Health

I decided few years ago that the time had come I had to develop my own style. There is one thing I want to emphasize. I run because it is healthy. It feels good to be in good shape. I am not in this because I want to win some race somewhere. And I am even not in this because of the company. I get to meet lots of people at work and sometimes I just need to get out there on my own. That is my meditation and relaxation from the busy life i am leading. On the other side I enjoy being a part of a huge street run where thousands of people are moving the same way. And just disappear in the crowd. I can easily see myself joining the big races in the big cities around the world. Yes, that is a good idea. 

Need I say I have never taken any psychofarmaca. The running is enough to keep me in good spirits. This topic could easily get me into the gear of talking about health for days. I think I will start right now. First I would like to say that I think it is plain stupid not to care about ones health. I have never understood why people do not care if the put themselves at risk by eating unhealthy food, smoke, drink too much, not exercise and so on. I mean, you choose to start smoking. And what do you get out of it? Years of couching, burn huge amounts of money and high risk for all kinds of diseases. Or if you take the elevator and not the stairs. Or the car and not the bicycle. Plain stupid I'd say. And about exercise. It is tremendously important. Not because one stays good looking, but because it prevents all kinds of diseases. OK, the good looks are a bonus. I for sure can't imagine life without running. Or if I couldn't run I would probably bicycle, swim, walk... I don't know. I have always liked being outside. Grew up in the countryside in a big family. Was a girl scout. Climbed mountains, hiked, bicycled, walked. Yes, and went swimming outdoors. A little skiing also. 


What about you?  Why do you run?

Runner's high?

Sometimes I come across people who seriously think runners run because it makes them high in the same way heroin makes a heroin junky high. There are people out there who think runners do run because they are addicted to those natural highs the body produces when you exercise execcively. Need I say this is bullshit? Yes, runners talk about being addicted to run. But what they mean by that is just that it makes one feel good to exercise. The feeling of tiredness and the relaxation afterwards is pleasant. And it can be fun to run out there. Runners also sometimes use the term "Runner's high". By that they just mean the good spirits you can get into by exercising. But mostly it is just heavy work. It can sometimes feel as if you are never going to get through that 10k route you decided to run that day. And you can feel ever so heavy and not up to it. But once you get used to this way of getting your exercise nothing else seems to have the same effect.  Ok, maybe swimming or spinning. But running is one of the activities you burn most calories in shortest time. And if that is your goal, to burn calories, then running is the thing to engage in. Even if the time sometimes seems to stop when you are out there. It doesn't have anything to do with addiction to want to be in good shape. There are no negative overtones in wanting to reduce the risk of health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, overweight and musculo-skeletal problems. Running and walking are healthy physical activities for everyone.