Second Wind

Terry Fox

Terry Fox is one of the greatest Canadians of all time. He was an inspirational figure who raised money for cancer research while attempting to run across Canada despite his disability. He lost his leg to cancer and wore a prosthetic (not real) leg. He said that the beginning of each run was the most difficult but after a while he would get his second wind. Fox’s prosthetic leg caused him pain, but after a while he could no longer feel the pain.

A lot of endurance athletes know about second wind. When I do long distance cycling, I go through a period where I feel really tired, out of breath, and a little angry. Nowadays it happens around 4 or 5 hours into the ride. If I push through (endure) this period, I will have renewed energy for the rest of my ride.

Meaning

A second wind is a renewed energy. It is almost like a second life. The wind is an allusion to your breath. Catching your second wind is well-known in sports, but the phrase can also be applied outside of sports. For example, we thought that the Covid pandemic was going away, but the omicron variant has given Covid a second wind.
Example: I was really discouraged at work because I had a lot of paperwork to complete. However, his encouragement gave me a second wind and I finished it before going home.

 Why do we get a second wind?

When it come to sports, there are a few theories on why athletes get a second wind. One theory is that we release endorphins (hormones that make us feel good) during endurance activities. This is also called runner’s high and helps us to ignore the pain. Another theory is the tiredness is a build up of lactic acid in muscles. Our bodies naturally clear the lactic acid after a while. When that happens, the athlete will feel like they are getting energy back to their muscles. Highly trained athletes’ bodies are better at clearing lactic acid so they are less likely to get tired. Alternatively, an athlete might get a second wind simply from knowing that they are close to finishing their goal. The motivation to accomplish their goal is what gives them renewed energy.

Origin

Second wind first appears in the 1830s.

See Also: Terry Fox, Clara Hughes, Running out of steam, Knackered, Milestone

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Reference:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second%20wind
https://www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg24532691-400-running-on-empty-is-runners-second-wind-real/
https://www.inverse.com/article/7687-what-causes-second-wind-in-runners
https://grammarist.com/idiom/second-wind/
https://www.etymonline.com/word/wind
https://thecontentauthority.com/blog/what-does-getting-a-second-wind-mean