NatNews

While some individuals prefer to experience feelings of euphoria through the use of legal and/or illegal drugs, many runners who pass on grass and other substances prefer to end their workouts with a feeling they cannot always accurately and sensibly describe to others: the runner’s high.

This joyous sensation was initially associated with an exercise-induced increase in levels of opioid peptides called beta-endorphins, but more recent research has discovered that there is actually a possible link between activation of the endogenous endocannabinoid system (which serves as a bridge between the body and mind) and the anxiolytic properties of exercise. Translation: Running can result in mental and physical benefits that decrease an individual’s anxiety and make him or her feel like one would after using a feel-good drug.

“You feel in sync with your body, and you almost feel like you could fly,” Brooks ambassador Carolyn Macduff, who runs with Pint Striders and the White Rock Running Co-op, said. “I experience a runner’s high almost every run over seven-ish miles. This gives my body time to warm up and find the groove.”

Not everyone experiences it as often as Macduff, though. Pint Striders member and Brooks ambassador Kyle Burnett said he wishes he could feel the runner’s high more often but only has a handful of times.

“For me, it feels like I can take on the world,” Burnett said. “The feeling is like the perfect drug. I have the wish that I will experience it in every run. It’s a definite motivation!”

And then there are those who have never experienced this sought-after trance-like state at all.

“Runner’s high? I don’t think it exists,” IT specialist and WRRC admin Josh Odegard said. “It’s a myth. It’s like Bigfoot or the female orgasm. It’s something people hear about, and they want to experience it, but it’s not real. I’ve been running for 10 years and run some crazy paces and distances (training considered), and I’ve never had any type of ‘high’ or euphoric feeling. Light-headedness? Yes. Dizziness? Maybe. Felt like I wanted to vomit? If I raced well, absolutely. But a runner’s high? No, never. It’s not real. It’s a fairytale.”

Unlike Odegard, Macduff is a strong believer in the runner’s high and said that individuals are able to continue to experience it by practicing it.

“I work on relaxation a lot when I run and try to find the joy in the mile I’m in,” Macduff said. “I think the more miles you run and the more opportunities you give yourself to sync your mind and body, the better chances of capturing that high and almost looking forward to it on your runs.”

And Macduff believes that joy runners experience in the moment is what keeps them coming back for more.

“Running is so hard sometimes,” she said, “but that runner’s high? It makes it all worth it.”

Ketchup was once sold as medicine. In 1834, it was prescribed and sold to people suffering from indigestion.

Now that fall is officially upon us, it’s time for coffee shops, bakeries, and grocery stores to overwhelm their customers with beverages and treats of a seasonal flavor that has become an anticipated source of joy for many individuals: pumpkin spice.

In the U.S., more than $500 million is spent on pumpkin spice-flavored items each year. The appeal of this flavor, however, has less to do with the actual taste and more to do with neuroscience. Smell is one of the only senses that is transmitted directly to the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. When individuals come across certain smells, the amygdala can quickly remind them of specific times, places, feelings, and gut instincts before they even realize it.

Lyndsey Kohn, who runs with the Thursday Night Social Run group in Plano, understands this nostalgia that pumpkin-flavored treats bring into many people’s lives.

“Pumpkin bread and pumpkin-flavored pancakes are my personal favorite,” she said. “Every Thanksgiving morning, my mom would make the best pumpkin bread, and that’s my go-to recipe.”

There is also a significant amount of marketing that helps deepen people’s affinity for this flavor. In 2003, Starbucks introduced its pumpkin spice latte and now reportedly sells 20 million of these drinks annually, even though it’s only available for a limited period. That small window of time to enjoy the seasonal option is one reason it becomes so desirable to many individuals.

“To me, the taste and flavor of pumpkin are synonymous with all things fall,” Dallas-area pilot and White Rock Running Co-op member Ben Sewell said. “It represents the expectation of cooler weather around the corner, the turning of the leaves, and time with family and friends. There are a lot of traditions associated with fall, and pumpkins are always a part of it.”

Not everyone understands or embraces this annual craze, though. Dallas runner Dan Sullivan said he has not been introduced to a tremendous amount of pumpkin options, but he also has no inclination to make any extra efforts to do so.

“I’m not going out to Whole Foods to get pumpkin cider, pumpkin bread, or pumpkin anything,” Sullivan said. “But I’m open-minded enough that I would never say ‘no’ to anything pumpkin.”

Regardless of whether or not pumpkin spice makes its way into everyone’s heart through smells, fond memories, and catchy marketing, its association with the departure from the days of summer does not appear to be going away anytime soon.

“It’s part of the seasonal transition into fall,” Kohn said. “Being from Texas, we don’t really get to experience a true fall with the leaves changing, peeping leaf season, etc. Incorporating pumpkin-flavored items is the Texas way of bringing fall here—even if it’s 90 degrees out.”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

The pumpkins are here, people.