As runners begin training for the AJC Peachtree Road Race, shorter finish times will likely be the goal. However, there is another goal in mind for some runners; mental wellbeing.
Jerome Scales, an Atlanta Track Club board member and coach, remembers when he first started running in 2007. "Mentally, I wasn't too down on myself or depressed but I knew I wanted a change," says Scales. "What can I do to lift my spirits, what can I do to challenge myself to get out of this rut?"
That rut was leading Scales down a path towards obesity. "I noticed every now and then my jean size was getting a bit tighter and I would go get the next size up." While Scales' weight increased, his energy plummeted. He needed a way out. "In my mind, I thought that running was the option. I never was a gym rat, but why not buy a pair of shoes, go for a run, and see what happens?"
At first, Scales' self-esteem was too low to run in public, so he built up his confidence by running a mile on his treadmill. Once he started running several miles, Scales took his workouts outside. Then, he decided to sign up for the Atlanta Half Marathon. "My routine was every weekend I would run as much as I could. At least 12 miles a day. I didn't have any idea...but I knew 13 miles was a long way so I better get used to it first."
While Scales adjusted to his new running routine, family and friends were shocked by Scales' new body. "My dad looked at my mom, like whoa, it's time to feed that guy," Scales laughs. He further confused his friends in leaving a nocturnal life. "Now you're saying I gotta run in the morning, I got a race tomorrow. This is what it took to be this more energetic, positive person. I had to make running a part of my life."
Emory neuroscientist David Weinshenker sees the benefits of running on a consistent basis. In Weinshenker's pre-clinical rodent trials, those who ran for several weeks scored higher on depression and stress resilience tests. Though this is an initial study, researchers are developing theories around neurotrophins, which are proteins that allow nerve cells or neurons to function. "One idea is that exercise increases neurotrophins in the brain, and that helps protect the brain against the adverse effects of stress," says Weinshenker.
The ability to withstand stress can be seen even in Scales' work life. "I'm normally an introvert but I've been able to take a deep breath," says Scales. "I go through those same exercises when I have a meeting with my project team or my executive sponsors that I have to speak with. I understand [to] pace myself; have a conversation with them and everything will be alright. And you have to adjust as you go just like with running."
Scales gained not only a plan, but a running community to face life's challenges. This is one of the main reasons he gives back as an Atlanta Track Club coach and participates in the AJC Peachtree Road Race each year. For Scales, the world's largest 10K is much more than a running event. "You go from the beginning of Lenox where you have the big American flag draped over the start line, you have the energy in the air of people just wanting to accomplish a goal and then at the end, they meet their families and friends and tell about the Cardiac Hill, the challenge they had to push themselves to go up that hill, to keep running, keep pushing, keep moving up that hill and then when you get past the Shepherd center and see all the folks cheering you on down Peachtree, it's just amazing," says Scales. "Every mile on that course energizes you."
This is what Rich Kenah aims for as the executive director of the Atlanta Track Club. As a former Olympian himself, Kenah used his experience to develop an extensive network of full-time and volunteer coaches for everyone from off the couch runners to world-class athletes. "The beautiful thing about our sport is that the highs are so high. You can take ownership over what you accomplished. Conversely, the lows are so low because it's very difficult to share those injuries or setbacks when you fall short of your goal with someone else. We try to provide a community to share those highs and lows with."
The mechanics of running are intricately tied to the psyche. Coaches help runners view a bad training day as preparation for a better one, and silence thoughts of doubt or insecurity. "Running has in every way describable, shaped the way I think, the way I interact with the world, the way I deal with challenges, and it's been a part of my life since the age of six," says Kenah. "I use running as a tool to improve people's lives. It just doesn't get any better than that."
Many runners may not know about neurotrophins or neurons, but athletes like Scales know running unleashed their psychological potential. "There are plenty ups and downs that you're going to experience in life but I realize running has given me the mental capacity to take the ups and downs and run that mile one at a time."
