I had coffee with a friend today...actually my running partner. She is injured right now and can't run. She shared with me she is in a huge funk. She has no motivation, slightly depressed, and moody. Telling a runner that they can't run is like telling an alcoholic they can't drink. I know this because I'm both.
For a runner nothing is better than being on the road. Feeling your heart beat, having mental stillness footfall after footfall. You feel exhaustion, pain, and most of all you feel endorphins.
Endorphins ("endogenous morphine") are endogenous opioid peptides that function as neurotransmitters.[1] They are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during exercise,[2] excitement, pain, consumption of spicy food, love and orgasm,[3][4] and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a feeling of well-being.
The last sentence is Key......they resemble opiates
Running is an addiction to me. I need it to sleep well, keep my sanity and I enjoy the depth of pain that my body can go through to complete a long run. If I don't run every few days I become edgy and antsy. I feel trapped or start to get into a Funk. I was so exhausted after last week and wasn't sure how I was going pull off 14 miles. But once I started running all the pressure of my tasks went away. The road became the serenity I had been desperately seeking all week. When I start to become busy, running is the first thing I take out of my schedule. I used to never have the same courtesy with alcohol. I could always fit that in or force it in more like it. Running is my new drug of choice right now and has been since I was a little kid. Am I trading one drug for another? Some could argue Yes, but at least this is a healthier choice in life.
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