4 ms·

It feels good after a workout. Running or powerlifting, I feel the same effects.

by hkon 10y ago

mgiannopoulos 10y ago
Endorphins make you happy. That's my response to anyone asking why I "bother" to run
- dguaraglia 10y ago
  Meh, downvoted you by accident and this stupid iPad interface won't let me undo. Making a comment to undo when on a computer.
  - robert_tweed 10y ago
    On an iPad here. There's an unvote link. Same as on desktop. I always pinch to zoom in on HN because the interface is fiddly and it's impossible to tell if you hit up or down. Your finger normally covers them both. Much prefer the Reddit UI (which might be what you're mistakenly looking for).
  - raverbashing 10y ago
    I see the unvote link on mobile as well, unless you're using an app (that should have updated to have the unvote link)
- abstractbeliefs 10y ago
  In your personal experience, did you find it taken some amount of practice, or to clear a certain barrier of fitness, before you started to enjoy running? I've been training for about three months now and I spent about 6 weeks of that feeling sick the entire time, and the more recent 6 weeks just not enjoying it.
  - ieatkittens 10y ago
    I found that it does take time. For one, getting zoning out within no time, and second, being fit enough to comfortably run 45-60min.
  - alecst 10y ago
    I'm not particularly fit, and I never ran a lot. In fact I always hated running and remember making jokes to my friends about running being a sport for psychopaths. I really just didn't get it -- it was hard on my body (especially knees) and just plain boring. I have since picked up (slowly) running without shoes on and it has made a real difference. It is difficult to acclimate, but it can be done. I now feel no knee pain and I have realized that I indeed enjoy running. Not only am I discovering that it's easier to run without shoes, but it's a lot more fun too.
    - CodeCube 10y ago
      I've always been fascinated by this ... any time I walk around barefoot, I seem to find every rock, sharp stick, and piece of broken glass in the area. How long does it take for your feet to develop the required callouses?
      - alecst 10y ago
        Mine have not yet developed callouses and I suspect they never will. Indeed I haven't seen most of the changes in my feet that others say they have seen in theirs. My feet are mostly the same, but with soles that are just a little less sensitive to pebbles and sticks than they used to be. Maybe I'm lucky, but even in a big city that practically glitters with broken beer bottles and I don't find glass to be a problem. Injuries from broken glass are easy to avoid, and are much more often talked about than realized. Once a season I may get a splinter in my foot, or stub my toe on a root, but that's about the worst of it. There are no real experts on barefoot living yet and if there are I would not be one. But since you asked, in my experience it took a month or so of being consistently barefoot for my soles to begin to feel like they were changing. They're still changing, slowly, a year later. You get used to the feeling of the concrete on your soles, just like you get used to anything. Then, like anything you get used to, you notice it less and less. The only real drawback to being barefoot outside is that a lot of people will look at you like you're crazy. They'll tell you you're going to get injured. That there's glass on the ground. Many of these people will be in pumps or wedges. You just learn to let it humor you on the inside.
  - crazygringo 10y ago
    In my experience, there are a few things at work. This is just my $0.02, other people's experience may be entirely different. One, do it gradually -- if you're feeling sick, maybe you should be ramping up more slowly. While muscle can grow quickly, tendons and ligaments take much longer to handle the new workload. Two, form makes all the difference -- running can either feel heavy and difficult, or lightweight and joyous. But unfortunately, it can take a lot of learning and effort to get to the latter -- good relaxed form is not easy to learn, landing the right way on your foot is incredibly important, for some people things like Vibram shoes help, you might have severe muscle tension preventing good form (see a massage therapist, get a Theracane and use it religiously, etc.), you might have horribly tight hamstrings and need specific stretches for those, the list goes on and on. Me personally, I also had to lose a bunch of weight (getting down to my ideal BMI) for running to feel light and easy rather than painful and pounding. And third, being in the right mood for enjoying running makes a huge difference too. When I'm not in the mood for it, but I run anyways (because I'm feeling guilty about not running, etc.), I generally stay