Everyone needs an escape. Some escape in food, some in drugs and alcohol, and some in relationships, wherever we go, we all have a spot. What is yours?
I myself have tried many stress outlets over the years, but found none to be more freeing than running. Ultra-Marathonman (and legend) Dean Karnazes captured my heart when he recommended to the world that “when all else fails, start running.” Karnazes doesn’t mean, run away from your problems, he means run towards them. Running permits him the ability to analyze, process and mellow life into a balanced perspective. What could possibly be a better outlet for both the mind and body?
I thought a lot about Karnazes last night as I pounded out some anxiety on the treadmill at 11pm and then again this morning at 8am. I felt like a million bucks both times when I stepped off the treadmill after my runs, and Karnazes’ words couldn’t be more true: “Running has an uncanny ability to mellow the soul, to take the edge off hard feelings, and to put things back into a healthy perspective.”
Make it your mission to find a healthy physical outlet that gives you that “uncanny ability to mellow the soul.”