Each Step is One in The Right Direction

Taking The Edge Off

"The Greatest Glory is not in never falling, but rising everytime we fall"- Nelson Mandela

Some people do things that aren't so productive to take the edge off, when you're on edge about something.

Some people eat.
Some people drink.
Some people spend money.
Some people take exessive amounts of tylenol or sleeping pills.

I run.

This is the story of a run. A run that was, in some ways painful, and in other ways calming and comforting.

My day was fine until my 'goal coaching' session. I was excited about this. Come on, lots of time to talk about me. Lord only knows that I love doing that. The only thing was, was that I wrote my goals down at 3am because I couldn't sleep. This is the time that your true thoughts and feelings come out. I ended up with a page and a half of goals, and didn't re-look at them until the session. When we were looking at them. Together.

And I started freaking out.
This is the side of me that I keep away from everyone else around me, excluding my best friends.
This is the side of me that I don't want to share with someone I don't know.

I managed to keep myself composed for the duration of the session. When it was over and I went to go back and get my stuff, I started to freak out. Those who asked me 'how it was' I responded 'ok' and left it at that.

And then I walked out of the store and started freaking out. I couldn't stop thinking about it.

"I have to let it go", I thought to myself.
I got on the bus and put a call into my best running buddy, Super Dano, and told her I would be late. She said she'd stick around, which was fantastic.

I got there, changed quickly, and realized I had no socks.

"Oh, well. People run with no socks all the time."

And off we went. We started talking, and catching up and told her that she should start telling me about her. She didn't, and I started about the day I had, explaining why I was feeling on edge. I then went on to tell her my story.

[My story is not something I will write here. Not because I don't want to share it with you, my Running Blogger Family, but because of the family members out there that are reading. If you realllyyy want to read it shoot me an e-mail.]

And guess what? I learned more about her too. And we talked and ran and ran and talked. And then my feet started getting blisters, so I ran and talked and walked and talked and ran some more.

At the end of the run, we were both feeling calm.
The endorphins stimulated us being calm. And the talked helped too.

I appreciate running a lot today. Not just for the edge it helps me take off, but for the friendships it creates. For the wisdom that gets shared. For the stories that get told.

Tiger*

[wow. Can we say 'Debbie Downer'? My last 3 posts have been pretty negative. The happy, ridiculously perky Tiger is coming back soon. Next post. IIIII Promise]

posted by AddictedToEndorphins @ 1:15 PM