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Runner's High

Blogs > Juliette
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1 2 Next All
Juliette
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States6003 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-02-24 02:06:12
February 24 2012 02:05 GMT
#1
There's a certain thrill to a race that, as far as I know, only those who have raced before will understand.



It starts when you know you're up, soon. "On the deck," if you will. The race before yours has just begun; in my case, the 4x100 relays are kicking off and I have to get ready. There's a slight tinge in your heart, an extra skip in the beating as you warm up, stretch, and do whatever pre-flight checkup you happen to have. You hear the gun, you see the race begin, and you know it's almost time for you. The track beckons your name, and you simply can't help but stare at the race. You know you have to focus, however. Back to warm up.

+ Show Spoiler +


The feeling develops. The first races are almost done, and you almost don't care if it was your team or theirs that won. You'll know how it develops exactly. Hands start to numb, arms start to shiver, and your chest, oh, your chest. It's almost painful, isn't it? You look at the track, back over to your legs. Maybe you can't feel them, maybe you can. You're putting on spikes now. No more sweats, no more sweater. Just the thin singlet, shorts that are perhaps uncomfortably short, and, if you're smart enough, compression shorts meant to preserve what dignity you have. However instead of giving you comfort, it's like they're not really even there. You grip yourself, your tights, your shorts, and every part of your body that you can - it's cold, after all.

+ Show Spoiler +


Suddenly you're up. You know it's time, no matter how hard you wish for more time to prepare. A pounding in your chest now. Is that fear? Anxiety? Definitely fear. For the first time, you stop thinking about how your body feels and start thinking. The mind is at work now. You're still shaking, still trembling, but you're readying yourself. You'll meet the other racers, shake hands, offer luck - but you don't need it. You're a big shot.

+ Show Spoiler +


"Racers to your marks." It's the most dreaded thing one can hear. Your mind is set to think simple thoughts. Breathe. Get down. Get ready.

But you're too slow.

"Set."

You thought you were afraid before. Now the pressure of what feels like the whole world is on you. You're glued into place, weight on your fingertips. If you're not experienced, you might even be unfortunate enough to think, "don't false start." Remember practice? Pushups. This is worse. Don't. Fuck. It. Up.
Ironically, there's a pause here. Almost as if you were dying while waiting for that gunshot, the only option left is to think about everything. Like, "keep your trail leg up. boy."

Bang.

+ Show Spoiler +


You're off. You feel nothing, see nothing, hear nothing. No pressure; it's mind clearing and all that's inside you is, "breathe, left, right, breathe" in almost a perfect rhythm. No sky; just the finish line taunting you to reach it. No teammates, cheering on the sideline as you'll find out afterward, egging you on as best as they think they can. Just blank infinity, where body and mind are amalgamated and adhere to serve one another.

But when you cross that line, you'll find that it's only been 15, 16, 17 seconds, and your infinity was just a passing thought. It's time for pride, hard breathing, and, almost hidden, regret. I want more.



+ Show Spoiler +
I quit track my Junior year for school, and my first meet as a Varsity runner is tomorrow. While it's only a mock meet for the team to practice, I haven't been on the blocks and waiting for the gun in almost 2 years. Forgive the perhaps bad video quality, and the inadequate description of that pre-race feeling. My event is the 110 High Hurdles.


*****
OKAY FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE I SEE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
L_Master
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States8017 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-02-24 02:07:32
February 24 2012 02:07 GMT
#2
I'm not a sprinter, but I know some of these feelings from distance races that's for sure.

Best of luck in your race!
EffOrt and Soulkey Hwaiting!
PolskaGora
Profile Joined May 2011
United States547 Posts
February 24 2012 02:27 GMT
#3
Ahhh, your post brings back nostalgia of my many swimming competitions. I agree it's a feeling quite unlike any other. But it also brings back the emotions of me finding out I have to swim the 400 IM x.x It's such a brutal event that when you hear you're swimming it you feel like you just got sentenced to death.
Tracking treasure down
Rinny
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States616 Posts
February 24 2012 02:48 GMT
#4
Sprinters don't know anything about the runners high ^_^
Where my swarm at? Ye Yeee
Juliette
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States6003 Posts
February 24 2012 02:51 GMT
#5
Haha I did distance for XC but chose not to continue, wasn't for me. But I know what you mean!

And thanks, L_Master.

@Polska I've seen my school's swim team do 400s, it's crazy man .
OKAY FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE I SEE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
jrkirby
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States1510 Posts
February 24 2012 03:14 GMT
#6
That was epic writing.
mjf
Profile Joined April 2010
United States436 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-02-24 03:32:46
February 24 2012 03:31 GMT
#7
Also ran cross country, amazing.

good vibes all around
DreamChaser
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
1649 Posts
February 24 2012 04:00 GMT
#8
I don't know why, i have been running since i was like 8 years old but i have never gotten the runners high, i didn't do track till i was 17 (junior year in HS). But i had plenty of experience running, i was basically playing a sport every season i was well conditioned compared to most kids my age. But running has always been just something i knew i had to do to keep up my cardio. I have always been jealous of the runners who get these "highs"
Plays against every MU with nexus first.
Gogleion
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United States534 Posts
February 24 2012 04:24 GMT
#9
On February 24 2012 11:07 L_Master wrote:
I'm not a sprinter, but I know some of these feelings from distance races that's for sure.

