Running

I know it’s working thanks to the blood pumping in my ears, and the steady, rhythmic pounding of my feet against the dirt as I replay the same Twenty-one Pilots lyrics in my head, the triplets lining up perfectly with every stride. The music distracts me from the searing pain coursing through my legs. I become aware of my brain beginning to panic, thinking that I am in danger and that I will die if I stop running. Just the way I planned it.

The best runners are able to intentionally induce runner’s high. By pushing your muscles beyond their limits, you trick your brain into producing a fake flight response, releasing excess adrenaline and endorphins to numb the pain and keep you moving. When I first arrived at high school, I didn’t need to fake my flight response. The transition terrified me, and my social anxiety prevented me from engaging with the community. Over time, I realized I could purposefully trick my brain in a similar way: Speaking up in 9th-grade biology, leading the intercamp Olympics as a CIT at Camp Shelanu, eventually even starting an ASL club. By pushing beyond my own limits, I graduated from “faking it until I made it” to effortlessly enjoying being a part of my various communities.

Taking advantage of the runner’s high was one of the first running strategies I learned, but I soon realized that you can’t just capture it whenever you want. It’s better to conserve it for the final stretch, aligning the benefits of the high with the most painful part of the run, allowing me to surge across the finish line. Internalizing this strategy, I balance my responsibilities and passions. I know that I can quickly feed Rizzo and Pink their evening meals, check my brother’s polynomial homework, and fold the laundry, and still have time before bed to update my custom spreadsheet and release this week’s Rocket League power rankings. Another day, I limit my time falling down a rare skin disorder YouTube rabbit hole so I can surge through practicing the second violin part of Shostakovic’s Spanish Dance for the Eastern Regional Orchestra.

Best strategy dictates that you should run with a group of people. This ensures each runner keeps pace with the rest of the pack, running at the same pace across team boundaries. Everyone benefits from grounding ourselves, making sure nobody goes too fast or too slow. This has given me comfort following the lead of others; working with my dad and sister chopping garlic and parsley together for guacamole, separating the egg whites for chocolate meringues, or even blindly rushing to mark the forward at the urging of my soccer team captain. I remain grounded, trusting that I’m on track based on the pace and directions of others.

However, running is still a competition. Knowing your own strengths is crucial to being able to pull ahead. During races, I know I can maintain a strong pace through hills, gaining a lot of ground over a short distance. By sophomore year I had finally found my pack at my new school and was running comfortably with them. When the opportunity came to apply for a three week summer program about epigenetics, I immediately knew I wanted to apply, but was worried about giving up chances to form lasting memories with my friends. Still, I surged ahead, learning how to perform PCR and gel electrophoresis. When the program was over, my pack was still there, but I had gained the experience and knowledge only available through researching first-hand.

As I enter the final stretch of my school career, I hope to continue learning new strategies that help me thrive. I’ll know that it’s working because I am running with a new pack, surging ahead when the opportunity presents itself, pushing my limits academically, and hearing those same Twenty-one Pilots lyrics still running through my head.