Time stops, I fly, I am no longer in my body; however, I can still feel it. Words are hard to find to describe my state of mind and the physical sensation in my body. I am running and I am unstoppable, invincible, and happy. This experience of Runner’s high is a memory that I value. As a long distance runner, I am often close to this feeling of true Runner’s high. Well, at least according to my own definition. On my runs, especially on my long runs, I frequently feel excited and euphoric – amazing sensations which are part of the reasons why I run. However, the difference or maybe I should say distinction between Runner’s high and euphoria is something that I cannot explain. I guess that it’s something one must experience in order to understand.

There is a specific moment and place where I got Runner’s high on a long run. The year was 2010 and I was on a training camp in Portugal. Two weeks before the trip, I’d had the flu with high fever so on this trip, I was only starting to recover. Still, I wanted to run the long distance with the group. It was in the month of March and the weather was perfect for running – sunny and warm but not too hot.

We were about 40 persons who ran this approximately half marathon route and we divided ourselves into smaller pace groups. I ran with 5-6 other people and there was a nice atmosphere; we ran, talked, and enjoyed the moment. After about 12 kilometers, we stopped, took a short break, and drank some water. A woman asked me how I felt now (I had told her about my flu) and I felt good and grateful for running again.

We continued and there were some up and down hills but I felt strong. We came to a quite big road with a gravel sidewalk and the next kilometer was straight and flat. Suddenly, I felt I was flying. It was a feeling of being outside of my body but still in control. It was a sensation of true awareness and presence. I cannot remember for how long it lasted but I think a few minutes. And it didn’t really stop; I was still “high” the rest of the run and afterwards.

Since then, I have been back to the same training camp, the same place, several times. Every time, I run this specific route. It’s one of my favorites, not only because of my Runner’s high but also because it’s beautiful, rural, calm and has very little traffic. However, the interesting thing is that every time I come to this section of the route, I feel a little high and I automatically run a little faster. In addition, I regain energy. Since it is at the end of the run, it is natural to feel a little tired but I always feel strong and confident.

The body is fantastic and it’s fascinating how the mind can affect your physical fitness and performance. Why do I always get energy when I run on the path where I previously had Runner’s high? Is it the body or the brain that remembers? Or both? Nevertheless, I believe that the body has so much more capacity than you think. You can achieve and do so much more than you might think possible.

Two weeks ago, I was back on the training camp. This time, I had more courage to leave my comfort zone; I tested my own limits – both physically and mentally. If you’ve read my earlier blog posts you’ll know that I’ve had problems with my right hamstring for a while and that it has prevented me from running as much as I’ve wanted. Well, I let it prevent me from doing what I love. In Portugal, I challenged my body and it was partly because of an article I read about pain. More about that in my next blog post.

Have you had Runner’s high? I would like to hear about it so please feel free to comment and tell your story.