Runner's High

Endorphins shooting though the roof, pushing your body to limits you know shouldn't be crossed, this is a runner's high.  It doesn't happen every time out but you know it when it does.  It's that run that you are just feeling flow through your entire body and even though you are cramping up, tired, dehydrated, and aching you continue on because these types of runs don't happen every day.  There's usually something triggering such an event such as a competition, a personal goal, the weather, your mood, whatever it is it's a great feeling.

Tonight was one of those runs.  Each Wednesday night the running club meets up next to Pacific Grove High School at this laundry place and are called the Wednesday Night Laundry Runners.  Most people go six miles, some eight, a few newer people might only go four and every now and then you'll get some people that stretch it out to ten.  I had only been going six miles the last two times I'd run it.  The first time out was a pretty nice pace with this girl I've been running with.  Last week was a bit slower and the legs were feeling a bit lethargic.  This week though I came in knowing I wanted to run further.  I didn't know how I was going to feel or how fast I was going to cruise but I knew I wanted to go 8 miles.  I didn't expect too much because after my hike at Garrapata my legs haven't been feeling too great.  The track workout on Monday, even though it wasn't a tough workout, was hard and I wasn't anywhere near the times I should have been at.  My legs were feeling really heavy and I couldn't seem to get them off the ground.  I also didn't get to warm-up or stretch which obviously didn't help.  I ran an easy three miles last night to stretch the legs out and get them ready for tonight.

When I got there I was pretty fired up and ready to go and was in a great mood for a longer run.  Outside of running the half-marathon when I got here I hadn't run more than six miles in a long time.  Tonight was the night though.  I brought my camelbak with me and I was ready to go.  These runs all start off the same whether you are going six or eight and everyone meets up at a track after three miles, does two laps on the track and then stretches and figures out who is going what distances.  Camille, the girl I've been running with, and I cruised up the hill through the trails and over to the track.  We got a good stretch in and I was ready to finish out the eight miles.  Camille was only going six but there were a few other people going the full distance.

There is one runner though, this crazy Russian guy Sergei who always goes eight miles and takes off faster than all of us.  When he passes us it's like we're standing still and initially I didn't think there was any way I'd be able to catch him, nevermind stay with him.  Today though Camille was pointing out how she thought he only goes that fast to get a decent distance ahead and then slows down to a "normal" pace.  When we all took off from the track there Sergei went with his short little legs kickin' up the dust in front of us.  And then it hit me...she was completely right.  You could see him slow down after he had a good amount of room between everyone else.  So I said screw it I'm gone and I took off, leaving the group.  Initially when we left the track I just wanted to keep him in sight but now I had another goal and that was to catch him.

I took off ahead of the group and over the next three miles I slowly gained on him step by step.  Around mile six I was on his heels and every time I would get closer he would pick it up just a bit more so I couldn't catch up.  Finally, maybe a half mile later I caught him.  The crazy Russian that everyone shrugged off as being impossible to run with was there right on my left making up excuses about how tired he was because he had been kayaking for two hours this morning.  I asked him if he knew how much further and he thought 1.5 or so and even though I started cramping up and my left toe started shooting a pain up my foot I didn't slow down.  I stayed with him all the way until about the last 1/4 mile when we hit the last hill and he took off.  At this point I didn't care though because it was still a victory in my mind.  I may not have beaten him but I caught him and I stayed with him and he only beat me by 15 or 20 seconds.

Such a great feeling and I wish every run could be like that...I love this town.