Now that I have started distance running, many friends have asked me if I am enjoying a “runner’s high”, that burst of endorphins that comes from a body’s response to prolonged and inexcusable abuse. I know that my experience with various types of highs is more limited than others (I admit it – I’ve lived a boring life), but I don’t think that any part of running a very long distance can be compared with getting high. But don’t get me wrong – there is pleasure associated with running. In particular, I feel really great when I stop.

That reminds me of an old joke: A man walks into a doctor’s office, raises his arm over his head, and says, “It hurts when I do this.” Doctor: “Then stop doing that.”

But I don’t think I’m confusing a lack of pain for pleasure. The feeling is much more than that. At the end of a long run, where I really wear myself out, once I get my breath back I feel totally and completely relaxed. All the stress of the day or week has escaped the muscles that are now too tired to support it. And if I’m lucky enough to be able to spend the rest of the day on the couch with a cold drink and the Sunday paper, that stressless state can last a long time. As far as I’m concerned, that’s better than any high I can think of.