I feel better after I run. I feel much more mentally alert and just all around happier. My problems do not seem so bad.

I have a desk job and if I go out and run with co-workers, it means I always have a portion of my day where I see the blue (or gray) sky and socialize for a half-hour. This is important. When I skip the run because I am “too busy,” I generally find that I’m so much less productive that I accomplish less overall even with having additional time.

Occasionally I like to race, to see if I can go faster than I’ve ever gone before. But if I am not in condition to run fast, then I won’t race, or even carry a watch for that matter. Sometimes just getting out there is a huge triumph. I like to remember what another runner said, “You are always ahead of the guy sitting on the sofa eating Twinkies!”

I can get there faster than walking. Running is a form of playing of being more childlike. When I run, I indulge my childish side, sometimes splashing in puddles, calling out friendly greetings to anyone I pass, wiping my nose on my sleeve (gross perhaps, but sometimes necessary), just being myself and focusing solely on my physical nature. Some people say they think great thoughts while running. Not me. I think superficial thoughts like, “Wow I don’t remember this hill being so long.” or “I wonder if I can get back before the cafeteria closes.” or “Gosh, isn’t the sky a gorgeous blue today? Look at the clouds and how they drift by.”

Running is a very efficient exercise. One year I was a good girl and Santa bought me a treadmill (my husband helped). If I don’t have any other time to run, I can go downstairs and run a mile and get almost all the benefits of a run in ten minutes. If I was playing tennis or golf, I’d still be getting to the courts or course.

If running sounds like something you want to try, you can find plenty of information online or in books on how to get started with long distance running. Though, you don’t have to go for very long to feel better. My mile a day strategy has worked wonders. I prefer to run with friends, but if that doesn’t work out, I have a list of great running songs.

In addition to running, Anne Emerick has created No-Work Spanish, an audio book series for learning Spanish and has an ebook on self-publishing children’s books.