JOG ON

Tragic, witty and inspiring all the same. This was the best book I read all year. Memerized, I devoured this book and now find myself unable to start a new one because none of them captures my attention.

What stopped you from doing something this morning that you planned last night?The basic chores that need your immediate attention.The fact that you have to go pee or take a dump.The growling stomach even though you are under the blue or depressed or sad or unmotivated.Sometimes the most trivial things force you out of bed, not the most meaningful and important things in your life. At this point, what kind of excuse would work for your inactions?Sloth and laziness are to be shunned away.Alright. Let's face it.Life is tough.Hearts break.Pain hurts badly.And, oh yeah, mental health problems are real, and serious.I have had panic attacks mutliples times in my life. The very first time was horrifying. It came around three in the moring when I was acutally asleep. I woke up to a sensation that my heart was dropping. The panic attack came unexpected and I didn't even know what it was. I was of course panicking not knowing how to manage it. My dad woke up by my terrifed reactions. It was so unreal to him. We went to an emergency room but the young intern, looking exhausted of course, didn't seem to take it seriously. Yo! I am close to dying here. My heart not functioning as it had been for the last 25 years and you are telling me I have no problems here? And I need to see a psychologist?Of course, I never bother to go see a shrink myself.I should've though...Reading Jog On made me realize how serious and various mental health problems are. The suicidal rate for elders in South Korea is the highest. People suffer from anxiety and depressions. But the culture doesn't support being open about mental problems. It is a real thing but people view it as a crazy thing.Divorced and suffered from mental health problems, her motivation to get up from the floor was having to pee. Binge watching helped her escape the painful moments. Her marriage ended not the way she expected. What got her up off the floor was having to pee or needing to do chores. And, one day she was fed up with running away from her life, she went out to run. In her first running, three minute jogging was an impressive milestone. The second ruun, she was so slow that a dog walker was walking past her. Nothing fancy. Nothing great. But she was able to not focus on her intrusive thoughts for the moment. By keeping up with her footsteps, she was finally free from her anxious mind. The physical pain came from running also crowded out her mind.Running is tough and seriously physically demanding. As Bella put it, calves scream and lungs burn. You actuall feel burdened by the gravity pulling you down. For Bella, running liberated her from anxiety, panic attacks and depression.Physical pain from exercise gives you an immediate feedback on how your current body condition is. Enveloped with worries, we forget to pay attention to what truly matters and what must be done and can be done now.Carrie Fisher's quote in Jog On gave a good reason why I should not skip my daily exercise, reading and wiring. “Stay afraid but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don't have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow."

"I'm now fiercely protective of my running time. I started it to get out of heartbreak and to stem the tide of anxiety. I wouldn't have imagined that it would end up bringing me joy and confidence and imbue me with a love of exercise, but here we are. And now I don't want to change something that isn't broken. I've discovered that there's no right way to run."Following years of suffering with anxiety, but not knowing and trying to ignore it, came to a head when Mackie's husband of a year left her. She decided to try running as a distraction and found it worked to slow the mind and give her purpose. The book is split into ten chapters (1k, 2k and so on) as well as tips on getting started and helpful resources. She discusses her own experiences but also brings in those of others, including other writers on the subject and other runners, which adds balance and makes this more comprehensive than a memoir. Mackie credits running with saving her life, helping to manage anxiety and depression.Covering different aspects of running, I found this a fascinating read. I have always found the running mindset to be confusing and thought running to be for other people. Mackie discusses running from different perspectives, including how to run, how it feels, why run, running solo or in groups, how exercise has been gentrified (thereby seeming inaccessible to many) and how to pick yourself up from disappointments.I don't consider myself a runner yet, but Mackie has dispelled myths that have previously prevented me from trying. You don't have to have fancy kit, you don't need to aim for personal bests, you don't need to run marathons and you can be clumsy (as I am). You just need to lace up your trainers and leave the house. Part way through reading this book I downloaded the NHS Couch to 5K app and went for my first run. I don't know whether I'll continue, but I can try! Jog On is fascinating, inspiring and refreshingly frank.

While I don't dislike this book, the idea behind it is great. As someone who's been exercising for mental health the past few years I totally get it; however, for me there are too many facts and figures and not enough feels. I want to know how the author felt during the journey, though all the ups and downs. This was more sterile numbers and not connecting with the why and how.

I've recently got really into running so thoroughly enjoyed this book. Bella talks so openly and honestly about mental health which is refreshing to see.