High as a Kite

I didn't believe it until I experienced it myself. A runner's high? Meh. Not possible. A few years ago it was a foreign concept, something I actually thought was a myth, or an inside joke among runners. You mean it's possible to literally feel good after running? I could never relate. I always felt horrible after running. Wait a second, I never really ran for more than a mile. But that mile sure made me feel like garbage.

It took a long time for me to catch this famous buzz. I certainly didn't feel it the first time I ran a 5K. I have a photo of myself from that day. My cheeks are blazing red, I am hunched over, and look like I am one chest pain away from sudden death. I did not feel high that day. I felt sick. When I ran a quarter marathon in Madison, I felt a brief high. Beyonce inspired me to snap my fingers once. That was kind of nice, I guess. But I was still waiting, wanting to get high without doing something illegal.

Some of you have asked me about this. When will I feel a runner's high? How will I know when I feel it? I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. It's not that I want to keep it a secret from you, it's just that I don't know. I suspect it's a totally individual experience. Even now, I don't feel it every time I run. There are days when I have to force myself through a couple miles and I just want it to end.

But there are a select few special days when magic happens. Perhaps the stars are in perfect alignment, or I ate the perfect combination of complex carbs and lean protien. Maybe it has something to do with barometric pressure or estrogen. Yep, that's it. Must be estrogen.

You are responsible for your own high, but I'll give you a few secrets about how to get there. The best highs happen when you don't put a lot of pressure on yourself. Give yourself plenty of time, don't commit to a specific distance, and enjoy the world around you. My greatest highs usually occur out on a country road, when I can see for miles without the interference of technology or development. Just farmland and houses and casual encounters with little creatures.

Wanna get high? Take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, then let it out slowly. Steady, controlled breathing helps with mental focus. And we all know this running game shakes out to be about 80 percent mental. With a fierce mental focus, you will run stronger and farther, and increase your likelihood of reaching that high.

But what does it really feel like? You are dying to know, aren't you? For the record, I have never done cocaine. But I told my husband today that if cocaine feels anything like the way I felt after my run today, I can see how easily people can get hooked. Here's what it feels like for me. Despite sweating profusely, I actually begin to feel a little chilled. Like the chill you get up your spine when you are really excited or in awe of something. I'm suddenly keenly aware of everything around me. Nature looks more beautiful, the air smells fresher, and nothing in my body hurts.

The best part of getting high is how good you feel about yourself. Unstoppable. You feel literally unstoppable. You don't hate the place where your ass meets your leg (the lass as I like to call it). You don't question decisions you made last week. You believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. For once, you believe in yourself. There is no better way to acheive a sense of self confidence then by getting high from running.

Go for it. Try to get high every day this week if you can. You won't have to spend one dollar or go anywhere scary to get your fix. It is addicting. You will want more. And you'll want to convince your family and friends to get high with you. I've even encouraged my kid to get high with me! But there are some days when I just want to keep it all to myself. I'm almost high just telling you about it!

What a rush!!