Running for sanity, not vanity!

I think we all have a little ‘friend’ who drives us demented with self doubt, confidence lows and general feelings of panic and this is my buddy….

I read, a few years ago, that if you visualise your creature it helps to control him and I decided mine looks like that creepy Victorian toy monkey that plays the drums. The amazing Danielle Kryza of  The Jealous Curator has a book coming out shortly I can’t wait to read, called “Your Inner Critic Is A Big Jerk”. Well I could think of a few more expletives to define mine but this piece is more about one of the ways I control him rather than what causes him to rule the roost. I try not to rely too heavily on my two great Italian friends, Mr Pinot and Mr Grigo, but rather exercise and in particular running.

The photographs below were all taken on my run this morning between Dun Laoighre and Dalkey – it’s not always as picturesque where I run but this is a great one.

I have a love hate relationship with running. I hate the idea of starting but as soon as I get going I feel calmer, the drums of the monkey aren’t quite as loud and by the time I am finished I love it all over again and the monkey is quiet, even for a short while!

In the interest of full disclosure I think it’s important you know I am not one of life’s sporty people. My PE classes during school were spent mostly hiding from teachers, smoking cigarettes with Nicola while pretending it was time of the month, again! Funny enough, Nicola is a runner now too. Wouldn’t Mr Wheeler, our old gym teacher, be proud?

There are lots and lots of know health benefits to running for 30 minutes, three times a week. It is proven to make you happier, help you sleep better, improve your mental agility and health professionals have even shown it can reduce the risks of cancer and diabetes. I am definitely not a health professional but I have found it reduces the risk of me cracking up and being like a bag of cats to be around.

I love the repetitive beat that comes with running. It helps to clear my mind and refocus on the tasks I need to get done. Music plays a huge part for me in this too – I have my ‘eclectic’ playlist and this is a recent addition . It’s hard not to feel a little gangsta bad ass when running to that track, even if something as romantic as this ends up as your view…

I would love to know what works for you, what keeps you sane, is it running or is there something else that keeps you balanced? Let me know in the comments below or drop me a mail and above all, keep flying your kite

Kx