I finished my most recent marathon on October 4th, 2009 with a personal record of 3 hours 47 minutes. In addition to being my fastest race, it was also my most enjoyable. Afterward, I attributed my success to balanced training and proper nutrition and thought to myself that finally, the years spent fine-tuning different aspects of endurance racing were starting to pay off!
Throughout the winter I scaled back on my running and increased the amount of cycling I did. This not only gave my running muscles some well needed rest but it allowed me to focus more intensely on my first love, cycling!
From October 4th, 2009 through May 28th, 2010 the longest run I did was 7 miles. And then, on Saturday, May 29th, I ran the Soldier Field 10 Miler. As with all races I was excited and anxious to begin, but I had some nervousness as I was shooting for another personal record. This race started similar to most others and around mile 5 I remember thinking back to my last marathon and thought, "Although I'm far from tired right now, how do I push myself to do 5 times this distance each October?" And then, around mile 8, I remembered...My Runner's High Kicked In!
Studies have proven that running elicits a flood of endorphins in the brain. The endorphins are associated with mood changes, and the more endorphins a runner’s body pumps out, the greater the effect. Endorphins, after all, are the brain's naturally occurring opiates.
I write this today because I understand that not everyone likes to exercise. But if you commit yourself to a program and push yourself to the limit, I'm confident that you'll experience feelings that far exceed your greatest expectations!
And for you non-runner's, rest assured, running is not the only way to get a "runner's high". This effect can be felt as a result of most intense or endurance exercise.
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