Weeks 10-12 – Running high.

 

You may have heard of the phrase “runners high”. It’s not to be mistaken for running after having consumed an intoxicating substance. No. It’s in reference to the endorphins that kick in after the first 10 to 15 minutes of strenuous exercise. It can be quite euphoric and helps to explain why many people chase that feeling through running.

For me, a good run is one where the discomfort is masked by the high. You are in a sort of meditative state where my legs are carrying me one mile after another, but my mind and body is relaxed and I’m free to meditate on a vast assortment of topics. I think what’s been tough about getting back into running is that this meditative high has been elusive. I’ve had it only a couple of times in training, and it was great! But since I got out of shape, the uphill slope to regaining my conditioning has kept this feeling at bay.

Regardless, I’ve felt it. And I’m feeling it slowly come back. What I’m learning is to not put too much pressure on the need for conditioning and to focus more on the freedom of running. Just get out. Check out the neighborhood. Visit a new one. Enjoy being out.


 

One neighborhood that I attempted to visit this summer took me to a different set of heights, literally speaking. That is the climb I took to visit the ghost town of Tomboy above Telluride.

In my years of visiting Telluride for the Mushroom festival I often fantasized about running up the steep slopes of that valley. This town is part of the Hard Rock 100 Ultramarathon race, and I’ve long been enchanted by the idea of running a small piece of that rout. In looking at maps of the area I noticed Tomboy. It didn’t seem like much on paper, only about 5 miles from Telluride. This year, as part of my training, I pulled the trigger to make my way up there.

 

 I ultimately got about 4 miles up the road to the first vista of Tomboy and the valley it’s nestled in. What the maps sort of say, but fail to impart that you end up climbing more than 2100 feet in those few miles. That in combination with the thin air made for a slow run/fast hike with me huffing and puffing the entire way. Minus a few stops to take a picturesque selfie.

What was weirdly rewarding was being passed by all the tour Jeeps that went up the pass. Each Jeep carried about 5-6 tourists getting shuttled up the road. I couldn’t help but wonder if the people in those Jeeps were looking at me with a sense of curiosity. Whether they looked at me with pity or awe, it was liberating knowing that I was earning the visit to Tomboy with sweat as my currency while they used actual currency.

Anyway, that’s one of many adventures that running has gifted me. What was another, exceptional, delicious gift was the most delicious cheesteak sandwich I had for lunch after I got back.

Yum!

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