ATLANTA – There is a new world record in the men’s marathon, an incredible feat that no doubt produced yet another case of a “runner’s high.”
When Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya crossed the finish line of the Berlin Marathon in 2:01:39, he seemed relaxed and fresh despite a grueling pace where he averaged 4:48 per mile over the 26.2-mile course.
Elite runners like Kipchoge sometimes experience a “runner’s high,” described as moments of pain-free euphoria in the middle of an agonizing run.
Why do they have this experience?
“For runner’s high, it’s rare,” says Atlanta Track Club runner James Dwyer.
It is not something you’re going to experience by jogging a couple of times around the block.
Joel Hardwick, an exercise physiologist with Piedmont Healthcare, says the runner’s high is typically experienced by athletes undergoing extreme workouts or runs of twenty to thirty miles.
“It doesn’t come during a leisurely run,” says Hardwick. “You have to push yourself.”
Runners who experience it say the pain seems to vanish.
“I remember thinking I should be hurting more,” says Atlanta Track Club runner Lacy Krout of her experience with a runner’s high.
You may have heard of endorphins. That’s part of it. When you push your body to the limit your brain creates endorphins that act as painkillers. Your brain convinces you that you’re more comfortable than you’re actually feeling.
“There’s definitely some long runs where I feel like I could run forever,” says Atlanta Track Club runner Bridgette Lyon.
But there’s something else.
Researchers have discovered that we have something called an endocannabinoid system. That’s cannabinoid as in cannabis, as in marijuana.
When your body is under extreme stress, neurotransmitters emit endocannabinoids that act as a stress reducer. In the middle of a painful exercise, you can experience a moment of euphoria, a blissful feeling that can cause you to think you’re invincible.
Runners say it is fleeting.
“Maybe it’s there a couple of miles, then it’s gone,” says Dwyer.
Hardwick says runners can more or less hypnotize themselves into a runner’s high by focusing less on the stress and strain and more on the rhythm of the run.
“You have to be positive,” says Hardwick. “You can’t have a sense of dread.”
In other words, you’re never going to bring on a runner’s high if you’re down.
