Can running beat medications for anxiety and depression?

 Running is good medicine. Ask any marathoner, triathlete, cross-country runner, track star, sprinter, or weekend jogger. We can trumpet the health-related virtues of exercise, cardiovascular fitness, and stress relief – which all come with running regularly.

 

 Now modern medicine is making that claim official. Running is good medicine, and perhaps it even trumps medications often prescribed for anxiety and depression.

 A recent medical research study in the Netherlands examined 141 depression/anxiety patients over a four-month period. Some were given escitalopram (Brand name: Lexapro), an antidepressant medication. Others received running therapy. Although both groups experienced some antidepressive improvements, the running group also enjoyed better overall physical health benefits. (in terms of remission and response). The Journal of Affective Disorders published the research study findings in 2023.

 The researchers pointed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as mood boosters for the medication group, reducing anxiety and depression. In the running group, two to three 45-minute runs weekly brought about slightly better antidepressive improvement than the other group. In addition, the running participants bettered their overall fitness, while losing weight and reducing their blood pressure and heart rates. And the running group faced no potential drug side effects.

 The only trouble with the running group seemed to be that a few participants dropped out of the training sessions over the four-month period. As we all know, the benefits of running only hold true, if we stick with it.

 Those findings don’t even take into account the famous “runner’s high,” brought on by increased endorphin hormones released in the body during rigorous exercise.

 So, yes, running is good medicine for lots of reasons.

 We could have told you that. In fact, we probably did. Runners know the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of making time to crank out a few miles. And we know how crummy and cranky we can feel when we can’t get our runs in.

 

Related Items:

• Can you run with sleep apnea?
• Cold-weather running: 10 ways to save face
• Mixing it up: Cross training adds spice and fitness
• Value of running evolves with resolve and vast victories
• What’s the difference between a runner and a jogger?
• Winter weight: 8 ways to stay trim during the holiday season

 

Image/s: Public domain photo

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

Why do runners crowd the road shoulder?

 Beep-beep! Road runners (Nope, not the feathered kind.) dash and dart along city streets, county roads, rural highways, and other thoroughfares. We pound the pavement, logging training miles for marathons and more. Frequently, that means we endure honking (and other signals) from motorists, as they roar past us. 

 

For safety reasons, pedestrians (including runners) are supposed to go against traffic.

 Non-runner drivers may wonder why runners often crowd the road shoulder, perhaps even stepping over the line into the actual roadway at times. Quickly, at least 16 reasons come to mind, listed alphabetically.

1. Agricultural equipment – It’s not unusual for rural runners to encounter balers, mowers, planters, plows, sprayers, and other farm tools along the edges of roads that pass farm fields. Short of vaulting over these, joggers have to step sideways to pass them.
2. Broken glass – This is a sticky widget for runners. Who wants to plant a sneaker on someone’s discarded liquor bottle or other glass item?
3. Car parts – Hubcaps, blown tires, and other automotive components clutter roadways. You guessed it: joggers have to steer around them.
4. Chewing gum – Gross! This is a sticky widget for anyone making tracks along a route.
5. Dead stuff – Roadkills are buzzkills for runners. ‘Nuff said.
6. Dog droppings – It’s hard to pick up the pace, if one steps where someone else failed to pick up after pet.
7. Gravel and slippery sand – Got road construction? Navigating such areas in running shoes requires detours, often into the edge of the actual roadway.
8. Ice and snow – Winter runners can bank on it. Snowplows don’t usually clear road shoulders. That puts us right in the path of oncoming drivers, as well as their slushy/salty splashes.
9. Mud – It doesn’t take an unpaved dirt road for a jogger to find mushy mud. And don’t get me started about potholes.
10. Parked cars – This is extra tricky on curvy roads or when drivers park their cars half-in and half-out of driveways. (If I had a nickel …)
11. Pets – Runners appreciate it when pet owners control or otherwise contain their pets. Sometimes pet perimeters extend all the way to the edge of the road. So we might veer away from an excited or seemingly agitated animal.
12. Puddles – Splish-splash, I was taking a run. Wouldn’t you rather step around a puddle than in it? Ask any runner about cranking out miles in soaked sneakers.
13. Ruts – Unkept road shoulders or areas of soft, soggy ground can trip up runners. That puts us in drivers’ path.
14. Tall or thick vegetation – Can you say, “Ticks”? If you’ve ever found an embedded tick after walking or running through unmowed grass or woodsy areas, you get the picture.
15. Toys and bikes – I’m still surprised to see these left along roadways, unless it’s bulk pick-up day.
16. Trash – Whether dumpsters or piles of discards, these send runners sideways to avoid tripping or other surprises.

 Generally, runners do our best to stay out of harm’s way. Most of us are not deliberately trying to interfere with traffic. But sometimes we have to shift our paths a bit.

 Sure, it’s courteous and safer for runners to go in single file, if we’re running along a road. But we still may step into the street, if the shoulder sports hazards. And, of course, runners are supposed to go against traffic, unlike bicyclists and those in/on other wheeled vehicles. It helps when we can see vehicles coming in our direction. But we need drivers to look out for us as well. (Dare I launch into a diatribe about texting and inattentive driving?)

 Maybe that’s why many runners choose to log their miles on trails, rather than roads, whenever possible. Some even stick to walking/biking paths or even sidewalks.

Related Items:

• Do you plan your run routes?
• Ever change your running route because of creepy people?
• Have you been caught WALKING again?
• Long runs: Shared-track slowdowns don't have to be let-downs
• Outlook optimizes the overcoming of obstacles.
• Power Play: 15 reasons runners often run faster in races than training runs
• Runners: What's the weirdest thing you've ever stepped over on a run?
• Sorry, neighbor. But your dog's gotta stay away from runners.
• Would you stop your run to pick up found money?

