Run, Rabbitt, Run

"Running is amazing.  The best medicine.  Go running.  Run really really fast.  Run until everything hurts.  Run until water feels like heaven." Matt Haig I can link running to mental health all day long but this morning I was specifically thinking about self confidence.  One of the issues I've always had with sporting pursuits is the feeling that people are looking at me.  I'm an introvert, I've always been shy and have never liked being centre of attention.  So that notion of putting myself out there to be seen just seemed ridiculous.  Whether I'm afraid of making a fool of myself, afraid of what people will think, afraid of letting myself down; all these things and more I suppose.  In the back of my mind I know no one is looking at me and thinking anything negative and even if they did it would be their problem not mine. This is how much I hate being watched and failing... I was in France last year on holiday with my partner, my...

I generally run alone, I enjoy the solitary pursuit.  I'm not particularly competitive, I'm not keen on comparing myself to others since I already lack self-esteem! I don't want to (or sometimes can't) chat as I run, I don't necessarily want to keep someone else's pace.  Running is a great form of exercise for us anti-social buggers. That said, I can see the benefits of running with others.  I do like to run with my significant other as I tend to push myself that little bit more, I'm not sure why; a slight competitive streak, a need to show him that I'm capable, wanting to get to the end so we can have an alcoholic beverage, who knows. I like to meet other runners when I'm out too: that breathless greeting, grimacing smile, mutual appreciation of the effort that we're putting in, that nod that says 'good job, keep it up.' I also love being in that club of runners that welcomes everyone.  My cousin who is the same age as me and has r...

There are many reasons to exercise but one that I've been reading up on a lot lately is mental health.  It resonates with me because running definitely helps my mental health.  It's about a year since I was on a stress management course after self-referring myself to IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) on my GPs recommendation.  I thought I had asthma, it turns out I was having panic attacks.  My mind was under so much stress that my body couldn't take the pressure.  I couldn't do a spin class without feeling like I was dying because my body couldn't cope with the added stress.  My GP banned me from spin classes, offered me anti-anxiety medication and I trotted off to the stress course.  It was all helpful but I truly believe that running, although it provides me with moments of despair, is one of the things that keeps me sane. So that's why Rachel's book appealed to me.  With a strapline of 'How I built a better me one step at a ...