Running As A Simple Practice

SPEAKER_02 0:00

So you're thinking about running, but not sure how to take the first step? My name is Brian Patterson, and I'm here to help. Welcome to Brian's ROM pod. This week we continue our conversation with Crystal Aguilar about mental health and running. Running threads through the conversation not as a performance goal but as a simple, repeatable practice. Crystal shares how she began with a slow one-mile run, how walking is just as valid, and how a supportive running community can replace isolation with connection. The stories of restarting after getting a pacemaker brings a message home. You can begin again, ask for help, and find people willing to match your pace. We also dig into the values that support long-term recovery and well-being, accountability, stewardship, faith as belief in change, and the importance of recovery so you don't burn out. I really do hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. And if you haven't listened to part one, then please do go back in our catalogue and have a listen to part one. But uh, without further ado, let's get into it.

Assessing Readiness For Real Change

SPEAKER_02 1:41

So when people come to you, obviously you can't give particular case cases or but do you um uh sort of take an assessment of where they are at the moment and then kind of lead them through a plan as to how, depending on their circumstances, what is their what is the roadmap for that particular individual? And obviously you you may prescribe running as part of as past part of that solution.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, every everybody is a is is uh case by case, right?

SPEAKER_02 2:18

Yeah, of course. Of course, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Individuals come in and you know, for treatment um and and they get assessed. Um some individuals you know that they um they'll start off with saying, Well, I'm only here because you know my husband wants me here. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

Um and and you know that chances are that they're not gonna be successful in treatment because their motive their their motivations are not there. Right. It's because someone wants them there. Um and we have other individuals that say, you know what, I really need this. I need this for myself. I have hit rock bottom. My family doesn't want to have anything to do with me. Um I'm I'm I have no control over my life. I need help. And so when that happens, that's that's a very different perspective. That's a very different individual. Um, and so we um collaborate on a treatment plan of what's gonna work best for them. Some objectives, some, some, some things that they can fulfill and we can assist in facilitating them to fulfill. And then I I always encourage,

Building Up From One Mile

SPEAKER_00 3:33

I we don't give advice, um, but I always encourage some type of um exercise. Running is always gonna be my go-to. Um, I always I always I have uh medals, uh running metals hanging in my office. So they always ask me about that. And so they always say, I wish I could run. Yeah, and I always say, can. I started off with running one mile, and I was extremely slow. I'm not that fast now, but I started off extremely slow and I achieved my one mile on the treadmill.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

And I start and I went from there. I started saying, you know what? Um today I'm gonna go to the gym and I'm gonna do one mile.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

And if I and I did that for months, yeah. At some point, that one mile became very easy to me. And I thought, let me do I I bet I could do two miles. And I gradually went from there. So it's what I tell them too.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

When when they tell me, you know what, I I wish I could run, but I can't.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Unless it's something physical, like they say they've had some surgeries or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

With walking, we have running groups right now where walkers show up every single day. And they'll walk three miles to one mile, they are relentless with showing up. And that's fine. That is perfectly fine. It's about being out there, getting active, yeah, and doing something, and then the community aspect of it, the social aspect of it. Yeah. And you're just as important as if somebody who ran three miles. Yeah. One mile, three miles, it doesn't

Walking Counts And Community Matters

SPEAKER_00 5:12

matter.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

Especially with your story in terms of the pro the the issues had with your heart, that must be quite maybe inspiring to other people.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

I mean, I mean, here I didn't yeah. You're having a pacemaker, I mean, that's amazing. You know, it's just like Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Um, you know, part of that too, you know, when I got my pacemaker and I I I was out of running for a little while. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and I had to restart how to run again. Yeah. I was I I could only do one mile again.

SPEAKER_01 5:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

But you know what? Um, I called some of my I we had a group chat and I said, Hey, I need to go run.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Uh does anybody want to run? Does anybody want to run with me? I'm extremely slow. I just want to let y'all know. Um, and I had so many people say, We'll run with you. And they ran my pace and I slowed them down. But that's the beauty of it. Uh, you always gonna find somebody to accompany you at your pace. And and the motto for running is your race, your pace.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Because it's not anybody else's, but that's also a life motto, right? Because life is like a race.

SPEAKER_01 6:25

Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

It's whatever pace you choose to run it because it's your life.

