SAD and Running

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone here goes running? I've recently started, partly because exercise does make me feel better once I can actually motivate myself to do it, and partly because my boyfriend entered me in a 2k race with his little brother and I don't want to lose that badly to a 10 year old!

I really want to go running in the morning before work as I'm always exhausted at the end of the day, and it really is beautiful being down by the river in the morning. But it's so hard to get up and out first thing. Does anyone else do this and have any advice? Or am I crazy even to try?

Ilona

I really need to get one of those dawn simulators. I like the idea of mentally preparing the night before. I'm going to make sure I do that.

I did a half marathon in September and trained over Summer. I am not a great runner but I really enjoyed it. However my SAD really does seem to have kicked in with a vengeance this year. How do runners cope with the SAD symptoms? I really do feel like getting to work and back is as much as I can achieve at the moment. Exercise makes me feel so much better but I simply dont seem to have the motivation and energy to do it. I use a dawn sim which helps but am very lazy with using my light box. Does the light box really seem to help you all? Cheers Ralf

I used to run until I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis, it was just after that, that I developed S.A.D., recently I started doing Zumba and find it is brilliant, if I feel horrid and go to to a class it really lifts me, I have always known that exercise is my thing really, but due to RA sometimes it's not so easy, there have been a few times lately where I have had to really push myself to go to class as I know I will feel better after it.

I have suffered with SAD for about 40 years. I recently bought a treadmill because of other health problems i.e. weight (18 stone) and high blood pressure. I was amazed that within 2-3 weeks of daily powerwalks of 30-40 mins my SAD has almost vanished. I feel great cravings for high carbs almost vanished. I am getting up on dark mornings before the alarm clock and I can get out of bed and I have almost lost 1 stone. I won't run on machine until I can get weight under 15 stone, but I will do it.