I have been going to counseling on a regular basis since January 2019. For the first 15 months I went every week, then the next six months every two weeks and now I go every month. It’s been tremendously helpful because I’ve honestly had a lot of shit going on in my life I needed to unpack since suffering my TBI and desperately needed the help putting my life back together. I’m not ashamed of going to therapy, in fact I think everyone would be a lot better off if they went once at least once a month.

My therapist’s office used to be two miles from my condo (and it was actually two miles from my old townhouse as well). On days it wasn’t raining I would run to my session. Sometimes I’d go out of my way to make it a longer route just because I needed some more miles that day to keep up with my training plan.

Before I’d leave the house I’d jot one-line items down just so I had an outline and I’d tuck it in the pocket of my shorties or tights. On the run there I was able to clear my head of a lot of the bullshit and focus on the things I wanted to talk about that session. It gave me a chance to try to expand on everything I wanted to say in an orderly fashion rather than come off sounding like a schizophrenic.

When I’d get to the session I’d be a little sweaty, that’s why I always brought a rag to wipe myself down. I’d also sit on the floor those days just so I didn’t skank up my therapist’s couch.

After the session was over I was able to use the run home to process anything he would say or ponder any suggestions he made. That run home made me feel so comfortable and relaxed that it lasted for the next couple of days.

Sadly I lost the ability to run to my sessions once CoVID hit. We started to do everything remotely. That went on until the end of October 2020. My counselor said, “Hey, do you want to start doing in person meetings again?” I said, “Yeah because I hate the telemed app you use.”

There was a catch…I said his office used to be two miles from my house. Now he was located on the fringe of Midtown over by Sweetwater Brewery. I thought to myself “You know it’s gotta be less than 10 miles from home to his office.” I mapped it out and indeed it was less than 10.

This was great – it meant on days it wasn’t rainy or wet I could ride over to his new office. If I left an hour before the appointment I’d never be late, and if I had time to kill I could just keep going around the block because his new office was on a flat 1.2-mile loop.

It is rather nice because when I’m riding on the road I have a sense of clarity since I can space out. It turns out it is the perfect way for me to finish decompressing.

On days that I couldn’t ride I would dress for the run and after my session I’d run the 1.2-mile flat loop five to seven times as a tempo run or go to Piedmont Park. It will be rather nice once the BeltLine comes through and I can hop on that.

See the store I race for at www.all3sports.com for your triathlon needs.