You hear people talk about it from time to time, that moment during a run when for whatever reason you start to feel absolutely amazing. You are clear of mind, your energy levels are through the roof, and you feel like you are flying! It’s the runners high, and you know it when you are having it and you know for sure that you are not having it.
When I started running I was waiting for that magical moment of the runner’s high to hit. I have heard friends talk about it and I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself. My runs were getting longer in distance; instead of a couple of miles I was now running five to nine miles at a time. Surely I would get that awesome runner’s high soon.
It never came and I thought it was bogus, that it was just something people told new runners so they could trick themselves into suffering through the pain for a few more miles. If I was writing these articles back a few years ago I could have done an entire story about how the runner’s high was a complete lie and whoever started that lie should be forced to run a twenty miler with no water or goos. Then it happened.
I was training for my first marathon and it was during my first 20 mile training run around mile 16 that all of the sudden, my mind became clear and I was in a state of complete euphoria. My legs that were screaming for me to stop only a couple of seconds ago were suddenly feeling as fresh as they did before I started. It lasted a couple of miles and it was amazing.
My favorite runner’s high came last summer during my first 100 mile ultramarathon. I was coming into the mile 62 aid station and feeling like absolute garbage. How in the heck was I going to be able to run another 38 miles to the finish line? That was when my buddy Travis was going to start “pacing” me (pacing is when a friend runs with you during the later stages of an ultra to keep you company and keep you safe). After I grabbed some food from the aid station (watermelon, sweet, sweet watermelon), Travis and I were off and running, and about a half mile into us running together the runner’s high hit. My spirits were lifted and my legs felt fresh and ready for the task ahead. I ran on that runner’s high for nearly 38 miles.
So if you are new and think that runner’s high is bogus, hang in there. It will hit you when you least expect it. It usually doesn’t happen for me until I hit double digit miles. You’ll know it when it happens so just enjoy it and ride that feeling as long as you can. It is pretty darn cool, and a tad bit addictive.
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