Working Out the Stress

Last night George and I went out and socialized with another couple for supper, and then joined a larger group for a board games night. While parts of it were a lot of fun, parts of it were stressful because of someone's behavior towards me. I was relieved when someone else noticed it too, so I knew I wasn't crazy and/or overreacting inside. I'm still trying to hash through it in my head and decide handle similar situations on the future.

The stress from last night was still lingering this morning, so when I got to the gym, I hopped on the elliptical and went for a whole hour, going 4.67 miles and burning somewhere in the neighborhood of 620 calories. It really helped me mentally to push the workout, and I do feel better now, more in control.

Feelin' Like the Energizer Bunny

Again, I went to the gym this morning, feeling tired and aiming for a mile or two on the treadmill. I ended up going 4.8 miles in 50:04 minutes! I hit the 1 mile mark, then two, and just kept going, like Forrest Gump. My average pace was 10:25 m/m, my slowest of the running week, but still not too bad for me. My total for the week so far is 14.66 miles, so hitting 20 should be pretty easy.

I feel the stress level building in other areas of my life, so the running has become very therapeutic. I think it even helps to be on the treadmill, to have it help pull me along and stay on track, stay focused without having to think too much, to be able to pound out the miles without worrying about traffic, safety, or weather. Does that make sense?