Running makes you high

As many of you may be aware, I’ve had a rather rocky relationship with different substances during my life. Although managing to remain drug and alcohol free, I sometimes still tend to act in the obsessive and compulsive manner characteristic of addictive personalities. Be it working obsessively, throwing myself into new projects or suddenly deciding to give my motorbike a complete overhaul. With all the relevant investigating in the internet, buying the correct tools and of course instructional books to guide me. In fact in my obsessive compulsive way, I am never happier than when I have a plan or project on the go. Recently I lost two weeks of my life as I suddenly decided it was a good idea to import good quality handmade iron and brass beds from England to Spain. Within two weeks I’d set up a web site, a Facebook page, contacted with suppliers and organized an import company. I eventually realized that selling beds on a long term basis wasn’t something that I really wanted to do. By the way I still think they’re great beds and you can buy them here. But I digress.

My latest project has been on myself and has to be said one of my most ambitious projects of late. It all started “within” as we psychologists like to say. I was having a typical anxiety attack at work, like you do. It didn’t help being the wrong side of 45, smoking like a chimney and my only physical exercise was turning the television from the football to formula 1. After having what felt subjectively like a heart attack and being told objectively by my doctor that there was nothing wrong with me I decided to put my money where my mouth is and put together a Behavioural Program for myself (me being a behavioural therapist and all that).

I stopped smoking (more about that in another article), cut out fatty fried foods and started what began as a bit of light exercise. Light exercise quickly changed to running once or twice a week which became signing up for 10k runs with a group of ex-pats that I have the misfortune to knock about with occasionally. This has now become a weekly occurrence with running sessions during the week in preparation for the weekend run, not to mention a delighted but bewildered wifey.

You see it turns out that running is the perfect sport for obsessive and compulsive addictive types like myself. Addicts can be accused of being many things, such as irresponsible, immature, narcissistic and self- centered, but being lazy isn’t one of them. There is nothing more entrepreneurial than an addict trying to get high. A great capacity for suffering and the ability to drag oneself out of bed in the morning to find a way to score is a great skill that can be put to good work when you have to find the motivation to go out running on a rainy, windy autumn evening.

But why would you want to do that? I hear you asking, as I too have asked myself many times. It seems that it is all down to our endorphins, also known as endogenous opioid peptides that function as neurotransmitters that attach themselves to areas in the limbic system (also known as the reward system) and to our prefrontal cortex, where we rationalize. These two areas are also known to activate when we are in love. They are the areas that move our emotions and can alter our consciousness. No wonder that for years people commented on what was anecdotally referred to as “runners high”, where a feeling of euphoria was experienced by runners after completing a race.

This of course would go a long way to explaining why I am feeling grumpy this week as I have not been able to run or participate in a race at the weekend. I’m strung out! The neuro- receptors in my limbic system are screaming for endorphins, they want endogenous opioid peptides and they want them now! Next week I’ll be giving them it because I like that feeling, I’m a great fan of euphoria, I always have been. 

I believe we all are and we have an innate desire to change our consciousness. We do like a bit of euphoria and we can’t seem to help ourselves. We take mind altering substances like coffee and nicotine, we drive fast, we throw ourselves out of airplanes or we climb mountains, we love orgasms and we submit ourselves to 10k races. Why? I suggest because of our innate desire to alter our consciousness. 

For me running is one of the most gratifying ways of getting high, and I’ve tried various. It’s a moment of self discovery as you delve deep within yourself to overcome self doubt and physical pain. You are alone but in company, attached but at the same time detached. When you hit the magical moment, usually after about 20 minutes where body and breathing become one it is a transcendental moment, where I feel at one with the universe and is only surpassed by the euphoria of reaching the finish line.