Endurance Runner's High

Of the more than twenty million Americans who are running today, most who start do so for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitude, and tend to lose interest after a few weeks or months. Many quit. This is usually because they become concerned with superficial goals such as time and distance and never discover the more profound mental benefits that running offers. (Lilliefors 15)

How two minutes’ worth of running prior to your workout could trigger the release of high amounts of testosterone.

A common adverse affect of overtraining for an elite athlete is ‘Overtraining Syndrome’. Overtraining syndrome is a neuroendocrine (neural input cells in the brain) disorder characterized by poor performance in competition, inability to maintain training loads, persistent fatigue, frequent illness, disturbed sleep and the most frequent in an elite athlete: alterations in mood state (Nature Immunology and Cell Biology Laurel T Mackinnon May 2000). Nearly all athletes experience the mood deterioration observed without impairment in sport performance. Since the goal is to reach a point of improved performance within the athlete the athlete then has to reach his/her limits of physical capacity (or even beyond) and since the balance between the right amount of training and overtraining is a fragile line many athletes suffer from this overtraining syndrome. It is not the hard training that makes you stronger in fact it makes you slightly weaker, it is the rest that will allow your body to grow stronger. Physiologic improvement in sports only occurs during the rest period following hard training. Due to this need for hardened training many elite athletes overwork themselves

This I believe that even if you aren’t the fastest runner or even on varsity, a runner's high can boost one’s confidence and willingness to do more. Not competitively but for fun because of the power a runner’s high

In the book The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen, the main character Jessica is trying to adjust to a new life without one of her legs. Another character, Rosa, helps her through this while facing a disability of her own. Rosa was born with cerebral palsy. Even though some people don’t take the time to really get to know her, she has some great qualities that should make people want to. In the book, Rosa gets those close to her to see her real self instead of just seeing her as the girl in the wheelchair that has trouble talking. She manages this through using some of her best qualities: her friendliness, joy in helping others, and optimism.

When running, two feel good chemicals that are ejected into the brain called: Endorphins and Endocannabinoids. These chemicals make you happier and reduce risk of sadness and depression, this is why running is a great way to end a bad day (Fetters). Not only does running have many mind and mood benefits, it also has many other health benefits as well. For example, It's good for a person's muscles, brain, and even heart. The two main muscles that running helps are the core and the legs, and in some cases even knees. ¨A Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise study of nearly 100,000 runners found that runners are half as likely to get knee osteoarthritis than people who walk. Even running a short distance in a longer time frame, gives the same benefits that every runner tends to receive and more than the average walker¨, (Fetters). There are also two psychological benefits as well, one is mood improvement and the other is long-term self esteem improvement. Also, running is a great way to encourage creativity. Some runners have expressed that they get their best ideas when they are on a run (Harkins). There are so many more benefits that you can get from the act of running, including weight loss, immune system boosts, increase in bone mass, increase in lung function and the strengthening of the heart, which ends up reducing the risk of heart

Most athletes would say that the adrenaline rush is one of the greatest part of the game. John Donvan proclaims, “...the greater adrenaline shock I can put to the system…” I believe Donvan is saying that adrenaline creates more interest and excitement in the activity or sport he is doing, and that motivates him to continue in that certain activity. Being an athlete, I can relate to this claim. Sports take an extreme amount of physical and mental strength, and sometimes, mid-game for example, you may lose that strength. You then

To survive in a world full of opposition, dangers, systemic rules, and a constant barrage of expectations many are left with few choices but to push on without clear vision of an enjoyable future. Throughout a thousand splendid suns, the female protagonists Mariam and Laila have a myriad of cruel, violent, and antagonizing challenges thrown at them. Despite the multiplicity of hardships, they both find hope, but also each other, to cling to, which dampens the stream of difficulties. Endurance is a critical trait when faced with the human condition, one that requires tolerance of inevitable suffering, an undying patience, and Allies to help and support one through the most difficult of times.

During the featured article “how to make your exercise high last,” the author, S. Angle, describes the high you receive during and after a workout. This high is a feeling that you can’t miss, it happens after a great workout is finished, this feeling puts one's self in an astounding mood, plus making you ready for your next workout. The only problem with this is that it simply lasts for about 20 to 30 minutes before the feeling begins to go away. Studies by Johannes Fuss, Ph.D., the lead research of this study, have recently proven that this high feeling that many people enjoy are from our levels of endocannabinoids, and endorphins being at high levels. Endocannabinoids tend to have a more powerful effect on how we feel. Firstly, Endocannabinoids

It was a hot sunny day on the turf and the steaming heat was traveling through the turf buds below my cleats. As we were doing the beep test I could hear the birds chirping in the air. The warm breeze was hitting me in the face while I was running giving me more energy to continue on.

In order for someone to be a successul marathon runner, one must extensively prepare for the race, have patience along the way, and put in the effort. The first step of planning is to acquire as much knowledge on the specs of the event as possible. Plenty of insight can be drawn from previous racers' experiences and tips. By listening to others who have accomplished this feat, one can learn from their successes and failures in their racing. In Hosea 4:6, God says his people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, that is why it is vital for one to glean upon others' wisdom. Another important attribute of an adept marathon runner is patience. As with every great athlete, they did not become successful overnight. If someone does not practice

Anyone who has ever been involved in an endurance competition like running, swimming, doing a triathlon or any other kind of endurance exercise knows generally how it goes. It starts out generally easy, gradually progressing and becoming more and more grueling through each rep or interval. Soon enough, shortness of breath, muscle fatigue, and a sense of exhaustion sets in. At this point, some throw in the towel and stop while others gut it out and fight the ever-intensifying fatigue. This, for the most part, is what separates the elites from the mediocre, but how is it that some can overcome this painful sensation while others crumble at the thought of it. The answer is the mind.

Exercise dependency can have similar effects, as it also works on the limbic system, otherwise a dependency would not develop. Exercise, however, relies on the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus to release endorphins once glycogen stores are depleted. This could be why exercise dependence is more prevalent in aerobic athletes such as runners or triathletes. Essentially, the endorphins work in the same way as

When exercising, a chemical titled as endorphin is released, endorphins ‘interact’ with receptors within the brain which then diminish one’s sensitivity to pain, this is also known as endorphins acting as ‘analgesics’ or painkillers. Endorphins also act similarly to sedatives. Endorphins released during exercise are responsible for causing a positive reaction within the body and improving the mood of the subject. The chemical is produced within the brain, spinal cord and a number of other primary areas of the body and are released as a response to ‘brain chemicals’ titled as neurotransmitters. Exercise is a major factor of stress and anxiety

The Endurance is about the struggle of 28 men who journey through the Antarctic. Shackleton was able to recruit men to sail on the Endurance to the Antarctic and cross by foot. The men were ready for adventure and excited to begin the journey with haste, not realizing that they were going to encounter the struggles of survival. Some of the many ways that they were able to overcome adversity was by strong relationships, purpose, and cheerfulness.