Training miles vs. sanity miles

Like many other runners, it’s easier for me to get out there and get my miles in when I’m training. But training is not a constant thing for me. I do a few races a year, and most of the running I do is for personal fitness – and sanity.

Meeting a running goal during training is a wonderful feeling. But it can be equally pleasant to take out a bad day on the pavement instead of on the people around me. I’ve found over the past 5 years since I started running that my stress and anxiety level greatly decreases when I plan exercise into my day. I yell, cry, drink, and curse less when I work out regularly. Ok, that last one is a lie 🙂

I don’t always need a long, intense workout. Sometimes a walk around the neighborhood with my dog is all I need to realign and get back to what I need to do. 
But sometimes it takes a good 10K or longer until I feel like a rational human being again. Like a person who can verb and sentence and function.

Between training miles and sanity miles, my autumn will be booked with neighborhood laps and trail voyages. And a bonus for spending my emotions outdoors? Running mad often means running faster 🙂