Welcome !

Welcome to my blog! Monday Psycho Runner will be dedicated mostly to the many psychological and psychosocial facets of individual sports (namely running, biking, and swimming, as those are the sports I have the most experience with).

I have been a competitive athlete since the time I was nine years old. The majority of my life, I was a swimmer, but four years ago I discovered running, and two years ago I began triathlon. Almost every individual sport athlete has heard or used the phrase "Running (or biking, or swimming, or gymnastics, etc.) is a mental sport." One cannot reach their full potential in an individual sport without being mentally invested. Many individuals use exercise as a substitute for anti-depressants. I know several 'social' athletes, who exercise with a group, not because they care to become a better competitor, but because they love the fact that they can stay healthy and socialize with like-minded people at the same time. As for myself, I am all of the above. I began running because, after finishing collegiate swimming, I took a year off of exercise all together, and finally realized how unhappy I was because I had no outlet to relieve my stress or to feel better about myself through sense of accomplishment. Running became my anti-depressant. I find it extremely difficult to step out the door to do a training run without a running buddy to meet up with. I am a 'social' runner who is also determined to be a fierce competitor come race day. I battle with my mind when it comes to confidence and motivation in individual sports.

Through my own experiences with training and racing, and through stories of other athletes, I am constantly realizing the good (sometimes the bad, but mostly good!) psychological and psychosocial effects exercise has on an individual.  I wish to share my stories and realizations with other athletes and aspiring athletes through Monday Psycho Runner.

Visit my blog on a weekly basis (I will post on Mondays) and it is my hope to inspire, enlighten, and entertaine you!

Happy Monday! Let the journey begin!