miserable. But sometimes I really am in the mood for it -- I got enough sleep the night before, I ate a couple hours ago so I have energy, but not so long ago I'm hungry, it's not too early in the day (I'm not a morning person), but not too late either that I'm tired -- finding the right time is huge, and makes all the difference. Honestly, I love running, but it took a lot of time and effort to figure out everything above that made it work for me -- in my case, years. (And pretty much everything about the programmer lifestyle works against you.) But when you manage to make everything align, it feels great, like you're tapping some kind of primal happiness where you're back on the African savannah tracking down antelope... I'm not even joking.
    - mgiannopoulos 10y ago
      Proper shoes are very important for running. Clothes can make a big difference as well.
    - tomascot 10y ago
      It's interesting knowing that I enjoy running the most when I'm starting to feel tired.when I get out of the shower after running I feel like I'm super light, redbull like. I guess every person has it's own rhythm.
  - mgiannopoulos 10y ago
    There are always times that fitness isn't enjoyable, like running at zero or thirty degrees). If it's bad the entire time you might be stressing too much and it probably means that you need to take it slower. Take some rest (but not too much). Also experiment with listening to music or different times of the day.
  - nitrogen 10y ago
    It took me about six months of swimming to start to notice benefits. As far as running goes, I find trail running (on sloping, moderately rocky and uneven hiking trails) much more engaging than running on a treadmill or flat ground.
    - 3131s 10y ago
      Trail running is great. If you have mountain bike trails in your area, I'd recommend running on those since they're winding, filled with slopes and obstacles to jump over, and in general a lot of fun. Many mountain bike trails are designated for both bikers and runners.
  - david-given 10y ago
    Some people just don't enjoy exercise. I'm one of them. The only way I can do it is through sheer willpower. I've heard about the endorphin thing; I think it's happened to me exactly once, after climbing a mountain, and it was really creepy and I don't want it to happen again. The only thing I feel when finishing exercise is 'oh thank god that's over'. What I've found is that the more I train, the fitter I get, and so the longer I can prolong the discomfort, stress and boredom. Maybe you're not one of those people --- but if you are, I'm sorry. (In fact, the most annoying thing are that the people who do enjoy exercise simply don't believe any of this, and produce unhelpful platitudes like 'you just haven't found something you like yet' or 'but if you keep doing it you'll find you're enjoying it'...)
    - bjelkeman-again 10y ago
      Sorry to read about it. I am glad I do enjoy a good excercise.
    - mgiannopoulos 10y ago
      Maybe you need to find a different sport? I prefer running cause I get to be outside and often close to nature. I'd hate it if I had to go to a gym.
    - bradknowles 10y ago
      I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. Yes, I can walk reasonably long distances at the drop of a hat and without difficulty, and I can exercise in the gym, but every time I've done that, I never felt the high. I don't think I ever will. I guess I'll just have to be glad when it's over.
    - tormeh 10y ago
      You could try doing "fun" things instead of things that rely on endorphins. Bouldering, wrestling, soccer... Something that keeps your brain occupied as well as your muscles. I don't really follow my own advice, but I used to boulder regularly when I lived in Berlin, and I liked it.
      - 10y ago
  - sn9 10y ago
    Most people don't go slow enough. This sounds counter-intuitive, but you should be going slow enough to hold a conversation. If you're going much faster, especially when you're just starting out, it's no wonder you're not enjoying it. Running really feels meditative at this pace. And it builds a strong aerobic base for more intensive work later on. Here's a cheap book that lays out the research on why this is so often the advice that works: https://www.amazon.com/80-20-Running-Stronger-Training-ebook/dp/B00IIVFAEY https://www.amazon.com/80-20-Running-Stronger-Training-ebook...
  - matwood 10y ago
    I love sports and powerlifting and have done both for decades now. Running distance I hated. I finally found it okay, once I forced myself to get over the hump. If you keep running, you'll eventually hit a point where you feel like at the current pace you can continue indefinitely.
  - throwaway286 10y ago
    I dislike running but enjoy cycling. Maybe there's some other activity that would catch your interest?

