Update On The Surviving Seasonal Affective Disorder Post; Look Ma I Am Running!!
It has been eight weeks since I started running three times a week to help my off-garden-season Seasonal Affective Disorder. It began like a comedy routine; I would have to take breaks and lean against the wall after only three minutes running at a time. But it has turned into a miracle: this winter I have had virtually no depression, I feel wonderful and energized, and I lost two inches around my waist. If I can feel better all winter long, I know you can do this too!
Yes I am shaking my booty and doing the happy dance right here in front of the computer. Quite frankly the first week I used curse words (primarily words with F and S in them) to describe the pain I was experiencing with shin splints. Apparently my calves were weaker than an 89 year old woman carrying a cane. I would leave the local high school track sweating, limping, and wheezing. My 11 
year old daughter told me that Grandma walked faster than I run.
Nice. Thank-you-very-much.
Gradually, I finished longer stretches of running until now I am up to nearly 30 minutes of running straight. Hooray!
One thing I have been surprised with, however, is the fact that after eight weeks of running three times a week I am struggling to zip up my boots. Yep. Just call me THUNDER CALVES. My scrawny lower half is beefing up like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Which leads me to believe that we SAD suffering, off-garden-season running, booty shaking women should reenergize the wellie trend. Forget black leather boots, let’s wear wellie’s year round instead.
With dresses, with mini-skirts, with pants, with shorts, and certainly with our pj’s. My Ilse Jacobsen wellington boots go with everything and have gen-u-ine artificial diamond encrusted buckles for Pete’s sake; perfect as a substitution for high heels. Yellow is the new black.
Without a doubt my experiment worked – I feel GREAT in the off season. This improved my Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you live in a zone where the winters are long, dark, and depressing, consider running. This has been such a good experience for me I hope to gradually work up to marathons. I wonder if you can run 10 miles in wellies?
You did it! You did it! “Dora”!!Haha
You are a doer….And you did it!!
As someone who needs to lose some weight! I am very proud of your stick-to-it-ness! The early morning
hours the comments about the “Green
Sweatpants” and the jerks with their little sarcastic comments and questions about your running(beginning)and attire.All that petty crap aside and now behind you.What reminds is that you never faltered!! So Congratulations
Shawna From Chicago-land!!
You deserve it!! 😉
Roberta –
THANK YOU SO MUCH. There is a certain wonderful thing that happens when you do not give up and you power through.
WOO HOO!
Thank you for believing in me. 🙂
::SHAKING BOOTY::
Shawna
Thank you for this article! Having been stuck inside a lot with 2 small kids, I thought it was THEM driving me crazy, but I think it might just have been me with SAD. (Heck, I was feeling sad a lot… ;o)) Luckily next winter we will have a lot less issues with our youngest and hopefully a second car, so we can get out and about more. :o)
LilBlossom – when I'm out driving in winter I try to park way out in the parking lots so it forces me to walk longer in fresh air. Plus, of course, lots of exercise. 🙂
Take care!
Shawna