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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Unexpected Side Effects Include

We all know (because I've pretty well documented) my relatively new-found love/obsession with running.  I like to think that someone will stumble upon my little blog and I'll inspire someone to lace up their sneaks and pound the pavement.  I've blogged about it before, and I'm sure I'll blog about it again.  This post is kind of the opposite sort of post - its about the unintended consequences of becoming a running devotee....


The great thing about running (just bear with me, because its the equally awful thing about running) is that your body becomes dependent on it.  The runner's high, the stress buster, the physical exhaustion after a good, long run.  Like milk, it does a body good.  


The bad thing about running is that your body becomes dependent on it.  So when life, say in the form of finals, interrupts your life and all of its regularly scheduled programming, things get a little crazy.  Like me for example.


Its been a while since I've been able to get a run in.  Like a week.  A week is too long for me to go without running.  Around day 4 I notice my irritability heightens.  Little things drive me nuts.  Loud sneezes, having to empty the dishwasher, communicating with unsuspecting and innocent bystanders.  


Day 5 my muscles start to ache.  I know its ALL mental, but its like they're screaming at me "USE ME!!!!  USE ME!!!!"  I can usually stave it off if I can make it to the gym or do a set or two of squats.  But if left to my own devices and unable to exercise....I wind up with a wicked case of the jimmy legs a la Kosmo Kramer.  


By the time a full week has rolled around, my ability to process information and focus has completely left me.  At this point my brain is running faster than a five year old on a sugar high while my legs are jittery and twitching left, right and center.  


So what does this mean?  Well for starters it means I'm a human equivalent of a dog that gets daily exercise.  Without it, I go crazy and tear up the house (except I usually focus my extra energy into cleaning UP the house, which actually is a positive benefit to this whole thing).  It also means that I need to make my daily run a priority.  Especially right now when I need to be able to focus my brain on solving the world's contractual issues instead of obsessing over the relative cleanliness of my apartment.  


So watch out world (or at least the greater Charleston area)!  Tomorrow morning, a mad woman with enough pent up energy to rival that of an unexercised border collie is hitting the streets, and its not going to be pretty.

1 comment:

Lauren said...

Reminds me of those shirts that say "running cheaper than therapy!" lol, good luck on exams and get some 'therapy' in when you can!!!