No such thing as a “Runner’s High”
Yesterday was my training with the Laval University Running Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday we do some pretty intensive interval training as a way to drastically improve our speed and endurance. The premise is short bursts of high speed/output running. While it sounds easy, it really isn’t!
Yesterday was supposed to be “easier” training as this week is supposed to be a “small” or “easy” week. On the menu? 1,200m with a 1.5min break followed by 400m then a 3 min break. Repeat 2 more times for a total of 3. Yeah, so when you’re pushing your body to barely make 1,200m without crashing then starting up for another 400m (which is now supposed to be faster) your motivation kinda wanes. No, that’s not true, your motivation is pretty much gone and you’re just hanging on to survive. It’s brutal. But it definitely helps later on, on race day.
That brings me to my point and title of this post. The runner’s high. You know. That magical euphoria that runner’s are supposed to experience when they push themselves to their limit during a race? Yeah, it doesn’t exist. All I feel during a race is pain and fatigue. Pain in my overworked legs and utter despair in my head. At that point, I’m just trying to cope with it all. What’s keeping me going? The moment I can cross that finish line and stop moving. Like I’ve always said, the faster you go, the faster it will end. That’s what pushes me. That’s my motivation. The drive to get it done with and make the pain stop so I can go get my after race yogourt and banana. What can I say. That feeling of relief when you cross the finish line. That’s what I love.
