Thank Goodness for Running

Here is what a typical day at work looks like for me:

Big Boss: I need you to research XYZ.
Me: OK. When do you need it by?
Big Boss: ASAP.

Other Boss: Can you look up ABC and get DEF?
Me: Yes. When do you need it by?
Other Boss: ASAP.

Co-worker: Can you help me do XYZ?
Me: Yes. When do we have to complete it by?
Co-worker: ASAP.

Umm....

Are you noticing a pattern?

Yes, everything in my office is due ASAP. I have ten to twenty things to do in a given day, each of which is due....you guessed it. ASAP.

Then there are two times during a year when my work life is even busier than normal. As in so busy that I wake up in the middle of the night with charlie horses in my calves because I spent the entire day running up and down stairs and around the office in my high heels. Or, so busy that my brain literally draft's documents in my head that are due the next day while I am trying to sleep.

Let's look at what a typical day in my work life looks like then:

Email sent by co-worker at 11:00 a.m.: Big Big Big Boss wants document by 11:30.
Me: OK.
(11:30?? What the hell. How am I supposed to draft a coherent, grammatically correct, error free document and then get three executives to sign off on it in half an hour?!?! And why is no one responding to my emails?? Helloooo, we need to finish this by 11:30!! Work faster work faster...and stop biting your nails!)

Email sent by co-worker at 4:30 p.m. on a Friday: Big Big Big Boss wants document by close of business.
Me: OK.
(Close of business?!?! It's Friday!! Why can't this wait until Monday?? And why am I finding out that it is due now? Great, I am going to be here all night, and then Lord knows how they turn off the air conditioning after 5:30 and I will have to sit here sweating while trying to produce an accurate, grammatically correct document with no errors by "close of business," whatever that means because technically business closes at 5:00 p.m., and forget about food because nothing is open after 5:00 around here...and stop biting your nails!)

So, what does this have to do with running you ask? And why am I thankful for it? Well, when I am flying around like a mad woman, trying to get things done ASAP (are you as sick of that word yet as I am?), I can mumble to myself "I can't wait to go home and go for a run." Then when I go home, assuming I am not so exhausted that I fall asleep after shoving some food I managed to throw together in a record two minutes, I can strap on my hydration belt, start up the Ipod, and run the day away. Usually during those runs, I run fast and hard, weaving around people walking home from work even later than me, working through everything that needs to be done and figuring out how I am going to do it. And oh yeah, I also like to switch to Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator" and play some air guitar.

Like so many people, running for me relieves stress, challenges me, and just plain makes me happy ("Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't."). It gives me something to look forward to, something to strive towards and makes my life all-around better.

Thank goodness for running!