Happy 420, friends! How cannabis and running have always gone hand in hand (at least in my experience)

I’m going to keep this one short and sweet because I’ve got cookies to bake! They’re not pot cookies, but I wish they were!

Whether you celebrate with edibles, Willie Nelson, or not at all, I wanted to wish you all a Happy 4/20.

This date makes me think back on when I first started using cannabis. Oddly enough, it was the same time I started running.

I always associated cannabis with fitness, and not just because of runner’s high! It was clear that ganja had much more to offer than the stereotypical couch lock and rampant munchies.

***Check out my post on how attitudes toward cannabis have changed ever since I “came out” about it***

I was never interested in running or smoking weed until I met my college boyfriend. He was an avid trail runner and high-functioning pothead. He had a career, a healthy diet, and the kind of easygoing charm that mother’s perceive as husband material.

Long story short, he was an example of how I could use cannabis AND have my shit together. At my young and impressionable age, that’s all I knew.

After work, he’d take a hit or two before going out for a run. Then, he’d come home and smoke a bit more while he stretched on the floor.

So, naturally, when I started running shortly after that, it made perfect sense to include weed. It always helped me focus on my form and calm the constant buzzz of my racing thoughts.

Generally, it just made the experience more enjoyable. Now that I write about the health benefits, of cannabis, I know it also contains powerful anti-inflammatory properties that promote muscle recovery.

Fast-forward to my ultramarathon career, when I started taking edibles before long runs that were upwards of 20 miles. This type of stoned running helped by not only alleviating nagging pains, but also by quelling mental tedium.

Well, those cookies aren’t going to bake themselves.

I hope you enjoy this day in whatever way suits you best!

PS- I don’t know about you guys, but I find that all this free time in quarantine is really helping me keep my bong clean ;)

PPS- Have you joined my email list, yet?