RUNNING | PSYCHOLOGY | SELF-EFFICACY
Beyond “Runner’s High”
The beauty of doing hard things
I just ran my first race and didn’t die in the attempt.
Up until six months ago, when my coach suggested that I start running, I had never run more than 100 meters in my entire life. Ok, maybe I’m lying. There was that one time when I left my leather jacket at a coffee shop, panicked, and ran back as fast as I could — very on-brand if you ask me. Before then, I was forced to run in school as a child and teenager. I vaguely remember my P.E. teacher making us run laps on the track. There was a tiny shed at the far end of the loop where I used to hide after my first half-lap and wait for the rest of the group to finish before I joined them. I spent my teenage years in between books and classes, planning and participating in the Physics and Philosophy Congress at school. A serial overachiever, the only class I ever almost failed was P.E.
Why did I start running?
‘Why did I start running?’ — I’ve asked myself this question at least a dozen times, more often than not in the middle of a training session. Perhaps it’s true that as you approach 30, you are either married or training for a marathon. Or perhaps I needed something to add to my mini existential crisis as I left behind the life I had built for 10 years to go back home, or I’m just getting good at doing the things I thought I’d never do.
I like to think I picked up running to prove myself wrong, or rather to prove myself right. That is, to prove to myself that I can — in fact — do hard things.
At the end of last year, when I quit my job and went back to Colombia after tirelessly studying and working in the U.S. for so long, I posted a sticky note on my computer that read, ‘You have done crazier things.’ So, when my coach suggested I start running in the winter, I went along with it. Despite professing a true hatred for running for 29 years, I was encouraged by the conviction that I had accomplished crazier things. Plus, I’d been very committed to trying new things and going outside my comfort zone. Running was a new challenge and it was exciting.
I like to think I picked up running to prove myself wrong, or rather to prove myself right. That is, to prove to myself that I can — in fact — do hard things.
In the past few months, however, I’ve learned to appreciate this lifestyle as much more than I ever expected it to be. Before I was a runner, I was a cognitive scientist, a psychologist, a global health professional, and a writer. Now it seems natural to me to write about my insights on how I’ve experienced running so far. The most important of which is its relationship with my self-efficacy.
Beyond ‘Runner’s High’
We’ve all heard a million times about the so-called Runner’s High, a popularized term to describe a state of euphoria supposedly caused by endorphins after vigorous physical activity. However, the science behind Runner’s High is much less certain. First, studies now show that the endocannabinoid system (which activates the same receptors as cannabis in the brain) is more likely to cause that feeling of euphoria, calm, and decreased pain that we may feel after running. Second, available research on humans is scarce and mainly shows that not everyone experiences it — I know I haven’t. In fact, it seems to be quite rare. Rather, as I mentioned, the most evident psychological effect I’ve experienced so far is the relationship between running and self-efficacy.
Running and self-efficacy
First described by Albert Bandura, self-efficacy refers to our belief about our ability to perform specific tasks. In other words, our perception of whether we are capable or not of accomplishing something. In general, people with higher self-efficacy tend to do better in the actual performance of the task vs those with lower self-efficacy (Gray, 2011, p.583). If you asked someone whether they believe they can run a 10k, those who are very confident in their ability to do so will tend to do better than those who are not. Of course, some degree of that confidence should typically be based on your real capacity (although that’s not always the case, I will not get into that). For instance, a few months before I started running, I completed El Camino de Santiago biking, so I had already been training in something I really enjoyed. I may have not committed to running if I had not previously built an exercise routine and (some) physical endurance.
Self-efficacy refers to our beliefs about our ability to perform specific tasks. In general, people with higher self-efficacy tend to do better in the actual performance of the task vs those with lower self-efficacy.
Bandura believed that self-efficacy can be a cause of performance. Indeed, most studies to date have focused on evaluating this directional relationship (high self-efficacy leads to running) vs. exploring whether running leads to improved self-efficacy. While a positive correlation is usually found, the relationship is not yet so clear-cut and straightforward as we may think, with evidence suggesting that it may go both ways. In my case, I’m willing to say it does.
The beauty of doing hard things
I would have never started running if I didn’t believe that I could in the first place. A mix of that increased self-efficacy motivated by my life-changing decisions, having prepared physically for a different challenge, and a little push from my coach got me my first running session. Then, as I realized I could accomplish it, I kept going. It has been a beautiful process, not only to think that I can accomplish hard things but also to see myself do them. Completing 10k running was something I never thought possible and the satisfaction of knowing I can is what keeps me going.
Running has been a beautiful process, not only to think that I can accomplish hard things but also to see myself do them.
I recently spoke to a friend who also theoretically hates running. She has a very clear idea of why she does it: “I started running because I hate it” she told me as she explained that she is currently training for a half marathon.
The rationalization “If I can do this, I can do anything” resonates loudly throughout the community. So, in a way, whether we realize it or not — and whether science fully backs it yet (there are still many unanswered questions) — running has become a challenge not only to improve our physical endurance, but also mental control, discipline, and self-efficacy.
A million thanks to Daniel, from the One2Tri Team & my friend MC for always being my inspiration!
About the author
Sara Gómez Trillos is a scientist, writer, and consultant working at the intersection of population health, behavioral health, and non-communicable disease prevention and control, from a global health equity lens. Her writing reveals a deep fascination for philosophy, art, science, and interconnections in health.
Originally from Medellín, Colombia, she writes in both English and Spanish.
Follow Sara’s work on Medium and other platforms.
