Runner's High Gone? Here's How to Get It Back!

I noticed I got a really good "runner's high" (endorphin rush) from a swim workout yesterday.  I was a little floaty/buzzy/satiated for a couple hours after leaving the pool.  I posted as such on Twitter, and got a comment back from somebody saying that he doesn't get the buzz from running like he used to, and he misses it.  Well, there's some tricks to it that can help you get it back.

First off, let's look at the science of runner's high for a minute.  It's a release of feel-good chemicals in your body, ones that closely resemble heroin, after working out hard for around 45 minutes.  I know it's hitting me on a run because that's the point where I comedically and falsely start believing that I'm actually a fantastic runner and also could fight a bear and win.  

So why did I get a buzz off of the swimming and why did our Twitter friend quit getting a buzz off of his running?  I seems the answer in this case is in the intensity of the workouts.  I've been including a lot of butterfly in my swimming lately, and this was my first swim where I did the 'fly on an interval.  I ended up pushing really hard on the 'fly for quite a long time.  Butterfly is an intrinsically difficult stroke, which everybody knows was invented by double-jointed aqua-clowns with a penchant for symmetry and oxygen deprivation.  There's the intensity that the science-dudes were talking about.

Now our Twitter friend said that he kept running longer and longer to chase that high, but he hasn't been able to recapture it for a long time.  This is where the science-dudes would say, "Longer isn't the answer.  You need to increase your intensity, my friend." As they stroke their long white Zen beards.

Of course there's lots more to the runner's story than just a 140 character answer on Twitter.  But generally speaking, if you are missing or never experienced a runner's high, you just need to up the intensity of your workouts for the first hour and you'll be in bliss again.  You can mix in some speed intervals in your run or just steal something from somebody that just a tad bigger and faster than you... and run for your life.  If you live, you'll feel great.