Comedy is like running

Yesterday I had an interesting discussion with some fellow comedians on whether you should put your best joke at the beginning or the end of your set. My personal preference is the beginning. I think comedy is like running. You put your best joke at the beginning of your set, and it is just like running downhill the whole time. But put your best joke at the end, and you're running uphill from the start - but you get to end on a high note. Either way, after a great set you'll get to experience the "comedian's high," which is even better than a "runner's high." There's nothing else like it.