A Second Wind Phenomenon

I have no doubt that every run comes in stages. The warm up, the first couple couple of miles, mid run, and my personal favorite, the second wind? What is a second wind? Well, for me, the second wind is usually the last two miles of any given long run. Conserving my energy for the rest of the run is meant for just such a period.

The body seems to ignore all pain and all thoughts, mostly because your thoughts are not on the pain, but rather on how close you are to reaching that long distance goal. You know it's straight ahead, and you're familiar with the home stretch, because it's where you started. No matter what distance I run, I always seem to get this last mileage high. My pace picks up, my stride is longer, but my breathing is still in concert with the rest of my body, and my heart rate isn't anything to be concerned about.

Maybe it's an individual thing, but I like to think that everyone experiences this. Perhaps its like anything else--you know you're almost done, so your body and your mind kick into zen mode and you're TOTALLY focused. This is always the favorite part of my runs, but also my least favorite, because as soon as I'm done, I'm automatically sad that it's over. I know, I need a hobby outside of running, but once it's over it does feel a little empty, except for the accomplishment.

So, next time you're thinking of quitting, unless your body is telling you you're about to injure something if you don't at least rest and stretch--think about the home stretch. It could be the most empowering part of your runs, and something to look forward to every single time. Often times, your second wind...is just finishing.