Perhaps youve experienced a burning rage about our countryselection cycleor the governments overall mishandling of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
So I did what felt most natural to me: I went for arun.
What happened next was pure beauty.
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I glided across the pavement, my feet barely feeling the steps.
There was nothing but pleasant static in my brain.
Suddenly, I was running a (nearly) four-minute mile.
It was all thanks to the rage run.
And my experience was definitely not unusual.
My fists unclenched, my jaw relaxed, and my mind focused on the runnot the rage propelling it.
Many runnersmyself includedreport that logging miles helps themclear their minds and ease intense emotions.
Too many people are scared or ashamed of their anger, which is why they dont handle it.
Youll probably have to take other steps to make a run at process negative emotions like anger.
If we cannot process what is triggering the rage, then it will only fester, Petruzzelli says.
No amount of running can alleviate that.
take a stab at identify the emotion under the anger, she says.
A feeling of loss of control?
Then ask yourself: ‘What triggered me?
What are the options to deal with the problem?
What are some effective steps I can take?
She also advises talking it out with someone like a friend.
Alotof us could use mental health support at this time in a way that rage runs cant deliver.
More on that in a bit.
That sounds like the product of adrenaline and overall fitness, she tells SELF.
Petruzzelli says that the adrenaline we feel from anger is a stress reaction in our brain.
The brain reacts to anger in the same way it reacts to fear or danger, she says.
In this moment, the only thing your body is focused on is survival.
This is what causes adrenaline to pump through your blood.
Petruzzelli notes that in addition to those physiological changes, hitting a P.R.
Flight-or-fight mode is like the body’s alarm system, she says.
The alarm system is so loud that it’s really hard to think or be attuned to anything else.
You cant pay attention to pain or discomfort at all.
This can be goodandbad.
Also,notfeeling acute pain can cause harm.
Thats also why rage running works best as the exception rather than the rule of your training program.
This can ruin pacing in longer runs.
Abrams likens it to cooking the perfect steak.
To get that sear, you gotta expose the meat to high heat, he says.
But what happens if you don’t know how to control the heat?
You burn the fucking thing up.
Know that the heat can give you beautiful things.
But if you cannot adjust the flame, you do damage.
That’s what anger is.
If you find you need much more than running to get through this moment, welcome to the club.
Thats when connecting with a professional can be helpful.
you’ve got the option to try tofind a therapist, if you dont yet have one.
