Marathoning and Schizophrenia 1.0

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The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario or www.schizophrenia.on.ca. The Schizophrenia Society of Ontario is not responsible for the content or views expressed on external sites. Distribution, transmission or republication of any material is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario.

Marathoning and Schizophrenia 1.0

Written by Michael SSO

Monday, 07 September 2009 13:17

MARATHONING AND SCHIZOPHRENIA By Michael Alzamora SSO Volunteer September 7, 2009 Welcome to my blog. Since May, 2008, I adopted a healthy lifestyle by combining good nutrition and running. I was compelled to do so after a blood result in February 2008 came back with a high content of fat in my blood. It is an ongoing journey that began one faithful day in May, 2008 when I decided to go out the door and walk. Little by little I started running. Today I’m in my final three weeks of training for running my first marathon: The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, a distance of 42.2 km to be held Sunday, September 27, 2009. After a year and a half of training, I’m beginning to see similarities between preparing for a marathon and living with schizophrenia. In order to succeed in life with a debilitating illness like Schizophrenia most health care professionals tell those afflicted with the illness that they should set small realistic goals culminating in a rewarding larger goal. Small goals may be taking courses to improve one’s education and be around a social environment outside the mental health community. A larger goal may be using your newly acquired educational and social skills to find employment. In running, it is impossible to finish a marathon without physical and mental preparation. The very first thing a sedentary non athlete must do is establish a baseline aerobic fitness level. In my case, I began my first eight weeks of training (May 2008), until I was able to run / walk for fifty minutes three times a week. Once I reached this baseline, I hovered in it throughout the winter. In spring 2009 I decided to train for a half marathon. Little by little, and giving myself plenty of time I increased my mileage until I was ready for the race. I’m proud to say that I successfully completed the Mississauga, 2009 half marathon [21.1 km] held May 10, 2009. It was one of the happiest days of my life. I can’t stop looking at my finisher’s medal. My culminating goal as a runner is to complete The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, this September. After, I will decide which distance is the most suitable for me. Training for the full marathon has been difficult. I have struggled with the long training runs. On my next blog I will talk about my successes and struggles which I’m facing as I prepare for the marathon. I will concentrate on the long training runs and their relationship with schizophrenia. Until then, Michael Alzamora