Last Friday I went to my gym to spend some time swimming laps. There was a period of time around this time last year when I was swimming almost every day after work. It has always been a very relaxing activity, as I have been swimming since I was two years old. Swimming is the only activity that can be classified as exercise (other than walking) where I can completely lose myself in thought and just keep moving. I don’t listen to music, and I don’t have to perform mental martial arts to push myself forward. I just swim. One arm after the other, breathe every three strokes, exhale under water. One, two, three, breathe, one, two, three. There is a natural rhythm in all kinds of exercise that is based on repetitive movement. You just have to listen for it.
I wish I found the same kind of relaxation in running. I enjoy running a lot more than I used to, but I mostly just love how I feel when I’ve finished the route I’ve set out to run. The endorphins and the feeling of accomplishment make me want to run more. I have been making noticeable progress and that makes me want to run more. As much progress as I am making, I don’t find the same kind of euphoria in running that I do in swimming. Maybe as I get in better shape and begin running longer distances, I will be able to feel the rhythm.
The training schedule I have just begun has two days of cross-training incorporated to break up the running days. In addition to strength training and stretching, I am excited to have two days of swimming each week to keep me refreshed and focused on my goals.
To experienced runners: is the runner’s high real? Can you zone out and just feel the rhythm of your feet on the pavement? I hope I can get there someday.
Running is not for everyone. Swimming is wonderful exercise and so much better for your joints. Nor does a runners high come to everyone. Do you get a high after swimming the way you do?
I do not feel that way after a “regular” workout run. Maybe more so with finishing real race. I mostly feel good mentally because I have finished and accomplished a goal, but not always high from endorphins.
That said, I did not like running when I first started. I ran to do something with the family. But I do not run with my family, only in the same race with them. After training for my first half marathon, I got so I disliked it less, and then it often felt good to get outside and exercise. But I would not say that I love running. I can still find excuses not to do it, esp. in winer, that is not a sign of a dedicated runner…..
If you are exercising doing the type you enjoy, that is more important than the high because you will stick with any goal that you set for yourself. You just need to decide if running is for you. It may not be, and that is ok.
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/how-to-find-the-right-fitness-solution-for-you.html
It’s so funny reading what you say about swimming versus running because, for me, it’s the total opposite! I have to really concentrate on my swimming, though I am not as focused on my breathing as I used to be. But I still feel the need to stop after every 50 meters and catch my breath, standing in the shallow end. I don’t like it, but I feel like if I try to keep going another lap, my lungs will explode!
Meanwhile, I can definitely say I’ve experienced runner’s high. Usually it’s on longer runs. I find that once I get the first two or three miles out of the way (which are usually harder and slower for me), I can find a coasting pace and I don’t really notice that I’m running. I’ll get caught up in thought before I realize that I’ve hit a really good groove. That’ll usually last me another two miles or so, but once I hit five or six miles total, I’m definitely ready to take it down a notch to recover a little.
So, in my opinion, runner’s high and swimmer’s high are totally real. They’re probably just things you achieve when you’ve been doing the sport long enough that you’re conditioned and you don’t have to focus as much on if you’re doing things correctly. Keep up the running, and I’ll keep up the swimming!
[…] I want to get closer and more connected to my running, to hopefully achieve what I feel when I’m swimming. I’m trying to listen to my body and feel the rhythm while running. I ran about two miles, and I […]