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Running Nerds Unite

Simply_Live, you wrote a lot and I want to say that I agree with most of it.

There is a key component to form that often goes hand-in-hand with heel striking, though not always. Many people who have this stride trait also heel strike, and therein lies some of the confusion. What I'm talking about is overstriding. When we run, we want to have our feet strike below our center of gravity, rather than in front of it. Overstriding puts a lot more strain on our leg muscles and does often lead to serious injury. I know I've been a victim of it.

Good:
NSFW:
barefoot-run.jpg


Bad:
NSFW:
runner1.jpg
(lol @ 2nd pic)

Now some people overstride naturally and it works for them, but for a lot of the population it leads to problems.

<runningnerd>
Haile Gebrselassie, widely considered to be the best distance runner of all time, overpronates like a mofo. It didn't stop him from running two world records in the marathon.
</runningnerd>

I guess my take-home point here is that we shouldn't try to alter our form if it isn't causing us pain. Cheers!
 
Runner's High: Article/ Experience?

I have been a long distance runner for the past 2 years and I always experience a mood lift every time I run. Almost like a high but not like being f'd up. Some people, claim that if they run long enough, they get a more powerful high... not so sure but, I researched it and found a very interesting article on the subject. According to this article, it is widely believed that the runner's high is caused by endorphin's released to moderate pain in the body, however there is a problem with this theory because endorphin's don't cross the blood brain barrier. They actually believe there is more evidence to support that cannabinoid receptors in the brain are actually what causes the runner's high. These receptors are the one's that attach to THC, the active ingredient in Marijuana. This is because running increases anandamide in the blood, which is a chemical naturally produced in the body similar to THC in chemical composition. Used to fight pain. Interesting article and good read.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--1102-0,00.html

Anyone want to share their experience with a runner's high? What do you think it is similar to?
 
^ Nice find! Didn't know this was a well known fact lol I will definitely read that.
 
btw, I don't remember having ever experienced runner's high, not even when running ~30 mins. Maybe I should run for longer periods of time? I just usually end up exhausted :p
 
I really want to experience that high. I've tried so hard, but I don't get it. I get the normal "super awesome happy" feeling after a workout, but I get that just in general and not specifically while running. I can't seem to increase the length of time I can run without a walking break. It's really frustrating me. The only thing keeping me going right now is that my arms are looking super sweet. LOL But, I want to feel that runner's high and it ain't happening for me.

I used to be able to take a puff from an inhaler and it helped, but the OTC inhaler was taken off the shelves as of December 2011.
 
I used to be able to take a puff from an inhaler and it helped, but the OTC inhaler was taken off the shelves as of December 2011.

Might I ask what it was? Maybe it's still sold here in Italy (or some other country in EU).
 
btw, I don't remember having ever experienced runner's high, not even when running ~30 mins. Maybe I should run for longer periods of time? I just usually end up exhausted :p

Definitely you should try to stretch out your runs to an hour. I don't ever remember feeling the gods in me during a 30 minute run, but an hour run definitely begins to get mythological for me.

Also, when I run 10 kilometers, the second five are faster and easier than the first five. The reason for this must be chemical, right?
 
Definitely you should try to stretch out your runs to an hour. I don't ever remember feeling the gods in me during a 30 minute run, but an hour run definitely begins to get mythological for me.

Intercalating 'fast' (maybe not fast in absolute terms:p) running with low intensity jogging is the only way I could see stretching my runs to 1h - could this work?

Also, when I run 10 kilometers, the second five are faster and easier than the first five. The reason for this must be chemical, right?

Well, when I run for more than 30 min I almost always experience a transition and running becomes easier (not sure about faster). I think that has something to do with switching to a complete aerobic metabolism + mobilization of energy reserves (burning fat) + recruiting other muscle fibers - so it's more than one factor
 
Might I ask what it was? Maybe it's still sold here in Italy (or some other country in EU).

Primatene Mist. It was sold OTC here up until the beginning of this year. Really helped me exercise better. Much better than coffee, which I use now to get me motivated after sitting all day at work and not wanting to work out.
 
