Time for a Laugh Break

The saying "laughter is the best medicine" may be a cliche´, but it always works for me. I can be down in the dumps one day, but send me a good YouTube video or a hilarious meme and I perk right up. (By the way, I'm not in a funky mood today.) This isn't a laugh out loud kind of video, but it's amusing enough to watch and it might elicit a subtle chuckle. Just had to share it, since it's something we as women can all relate to. Here's hoping you're having a good hair day today!

 

Beyond Competing: What It Means to Endure

Enduring the race...and life's challenges

Photo courtesy: jacsonquerubin, Flickr

As I prepare for my first half-marathon, I've been reflecting a lot. There are so many individuals who enter competitions and use these events as a platform for affecting change (by raising money for causes or helping bring awareness to social issues and the like) -- whether it's societal or personal change.

For some, it's more than just a race. It's a personal test of endurance on the course, and in many ways, it parallels enduring the toughest challenges in life. Lately, two stories related to racing have occupied my thoughts. These stories have been such a source of inspiration.

About 3 years ago, I was puttering around the web and came across this incredible video about a father racing with his disabled son: Dick and Rick Hoyt or Team Hoyt. Over the years, Team Hoyt has grown beyond the duo with their story attracting quite a number of followers who have raced with them and supported them. 

This father-son team has completed more than 1,000 events, including 72 marathons and six Ironman triathlons. Last April, they competed in the Boston Marathon for the 32nd and last time. At 73, Dick decided his marathon days were over after dealing with injuries. However, he still plans to enter less intense events with Rick. Meanwhile, Rick will be able to continue participating in the Boston Marathon with someone else from Team Hoyt pushing him in his customized racing wheelchair.

 

The next inspiring story appeared on my Facebook newsfeed today: the story of homeless runner Ronnie Goodman. He lives on the streets of San Francisco, but he is raising funds for the Hospitality House Community Art Program through his participation in the San Francisco Marathon's half-marathon. The non-profit was instrumental in turning his life around -- a life that included prison time and drug addiction.

These are just two of many stories that come out of the racing community. Now that I see running as a part of my lifestyle, I hope to come across even more stories and people that propel me forward.

Beat the Blues, Save Your Heart

We all know there's a connection between happiness and healthiness, but a new American Heart Association (AHA) study highlights how important this is to heart health -- even for young women. They found that depressed women, 55 and younger, increased their risk for having a heart attack, requiring major heart surgery or even dying from related causes. The researchers followed 3,237 women in this age category at varying stages of heart disease, who also showed symptoms of moderate to severe depression. After a three-year period, they discovered some were twice as likely to require artery-opening surgery or worse: dying from any cause during the follow-up if they experienced serious (moderate to severe) depression.

There hasn't been a shortage of findings on how depression can wreak havoc on your body. Just Google the phrase "depression health risks" and a seemingly endless list of results pop up. However, so many Filipinos (including Fil-Ams) either don't know they are depressed or refuse to seek help. I know it's not easy for people to talk about -- and it's not just among Filipinos. But studies have shown higher rates of depression among Filipinos compared to other Asian groups¹, and updated statistics are almost non-existent since there isn't a consistently measurable number of Pinoys seeking help. A study entitled Mental Health Care of Filipino Americans suggested depression rates may be even higher, but there is "the cultural tendency of Filipinos to deny, somatize, and endure emotional problems²."

As a volunteer for the Filipino Mental Health Initiative (of San Mateo County), the group hopes to increase awareness and to help people seek help for depression or related health issues. Sometimes, I hesitate to use the phrase "mental health issues." Why? Because in my experience, many community members treat the word "mental" like it's the plague. FMHI has had a number of focus groups and many of the participants, particularly the elderly, seemed to evade the topic. Of course, we're not giving up. It is our hope that depression and mental health problems will be things all Filipinos can talk about openly someday. Call it naive -- but I'm allowed to dream.

Why is this topic so important to me? Because I struggled with depression for years. It took a complete emotional breakdown for me to realize I needed help. And, this did not only affect my emotional well-being, but my physiological/medical health, as well (a story for another time). By breaking my silence, I want to give hope to others and let them know there's no shame in talking about it. Doing so, can mean the difference between life and death, as the AHA study has shown.

 

Unsure if you are experiencing depression. Take this self-test. Note: taking this test is not an official diagnosis and cannot take the place of a proper medical evaluation with a licensed professional. This merely helps people gain a better understanding of depression and whether additional help might be needed.

Footnotes:
1 & 2. Mental Health Care of Filipino Americans
Francis Sanchez, M.D.; Albert Gaw, M.D.
Psychiatric Services 2007
http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=98135

Playlist Inspiration

When you hear a certain song, do images from your life stream in your head? That's exactly what happens to me. While OK Go's Writing on the Wall is essentially a break-up song, it's nostalgically new wave and actually made me feel happy. It brought me back to my Depeche Mode-The Cure-New Order-blaring days. Of course, now I need to have it on my iPod. I'm always on the prowl for new tunes that speak to me, especially now that I'm going on these long 9-mile-plus runs.

Music has a way of tapping into my emotions and sweeping me away into whatever state I'm in at any given moment. A good playlist helps me power through some tough moments out there on the road, when I feel like my legs are going to fall off.

As you can imagine, I have different running playlists to suit my moods. It's not all about the fast, heart-pumping techno songs that get me through my workouts. Songs like this definitely inspire something in me and this video -- with its awesome optical illusions -- makes me like the song even more.