Unplugged

Social media use can lead to depression. You heard me right--that mindless scrolling, looking at your friends' pictures, political postings, and status updates can leave you depressed. According to an article from Forbes.com, "Research Links Heavy Facebook And Social Media Usage To Depression," researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have found a link between a high amount of social media use and depression.The study states that, "highly idealized representations of peers on social media elicits feelings of envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier, more successful lives."

One thing I enjoy about running is the ability to be unplugged. Sure, I sometimes listen to podcasts, recorded books, and watch T.V. on the treadmill, but for the most part I run sans technology. Running unplugged takes me away from the informational stream of social media--Facebook in my case. I wouldn't call myself a heavy user, but I use it often enough that it definitely affects me.

Running unplugged helps me clear my head. I'm not reading news articles posted by Facebook friends. I'm not scrolling mindlessly through my Facebook feed, looking at people's status updates and photos. Instead, I'm spending time in motion, enjoying the outdoors, and being able to think without the "noise" of technology.

Regardless of whether you run or not, I encourage you to spend some time unplugged. It's nice to have a mental break.

Run well.

Running Books: Fiction and Biographies

Though I've written some posts about running books before, I thought I'd share some books runners (and non-runners) may enjoy. For my non-running readers, I'll share some fiction and biographies, and memoir first. Though avid running readers would most likely enjoy all of these books, non-runners would likely enjoy several as they are well-written and tell good stories.

Once a Runner series
by John L. Parker Jr.
These books include "Once a Runner," "Again to Carthage," and "Racing the Rain." "Once a Runner" is a cult classic among runners--a well written novel about a collegiate runner, Quenton Cassidy, striving to reach the top of his sport.

"Again to Carthage," the sequel, follows Cassidy several years after his collegiate career as he tries to make the Olympic team in the marathon.

"Racing the Rain," the prequel to "Once a Runner," chronicles Cassidy's athletic endeavors in middle and high school as Cassidy moves from basketball to running as his primary sport.

You don't have to be a runner (though it helps) to enjoy these well-written novels. The characters are believable and the story is engaging. I read the novels in order of when they were written, but it may be more interested to read them in chronological order, starting with "Racing the Rain" and ending with "Again to Carthage."

The Perfect Mile
by Neal Bascomb
"The Perfect Mile" tells the story of three runners racing to break the four minute barrier in the mile. It follows Wes Santee, Roger Bannister, and John Landy attempting the break the elusive four minute mark, less than 60 seconds around a track four times.

Duel in the Sun
byJohn Brandt
"Duel in the Sun" tells the stories of Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar, framing the story leading up to and after the 1982 Boston Marathon, know as "the duel in the sun." This book is very well-written, and you'll enjoy it whether you know who one the race or not.

Born to Run
by Christopher McDougall
"Born to Run" is a story both of adventure and of barefoot running. The author, along with several friends and acquaintances, head to Mexico to visit and run with the Tarahumara, a native Mexican tribe known for their distance running. This book sparked the barefoot running phenomenon, and though barefoot running has somewhat faded from the trend of "barefoot" running shoes, it still enjoys a popular niche in the running (and walking) communities.


http://running.competitor.com/2015/10/lists/the-25-greatest-running-books-of-all-time_138463