It feels good after a workout. Running or powerlifting, I feel the same effects.

by hkon 10y ago

It feels good after a workout. Running or powerlifting, I feel the same effects.

mgiannopoulos 10y ago

Endorphins make you happy. That's my response to anyone asking why I "bother" to run

dguaraglia 10y ago
Meh, downvoted you by accident and this stupid iPad interface won't let me undo. Making a comment to undo when on a computer.
- robert_tweed 10y ago
  On an iPad here. There's an unvote link. Same as on desktop. I always pinch to zoom in on HN because the interface is fiddly and it's impossible to tell if you hit up or down. Your finger normally covers them both. Much prefer the Reddit UI (which might be what you're mistakenly looking for).
- raverbashing 10y ago
  I see the unvote link on mobile as well, unless you're using an app (that should have updated to have the unvote link)
abstractbeliefs 10y ago
In your personal experience, did you find it taken some amount of practice, or to clear a certain barrier of fitness, before you started to enjoy running? I've been training for about three months now and I spent about 6 weeks of that feeling sick the entire time, and the more recent 6 weeks just not enjoying it.
- ieatkittens 10y ago
  I found that it does take time. For one, getting zoning out within no time, and second, being fit enough to comfortably run 45-60min.
- alecst 10y ago
  I'm not particularly fit, and I never ran a lot. In fact I always hated running and remember making jokes to my friends about running being a sport for psychopaths. I really just didn't get it -- it was hard on my body (especially knees) and just plain boring. I have since picked up (slowly) running without shoes on and it has made a real difference. It is difficult to acclimate, but it can be done. I now feel no knee pain and I have realized that I indeed enjoy running. Not only am I discovering that it's easier to run without shoes, but it's a lot more fun too.
  - CodeCube 10y ago
    I've always been fascinated by this ... any time I walk around barefoot, I seem to find every rock, sharp stick, and piece of broken glass in the area. How long does it take for your feet to develop the required callouses?
    - alecst 10y ago
      Mine have not yet developed callouses and I suspect they never will. Indeed I haven't seen most of the changes in my feet that others say they have seen in theirs. My feet are mostly the same, but with soles that are just a little less sensitive to pebbles and sticks than they used to be. Maybe I'm lucky, but even in a big city that practically glitters with broken beer bottles and I don't find glass to be a problem. Injuries from broken glass are easy to avoid, and are much more often talked about than realized. Once a season I may get a splinter in my foot, or stub my toe on a root, but that's about the worst of it. There are no real experts on barefoot living yet and if there are I would not be one. But since you asked, in my experience it took a month or so of being consistently barefoot for my soles to begin to feel like they were changing. They're still changing, slowly, a year later. You get used to the feeling of the concrete on your soles, just like you get used to anything. Then, like anything you get used to, you notice it less and less. The only real drawback to being barefoot outside is that a lot of people will look at you like you're crazy. They'll tell you you're going to get injured. That there's glass on the ground. Many of these people will be in pumps or wedges. You just learn to let it humor you on the inside.
- crazygringo 10y ago
  In my experience, there are a few things at work. This is just my $0.02, other people's experience may be entirely different. One, do it gradually -- if you're feeling sick, maybe you should be ramping up more slowly. While muscle can grow quickly, tendons and ligaments take much longer to handle the new workload. Two, form makes all the difference -- running can either feel heavy and difficult, or lightweight and joyous. But unfortunately, it can take a lot of learning and effort to get to the latter -- good relaxed form is not easy to learn, landing the right way on your foot is incredibly important, for some people things like Vibram shoes help, you might have severe muscle tension preventing good form (see a massage therapist, get a Theracane and use it religiously, etc.), you might have horribly tight hamstrings and need specific stretches for those, the list goes on and on. Me personally, I also had to lose a bunch of weight (getting down to my ideal BMI) for running to feel light and easy rather than painful and pounding. And third, being in the right mood for enjoying running makes a huge difference too. When I'm not in the mood for it, but I run anyways (because I'm feeling