SPEAKER_01 6:31

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:31

So a lot of things that happen in running are very applicable to people's life.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

Yeah. So and so the uh, you know, with some of this that that it must be really encouraging with some of the cases you've had when you've kind of prescribed running as uh as part of their treatment, um, it must

Restarting After A Pacemaker

SPEAKER_02 6:52

be really good to see them sort of, you know, completely take on a sort of another persona and to be able to maybe not to to to actually sort of become a different person compared to what they were when they first walked into your into your office.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Oh, absolutely. You know, it's it's um it's it's definitely something to get emotional over to see one who once walked in the doors and they were they were broken and they had the look of hopelessness in their eyes. Yeah. And then they they they graduate and they say, you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna start running. And then you're running. And if you see them run alongside you, or you see them that they show up to a run group.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Um we recently, uh, this past Sunday put on a 5k and so many numni ran it.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Right.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

And it was it was amazing that the that that they did that because they followed through on what they said they were gonna do. And it was hot. It was hot, it was hilly. Yes. Um, but they were there. They did it, they showed up and they felt great. Um, and it was just an amazing thing. It was it was an it was a very positive emotional day, but a good, a good emotional.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

Yeah. I mean,

Turning Recovery Into A 5K

SPEAKER_02 8:16

I was gonna ask you about that because um I I think um one of your colleagues said that you usually put to together this particular event. Is this something that you you do annually or uh uh is is this a relatively new thing?

SPEAKER_00 8:31

This was uh this was the first uh annual uh this was our inaugural run. It was a 5K and a one-mile walk.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Um it was not my idea, actually.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

One of our advisory board members. And she was she was bugging me and bugging me, and she said, Crystal, September's recovery month, let's put on a 5K. And I said, you know, Kayla, our luncheon just finished, give me some time to think about it. And she says, you know, come on, I'll help you. Let's do it. There's we have such a big running community, and I said, Okay, fine, right, let's do it. And we had such a positive outcome that we're looking for year two next year. Um, and it's looking like it'll be something that's uh a repeat of it. Um, and maybe add a 10k to it as well. Uh there were just uh such a positive outcome from the community, it was really received well. Um and and it just, you know, it had so many benefits.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Brilliant.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

Just cool smiling faces that's that's great. That's that that was the uh that was priceless for me.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

Yeah.

When Clients Come Back Thriving

SPEAKER_02 9:44

Do you see or have people come up to you and say you've literally saved my life?

SPEAKER_00 9:49

Absolutely. You know, I've I've had I've I've they they did it at the run, but I've had I've been in stores and they remember when I was their counselor and they said, uh, excuse me, you don't remember me. Yeah, you were my counselor and I have been 20 years sober or five years sober since you were my counselor.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

I'll say, Really? And or they'll say, I remember when you taught class. Yeah. I remember when you taught anger management, and I'll say, That was a really long time ago. And they'll say, But yeah, but you were the one who taught it, and you said this, and they'll repeat something that I said. Really? And I'll say, It's because of you that I'm sober to this day, and they'll say, Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

That's amazing. I mean, I it's um I kind of recount the story. Uh I it probably doesn't happen to me, but I used to be a personal trainer, and I remember I was being in a in a um local gym here, and I was sort of messing about with uh with the treadmill, and then someone came up to me and he said, Um, you I don't know if you remember me, but uh you you uh were the person who um gave me my first gym program and it really helped me a lot. Um and at the time he was quite overweight um and thinking maybe he had a kind of loss of confidence and that kind of thing. And um he said it it really meant a lot to me. And this was like maybe maybe twenty years, and and I kind of looked at him twice and I thought, well, is that really is that so-and-so? Is it really you? You know, because he looked completely different, you know, he'd lost like maybe, you know, fifty pounds or um and he was you know looked really happy and that kind of thing. But it just goes to show how goes to show how um I mean I know you're you do this as your job on a day-to-day basis, that how you can have such a positive impact on other people's lives. Um and it and it must be so uh encouraging into your into your particular feel.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

It is. I think that's what's kept me around for so long, just to know that you know, one of Cinecore's mottos is saving lives. And I think that that's what keeps me around is the fact that I come across people all the time and and they'll say, like, you, you know, you saved my life, or Cinecore saved my life. Yeah. And um that's that's what keeps me going. That you know, that's what fills my cup and to know that we are making a difference. And in in general, we are making a difference and we are changing lives and we are saving lives.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

And and we can't we can't uh help everybody, but if we could save and change one life at a time, then that makes everything all worthwhile for me.

SPEAKER_02 12:35

Yeah. Are there any sort of core principles within Senecor itself?

Core Values That Support Recovery

SPEAKER_02 12:39

Um, um, I mean, in terms of the bit the organization. I mean, could you go into a bit about that?

