runner's high

Definition

The euphoric state experienced during or after prolonged running, caused by endocannabinoid and endorphin release. Non-runners remain skeptical this exists, while runners evangelically insist it's worth the joint damage.

Example Usage

She claims runner's high makes her feel invincible around mile 6, which explains why she keeps signing up for marathons despite complaining about every single one.

Origin

Coined in the 1970s during the jogging boom, scientifically validated in the 2000s

Fun Fact

The runner's high is chemically similar to cannabis, which finally explains why runners are so annoyingly peaceful and keep trying to convert everyone to their lifestyle.

Source: Running culture and exercise psychology terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

form

The technical execution of an exercise, including posture, movement path, and joint positioning. The thing everyone ignores until they get injured, then suddenly becomes an expert on.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Intermediate

box jump

A plyometric exercise involving jumping onto an elevated platform, testing explosive power and your insurance coverage. Looks impressive until you discover shin-meets-box failure videos.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Intermediate

base building

A training phase focused on developing aerobic capacity through high-volume, low-intensity work before adding harder efforts. The boring foundation that nobody wants to do but everyone needs.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Intermediate

time under tension

The total duration a muscle spends under load during a set, often more important than rep count for hypertrophy. The metric that makes a 10-second rep feel like a personal eternity.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

activation exercises

Low-intensity movements performed before training to 'wake up' specific muscles and improve motor patterns. They're the warmup's warmup, because apparently getting ready to get ready is now a necessary training component.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

form check

The act of recording your exercise technique for critical analysis, or posting it online where internet strangers will gleefully enumerate your biomechanical sins with varying degrees of accuracy.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

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