You: “Running… Oi! No way!”
Michael, crazy person: “You mean hell yeah? You should run 5k a day.”
You: “Fuck off.”
Why You Should Run 5k+ Daily
Running is absolutely amazing. It has changed my life completely and I don’t do it just to stay fit.
Most people struggle with workout regiments because they’re too focused on the “long-term” which you can not possibly stay motivated for.
Believe it or not, we are all stupid evolved apes that just want to increase positive chemicals in our brain.
Did you know running is actually great way to increase those chemicals in the brain?
Some benefits to running daily (and in the morning) include increased cognitive function, better sleep quality, more mental clarity, oh the list could go on and on…
This blog post is not going to be about the long-term benefits of running. I’m sure you know what they are, and even if you don’t that’s not enough reason to start running.
Quite frankly I don’t like the long-term. I like the short-term and medium term. Staying motivated enough to suffer through a hard task nearly every day for a benefit 10 years down the line is a bit… tough don’t you think?
The Short-Term Benefits of Running
When I run, I don’t usually track how far or long I’m running. I just, you know, run.
The way I do it is when I start to feel “it’s time to stop,” I keep going. That feeling of “fuck me this is tough” is usually an indicator that you’re pushing yourself and should continue.
You can go a very long way past that “oh fuck me” feeling.
In fact, if you’d just shut up and try it you’d be quite surprised just how capable & strong you truly are!
The “fuck me” feeling is also an indicator that you’re about to start releasing a ton of endorphins. Endorphins get released when you workout, it’s basically like heroin.
No, it’s literally heroin.
Once I continue past the “fuck me” feeling I start getting a bit tingly in the head. I visualize myself filled with energy and speed, and usually my pace picks up without me even realizing.
The pain starts fading away, and the tingling turns into deep head & body sensations of pure ecstasy.
Most people don’t believe me because they’ve never pushed themselves to their limit. They think it’s absurd you could feel so good.
Even if you don’t push yourself to your limit and stay in your comfort zone, you’ll still notice that the days you run are generally better than off days.
For me I’ve noticed that a super hard run has positive effects for the next 2 days. It’s like being kind of high, all the time, except without the negative effects of being high.
I also get some extreme mental clarity. Problems solve themselves. I feel more energized, which is weird considering I may have just ran 7k earlier that morning.
My sleep is also a ton better which helps me feel even better the next day. My ability to focus is next-level. I don’t need coffee; I can sit down and focus as long as I want and I feel epic.
Right after a run I often lay down and just enjoy the high. It’s exactly that: a high.
I remember one time a friend I was running with never had gotten an intense “runners high” yet. One day after a run we were sitting, talking, and he suddenly smiled like a stoned ape.
He started laughing and giggling and falling over. Yeap, it hit him. I laughed also.
Most people wouldn’t believe this because they’re not willing to push themselves.
Look, it fucking sucks in the beginning, but once your body gets strong enough you start releasing endorphins without having pain so you essentially get extremely high + extreme mental clarity for nothing.
While this is happening your body gets super fit and you start looking SEXY. It’s a pretty damn good feeling when my girlfriend is constantly admiring my body for my hard work.
Start Running.
Just start running. It’s epic. You’ll get high. You’ll hit new levels of mental clarity & creativity. You’ll sleep better. Then after a month or two you’ll start looking damn sexy too.
Just focus on the short-term. Don’t worry about the sexy body or the long-term health effects. You won’t stay motivated for it.
Every day I run is an amazing day, and so is the day after.
Give it a try & let me know what you think!
-Michael
P.S. All forms of workout can give you a “high” and mental clarity. I’ve been working out my arms recently and it produces a similar effect, though running is the most effective in terms of short-term mental benefits. I do my arms for my body to look good, and running also to look good but for them good good mental effects.
