It was perfect running weather almost all day today. It was cool, breezy and drizzling off and on. It was overcast with the sun peeking through the clouds once-in-a-while.
Instead of running intervals, I decided to switch it up with an hour-long tempo run around my office. I felt great throughout the run. I started slow on Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd slightly uphill and against the wind before picking up the pace after the first mile. It was all good from then on whether it was downhill or uphill, against the wind or with the wind, sidewalk running or street running. I ran 7.68 miles in an hour for a pretty decent average of 7:49 per mile!
Most runners run because they love it. Some have secondary reasons like fitness or training or racing or even losing weight; but if you don’t love to run, you switch to some other cardio exercise like bicycling, or some other repetitive gym-based equipment. My love for running started late in life on a whim when I decided to run the half-marathon with zero training. I was completely hooked after the first race. I love the race atmosphere, the adrenaline rush, the crowds, the racing and running culture and all of its peculiarities; I love researching and talking about equipment, technique and of course I love when I PR or medal at a race! Most of all though, I love a runner’s high.
A runner’s high is virtually impossible to describe. It is like the sound of the ocean while watching the sun rise; it is like scaling a mountain-top on a brilliant sunny day; it is like seeing a tiger in the wild while you ride an elephant in India; it is like eating chocolate-covered strawberries; it is like breathing the fresh morning air right after the rain; it is like smelling the distant wet earth just before rain falls in the desert; it is like feeling weightless and floating a few feet above ground; it is all of the above rolled into one. It is indescribable.
In the end a runner’s high is only something you can experience. If you have never experienced it, I feel sorry for you.