I’ve got a six-string not a six-pack! I’m a British African musician who somehow ended up on a tiny Canadian island in a misguided attempt to hide from my severe situational depression. Ever since arriving in Vancouver from London three years earlier, I'd been suffering from debilitating depression as a result of immigrating for a second time.
Running was literally the only thing that gave me some temporary relief from this depression, so I started running 5K three times a week. This quickly became four times, which swiftly got kicked up to five, but this still left me feeling hopeless two days every week. So, my five runs a week inevitably turned into six, but surprisingly this actually made the depression on my one day-off even worse. Finally I gave in, and began running 5K every single day. Weeks turned into months, and with every passing month I felt better and better! Everyone was telling me to stop because my body needed a rest day to recover, but I just told 'em “That's what Vega Sport Recovery is for!” haha, and I carried on running! Seriously, my daily Vega had me totally recovered in less than 24 hours, which kept me on the road 365 days in a row.
Eventually the months turned into a year, and as I'd outrun my depression a few hundred kilometers back, I decided to stop and write a song and a short book about my experience. This run streak changed my life in the most unbelievable ways, literally! Not only did I cure my depression, and not only do I now have a 5K personal record of 18:41, but I also met my dream music/life partner along the way who I now run a successful music business with, we're living back in the city and making a couple new songs together every month, I am the happiest I've even been, and, I'm celebrating my 10-year vegan straightedge anniversary this month too. Yay!
If you are battling with depression, I feel you, and I'm sorry for your suffering. Please start running today, as there are no words to describe how much it helps, and reach out to a local group/charity for support as well. I thought my situational depression couldn't be cured, as it was due to my situation, which couldn't be changed. I was wrong, all depression can be cured! Running got me out of my head and into my body (i.e. reality), and as a result the positive side of my situation became crystal clear, and it was amazingly amazing!!!
Ray Harmony
2016
