If ever there was a support group for those addicted to “the runners high” my family and friends would arrange for an immediate intervention and drag me to the meeting. They think it’s strange that I lace up my running sneakers on vacation; They think I’m down right crazy for getting up at 4:30 a.m. to “get in a run” when my schedule is jam-packed; And they sure don’t understand why I would put my body through the grueling 26.2 miles of a marathon. In a way, running is an addiction. “The runner’s high” is not a myth and for those who have experienced it, you know the euphoria that goes along with finishing a great run.
My love affair with running began eight years ago when I entered college and to this day, my sneakers and I have been inseparable. My freshman year of college, I walked onto the school’s division one cross country and track teams (impressive, right?). Well, to be honest there were no try-outs. I showed up to preseason in my worn-out cross-training sneakers and a too-big cotton t-shirt. I stuck out like a sore thumb compared to all the other girls who were in their new running kicks, showing off their sports watch tans, wearing spandex and cute matching tops. Not only were the girls dressed the part, but they were exchanging stories abo
ut their summer training and how many miles a week they were running, what place they had finished in a recent race or when their last Fartlek was. I felt a sense of doom come over me, thinking “what did I get myself into?” I hadn’t run more than 4 miles at one time, and I sure didn’t know what a “Fartlek” was.
With little confidence, I set out running with the team on our first of many runs together. I was determined to stay with the pack leaders. It wasn’t easy at first, but to my surprise (and the surprise of the team) I did. And for my entire college career I stayed with the lead pack; finished first in a handful of races and received various awards for my accomplishments.
I was hooked on running, and I even enjoyed Fartleks. I learned the difference between a tempo run and an interval run. I learned the importance of both the long run and hill workouts. I discovered that taking a day off doesn’t erase all of your training and can actually speed recovery. I experimented with pool running, lifting both before and after running (a popular debate these days), tested various running sneakers (my favorite: Asics), performed workouts with a heart-rate monitor, ran doubles (running in the morning and then again at night), competed in races from a half -mile up to marathon distance and so much more. But those are topics for another day.
People begin running for different reasons; some do if for weight loss, some do it for the social aspect, some run to be healthy, or to raise money for a cause like breast cancer awareness. I started running to prove you don’t need fancy sneakers, or top of the line running gear to keep up. You don’t need to be serious about racing, or know how many miles are in a 5k. You just need to appreciate “the runners high.” And when you do, don’t be surprised if you get addicted like me.
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