Hi, this is Debbie Boyle's coach at Mojo for Running with podcast number 44,

Running Under the Influence of Endorphins. That title surprised you, didn't it? It seems to

suggest that endorphins could be dangerous. Believe me, despite the delightful feeling of

an endorphin high, there is actually a downside.

However, once you're aware of it and you always keep it in mind, you can go on to pursue endorphins for the rest of your life and enjoy the pleasure.

Let's talk about what happens when you're under the influence of endorphins.

It feels good, right?

No, more correctly,

it feels great. And what I've learned over the years is that an endorphin high sometimes lasts far beyond the end of a run, and that can be great for our family and friends. It probably

explains that giddy atmosphere at the trailhead where we gather after a run.

Your mind remembers it, and that, I think, is perhaps the biggest single reason we keep coming back.

We keep lacing up our shoes and hitting the pavement or the trails because our subconscious mind seeks

that endorphin fix that it knows and loves. To that extent, endorphins are extremely helpful.

When motivation wanes, there is that little nagging brain cell that keeps saying,

go, get out there. It's wonderful. You'll love it. Remember?

You want to do it again. Get out there. And it usually works. Just the other day, one of my new runners

looked at me with a gleam in his eye and said, I got it. I finally got it. In the race over the weekend, it happened.

I finally felt the endorphins. Now, I get it. That's all it takes. He's a runner for life now. No turning back.

He's addicted, And that's great.

Endorphins, though, can actually cause you trouble. Yeah, that's right.

Oh, don't get me wrong. It's nothing like driving under the influence of alcohol. Nothing like that, of course.

And it's perfectly safe to drive under the influence of endorphins, by the way, as far as I know.

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