guilty about not running, etc.), I generally stay miserable. But sometimes I really am in the mood for it -- I got enough sleep the night before, I ate a couple hours ago so I have energy, but not so long ago I'm hungry, it's not too early in the day (I'm not a morning person), but not too late either that I'm tired -- finding the right time is huge, and makes all the difference. Honestly, I love running, but it took a lot of time and effort to figure out everything above that made it work for me -- in my case, years. (And pretty much everything about the programmer lifestyle works against you.) But when you manage to make everything align, it feels great, like you're tapping some kind of primal happiness where you're back on the African savannah tracking down antelope... I'm not even joking.
  - mgiannopoulos 10y ago
    Proper shoes are very important for running. Clothes can make a big difference as well.
  - tomascot 10y ago
    It's interesting knowing that I enjoy running the most when I'm starting to feel tired.when I get out of the shower after running I feel like I'm super light, redbull like. I guess every person has it's own rhythm.
- mgiannopoulos 10y ago
  There are always times that fitness isn't enjoyable, like running at zero or thirty degrees). If it's bad the entire time you might be stressing too much and it probably means that you need to take it slower. Take some rest (but not too much). Also experiment with listening to music or different times of the day.
- nitrogen 10y ago
  It took me about six months of swimming to start to notice benefits. As far as running goes, I find trail running (on sloping, moderately rocky and uneven hiking trails) much more engaging than running on a treadmill or flat ground.
  - 3131s 10y ago
    Trail running is great. If you have mountain bike trails in your area, I'd recommend running on those since they're winding, filled with slopes and obstacles to jump over, and in general a lot of fun. Many mountain bike trails are designated for both bikers and runners.
- david-given 10y ago
  Some people just don't enjoy exercise. I'm one of them. The only way I can do it is through sheer willpower. I've heard about the endorphin thing; I think it's happened to me exactly once, after climbing a mountain, and it was really creepy and I don't want it to happen again. The only thing I feel when finishing exercise is 'oh thank god that's over'. What I've found is that the more I train, the fitter I get, and so the longer I can prolong the discomfort, stress and boredom. Maybe you're not one of those people --- but if you are, I'm sorry. (In fact, the most annoying thing are that the people who do enjoy exercise simply don't believe any of this, and produce unhelpful platitudes like 'you just haven't found something you like yet' or 'but if you keep doing it you'll find you're enjoying it'...)
  - bjelkeman-again 10y ago
    Sorry to read about it. I am glad I do enjoy a good excercise.
  - mgiannopoulos 10y ago
    Maybe you need to find a different sport? I prefer running cause I get to be outside and often close to nature. I'd hate it if I had to go to a gym.
  - bradknowles 10y ago
    I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. Yes, I can walk reasonably long distances at the drop of a hat and without difficulty, and I can exercise in the gym, but every time I've done that, I never felt the high. I don't think I ever will. I guess I'll just have to be glad when it's over.
  - tormeh 10y ago
    You could try doing "fun" things instead of things that rely on endorphins. Bouldering, wrestling, soccer... Something that keeps your brain occupied as well as your muscles. I don't really follow my own advice, but I used to boulder regularly when I lived in Berlin, and I liked it.
    - 10y ago
- sn9 10y ago
  Most people don't go slow enough. This sounds counter-intuitive, but you should be going slow enough to hold a conversation. If you're going much faster, especially when you're just starting out, it's no wonder you're not enjoying it. Running really feels meditative at this pace. And it builds a strong aerobic base for more intensive work later on. Here's a cheap book that lays out the research on why this is so often the advice that works: https://www.amazon.com/80-20-Running-Stronger-Training-ebook/dp/B00IIVFAEY https://www.amazon.com/80-20-Running-Stronger-Training-ebook...
- matwood 10y ago
  I love sports and powerlifting and have done both for decades now. Running distance I hated. I finally found it okay, once I forced myself to get over the hump. If you keep running, you'll eventually hit a point where you feel like at the current pace you can continue indefinitely.
- throwaway286 10y ago
  I dislike running but enjoy cycling. Maybe there's some other activity that would catch your interest?