The List of Impossible Things Just Got Shorter

I don’t want this to come across as bragging, but today deserves to be acknowledged.

Today I walked 10.49 sustained miles.

There was a time when I don’t think anyone—doctors, nurses, physical therapists, family, my spouse, or even me—would have believed that was possible.

But today it happened.

I’m tired. I’m sore. And I’m incredibly grateful.

More than anything, today changed something in my head. There are still limitations. There is still a lot of work ahead. But the list of things I’m willing to call “impossible” just got a whole lot shorter.

The sky feels a little higher today.

And I discovered something interesting along the way.

When I used to run, somewhere around mile five I could occasionally hit that “runner’s high”—that strange point where the effort seemed to disappear and the miles just started passing underneath you.

Apparently there’s a walker’s high, too.

Mine showed up somewhere around mile eight today. Suddenly the rhythm changed. The miles started coming easier, and for a while I felt like I could just keep going.

Endorphins? Endocannabinoids? My brain finally accepting that I wasn’t going to stop? I had no idea, so I asked AI.

A note from ChatGPT:
There actually is some science behind what you experienced. The traditional explanation for a “runner’s high” focused on endorphins, but research increasingly points to the body’s endocannabinoid system as an important contributor. Sustained aerobic exercise can increase circulating endocannabinoids, which can affect the brain and are associated with reduced anxiety, improved mood, and decreased perception of pain.

And running apparently doesn’t own the phenomenon. Sustained moderate aerobic activity—including brisk or prolonged walking—can activate some of the same biological systems. Exactly when it happens varies considerably by person, intensity, conditioning, duration, and other factors, so there’s nothing scientifically magical about mile eight.

But after walking for eight miles, it is entirely plausible that what felt like a “walker’s high” was a real exercise-induced change in mood and perception of effort.

So no, Jason probably wasn’t imagining it.

Back to me:

All I know is that this morning I put one foot in front of the other 10.49 miles worth of times.

And today, that was enough.