Running for Mental Health and Stability

I started running, first to get away from my problems, and then to help solve and conquer them. Alzheimer's is a terrible disease and I am losing my mother to it every day. It has been a hellish year for me, but the running is helping me cope with the loss and the constant grieving for a living person. I ran my first half marathon on May 6, 2007 and it was quite a feeling of accomplishment. My running mantra is "I can do anything," and I am aspiring to that. I have taken my dad in to live with my family and me and visit mom mostly every other day. I will post here to try to inspire others to run not just for physical well-being, but for emotional well-being and mental stability. My friends at my marathoners posting board have been a tremendous emotional support, as well as a true source of inspiration for my running. We are a group of diverse women (and sometimes men) who live their lives and share the thread of running and running with a purpose. Ciao for now. Lisa