I have been a long distance runner for the past 2 years and I always experience a mood lift every time I run. Almost like a high but not like being f'd up. Some people, claim that if they run long enough, they get a more powerful high... not so sure but, I researched it and found a very interesting article on the subject. According to this article, it is widely believed that the runner's high is caused by endorphin's released to moderate pain in the body, however there is a problem with this theory because endorphin's don't cross the blood brain barrier. They actually believe there is more evidence to support that cannabinoid receptors in the brain are actually what causes the runner's high. These receptors are the one's that attach to THC, the active ingredient in Marijuana. This is because running increases anandamide in the blood, which is a chemical naturally produced in the body similar to THC in chemical composition. Used to fight pain. Interesting article and good read.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--1102-0,00.html

Anyone want to share their experience with a runner's high? What do you think it is similar to?

After about decade of running distance, nine years of weed, and seven years of opiates I'd say that the feeling I get after a run feels like a combination of a mild opiate and mild marijuana high.

The feeling has greatly increased over the years, maybe due to my excessive use of both drugs? Not sure. It's been a while since I've run 5 or more times a week, but if I'm running 2-3 times a week I get pretty good euphoria after every run. Sometimes I'll finish my run, walk around a bit, take a shower, and I'll legitimately feel high.


I should mention that I've gone running after vaporizing weed many, many times and have also gone running on several different opiates, and I'm not sure if that has had a long term effect on how I feel after a run.
 
but does anybody feel it during the run? A feeling of automatic motion, where the mind is spectator.
 
Sometimes, but I think that is sometimes endorphins mixed with some other system and naturally occuring chemical something more along the lines of an adrenaline boost. Or it might have to do with your breathing it's effect on the sort of focus that comes within a run where you're relaxed and set in a sort of auto-pilot.

The high comes more afterwards. You have to put in the work to produce the endorphins and anandamide.
 
Not sure if this has been linked before but another interesting article about the runner's high and more specifically its relationship with endorphins (or lack thereof):

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/phys-ed-what-really-causes-runners-high/

also WTF @ joggerbot.

Well, now that summer is really here I'm trying to get more running in but school is freaking raping my schedule at all hours and I live near a major highway so instead of nice trails downtown I'm getting the shitty vehicle noise and fumes -_- I still love cars to death but god damn they are dirty fucking machines.
 
I really want to experience that high. I've tried so hard, but I don't get it. I get the normal "super awesome happy" feeling after a workout, but I get that just in general and not specifically while running. I can't seem to increase the length of time I can run without a walking break. It's really frustrating me. The only thing keeping me going right now is that my arms are looking super sweet. LOL But, I want to feel that runner's high and it ain't happening for me.

I used to be able to take a puff from an inhaler and it helped, but the OTC inhaler was taken off the shelves as of December 2011.

You can get the "Runner's high" or endorphin rush from any cardio exercise. I've hiked mountain trails and gotten it that way.

I personally would not compare it to an opiate, and I've never taken MDMA/MDA or any MDXX drugs or RCs.

If you have Asthma or another respiratory issue can you go to a doctor and get a different inhaler for it?
 
Happy runners bump. :)

It's warming up here in the Southern Hemispere. Makes running a completely different activity.. Suddenly I have to worry about sun in my eyes (we run in the early evening) and sweating BUCKETS.

The sun thing bothers me the most. I wear glasses everyday, and need them while running too (lest I fall and break a leg :p ) - so I need to wear prescription sunglasses while running. Problem is my two pairs are very 'fashion' oriented, and not overly practical to have clunking around my face..

I have looked at a sports band, but they look pretty lame.. What are people's experiences with wrap around sport sunglasses? Are there any bespectacled runners around the place?
 
If your prescription is symmetrical or even integers, you should be able to find cheapo glasses. I'm guessing 5-10 dollars? In the states they're sold in grocery stores, drug stores/pharmacies, etc. They will most likely look hideous; it's a matter of function over form I suppose. I would assume Australia has the same sort of thing.

I am shortsighted myself and use my contacts if I need to, for example if it's raining or something. Trying to run in the rain with glasses is like, totally the worst thing ever. Contacts can get expensive however :(
 
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