Runners: does this ring true for you, or am I just weird?

You’re not weird at all. I differ from you with the music- I don’t listen to music when I run- but the brain shut off thing is my favorite part of running. I still remember fondly the first time my my brain turned off while I was running. I had always spent my whole run thinking about how much further I wanted to go, how much my legs hurt, etc. Then one day I realized I had been thinking absolutely NOTHING during a run, and it was wonderful. The zen (not sure if that’s the right word) I achieve running always feel more relaxed and afterwards.

I run for several reasons actually. First of all, I love to run and I enjoy the health benefits that come from this. Secondly, I have Type II diabetes and my treatment regimen is diet, medication, and exercise (running being my choice of exercise). And lastly, I am administered physical fitness tests twice a year in the military and running keeps me in very good condition for those tests.

For the times that I bring my iPod with me on my runs, the music sometimes helps me run at a more fluid pace, it seems, but I haven’t had a reaction like you with the blood diverted to muscles although I can understand how it might happen in your case.

all thought process goes to the hands and where my feet are and i cant really wear a headset…. The coach would yell… but the crowd is deafening.

TOTALLY. The reason I posted on that last question is because running got me through my last breakup. Alcohol could dull the shittiness, but running made everything disappear for as long as I could keep it up.

Before I was told to put my running on hold, running helped me reach that point where nothing else mattered. The entire time I was running, I never ever thought about cancer. Sometimes, music won’t allowed that peace of mind I desire, other days, it was the inspiration I needed to keep going.

The broken foot is keeping me from running…hopefully, the damage that was done – along with the break, won’t prevent me from running, again.

I don’t know about this runner’s high but I think La chica gomela is a little weird.

Yeah, running can be totally Zen. That is one of the reasons I love it. Riding my motorcylce through the mountains or climbing also give me this feeling. But running also gives me the feeling that my body is a finely tuned machine. I love the feeling when you just find your “groove” and feel like you could go forever. I also like how I feel there is a hot, blue fire burning in my belly, like the fire in a blast furnace, and that my body is performing at peak efficiency.

YEP! Right there with you. I tried running the other day and just enjoy nature and the sounds around me, and I tired out VERRY quickly, but as soon as I put the iPod back on I was good to go… I run to beats and I don’t like to hear myself breath either. ahahah.