High

I achieved runner's high at what turned out to be the eighth mile of my run today. It's not particularly uncommon for me, but it's been a while since I had it last.

It's not, for me at least, some abstract or metaphorical feeling, but a specifically discernible state of body and mind. It is distinct from an adrenaline rush, though the two can be present simultaneously.

I find its triggers are both psychological and psychological, but the main prerequisite is that of having pushed myself - generally for a reasonable period of time (i.e. 40, 50, 60 min +), as opposed to simply sprinting flat out for a few minutes. Fatigue, pain and muscle ache become subdued and one has the ability to push harder, uninhibited, which further increases the rush. It certainly entails what is referred to as a second wind, though it might be the third or fourth . The hormone spikes, or whatever they are, also tend to occur in conjunction with particularly energetic and compelling tracks cycling through on the shuffle. I need to write a long post some time upon the bond between running and music.

Unfortunately my high died off during a thirty second wait for a traffic light to turn red so that I could cross the road. Always nice to get one towards the end of a long run, though.