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Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

well.blogs.nytimes.com

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Re: Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

#11

Post by kristofferR »

moron4hire wrote: post #3

I have never experienced it. Even when I was very physically fit (I was a martial arts instructor in college), I never got any pleasurable sort of feeling from working out. I enjoyed the activity itself, but the end result was always exhaustion and a vaguely nauseous feeling. Considering other things that are supposed to make you feel "high, aka good" (like the Vicodin I had been prescribed when I got my wisdom teeth…

I don't have the time to do the googling right now, but I'm pretty damn sure that I've read somewhere that a relatively small minority of people are genetically incapable of experiencing the runner's high.

Re: Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

#12

Post by moron4hire »

kristofferR wrote: post #11
moron4hire wrote: post #3

I have never experienced it. Even when I was very physically fit (I was a martial arts instructor in college), I never got any pleasurable sort of feeling from working out. I enjoyed the activity itself, but the end result was always exhaustion and a vaguely nauseous feeling. Considering other things that are supposed to make you feel "high, aka good" (like the Vicodin I had been prescribed when I got my wisdom teeth…

I don't have the time to do the googling right now, but I'm pretty damn sure that I've read somewhere that a relatively small minority of people are genetically incapable of experiencing the runner's high.

After about 20 years, I just assumed that was the case. For all of the 90s and most of the early 2000s (aka before clickbait was a thing) I had a sneaking suspicion the entire world actually enjoyed the taste of soap in their food from adding cilantro, too.

But according to the other posters here on HN, I've just been doing it wrong.

Re: Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

#13

Post by [deleted] »

sritchie wrote: post #10
moron4hire wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My thought process during running: Oh great, let's stare at the ground for the next hour. Let's trod the same ground, day after day. Yep, that pile of cigarette butts is still there. Oh look, the street cleaning crew missed that weird children's doll in the gutter again. This is so much fun. Let's do this for the rest of our lives.

That sounds like you're using some disgusting city block as a treadmill. Check out Trailporn for some alternative venues: http://www.trailporn.com/

[deleted]

Re: Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

#14

Post by fdej »

sritchie wrote: post #10
moron4hire wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My thought process during running: Oh great, let's stare at the ground for the next hour. Let's trod the same ground, day after day. Yep, that pile of cigarette butts is still there. Oh look, the street cleaning crew missed that weird children's doll in the gutter again. This is so much fun. Let's do this for the rest of our lives.

That sounds like you're using some disgusting city block as a treadmill. Check out Trailporn for some alternative venues: http://www.trailporn.com/

Some of us need would need to run for an hour just to get away from the city blocks. Well, I'm currently fortunate enough to have a park just nearby, though it's a rather small and boring park... nothing like living next door to a vast forest full of trails (as I did when growing up).

Re: Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

#16

Post by chipgap98 »

kstenerud wrote: post #15

Huh. This would certainly explain a lot. I can't get high from cannabis, and I've never ever gotten a runner's high despite doing a weekly 6 mile run for the past 3 years and training hard for boxing.

I've only hit runners highs on much longer runs. Like 10-15 miles. Totally anecdotal, but you might need to try going further.

Also, what do you mean you can't get high from cannabis?

Re: Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

#17

Post by subpixel »

sritchie wrote: post #10
moron4hire wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My thought process during running: Oh great, let's stare at the ground for the next hour. Let's trod the same ground, day after day. Yep, that pile of cigarette butts is still there. Oh look, the street cleaning crew missed that weird children's doll in the gutter again. This is so much fun. Let's do this for the rest of our lives.

That sounds like you're using some disgusting city block as a treadmill. Check out Trailporn for some alternative venues: http://www.trailporn.com/

Interestingly, my first exhilarating running experiences came about when I started trail running.

I wasn't a heavy runner before, but I had trained for/completed an Olympic triathlon, and run several miles every once in a while like most formerly-athletic people.

But the first time I ran on a trail in the woods I was like "YEAH!" and I still get no similar rush from street running though I do that 10+ miles a week these days.

Re: Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

#18

Post by tetraodonpuffer »

saiya-jin wrote: post #5
Synaesthesia wrote: post #2

When withdrawing from weed I found one of the only effective substitutes is exercise, really makes me feel the same way.

How much did you smoke when you decided to cut it? I find the extra creativity, and sometimes vastly different viewpoint on many matters in life (probably all of them) is invaluable. Another thing is (in some circumstances) almost constant stream of out-of-blue ideas, solutions to situations/problems etc coming from subconsciousness. In life as usual, these are much more scarce. Some of best ideas/decisions in my lif…

I bike commute to work for a significant amount of time (about 1:15 each way) and most days I get out-of-the-blue ideas and solutions to situations/problems starting usually around 45 minutes in. It also often happens that I get a shift of perspective/viewpoint on something that is affecting me.

If you are not getting any of this when working out may I suggest going longer? After all for most people the "runner's high" doesn't really happen unless you run for a significant amount of time (personally, same as for riding, it usually takes at least 45 minutes before it starts, for other people I know even an hour)

I have to say that when I can't ride to work but have to take transit (when it's icy out) I am definitely less effective due to the lack of this 2x/day burst of additional creativity (which is helpful on the way back too, get home, fire off emails and note some plans for the next day).

Note I have never taken drugs so I can't offer any comparisons.

Re: Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

#19

Post by deveac »

kstenerud wrote: post #15

Huh. This would certainly explain a lot. I can't get high from cannabis, and I've never ever gotten a runner's high despite doing a weekly 6 mile run for the past 3 years and training hard for boxing.

I've never gotten "runner's high" either, and I've definitely ran further and longer than than what is required to achieve it according to my runner friends (8 miles).

Mostly running is just a mix of pain and boredom for me to the point where I simply cannot bear it. The only way I can run is if there is a goal/agenda of some sort...like playing Soccer for instance.

Re: Homing in on the Source of Runner’s High

#20

Post by js2 »

One possible if slightly disheartening lesson of the study could be, in fact, that we may need to cover considerable mileage in order to experience a runner’s high; the mice in the study, small as they are, averaged more than three miles every day on their wheels.

I'm on track for 3000 miles this year. I ran over 2000 miles last year. My shortest run in the last few months is 4 miles, and that's on days when I double with a 6 mile run. I've raced almost a dozen marathons and I run the half-marathon distance a couple times a week. So I think it's fair to say that I "cover considerable mileage." This isn't all just slow miles either. As any runner trying to improve, I also run intervals of varying distances and tempos (where you run about as fast as you could race for an hour, but for about 30-45 minutes).

So I enjoy running. There are runs where I'm relaxed and in the groove and the miles just click by. But that's just an enjoyable experiece, like relaxing at the beach. It's nothing like the high from smoking marijuana. Or the exhileration from something like sky diving that first time. Or post-orgasm bliss.

I've also spoken with a few ultra-marathoners, runners that cover 50-100 miles or run for 24 hours straight. None of us have experienced a "high" from running. Have we all been duped? Maybe we're all expecting the wrong thing?

I'm envious of those mice... :-)

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