To some, running may be a form of hypnosis. Since it doesn't require much active thought, your mind is free to wander as you run. At the same time, the blur of the ground beneath your feet and the rhythm of your breathing and footfalls can combine to create a trance-like state.

In fact, in a 1983 survey of 424 runners published in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 54 percent of the respondents said they sometimes felt they were "in a 'trance' or altered state of consciousness while running." Of those, more than three-fourths said they sometimes experienced "a light or floating sensation" during their runs. The survey respondents averaged about 29 miles a week, and 75 percent had been running for at least a year.

Others may use "runner's high" to describe the rush of endorphins they get from exercise. Endorphins are your body's natural form of morphine, a chemical released by the pituitary gland when your body undergoes some kind of stress, such as running. After about 30 minutes, the endorphins kick in, pain diminishes and the world starts to look a little brighter.

Researchers have measured the amount of endorphins in runners before and after exercise and tried to pinpoint just how much work it takes to trigger their release. Unfortunately, the answer varies from person to person and even from one run to the next. For Solkin, it's most noticeable on runs of 5 to 10 miles.

The varied endorphin effects may explain why the runner's high means different things to different people and why some runners have no idea what the rest are talking about. If you're wondering where all the endorphins are, try adjusting your pace or distance. It's possible that you're not going hard enough or long enough to trigger the rush.

In any case, if you don't finish most of your runs feeling more relaxed and at ease, rethink your approach. Running should be something you do because you want to, not because you feel you have to.

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