The Running Contradiction

Just Another Runner’s Perspective December 2024 Written By Gale Fischer

The Running Contradiction

"Running is a journey with both exhilarating highs and humbling lows, where you learn to embrace both the euphoric moments and the days when pushing through pain becomes the true victory."

—-an unknown ultra runner

11/19/2024: Nearly two miles into my afternoon run, I was still gasping for air. From the onset, it had been more of a struggle than I was accustomed to. I was hoping that after a mile or so, I would settle in, but here I was, almost halfway through my five miles, and I was still working to take in each breath. This had been my first run in four days. I had come down with a cold Friday and congestion was invading my body from the neck up. I had struggled but made it through work and then spent Saturday in bed. Things began to progress Sunday and into Monday but the effects had drained me of my energy. I decided to take an extra day off, called in sick to begin the workweek, and followed up my first day back to work Tuesday, with an afternoon run. My legs were feeling heavy, my energy meter low, and every exhale was a struggle. I finished my run, breathing in a sense of relief upon completion with the five miles wiping me out. As much as my daily fix knocked me down physically, it also seemed to boost my stamina. The energy drain was taxing but at the same time, the emotional jolt seemed to intoxicate my senses. The physical and mental side effects associated with running are a contradiction that is at times difficult to comprehend. 

 

Running is one of the great metaphors for what we as humans deal with daily. It can provide lessons to help understand life circumstances from the past and the present. Running often prepares one for the rigors of the daily grind while also bestowing upon its participants assurance that the tide will turn. It can equip us with the tools to navigate what the future holds, whether that be keeping afloat through stretches filled with tumultuous waters or staying grounded when presented with life’s highs. The confidence gained through our sport can provide the experience of enjoying the contradictions associated with the highs and lows of daily life.

As in running, life is full of contradictions. The stresses that are common in a career are experienced in tandem with the rewards of a job that one is passionate about. The joys of parenting are non-existent without the frustrations that are also a part of the process. The journey of finding peace in life’s blessings while also experiencing the trauma of a period of financial distress or a life-changing health scare also reminds us that discrepancy is a part of life. The stimulus from one extreme to another that comes with running draws a parallel to what is encountered in life over the long haul. Running can help us hone valuable skills, including practicing patience,  working with persistence, acting with humility, and learning to appreciate the small and simple blessings. 

 

The examples of the extremes that I have experienced through running are never-ending. Many who have been involved in the sport can relate and share similar moments in time. Through the years running has humbled me while also placing me in a mental utopia. One of my first memories of this contradiction came a few months into my running journey when I completed my first double-digit run. Eight weeks prior to this, running ten miles seemed unimaginable but on a frigid Saturday morning back in December of 1997, I ignored cold winds blasting my face and torso, depleted energy, and hot blisters on my toes to complete my first ten-mile run. As I arrived back home trudging through my last strides, I was overloaded with physical exhaustion and muscle soreness. As hobbled as my body felt, the mental rush from knocking ten miles off of my bucket list sunk in. The confidence was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

This contrast in stimulus was even more heightened after completing my first marathon ten months after that first double-digit run. I had prepared over the course of twelve months. My knowledge of the nuances of marathon training was minimal. I trained alone without guidance from other runners. My game plan centered on a few runs each week consisting of four to five miles and a weekend-long run. With a methodical approach, I bumped up the distance of my long run each week, scaling back down once or twice a month, eventually working up to a twenty-two-mile long run leading into my taper. I still was unsure of my ability to tackle twenty-six miles as I waited anxiously at the starting line. Over the next four and a half hours I beat my body to a pulp. By the time I crossed the finish line, I felt as bad physically as I had ever felt but emotionally I was sky-high. My intentions were to check the marathon off my bucket list and be done, but I now was hooked. 

There are specific memories over the last twenty-five years tied to the running contradiction that are frozen in time. Experiencing highs and lows simultaneously is a common phenomenon when racing, while running with others, and during time spent running alone. It can occur while fitting in a mile in the middle of a tight daily schedule, when hammering the pace in a 5K race, in the middle of slogging through a twenty-mile training run, and when participating in a race at the marathon distance, or longer.

There are likely many explanations for the contradiction in feelings that come from running. Physical and mental distress are often accompanied by emotional euphoria. Perhaps the simplicity of our sport can best explain why this contradiction exists. Running can be physically uncomfortable and even painful. At times it can leave its participants in a mental state of frustration and confusion. With all of the distress that running can unleash, the simple act of being able to move forward one step at a time for an extended period is something to be grateful for. This state of appreciation is perhaps part of what makes up the runners’s high. With the holiday season upon us, there is no better time to be thankful for the positive feelings that we are blessed with from running, even though they may come with not-so-pleasant feelings. Tolerate the discomfort, find joy in the high, and embrace the contradiction.

Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective.