands to increase your heart rate which in turn, increases the mount of blood that is pumped to your muscles.  This allows your muscles to get the larger amount of oxygen they need during exercise.  This process is also commonly known as the "fight or flight" response.

I believe that this process not only provides the blood flow (and oxygen) that the body's muscles need for sustained exercise, but that the increased blood flow also provides clarity and a high level of aggressive, confrontational thought.  My thoughts push me to set the "wrongs" to "right" and bring all of the unbalanced situations and relationships in my life back to even.

The thought process is quite liberating, even if I don't follow through with confrontation after the run is over.  It's like a therapy session where you get to beat the crap out of a stuffed person that represents everyone and thing that has ever hurt you.

Still, I sometimes wonder if I need to push myself to follow through with some of the confrontations, relying on the wisdom of the clarity I experienced while running.

Other times, I think about the implications of my running thoughts and am near horrified at the perspective of carrying out the confrontations.

Whatever the case may be, I find this process interesting and, for the most part, therapeutic.

Now, on with the music!

As I said in a previous post, I'm working my way through my current top 20 bands.

My most recent "Song of the Run" is by one of my all time favorite bands called Echo & The Bunnymen.  Chances are that you have heard at least one of their songs on the radio.

It was a tough song pick this week.  I love so many songs by EATB but ultimately, I chose the song that has meant the most to me in the past several years.   Life is made up of good times and not so good times.  Maybe even horrible times.  We all experience stormy weather but it won't last forever.  The storm will break and the calm will return.  As hard as it is, we just have to wait it out.

"Remember when we walked upon
clouds that never rained
but... every cloud must drain"

                                                         "Stormy Weather"