Running While Depressed or Anxious

I managed a good run today, though life circumstances are starting to overwhelm me and I worry that running won't be the de-stresser I've come to enjoy; but rather an escape mechanism, like alcohol or drugs. If the trend is towards the latter, I can expect to see the tension and worry start to affect my running performance. I don't want that to happen. I need to do all I can to minimize or eliminate the stressors themselves, and not just cover them over with the release of exercise.

But anyway...today was a particularly stressful day at work, and on top of that I have a butt load of worries on the domestic front. So, getting away to the gym was a good respite from all that, and I spent 45 minutes on the treadmill, just doing a base pace run, starting out lightly and then working up the intensity a little. No time for anything else, but that was good enough.

I'm participating in a step-counting "challenge" at work, and I wore the pedometer they gave all participants. I wore it during my run, and at the end of the day had something like 16,000 steps, around 8500 of which were just from the 5.5 mile run. With my running schedule this week, if I don't "win" the competition, then I don't know what.

Drove up to Disney Land after work to meet up with Joan and the kids who had left early in the morning. The joint was packed. I guess with Thanksgiving break, and Monday being the first day of Disney's Christmas themed decoration, this is the worst week of the year for crowds. I hate crowds, but I sucked it up, chose to miss Duke vs. Marquette on TV, and joined in on the family fun. Got back home kind of late and tired, but still stayed up past midnight watching "A Few Good Men" for the umpteenth time.

I don't know what to do tomorrow. I'm planning on using my floating holiday on Wednesday to give myself a 5-day weekend, so that means I need to wrap several issues up before departing. But, as usual, my workout is of prime concern, and without having conferred with Mike, I'm not sure what I should do. I'm guessing he'd probably have me do a hills-interval session, since it's been awhile. I see how my energy level is. I might want to swim or spin instead of run.

I'm leaning toward skipping the Run for the Hungry and doing the 4S Ranch neighborhood fun run instead, on Thanksgiving. It's right in our neighborhood and cheaper. I would like to run the downtown course and go for speed, but I think I need to just put the 5K time trial goal on the back burner until after the marathon.

If I could work myself out of this early winter depression, I'd have so much more enthusiasm. This mental weight is really bringing me down.