Best of luck in your race!

I'm not a runner, but I know some of these feelings from cycling

+ Show Spoiler +
I knew you were going to post in this thread lol
EffOrt. That is all.
Hnnngg
Profile Joined June 2011
United States1101 Posts
February 24 2012 04:44 GMT
#10
Movers don't know about my sitter's high.

Sit down for 12+ hours and stand up, feels sooooo good.
funkyfritter
Profile Joined May 2010
353 Posts
February 24 2012 04:59 GMT
#11
NationInArms
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States1553 Posts
February 24 2012 06:36 GMT
#12
I do cross country and I kind of do track. Running is one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life. n_n
BW for life | Fantasy, MMA, SlayerS_Boxer | Taengoo! n_n | "Lelouch vi Britannia commands you! Obey me, subjects! OBEY ME, WORLD!" | <3 Emi
p4NDemik
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
United States13896 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-02-24 06:47:05
February 24 2012 06:44 GMT
#13
I've only experienced a Runner's High once, but it was really surreal, made me rethink what I could physically achieve.

I ran Cross Country all 4 years of high school, for the first few years not really trying to seriously compete, but rather aiming to just stay fit and enjoy the social aspect of being on a team. Senior year I decided I wanted to train seriously in the off-season and was an off-and-on part of the varsity squad throughout the season.

Towards the end of my Senior year I wasn't one of the top 5 runners (or 7 I can't remember how many ran) so I continued to run in the non-varsity races. One race the weather was pretty shitty, it wasn't raining but it had rained earlier in the day and much of the course would dip into wood-covered valleys and then we would have to struggle to make it up the incline through the mud. They negated this by laying down mats or something I can't remember but there was one part of the course that had a hairpin turn.

I was in like 4th or 5th place at this point, and I could feel myself beginning to fade, I think I was 1st or 2nd for a little while but people were passing me. So I come up to the turn and instead of coming to a virtual stand-still, pivoting, and then running, I leaned into the turn like an idiot and slipped, falling flat on my face and getting mud all over myself.

After I got up though the endorphins had already kicked in. The second wind that high provided was pretty incredible. I wouldn't even say I dug down deep to find what I needed to win, I just was able to run faster, close the gap, and then kick at the right time to win the race. Its like going into cruise control while you're in high gear and not coming down, while everyone else has to constantly remind themselves to go at maximum intensity. The ease of it was just weird, but amazing.

Really cool feeling. Now I want to get back to running as soon as the weather doesn't suck :D
Moderator
rift
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
1819 Posts
February 24 2012 06:44 GMT
#14
Thats not runner's high keke, it's on long distance runs when endorphins are released in the brain to allow you to surpass your pain limit (this is a continuous process)
mahi29
Profile Joined May 2011
United States235 Posts
February 24 2012 06:55 GMT
#15
Oh god, I just shivered when reading this. This brings back a lot of memories of track. I ran the 1600 and everyone crammed at the line and just waiting for the signal. Great read. I'm still shivering.
The mind is its own place, and in it self Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.
TzaTzers
Profile Joined April 2009
United States589 Posts
February 24 2012 07:23 GMT
#16
This was great, ran track and cross myself and also did wrestling. Really miss all three sports but mostly wrestling because of that feeling before and after the match (specially if you won) was so great.
"Why did the colossus fall over? because he was imbalanced..."
Juliette
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States6003 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-02-24 16:45:57
February 24 2012 16:41 GMT
#17
On February 24 2012 15:44 rift wrote:
Thats not runner's high keke, it's on long distance runs when endorphins are released in the brain to allow you to surpass your pain limit (this is a continuous process)

Felt like a better name than "oh god oh god Oh god" haha!

Thanks all, i don't think i can give an experience of the distance version, i don't have the milage .

Should have titled "sprinter's high" haha
OKAY FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE I SEE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
YPang
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
United States4024 Posts
February 24 2012 17:31 GMT
#18
I know exactly how that feels,

As a long distance runner, the "high" before the race was more of a scaredness of the pain that is to come. For example, during a 8k or 10k race, you KNOW it's gonna hurt, and you just gotta deal with it.
sMi.Gladstone | BW: B high| SC2: gold T_T
Zlasher
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States9129 Posts
February 24 2012 18:26 GMT
#19
Just adrenaline, not 'sprinters high' and definitely not runners high which is coined for long distance running when you're almost drunk on running, in a figurative way

Damn I miss T&F, that was my life for like 7 years in middle school and high school. I still follow it each year during the WC's and Olympics.
Follow me: www.twitter.com/zlasher
TORTOISE
Profile Joined December 2010
United States515 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-02-25 17:38:06
February 24 2012 22:42 GMT
#20
This is an Esports website, not a place to tlak aboot real Sports.

User was warned for this post








Not meant as a derailment or troll... just a bad joke.
◕ ‿‿ ◕ ๑•́ ₃ •̀๑ ( ͡ ° ͜ ʖ ͡°)
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