3 ms·
> I notice how much more clearly I can think after. If the run is more strenuous, do you still see the same effect? For me, a 3 miler at a relaxed pace defini
by timbowhite 10y ago
> I notice how much more clearly I can think after.
If the run is more strenuous, do you still see the same effect?
For me, a 3 miler at a relaxed pace definitely helps me be more focused afterwards.
But if I'm going full tilt up and down hills, or running longer distances, I find myself mentally exhausted afterwards. My theory is that this is due to my mind constantly battling itself on these kind of runs ("THIS HURTS PLEASE STOP NOW" vs. "PUSH PUSH PUSH").
EDIT: I should say both types of runs are relaxing afterwards.
- Hydraulix989 10y agoThe harder I run, the better I feel mentally afterwards.
- timbowhite 10y agoYeah hard runs make me feel great, but it's more of a state of pleasant mental numbness. Mental focus and the ability to do any complex thinking stuff (coding, chess, etc) is entirely diminished.
- zw123456 10y agoGood point, if I push myself too far then I end up focusing too much on the push. But on the other hand if I don't push at least part of the time, the end feeling is not as rewarding.
- timbowhite 10y agoSure. The other thing I've noticed is that I tend to be more aggressive during strenuous runs. For instance, if a car doesn't yield to me at a crosswalk I'll probably yell out something, whereas I normally would ignore it. Might be due to both the mental anguish and the "heightened acuity in preparation for the kill" you mentioned :)
- cylinder 10y agoSame thing with weightlifting. There's a fine line between a workout that makes me feel amazing and one that leaves me totally depleted. Nutrition also has an impact (before and after).