19k. #ok A friend reminded me of Anders Hansen's idea: if exercise was a drug, it would be the most prescribed ever. Because the effects are so beneficial. But I think there's more.
Some of best benefits are the experience of doing it, not just the after effects. These photos are from just one run. I get a ton of this every day.
A photo from the top of the mountain, or the view from the restaurant, or being choppered in, is just not the sams experience as running/walking/cycling up.
Being fit enough to run long distance every day is like having a private cable car, powered by your own effort and skill.
And the other difference from outputs is process.
It's not about the runner's high, whatever that is. It's about the process. The moment you focus on the outputs you miss the process focus that's required to do it right and enough.
One discovery is how much you never truly like running long distance, but you learn to love it. At any one moment you are focussing on form, rhythm, stride and absorbing pain from multiple locations, while watching for injury and checking energy levels. And it's all fine, it's the process-the-moment.
During the day, process-wise, if you aren't mildly hurting throughout the day and yet looking forward to doing it again and wondering the distance you'll take on today, you aren't doing it right. When the time comes: you have to check for injuries vs aches, check for blisters, nutrition and hyrdarrtion levels, tape your toes, check your socks, choose shoes. It's a hassle, a lot of fiddling - and it's the love of the process that pulls you forward, not liking any particular step.
It would be easier if it was a drug–but you'd lose the love of the experiential ride and process.