Dooley Noted: 6/27/2016
On Saturday, I went on a run with my husband.
In the past, I had not been strong enough to run.
But I backed off on it and focused on building a strength base.
Now, my runs feel much different.
My runs used to be a way to zone out, to ease my mind as my body ran on autopilot.
But my autopilot was a dysfunctional running gait after the first few miles, putting me at risk for injury.
I was trading off my physical health to earn my mental health.
It didn’t seem like a fair trade.
So, I saw a therapist and started to meditate.
I worked out my mental issues outside of my runs.
Then, I built up my strength to sustain my runs.
I stopped zoning out of my body on runs, and I started zoning in.
I felt each breath fill into my abdomen.
I felt my shoulders drop and my body connect to its breath.
I stopped abusing my body to ease my mind.
If you are running on autopilot, consider that your stored patterns may need revisions.
And if you are checking out physically during a run, consider zoning back in to prevent injury.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
