Chasing the Runner's High...

On the highway of change

Should have been the first article here but life had other plans.

The villain arc develops when a main character finds themselves in an unfortunate position. Unable to combat the injustice, decides to cast a reign of terror. I identify with the villain in most stories. They seem to be so sure of themselves. Not torn by flimsy moral dilemmas that heroes deal with.

Not so long ago I found myself in an unfortunate position. I had lost the will to wake up. I had surrounded myself with questionable characters and indulged in problematic behaviours. The future looked bleak and I felt miserable. Ripe conditions for my villain era to take off.

Overcome with constant restlessness, I decided one evening to head out for a walk. Online radios had just taken off and the evening walks became an excuse to catch up on favourite tunes. This was the first time I saw it: people of all ages, sizes and genders running. What a revelation that was.

I motivated to include a jog for the last 500 metres of my walk. It soon progressed from longer intervals to signing up for a 10k race and has now turned into a full-blown obsession. Was I the hero of my story after all? Ugh.

Either way, I had found my superpower and it changed the way my brain and body worked—forever.

Now I could turn this into a “100 reasons why you should run” listicle but I have a bigger point to make and that has everything to do with making a change.

A conversation about health means nothing if it starts and stops at the information stage. There is plenty of that out there. How we use that information to tweak our current lifestyle and work toward our best selves is what really matters. This process starts with deliberate change. Let me elaborate.

A change of ‘Space’

I didn’t know it at the time but I had inadvertently cued my brain to run. By changing my physical environment, I had exposed myself to the mental imagery of people running—a powerful first step in the habit-forming toolkit. Once the habit is triggered, your brain remembers how [insert activity of choice] made you feel and now it becomes automatic or second nature.

What does this look like in real life? Pick an activity. Like going to the gym (I hope you read my protein article so you know where my biases lie). And for the first week or so just get into the habit of walking through the door. What you do next does not matter. Chances are you will tinker around with a few reps and sets. Congratulations! You have now successfully primed your brain to workout. What are the odds that it will stick? That depends on how much friction is needed to engage in an activity.

A change in the ‘Activation Energy’

Let’s stick with the gym example, shall we? We’ve all experienced that internal monologue telling us to skip gym and do it another day. You may feel too lazy in the morning or too anxious after a hard day’s work. That’s your autonomic nervous system reminding you, that you are too calm or too alert to engage in this activity. Abort mission!

Find ways to change that internal state and you’re one step closer to your dream body. In my story music served as a catalyst to reduce activation energy and gave me a dopamine boost to head out for a run, even after exhausting days. I don’t use music anymore for the fear of being runover. It happens more often than you think.

And for all you morning gym goers: 0 to 8 hours post waking, is when norepinephrine and dopamine, the molecules of focus and motivation are high. This means that the friction to engage in a task is low. Well done on biohacking your way to your workouts every morning!

A change of ‘Identity’

Running became my linchpin habit and set off a domino effect. Signing up for a race meant that I had to understand basic principles of training. I had to fix my sleep, improve my salt intake and hydration status, fuel efficiently for long runs and strength train. Multiple iterations of run, rest, race, repeat later, I now believe that running IS my identity. This was a game-changer.

To become someone who works out consistently, you need to believe that you are a gym-goer. Lasting change happens when habits align with identity.

A change in the ‘Narrative’

Now I’m not the fastest runner on the field. Nor am I the most experienced. But when the opportunity to outdo yourself with every race presents itself, you take it. Why? Because you love a good challenge and its fun!

Race day is like a festival of sorts. You see familiar faces, exchange notes, and get timely advice on hydration tactics. And no matter the outcome post-race celebrations always deliver. It is this feeling that makes you want to do it all over again.

Once you reframe the context, you never have to look for motivation. Running is not a chore that I have to do. It’s an opportunity to train for the next marathon and have a blast while doing it.

A change towards ‘Embracing Community’

I am newbie to the world of resistance training. The gym I go to is largely male-dominated and can be intimidating. But every now and then a kind stranger will show you way if they see you struggling. They weren’t lying when they said that gym-bros are some of the nicest dudes on the planet. This is true of fitness communities across the board. They are born cheerleaders.

I have said it before. I will say it again. Find your tribe and harness the power of community to stick to your fitness goals. You can thank me later.

Consider this my ode to running—the thing that saved me in my darkest hour. And even if that wasn’t it and the next one is around the corner—I will be prepared because I am a runner and I’m stronger for it. I have scaled mountains and crossed valleys. And nothing scares me anymore.

No, really. I did the Kalimpong Half Marathon last week. It was all hills and slopes. But it inspired me to write this. And I hope that it inspires you take that first step. Because once you do, change is inevitable.