SPEAKER_00 12:46

Yeah, absolutely. So we have our core values, you know, we have uh accountability, stewardship, uh recovery, and faith. You know, we we we believe in those, but we also teach those to the clients.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

And and we're big on those, you know, and and we we pride ourselves in those, um, but we we help the clients um because they come in and they lose sight, you know, during the times of them using and and drinking and dressing things um forget how to be adults. Yeah. So we come back in and we teach them structure. Yeah. By teaching structure, uh, we you we go back to our core values, we hold them accountable as well as they hold us accountable. Yeah. You know, we do um there the clients will let us know, you know, if we're late to group or if we're late in the morning, you know, we set the example for them. Um and faith doesn't necessarily have anything to do with religion. It's just it's just believing. Yeah. Uh it could be believing that people can change, it's just believing in something greater than ourselves.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

Right. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

Well, it's just it's just something. You know, sometimes in in in the field where we work, people are not there yet with God.

SPEAKER_01 14:02

Right. Okay, yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_00 14:04

Faith is just believing in something. Okay. We're bel believing that change is possible. Yeah. And that's okay, because that's truly what we want to um embody.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

Believing that change is possible.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Yeah. Um and and and and in and in a way, sorry to interrupt, but in a way, a lot of those things you can incorporate into running in terms of making you accountable.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:29

You can. Yeah. Um by setting goals.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:34

Um if you say I'm gonna go work, I'm gonna go run a mile today, you actually have to hold yourself accountable for that mile. And yeah, maybe if you can do it by yourself, getting yourself an accountability buddy. Yes. You know, an accountability buddy, or uh, and then the faith has to do with um believing that you can run a 5K at your goal. Yeah, and then go from there. Yeah. Stewardship is just being mindful of your resources, you know. Um obviously, if you cannot afford a um $200 marathon, maybe you want to start with uh a $5k or you know, a two.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Or the shoes or whatever, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

Um, but you also want to and maybe save until you can and that's fine. Um and so the uh other one is recovery. And recovery is pretty self-explanatory because that's the ultimate goal. But it's also applicable towards running because everybody needs a recovery period.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:43

You can't burn yourself out and continue to burn and churn Sunday, uh Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then go, go, go, go, go. Because your again, your body will let you know, hey, I need a break, and it will shut down.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

Yeah. But you're the other thing is a your it's like having a contract with yourself. So it must be like having a contract with with Senecor and whoever, you know, whatever the advisors. And also, you know, running is very much the same thing as, you know, if let's say maybe you're you download a 5k training plan, many's out there on the on the web, or you get advice from someone, um, but you are giving yourself an opportunity to make a contract with yourself and make yourself, let's say, accountable. So, you know, it's it's you who looks in the mirror, you know, every day and and I'm gonna be doing you know this sort of thing.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Yeah, it's exactly the same thing. You know, in treatment, you get a treatment plan and a guide. Yeah. In uh running, you get a running guide and a plan. You have to stick to it. If you don't stick to it, you're not gonna be successful. In treatment, if you don't stick to it, you're not gonna be successful.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

Yeah, yeah.

Three Steps When Mental Health Slips

SPEAKER_02 17:06

Um and is there anything that if people are struggling today, I mean, sort of in a very general in terms of their mental health, is um are there sort of three things to our audience, three things that you can sort of advise our audience on, you know, what they they should be thinking about to help sort of maybe turn it around?

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Um, you know, one in general, if you know, someone who's struggling with mental health, um yeah, depending on the degree, obviously, you know, reach out and um let someone know get um don't be ashamed. Yes. Um everybody has something, you know. Statistically speaking, we're all gonna go through some level of uh severe depression in our lives. So that's just statistics statistically speaking, and so there's nothing to be ashamed about. The the positive thing and the good thing is that there's help out there and that there's someone that'll open. So it's nothing to be ashamed about. Uh two, um get out there and make friends, go go find a hobby. Maybe running's not for you. I know this is a running podcast, but maybe running's not for you. Yeah, go go walk. Um dumps. Yeah, go go walk, go dance, go, go knit, go do something. There's so many people, there's so many like-minded people, comic books, uh, trading cards. There's so many like-minded people out there that you'll find your tribe. I always say your tribe.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

You'll be exactly exactly, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

And and you'll be so accepted.

SPEAKER_01 18:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

Um But ice isolation is never the answer. And then I think that the I think the last one is um you're not alone.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

You're not alone. Um that's that's the that's the big one that you're not alone, there's there's help.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

I think that especially in today, um, especially people are always sort of like, you know, so into invested into their phones and that kind of thing, especially in the last, you know, 20 years or something, all those, you know, each of those things are really relevant today in terms of I think the important thing is just connecting with other people. And then either, you know, like you said, either through an activity, sharing ideas, being open, debating, that kind of thing. Um I think that's you know, that's brilliant advice. It's and it's so um so relevant today because maybe 20, 30 years ago, maybe we're we were a bit more open because we didn't have the technology. Um, but now we do have the technology. There are positives, um, but also there's a negative side of that. And then maybe we've become sort of too insular as a society.

