Second Wind

There's a well-known saying about "getting your second wind", but have you ever actually experienced it yourself? You know, you're at the point in your run when your legs feel like lead, you feel like you're breathing through a straw and your heart is trying to pound through your chest when suddenly, you feel an unexplainable burst of energy. You feel like you can run forever...and really fast...!!! There's several ways to explain it - some physiological and some psychological - all I know is that I love it! It's a fantastic feeling!

The last couple of times I've gone out to run I've had the pleasure of experiencing a second wind, however, it dawned on me today that I don't know that it would be something I'd wish for every time. Why? Because a second wind, in it's very definition, only happens when the first 'wind' is gone.

"Second wind is a phenomenon in distance running, such as marathons or road running (as well as other sports), whereby an athlete who is too out of breath and tired to continue suddenly finds the strength to press on at top performance with less exertion."

You have to suffer through the pain of heavy legs and the tightness in your chest from breathlessness in order for the second wind to even kick in. It hurts. It's hard. And you want to quit...

...But you don't quit. You fight through it and next thing you know, it's gone. Replaced by a burst of energy that lets you take a deep breath, relax and settle in for a strong finish!

...Or you do quit because it's just too hard or it hurts too much. And you miss out. And you don't even know how close you were to breaking through. It may have never come - or it may have only been one more step away.
 
I've not read anywhere that people can predict when exactly a runner will get his/her second wind, so I'll never really know if or when it will happen. What I do know is that pushing through and getting to the other side is completely worth it!

Run Strong!