Runner's High

chillibreeze writer — Abhijit Ghatak

I would never trade anything for the chill of sweat evaporating on the face, the exhilaration of endorphins flowing in the veins, the packets of fresh air recharging the lungs, and the movement of the muscles making way. The rhythm orchestrated by the body in motion is like the playing of a symphony, a multi-sensual extravaganza, giving way to a feeling of such elation, the likes of which is hard to come by.

Running is a passionate addiction. Many runners have long claimed that they experience a strange euphoria when they are on their stride, and yet no one had named the sensation. A day’s absence of pavement pounding could sometimes send the runner on a ‘dizzy spin’. And it was till sometime after the appearance of Jim Fixx’s, The Complete Book on Running, did the ‘runners high’ fascinate not only runners, but also researchers.

It is said that the fever not only stops at the experience of euphoria, but also continues with the overall bodily feeling that resonates with the environment. A complete feeling of oneness with the surrounding envelops the jogger – a feeling of being enveloped in the very environment one beholds, during which the mind is not on the track; instead, like a sponge, it soaks in what passes by. It is a continuous celebration of the sights and sounds around, that drive us on the track and, not the thought of the distance ahead. It is dynamic. Because to arrive; is to end the celebration of the senses.

Well then, one may ask, how is it different from a sprightly walk? That is a good question! A walk does not stretch the muscles and the mind long enough. It does not invigorate the senses in full body and mind. And the complete abandon of the body in motion to the mind is definitely lacking.

Man’s locomotive habit is by far and in most cases has been walking. In dire consequences does he resort to a run and, in sheer emergency perhaps, he sprints. Human beings were designed to run – man’s survival has depended on hunting and on avoiding being hunted. It is only in the last hundred years or so, that developments have affected an evolutionary trend on modern man. Adaptation in this sense of the word has not been necessitated for survival. Rather it is comfort. Yes, and why not? But that is where the logic for not running stops.

So here we are in an era where comfort is derived from technology. It reminds me of an incident when as young cadets we used to go for our morning run along a lovely promenade by the sea, appropriately named ‘Admiral’s Walk’. It was only after a while that one of us had to face our divisional officer’s reprimand, when he had made necessary changes to the name of the promenade after altering it to ‘Admirals Walk while Cadets Run’. The Admiral did not raise any issue and the name stuck.

I have, with very few exceptions, always found a locomotive breath a great revival. Whether I had the afternoon sun beating on me, or the midnight cicadas bestowing me, I have had a complete feeling of freedom and abandonment. I have run up the hills and have jogged miles on sandy beaches. And every run has been different from the other. Every breath has been ecstasy. Every step has defied my body. And in the end, I don’t think I could ever trade this feeling with any other. Long live the long distance runner.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in April, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Abhijit holds a Masters degree in Engineering and Environmental Sciences. He served in the submarine cadre of the Indian Navy in the rank of a Commander for 20 years and thereafter worked with IBM for 3 years. He is also a certified scuba diver. He has been writing for 10 years and his forte is travel writing. He is currently based in Kolkata.

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