 

Image/s: Public domain photo

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

The worst-run race I ever experienced ... and why

  But first, full disclosure. I’m not actually gonna tell you which race it was. Not worth the litigation exposure.

 Any runner who has done more than a few races can tell stories of the best and worst run events. Be they 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, full marathons, or ultras, each race has a story.

 

This is not that race.

 

What lessons can be learned from the worst of all races?

 A few years ago, I splurged on a fancy themed destination half marathon, starting and finishing on an historic resort property. The website was flashy. The swag looked swell. The course photos were scenic. And a friend was an enthusiastic race ambassador. So I signed up.

 Oh, boy. Was I in for a surprise or what?

1. The entry fees were higher than most major races. This might have been OK, if the race was aimed at benefiting some worthy charity. But nope. It was all for-profit.
2. The race expo was miniature, despite big hype beforehand. Basically, the only exhibitors were the race company, the pacer organization, and a couple of referral/multi-level marketing (read: pyramid) sellers hawking scents and soaps and such. There wasn’t a running-related vendor in sight.
3. The swag tees were flimsy and cheap. To make matters worse, several runners didn’t receive the sizes they ordered. And for those who did, the fit wasn’t as expected.
4. The race map was generic with no race info. The race company had simply copied the resort’s publicity map. No race directions, course routes, or other relevant information was added.
5. The location wasn’t all it was advertised to be. Who knew the pretty lakefront locale would be overcome by lake algae, with wave ripples sending sludge and foam along the shoreline running path?
6. Parking was very limited. Runners who opted not to stay as guests at the resort property had to park along the edge of a busy, curvy county highway and hoof it to the race location. They also neglected to arrange for shuttling relay runners to the midpoint. (I didn’t do the relay, but I heard this was a real quagmire.)
7. They had no PA system for the start (or finish). This led to some confusion, as mid-to-back-of-pack runners could not even hear the start. And it was a good thing runners knew the national anthem by heart, even if we couldn’t find the flag anywhere around.
8. The course roads were open. Ever run a half marathon on the narrow or non-existent shoulder of a county highway? (Remember what I said about runners having to park out there too?) OK, some of the course traced a running path, but after the first mile or so, the course hit the roads. And so did the traffic.
   
9. No split clocks on the course. Hey, they barely even had directional signs. And that’s only if you count chalk arrows on the ground at various turns. (And don’t get me started about the total lack of course marshals to direct runners and vehicular traffic.)
10. What? Only two aid stops for a half marathon? And all they offered was water -- lukewarm water on a hot summer morning.
11. The final stretch ran across loose gravel and the resort’s lawn. Tired runners trudged through bumpy terrain to reach the finish line. Smile for the cameras, folks! And don't step on those flower beds. Just leap over them.
    
12. The finish line ran out of waters before half of the field finished. Who counted the registrants and then planned the purchase of finisher water bottles?
13. The post-race breakfast ran out of food. The race promotional materials highlighted the fancy eggs Benedict and bacon breakfast. Photos displayed tables of colorful fresh fruit, elegant pastries, and assorted giant cookies. But anyone crossing the finish line after the first 100 runners or so had to settle for a paper cup of warm water and a granola bar.
14. One bartender was expected to serve hundreds of runners at the after-party. Mimosas for everyone! Well, only those who got there first or stood in a line that wrapped around the whole crowd.
15. The race organization became my permanent pen pal after the event. Despite many unsubscribe requests on my part, they continue to flood my email address with announcements for this event and others they hold in various destinations. I think I will pass.

 

What were the pluses?

 They had fabulous pacers (actually a different company) and really spiffy finisher medals. And my friend (the race ambassador) gave me a 10% discount code on the event.

 Was that enough?

 

Related Items:

·        Choosing running races: How do you pick which races to enter?

·        Race aid stations - What are they serving this time?

·        Race management: 10 tips for choosing race tees

·        Race volunteers are both valued and violated

·        Sports nutrition: What runner foods do you hate?

  

Image/s: National Parks Race - public domain photo

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

Maybe kickboxing with hand-weights wasn't such a great idea

 

You know what they say about chest pains, especially in women? It’s enough to strike fear in almost anyone. We’ve all heard the warnings about ignoring potential heart symptoms. Sure, we might let things go for a while, but if the discomfort persists, most of us will begin to wonder what’s up.

 

Enter my physician.

 The last time he and I discussed heart health was a few years ago – right before I ran my second full marathon. I was a little concerned about some tightness in my chest and wanted his go-ahead before toeing the start line.

 “If you’ve been training for a marathon, your heart is healthy,” he said. “Roll back the weight training till after the race.”

 

Um, sure.

 Never mind that I can easily name three of four running friends and a couple of super-fit family members who take medication for atrial fibrillation and other heart-related issues.

 I heard what I wanted to hear. And I went ahead and did the marathon. And more.

 

Fast-forward a few years.

 The chest pains came back and were even more pronounced. What’s more, they lasted for days and days.

 I contacted my physician again. He ran an EKG, which was normal. Then he asked me if I was still working with weights.

 Well, yes. So maybe the chest pain had more to do with picking sturdier hand-weights for kickboxing lately. I guess I’ll scale that back for a while.

 Gotta love a simple answer.

 

Related Items:

·        Cross-Training – Ever tried suspension training?

·        Mixing it up: Cross training adds spice and fitness

·        Parked: Can't go in the gym till devices are charged up

 

 

Image/s: Created with online generator

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.