The folklore of running

Hi runners,

I am a graduate student at the University of Oregon who is in a class called Track Town Traditions. As you may know, the Olympic Track and Field trials are being held here in Eugene, so everyone is buzzing with running energy. I, myself, am not a runner, I am a walker who is thinking about starting to run. But that is beside the point. What I would love to find out from people who are runners is if they have any special behaviors associated with their sport. Such as, special language or words, superstitions, special foods they think help them run better, lucky charms, special clothing, etc. Is there really such a thing as a runner's high? What about when people have trouble holding their bowels at the end of a run? How is that dealt with? I have so many questions about the culture of running. I hope someone can answer some of them for me.

Thanks,

geegee