The Perfect High
Colorado is one of four states where marijuana is legal. As the movement to end prohibition gains steam, another five states are proposing legislation to legalize pot in 2016. By all accounts, times are changing.
I’ve never smoked marijuana, or anything else for that matter, but I certainly know what it’s like to be high. It is the perfect euphoric state, where your heart is pounding, your mind is crystal clear and your body hyper sensitive to the slightest touch. It is an experience I get when I am running.
I remember when I first started running, people would always talk about getting a runner’s high. At the time, I had no idea what they were referring to. It was frustrating because, from the way they described it, it sounded absolutely wonderful.
Merriam-Webster describes a runner’s high as: a feeling of euphoria that is experienced by some individuals engaged in strenuous running and that is held to be associated with the release of endorphins by the brain.
The definition is a gross injustice to the phrase. I would liken it to having an orgasm. It’s a total body experience where everything disappears…except for this overwhelming feel of tingles that takes your breath away. When a runner’s high will happen is at different times for different runners. For me, it didn’t happen until about my third race –about six months into running.
Running wasn’t always the first choice for exercise. I started seeing a trainer to tone some problem areas on my body. The goal was to look sexier in my swimsuit. As a warm-up, he would start with a quick 15 minute run to get the blood flowing. Then one day, he suggested that I enter a local race.
We started with a simple 5k (3.1 miles) race, with a relatively flat course. Perhaps the distance wasn’t long enough, or the pace of the race was too slow, because I didn’t get that climax everyone talked about prior to crossing the finish line. My runner’s high didn’t happen until my first half marathon (13.1 miles).
I was running ahead of my pace, coming towards mile nine when all of a sudden I got the chills, all I could hear was my breath, and the pounding of my heart. I could feel tears in my eyes, and this rush of pleasure and invincibility. It was like exploding and melting at the same time.
It leaves as quickly as it comes. No warning. I have no idea how long it lasts, because you lose all track of time. When it’s over, you feel like you’ve just been slapped back into reality.
There’s an article that talks about the science of it all, and whether it’s enough to get you across the finish line. Many runners (myself included) would argue, absolutely it is enough! It’s what I’m chasing every time I’m out there. That…and the finish line of course.
