Continuous exercise can produce short-term euphoria, an affective state associated with feelings of profound contentment, elation, and well-being, which is colloquially known as a “runner’s high” in distance running.
Maniac Newsletter cover
Lotta attention attributed to ‘runner’s high’, a naturally induced opioid-like euphoria. Long distance run junkies, the accusation.
My CEO refers to ‘earned energy‘ in his blog below. Lotta kind words (thanks Paul) but I tell ya: my high energy level wasn’t achieved overnight. It’s consistency – not weekend marathoning – which produces that addictive endorphin high.
‘earned energy’ [unlike drugs] is maintained in the body 10-12 hours, a full work day+. Steadiness, high productivity, even temperament & mega confidence spills over into ALL aspects of life – not limited to only the morning run.
My injury in April, blessing in disguise.
have seen much of Indiana thru the eyes of my running partner Carolyn
Broken down physically, went back to the run archives & re-started the process. Training. Knowing I’d struggle posting 3 weeks of consistent mileage, added an accountability partner (Carolyn) to keep me true to the process. Less than a week left in May, I’m on track to finish 200 miles – first time since 2014. FAAANNNTASTIC!
Don’t confuse the message though. It’s not the # of miles; it’s the getting up when you’re tired, bored, busy, depressed, hot, cold, blah – whatever excuse – getting up & moving.
opportunity: 24 hours a day, every single day. Use ONE of those hours – just ONE – & give back to yourself. Make it count & MOVE.
[preachy segment] Surround yourself with positive peeps. We are not obligated to solve our friends & family’s problems. Be there for a mate (everyone has a bad day) – but ya know, not everyone wants to be rescued. Some folks are perpetually stuck. I can’t because… I could but… If only I… You can’t…
Distance yourself. Detach. What I’ve learned? No one is ever gonna remember. If you’re doing it hoping for recognition – it’s not coming.
Skydive, volcano hike, marathon all 50 States – do YOUR thing, but do it. Walk the talk. Live now. Laugh. Smile. Be happy. #noregretlife
Mounds State Park, IN (running posts from Carolyn)
Paul’s Post: Earned energy
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Our financial controller, Keenan Haga, likes to run. He likes it a lot. He’s one of only a handful that has run 50 marathons before he was 50.
One of the reasons he runs is for the earned energy, called endorphins. Endorphins charge you up after exercising and, if you exercise enough, you start to depend on them, hunger for them, like a junkie. Endorphins are the prize I get after a morning run, though my efforts are paltry compared to Keenan’s.
Energy you earn is superior to energy you force into something (like the “energy” of caffeine). Take for example a DAC.
We’re in the middle of the final voicing of Torreys, the new operating system for DirectStream and DirectStream Junior. And one of the things that strikes me most is the energy some of the versions present. We voice the DAC by careful listening to different compilations of FPGA code. Each compile sounds different than the other. On some versions voices, both human and instrumental, seem to resonate with an energy that is very close to the spine tingling reactions we get at a live performance. Yet other versions are dull, lifeless, and sound recorded.
I suppose you could duplicate the energy some versions present by artificially pumping up a certain frequency range, adding energy artificially, but I bet it would never sound the same or have the sense of magic I hear in these version changes.
I think energy, naturally acquired through the hard work of exercising or voicing products, will always trump external attempts to add in something that isn’t natural.
Better to earn it than to force it.
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Run the Year Motto: Run, Crawl, Walk, Conquer, Dominate 2,016 miles in 2016
April 2016 update: Overall, mighty tough month – as much mental as physical. Suffered my first major running injury – IT band (left knee) overuse (fairly common) which resulted in my first DNF (St. Louis) & sidelined me the 2nd half of the month.
Positives? Not being able to run (doctor restricted) was probably the kick in the butt I needed. Taking for granted I could just show up & post 26.2s each weekend without putting in consistent training hours – was a much needed wake up call.
2016 I’ve added ultras, trail marathons & doubles (Saturday/Sunday marathons). Filled up my marathon calendar from January to December (no exaggeration, already registered for the Death Valley Trail Marathon Sat Dec 3rd). But if you look at my ‘Run the Year’ mileage tracker, I’ve been anything but consistent. Lotta blank spaces Mon-Fri, tens of miles posted each weekend.
2 month focus (May & June): CONSISTENCY
What’s the plan?
Short-term: Working with a physical therapist to get healthy. Finished my 50 States, April 30th & May 1st (2 marathons, 2 states, 2 days). However, running another double only 2 ½ weeks into therapy, kinda reset the recovery clock back 🙁
Long-term: Added an accountability partner: Carolyn, an Indiana-based runner I met during an ultra run in New Mexico. I’ll PR this Fall (sub-4 again), she’ll BQ (Boston qualify). Can’t fail if you don’t set goals.
Race ReCap: trail marathon in Kansas (multiple water crossings, fave trail race to date), first marathon fail (at mile 21) in St. Louis, finished state 49 in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois on the 30th.
Mileage ReCap: Epic fail; ended April at 601 miles (71 miles short of goal).
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- ended April at 601 miles
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- Milestone 600
Back home from St. Louis, visited my doc & soon after, added physical therapy. IT band injury my primary source of pain – pretty common among runners, nothing special…but mighty debilitating.
Increasing miles this year, coupled with lack of consistent training my downfall. Diagnosis: No running for 4-6 weeks. What?! Marathon schedule is FULL thru end of June – every weekend booked, all races registered, most flights ticketed.
Meds dulled the persistent bursts of shooting pain up my left leg, particularly the left knee outer band. Iced my knee each evening after work. Disappointment, depression. Work, home, sleep. FOOD coma. Ate ‘til I gorged, then slept.
Missed Blue Ridge Marathon. No $$ recourse for flights on American. (Technically, I could reschedule but the $200 penalty per leg was more prohibitive than the cost of the ticket itself.)
Swimming.
Never say never, right? I HATE lap swimming – gave it up after Ironman in 2014. Now part of physical therapy, my only means of approved activity. Would start cycling (spin class) on Tuesday – another sport dismissed after Ironman – but no running.
FaceBook smiles & marathon medals – folks would be running Boston on Monday. Will never be that fast. Sub 3:30 to qualify for guys my age.
More food – an entire pan of lasagna. Heavy spring snow so stayed indoors. Netflix binged – hours of nothing special. Walked Ro, back in bed. No shower since Friday morn. 2 tubs of hummus, half loaf of cinnamon toast. HUGE plate of spaghetti. More sleep.
Why am I blogging this?
EVERYONE suffers disappointment. EVERYONE slips into periods of depression. Just ‘cause we don’t post a pic, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Many of us replace the void with FOOD or alcohol or other vices. The trick is coming back – re-finding yourself, re-finding purpose, filling the void, filling the dark time.
Up 12 lbs since October. Haven’t marathon trained since July 2015 – just keep showing up. It’s been a great ride, a wild 50 State journey…but somewhere amidst all the travel last fall/this Spring, got off-center.
I’m better than this – I know better. From sad to mad.
Sunday 4pm – grabbed my first shower. Snow stopped.
Long walk with Ro. He LOVES snow, life, food, LOVES me. Pretty simple really. Tomorrow’s gonna be different. It’s a process – life, that is – right? Not expecting an overnight insta-turnaround. Small steps lead to better life decisions, healthy change.
No marathon again next weekend – but also no new pan of lasagna.
Baby steps 🙂
Next week: Forgiveness
The mountains are calling. Getting quiet & going on a Colorado hike.
