My Journey With Weight Loss – Clearing My Head Through Running

Today was probably as close to the perfect day for a run as possible. The temperature was mild and while it was a bit cloudy there was no rain. The beach was so peaceful today with the tide in and the water beautifully calm. Even the long train that came through did so at the right time so I wasn’t trapped across the railway tracks. I have to say I really enjoyed that 8k run.

A couple days before we returned from Mexico my sister had a fall. Fortunately a young friend was here helping her with a task and he did all the right things including getting her glucometer so she could check her sugar levels (they were dangerously low) and got her some juice so that she could get her levels back to normal. He also stayed waiting for the ambulance to arrive as it was pretty apparent that she had broken her leg. Turns out she had broken both her tibia and fibula just below her right knee. This means surgery but because of the edema the surgeon opted to wait until today (12 days after her fall) to do the operation.

My sister has some significant health issue including diabetes. She also has TMJ syndrome which means her jaw does not have proper range of motion making it next to impossible if she needed to be intubated. All surgeries do come with risks but of course in her case she is classified as extreme risk. I admit, until I hear later today that the surgery went well I will be a bit on edge.

I realized that my 8k run this morning was just what I needed. I had just started listening to a new book and I was really getting in to it by time I hit the beach. I let my mind focus on the beauty I was seeing this morning and I could feel myself decompressing more with each step. I also noticed that I was particularly cheery as I shouted out my hellos to everyone I passed. One fellow jogger’s face lit up with a huge grin when I shouted out at him making me think that maybe my calm, happy spirit today just might be a bit contagious.

As I ran up the hill at the end of my run I was cognizant of how loose I felt. I know when I first stepped out the door this morning I was pretty tense but that comfortable run in what I believe was the perfect setting was just what I needed to clear my head of dark thoughts. I also realize that I have somehow in the past year gone from running to achieve some arbitrary goal that I had set for myself to using running to make me better both physically and mentally. I think I can finally say, I like running. Ok, that may be a bit of a stretch some days but on days like today I am really glad I decided to become a runner. Yes, I also now acknowledge that is what I am, a runner.