Moments for Me Monday - Week 4

Today's Moments for Me post is inspired by Heather J. She posted her experience with her very own runner's high! She was high as a kite when she wrote that post. There were no joints, needles, or huffing involved. Just high on life. Running will do that to you.

Here's an Article from Runners world entitled Get Some Running Therapy. "Exercise - induced happiness fights anger, sadness, and anxiety. Who needs a shrink."

When I started training for my first marathon I had heard the expression "running is cheaper than therapy" from other veteran runners. But I didn't quite "get" it. Not until I experienced my own very first "runners high". Many times during training I'd experience a state of total euphoria. I was on top of the world. The grass looked greener, the sky looked bluer, and all was right with the world. All was right with MY world. Maybe it was the rush of endorphins.... or maybe is was the pride I was feeling in myself for all the progress I could see myself making....or maybe it was the connection I was feeling with my lost loved ones because of the good that would come with my fundraising efforts....whatever the reason, I was HAPPY!


Running, or any strenuous exercise, has been shown to increase the release of endorphins in your body. One encyclopedia definition of endorphins, found on the internet, states that "Besides behaving as a pain regulator, endorphins are also thought to be connected to physiological processes including euphoric feelings, appetite modulation, and the release of sex hormones. Prolonged, continuous exercise contributes to an increased production and release of endorphins, resulting in a sense of euphoria that has been popularly labeled “runner’s high".”


As much as I'd love to say that I was out there running this week....Well....I can't. I didn't run. I had hoped to get out there on Saturday to get back on the training wagon but my lungs were still healing from the chest cold. SO...tomorrow! I'm running! This week I'm climbing back on the training wagon and hope to be back next Monday with reports of at least 4 runs. NO MORE EXCUSES!


On another related topic....I had a fabulous Mother's Day. I woke up to an egg, bacon, and toast breakfast. I spent the morning figuring out how to download the video on my camcorder to my laptop. We've had this camcorder since December and had over 100 video clips on it because I couldn't figure out how to download them. Then we went to a hall for brunch with my entire family. When we got back I purchased Video and Photo editing programs and loaded them on my laptop. And then spent the rest of the afternoon trying to edit videos and make DVDs. It's a work in progress. Then, Smurfette and I watched Mary Poppins. =)



Papa Smurf got a kick out of this....he walked into the great room and found Hefty Smurf and I bonding to a Tivoed episode of Oprah. It was the "what would you do" episode. Hefty would never admit it but he likes Oprah almost as much as I do.




To share your own Moment for Me inspiration link up to your post below!


I've been trying for the last 1/2 hour to get the spacing right in the post...and it can't, I give up!