All the crazy things that go through our heads while running. Are we our own best psychiatrist/therapist?

   As runners we are sometimes out on the road or trail for hours at a time, some of us longer than others but thats ok. Some of us listen to music and some of us don't. Well for some music is a great motivator and/or takes our mind of the fact that we are out there by our self's for long periods of time. Over the years that I've been running I found out that it allows us to be our own best psychiatrist/therapist. As a lot of you know we do lots and lots of thinking while out pounding the pavement or running those trails, it can sometimes get down right lonely but it is so satisfying. Let me tell you something (and I'm saying this with a chuckle) the stuff that we runners think about and the stuff that goes through our heads is down right crazy at times and it ranges from good, bad, funny, sad, serious, love, anger and just about every other emotion out there and I know a lot of you can relate to this. But you know I really do think we are our own best person to talk to, if that makes any sense. During our run's whether its a training run or its a race of any distance we think of all kinds of things, from our day we just had, the week we just had or the day that we are about to have to the argument we had with our significant other or the dealing with our kids. During the duration of a run, especially a long one our emotions go from very low to very high depending on what's going on in your life and sometimes that can make a run go by really fast because of all that thinking we are doing. The beauty of being our own psychiatrist is exactly that and then some, it makes our runs go by faster, or maybe it just makes them longer and slower. During that long run you can find yourself going through those peaks and valleys of emotions, you sometimes find yourself not only talking to yourself, but asking yourself questions, laughing, crying, yelling, singing, back to crying, back to laughing, so on and so on. But when we are all done with that daily run there is no better felling than coming back to the finish with a clear head, all your thoughts are worked out, you just finished with a good run, your body feels amazing and damn-it what more can you ask for. So the next time you head out the door and your husband or wife asks..."Honey where are you going?" Your response can be...Off to see my psychiatrist! Like I always say, running is the best therapy we runners could have. Maybe thats why when we all get together at a group run or race everyone is so friendly and happy. Dang we just spent the last month or two or three at our psychiatrists office...The road or Trail!