Social Media Pressure And Being Yourself

SPEAKER_00 20:00

I yeah, and I think I think with social media and Oh, of course, yes.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

Yeah, we haven't talked about that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

People base their lives off of something that's super fictitious, yeah. And uh people might believe that they have to live up to this expectation of others because others are doing this and others are doing this. And be yourself.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:25

Authenticity is a great thing. Um, if you love books and uh, you know, Pokemon cards or you know, whatever you whatever your thing is, there's I can guarantee you there's so many others that that's their thing too. And that we authenticity, be original, like that that is okay. It is absolutely okay. I I myself have my my quirks, you know, I you know, a lot of a lot of people are like, What's your pet? And I have a pet tarantula.

SPEAKER_02 21:00

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_00 21:00

Well I uh everybody's always talking about like their dogs and stuff. I have a pet tarantula, like I like reptiles and weird things like that. Okay. Uh and oddities. And so, you know, everybody has their thing, and it's okay to be different. It's okay, yeah. That's okay.

SPEAKER_02 21:18

All right. Oh, that's amazing. Um my my daughter, eldest daughter, she she cast spiders. But uh I'll maybe lick at her not to listen to this one. But um, yes, um, yes, I mean that's you know, like I uh that like you said, I mean, being authentic, having that authenticity, you know, not being afraid. I mean, do you do you get people who come to you who on the social media side that kind of brings them a little bit of anxiety? Or I mean, I know you you're you're talking about substance abuse and sort of other subjects, but you know, does that come into the conversation or not?

SPEAKER_00 21:54

Yeah, they do. They feel they're they're very um a lot of people talk about. Using or or isolating or they have society because um they get bullied because they don't look right okay, yeah. Yeah, not into they're not into what everybody else is. Maybe they don't play sports, yes, they're not in the street like everybody else. Maybe they're uh not into not maybe they're not popular like everybody else. Um and so there's a lot of those factors that are right now um at play.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

That's okay. You know, they're it they're not the cool crowd. And but what is the cool crowd now? No, yeah. So that's that it goes back to being your authentic self of just be you.

SPEAKER_01 22:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

And if you be you, there's others like you out there. And and goes back to it's not you're not alone. There's everybody, there's your tribe is out there, you just gotta go out there and find them.

SPEAKER_02 22:55

Crystal, um uh we're sort of coming, you know, careeringly close to the end of our podcast. And um, I just want to say um I really enjoyed it and we could have sort of like talked talked for hours. Is there anything else you'd like to cover in terms of relating to you know what you do and running that you'd like to sort of cover before we go?

Where To Get Help And Find Runs

SPEAKER_00 23:14

Um, you know, one, I just for what I do, you know, we have several locations for those struggling with substance abuse and or mental health. There's help out there. You know, Cinecore, uh, for those who need substance abuse and or mental health, uh, visit our website www.sinecore.org. Um for running um there's there's a running community everywhere. Like I travel a lot for work, and so the first thing I do is I I Google um running, um running clubs in, and then I plug in where I'm traveling, and then I just go join. Um so get out there, go run, go walk, go dance, go swim, go do whatever it is, get out there and get active.

SPEAKER_01 23:58

Um that's that's right.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

You know, uh and and that's really it. Be you, get help, uh, if you need it, if you feel you need it. Um and and that's really it. Um I mean I really enjoyed today.

SPEAKER_02 24:13

Yeah, that's brilliant. So, I mean, like you said, I mean, there's running community anywhere. I mean, we have over here in the UK, well, if it's it's worldwide, we have a thing called Parkrun, which nine o'clock every Saturday, somewhere in the community, if you look it up on the Parkrun website, I think they they're in the US as well. Maybe not as many, but there's an organized 5k and it starts at nine o'clock in the morning. So wherever you Christ just said that, that wherever you go, maybe there are sort of similar type events like parkrun where you can go um at a particular time of the weekend or something, and then just go out and enjoy the run. Um and you don't have to run, you can just walk it. So but um I mean we we as I said, we do this thing called parkrun, which is um you can either walk or run walk or run it. So But um yes, Crystal, as I said at the beginning, it's not sort of a regular subject that we cover, but I think it is just as important because of the fact there's so many benefits with terms of running for mental health, and in there may be other issues that you're going through that it can help. But um I I can s I can sort of say that um you've really encapsulated and give us a bit of an idea about that. I hope you've enjoyed the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

I absolutely have. Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_02 25:38

Right. If you'd like to stick around um after we say goodbye, but um I'd like to say goodbye from Crystal and uh goodbye from me. And uh I really hope you enjoyed the podcast. And as I normally do, is I usually split the podcast into two, two, two parts, and I really hope you um uh will uh listen to this. And obviously we cover many subjects about running and uh have a look back at our past catalogue. Cheers. Bye bye.