Whether it was 1 kilometer or 20, chances are anyone who has ever run experienced the popular feeling labelled a runners’ high. It’s that feeling of euphoria which results immediately after a prolonged or intense run. Endorphins are “running” wild, you’re ready to conquer the world, and you can’t help but all into a state of bliss.
Whoever said that you never regret a run was absolutely right. There’s nothing like blowing off some steam, getting into the zone and feeling like you can continue running forever. Unfortunately not every single run is enjoyable. I’m not sure whether it’s necessarily a good or bad thing, but running is absolutely unpredictable: no 2 runs are ever the same. Whether you’re in for a memorable run or not, chances are you’ll only know after you’ve set off.
Although I’ve still been getting in a run or 2 a week, it’s been a long time since I have actually enjoyed the sport…and not waited to cross that 5 kilometer mark so I feel like I’ve completed a legit distance to call it quits. My runs had turned more into a habit as opposed to something I looked forward to. On Monday morning, I relied on a couple of old school mind tricks to get myself out of bed:
- You’re only one run away from a good mood
- You can call it quits after 5 minutes if you’re not feeling it
- You can go as slow as you want, just run
5 minutes turned into 20, which turned into 5km, which eventually turned into 7.5km
Granted it wasn’t my longest run nor was it my fastest. But it was a run which reminded me why I love to run in the first place…why I don’t mind sacrificing an hour of sleep to fit a run in…and why I put up with all the, pardonnez mon Français, shitty runs. While I’m all for setting goals and pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I equally appreciate those runs which focus on the mental benefits of running.
In other words, those runs which forgo the constant pressure to hit a specific distance within a certain amount of time or to burn X number of calories. The trade-off which comes in the form of temporary escape, mental clarity, emotional release, and that feeling like anything is possible sums up the beauty of running…at least to me!
Tell me about your last great workout! We all deserve to re-live those glorious moments!
What’s your workout for the day?
I love those workouts that just feel GOOD! Running doesn’t do it for me, I never hit that “high,” but I love how a good weightlifting session feels. I did some cardio/light lifting for a change this morning, and it was a fun change of pace–ready to lift heavy again tomorrow!
It’s funny but the more I lift weights, the more I experience that high..never would have I thought it could be as effective as a runners’ high!
i agree so much with everything here! running is always different and needed each day for a different reason
Exactly- running serves so many different purposes depending on the day & person!
Oh the famous runner’s high… how I wish I could find it. I used to dabble in a bit of running, but I never got that high from it. It could have been because I have a really bad knee, so running ended up causing me a lot of pain. Whatever the case, running never did it for me, but I was always envious of the stories I would hear of other people’s runner’s highs. I do love the endorphin rush that comes from a good workout, though. I used to get it from weight training and cross training, and now I get it anytime I blast some great music and dance around my apartment 😉
I’m with you about the high that comes from dancing around at home…we may look crazy but at least we feel great ;)!
My greatist workout are all my workouts! I make sure to make every single one of them worthwhile and HARD.
Haha I love that you capitalised every letter in “hard”…I wanna work out with you!
Absolutely love and agree with this, what a feeling it is!! When I have runs like that, it does make me fall in love with the sport all over again and makes me appreciate my body for what it can do 🙂
Same here…especially considering how much I used to HATE running as a kid, I can’t believe I actually do it for “fun” now!
Way to go, girl! Reading this really makes me want to go out for a run myself! I used to run everyday as a way to de-stress. It was the only time when I completely zoned out and just thought about my goal..Those endorphins..oh they’re glorious…
If only we could find a way to bottle up the feeling ;)!
I love this, Khushboo! “Anything is possible” workouts are by far the best workouts. The euphoric feeling that comes with exercising for pure pleasure is amazing–and one that I’m re-learning to embrace. For the longest time, I only worked out for the sake of working out. I’d dread my daily two hours in the gym more than anything, and would feel a huge sense of relief when I got to leave. Over the past month or two, I’ve been focusing on listening to my body, and letting go of the “push through the pain” mantra. I truly believe that we can “push” ourselves in a healthy way without the pain, and that enjoyable, *moderate* exercise is just as good for our bodies–if not better–than high intensity exercise! It’s certainly better for our souls. 😀
Totally agree with your comment about “pushing through the pain”…not every workout needs to leave you feeling like death! I used to love those Fitspiration pics on Pinterest but now they just make me cringe!
I am totally one to have those runs where I’m doing cause I have to and drag myself to 5km so I feel like I’ve gone far enough!!! 🙂 actually my last awesome workout was a run. Not sure why it was so spectacular it felt extra hard but extra awesome after- if that makes sense! 🙂
Makes complete sense…sometimes the hardest runs are also the ones which are most rewarding at the end!
my crossfit class today, was good, attempted the real pullup, did a few, felt freat, and lifting – a good class.
and when i woke up this morning, i thought of a million reasons why i shouldn’t go, and then i thought of this – ‘you never regret a workout. ‘ and off i went, i couldn’t be in a better mood.
GO YOU on the pull-ups…those are killer! I’m still yet to try a crossfit class, but I’m hoping I find one nearby soon!
Sometimes I have amazing runs where I feel like I could run for days and sometimes I’m on the treadmill for 10 minutes and feel like I’m gonna diiiiiiie. I’ve been trying to do more strength training instead of cardio and I’m really liking it!
Strength training is addictive (in a good way) after a while…I used to dread them back in the day but now I feel lost without ’em!
#1 – I agree with everything
#2 – As a Southern girls, I STRONGLY agree with the someecard about Southern girls. You don’t want to mess!
Bahaha i’m glad somebody got a kick out of that E-Card…and between your Southern roots & biceps, I’m staying far away ;)!
Totally get this – there are days when running feels like shit and then when everything seems perfect. I try and hold onto those perfect day memories 😀
Slowlllly getting back into it….
Holding onto the memories- SNAP! Unfortunately that is what a majority of my run consisted of today!
Loved this post Khushboo! How true…no two runs are the same! While I am not a runner per se..I run now and then…I really would love to get back into it. I think your philosophy can apply to generally working out as well as I think also no two workouts are ever the same! I had an awesome HIIT workout on Tues and really pushed hard and for e.g. did way more push ups than I thought I could and today when doing a similar workout I was just not as much in the zone but psyched myself up to do it anyway…while I didn’t feel as much of a beast while doing this workout compared to Tues haha, it was still good to know I was working out and got a mental workout as you said in terms of keeping my will power/motivation strong and forming good, healthy lifestyle habits! Yay for your awesome run on Mon, I am so trying some of those mind tricks soon haha 🙂
Great point about mental workouts, Renee! The longer we keep doing it (regardless of motivation levels), the quicker it will become a habit! Hope those mind tricks worked for you too 😀
I used to crave that runner’s high!! I had to run every single day or I’d feel flat. Now running is so tedious. I feel like I’m going to die if I go longer than 10 minutes. Deadlifts give me the biggest high 🙂 There’s something spectacular about ripping 1.5 times my body weight off the ground!
Deadlifts are so uplifting…literally! It’s crazy to be able to watch your body get stronger and stronger, and be able to lift weights which seemed impossible not long ago!