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Comment by adam_albrecht | Hacker News Reader

"Runner's High" is something I often hear about, but still have trouble fathoming. Whenever I'm running, all I can think about is how boring it is and how I want to stop. (and it's not because I can't do it - I'm in pretty good shape and could probably run 3-5 miles today without having done it in a while).

Any tips on learning to enjoy running?

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Runner's High is also called The Zone, and it's very similar to many other things that are called The Zone, including that hyper-focused state of consciousness that programmers can achieve, and that semi-hypnotic trance that lets you drive for 6 hours on I-5 from SF to LA without going mad. It doesn't happen every time, depending on mood, stress, environment, sunspots, etc.

For me, it has a lot to do with rhythm. I find a good pace that lets my breathing and my steps achieve some sort of parity. Then I let my actions become automatic. It takes a little while, your muscles have to reach some sort of equilibrium, you have to get a feel for the surface you're on, and my mind usually needs to dump some useless junk first. Eventually the buzz dies down to a drone and you don't think about anything except the motion of your limbs and the air in your lungs.

Find a back road with no distractions and very few other people. Some people like music, some don't (Grateful Dead is popular). I find roads absolutely impossible, they're a erratic pile of breaking concentrations held together with joint-destroying concrete. Find a pace where you don't have to stop. Find a trail long enough where you can forget in the middle how long you've been running and how much longer you have to go. It may take a while. Exhaustion helps.

I've been in runner's zone much more frequently than I've been in runner's high. I can get into runner's zone 1-2 miles in (usually after muscles are warm) but runner's high I can only get after a run that's longer than 8 miles.

I've experienced it several times, all of the times on runs over 80 minutes long. Basically, it feels like you're a seven year old.. you start getting these flashbacks into childhood where everything was calm and peaceful.

I remember the first time I had the high I flashbacked into my 8th birthday, where my parents bought me a radio as a gift and we went to my grandmother's house and there was a lot of sun, and everything was so warm and fuzzy. I ran for a couple more miles, came back home and noticed that everything was warm and fuzzy there too. This was a night run, so I slept/dosed off in the bed through the next day and woke up around 2-3am 24 hours later.

That's when I was hooked. That's also when the shit started going wrong.

(short: run faster); My experience is: most important: trust your inner voice, don't demand too much of yourself (be gentle and forgiving to yourself); BUT ALSO "no pain, no gain", run every(!) day at least one hour, run faster until you feel slightly(!) uncomfortable, push yourself a bit, and then try to hold your speed longer and longer (3, 5, 10, 15, ... minutes this is essential for experiencing runner's high), look only a few meters ahead, concentrate purely on running [e.g. how your feet touch the ground, breathing], don't think actively about life problems, be here and now (also essential for runner's high). Don't expect too much, there will probably be days where you perform not super good, that's ok. Allow yourself some slower sections or short pauses (the pressure to urinate is welcome) in between, but after these, don't forget to raise your speed again, until you're running (not jogging). Do some stretching after running (for faster regeneration). Do it daily like teeth brushing (no discussion), not more than 1 day pause in 7 days (light rain is no excuse); trust, that "bad mood-" or "having eaten too much-" feelings disappear after 15, 20 minutes of running. This is how I learned and learn daily to enjoy running more and more (runner since at least 10 years).

Oh, God...that is not worth it! ;)

It sounds harder than it actually is, you can always adapt to your personal situation, but if one always does only 15 minutes "jog, jog, jog", two times a week, without challenging himself and higher-tempo parts, that will not be enough for "runner's high". One has to put some effort into it, before you can reap.

Stretching after exercise can be harmful to recovery, actually. A massage is OK, but stretching should not be done until at least several hours later and preferably the next day.

Is this your own experience? I have never had any problems because of stretching after running, it feels very good, it takes the tension out of my muscles, loosens them. I've met another runner, and we did that after running automatically. Rhythm: 20 secs, short pause and 20 secs again.

The theory is that stretching after exercise worsens the muscular microdamage beyond what can be repaired during the normal recovery cycle.

Whose theory is that? My source of information (book "Ernaehrung und Training" by Dr. W. Feil and Dr. T. Wessinghage [european champion over 5000m in 1982]) clearly states, that "stretching [immediately after sport] is the gate of regeneration".

I think it's important to acknowledge that the first few miles of a run are the worst. If you think 3-5 miles is an exceptional distance you've probably never run long enough to really get into an enjoyable state. For me, it's around 7-10 miles.

Where you run matters too. I enjoy running near water - Fresh Pond or the Charles River. I'd suggest running daily, following Hal Higdon's marathon training guide wherever it's most beautiful. http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00index.htm

I "can't run more than a block" but I can ride my bike all afternoon. I've only experienced this a few times on long rides. This was back when I was riding quite a bit more than I do today - it took about 30-40'ish miles to get it. For reference this is on flat ground at about 1800 ft elevation. I'm not sure about running, but I would estimate that 3-5 miles isn't enough - maybe 10?

> Any tips on learning to enjoy running?

Run cross-country, or better yet, try another sport like cycling or long-distance/cross-country rollerskating.

It's an acquired taste. It's like first time you try espresso and you hate it, and then you're like "hey, espresso!" so you drink more, and then you finally love it.

Also like espresso, it is more harmful to the body parts involved than alternatives.

Run somewhere you may enjoy it. Running on the streets is an abomination. I know not everyone can live less than 1 km away from a forest, but...

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