Instant Mood Booster

8/16/11 Instant Mood Booster

Wow, it’s been a long time since my last blog!  Let’s just say I’ve been a bit busy…wedding, honeymoon, lots of weekends at work, and I took a short hiatus from my normal hardcore training regimen.  Nonetheless here we go….

So during my much needed break (when the body speaks you gotta listen) I became pretty lenient with my eating habits, and cut my workouts down to about 2-3 per week.  What happened was pretty expected, I gained a couple of unwanted pounds, but was able to maintain a decent state of health which I attribute to the past couple of years of training.  Overall, I can’t complain, it actually felt pretty good to relax a bit and know that I wasn’t completely letting myself go.  One thing, though,  that was noticeably different was my moodiness.  I just didn’t feel right in the head, ya know?  I lost a little confidence as well, even though my wife kept telling me I still looked good and in shape.  But let’s be honest, when you feel good mentally, your confidence and overall attitude can go through the roof.  Mine was in the basement, under some magazines, in a box…sealed in duct tape.

So here’s what I did – Went for a run….and instantly I felt better!  I hadn’t ran on my own free will for months, but as soon as I hit the pavement, the endorphins began to stir and I felt great!  I’ve been helping a co-worker to increase his long distance running ability and overall cardiovascular health so we had been on a couple runs together and incorporated some sprint and hill training…but this was something different.  I just ran with no worries and no direction,  and it was everything I hoped it would be!  It sparked a feeling that I was missing from the long layoff, and afterwards I had an amazing gym session.  I just felt happier, more confident, and had a sense of accomplishment that I hadn’t felt in about 5 months.

So I’m back, officially, and ready to embark on another fitness trip, so take my advice and go for a run if you’re feeling down and see if turns that switch on for you as it did me.  I’m looking forward to helping anyone if they are stuck in a rut, as I was, and I welcome any and all fitness advice from my readers.  Sometimes I need a push too, so I’d especially like to say thanks to my wife, Misti, who motivates me everyday and is always supportive.  Love ya!  Keep on running….