RunningAHEAD - Topic: Running is a drug...

PowerOfQ

Think Whirled Peas

posted: 3/12/2008 at 1:55 PM

No, I’m not dedicated to running, I’m addicted. I often run because I HAVE TO. It takes more effort most times now to not run. Running breaks down my ability to procrastinate. The more I do it, the less I am able to say, "not today". I have seen running compared to other addictions, mostly chemicals like cocaine and whatnot. I can’t say that I disagree w/the analogy entirely. Forget for a moment that running itself is inherently good for your body and that cocaine is inherently bad for it. Here's a short list of similarities I started to come up with: - You put your body at a much higher risk of dying while doing it. - The process hurts, though sometime during and certainly shortly after, you feel great. - It is insanely expensive, to the point where you hide what you spend on paraphernalia from loved ones. - People that don’t do it can’t understand how you could, and look at you funny. - You can’t talk to people about it that don’t do it because they just don’t understand. - You have specific friends that you only know through your habit. - You sneak your habit in wherever, and whenever you can. You hide this from loved ones too, for fear that they’ll worry/get angry. ------------------- Feel free to add to the list!

Just because running is simple does not mean it is easy.

Relentless. Forward. Motion. <repeat>

Run To Win

#2867

posted: 3/12/2008 at 2:00 PM

If you stop, you go through withdrawal symptoms. I tried taking a month off last November. Really. I wound up having to cut it short because I was going stir crazy. The swimming and weight lifting weren't proving to be adequate substitutes this time.

Run to Win
25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 3/12/2008 at 2:15 PM
modified: 3/12/2008 at 2:38 PM

Quote from PowerOfQ on 3/12/2008 at 1:55 PM:

- You put your body at a much higher risk of dying while doing it. - The process hurts, though sometime during and certainly shortly after, you feel great. - It is insanely expensive, to the point where you hide what you spend on paraphernalia from loved ones. - People that don’t do it can’t understand how you could, and look at you funny. - You can’t talk to people about it that don’t do it because they just don’t understand. - You have specific friends that you only know through your habit. - You sneak your habit in wherever, and whenever you can. You hide this from loved ones too, for fear that they’ll worry/get angry.

This also seems to describes Elliot Spitzer's recent activities. Clowning around

On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

JohnnyDx

Into the wild

posted: 3/12/2008 at 2:16 PM

You know, I started out 20 years back saying, "just a mile, what harm can it do?" Each year that passed saw me sink deeper in to its clutches..I go to sleep thinking about it; I wake planning it. I've started selling my kids old Nintendo DS games to offset the financial burden... I'm tempted to buy one type of shoe so my loved ones don't see how often they need replacing... I even ran, showered and changed recently and noone knew I'd sneaked o 10k in... Smile

Take care you lot, there's many a truth in jest.. Evil grin

Shut _up ^and _run

Tremont

posted: 3/12/2008 at 2:18 PM

Hi, my name is Tremont and I'm a running addict. I disagree with "much higher risk of dying while doing it", though. Compared to what? You're in much greater danger of dying while driving to a race than during the race itself. And "insanely expensive"? As hobbies (or addictions) go it's dirt cheap. I'll spend less than $500 running this year, most of that for shoes and race fees. What other hobby (or addiction) is less expensive?

autumns_child

posted: 3/12/2008 at 2:22 PM

Quote from Tremont on 3/12/2008 at 2:18 PM:

Hi, my name is Tremont and I'm a running addict. I disagree with "much higher risk of dying while doing it", though. Compared to what? You're in much greater danger of dying while driving to a race than during the race itself. And "insanely expensive"? As hobbies (or addictions) go it's dirt cheap. I'll spend less than $500 running this year, most of that for shoes and race fees. What other hobby (or addiction) is less expensive?

I agree.

"Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative." - prefontaine

Mr Inertia

Suspect Zero

posted: 3/12/2008 at 2:37 PM
modified: 3/12/2008 at 2:38 PM

Hi, my name is Mr Inertia and I'm a running addict. This si a timely thread because I came to that realization just this morning. I wasn't scheduled for a run. I didn't need to run - I just ran 8 hours prior.I needed sleep. But the dogs woke me up at 4:30. My stepson was due to leave for work at 6:30 and my car was behind his in the driveway so I decided to move my car...to the Y and run for a bit while I was there. MTA: Agree with Tremont and Autums Child - not expensive in the general scheme of things- one of hte reasons I chose this sport.

PowerOfQ

Think Whirled Peas

posted: 3/12/2008 at 2:49 PM

Quote from Mr Inertia on 3/12/2008 at 2:37 PM:

Hi, my name is Mr Inertia and I'm a running addict. This si a timely thread because I came to that realization just this morning. I wasn't scheduled for a run. I didn't need to run - I just ran 8 hours prior.I needed sleep. But the dogs woke me up at 4:30. My stepson was due to leave for work at 6:30 and my car was behind his in the driveway so I decided to move my car...to the Y and run for a bit while I was there. MTA: Agree with Tremont and Autums Child - not expensive in the general scheme of things- one of hte reasons I chose this sport.

It can get expensive...though like anything, it can be done using a minimalist amount of dough. Really, I wrote this about 8 months ago, when I was just getting started and the costs were really piling up. The wife was getting after me a bit for the two pair of shoes, five tech shirts, three pair of shorts, visions of a garmin...yeah, the money can add up fast. And by "much higher risk of dying" I mean that as compared to sitting on the couch. You raise your heart rate, you increase your chance of having "an event". Also, this is supposed to be a fun exercise, so let's not over think it, eh? Tongue

Just because running is simple does not mean it is easy.

Relentless. Forward. Motion. <repeat>

Happyfeet

posted: 3/12/2008 at 3:19 PM
modified: 3/12/2008 at 3:20 PM

This just got me thinking, I decided to tally up the cost of my running, including shoes, clothes, driving to races, race fees etc and I estimate of the amount I spend is less than $500. Maybe I am rationalising this and maybe I spend another $100 - $200 on Gatorade, water, power bars etc so a total of $600 - $700 3 races - $90 Driving - $60 (gas cost only) Shoes - 3 pairs $240 Clothes - maybe $100 (socks cost way more than I think is reasonable) I however spent over $1000 in gym fees that I use maybe once a month. I should cancel that Gym membership which I rarely use since I got addicted to this running. Talk to a cyclist and see what he spends in a year. Shocked

One reason I am not going to even try cycling Smile

If we are talking about cost of time spent running then all bets are off.

jeffdonahue

posted: 3/12/2008 at 3:27 PM

Quote from Happyfeet on 3/12/2008 at 3:19 PM:

This just got me thinking, I decided to tally up the cost of my running, including shoes, clothes, driving to races, race fees etc and I estimate of the amount I spend is less than $500. Maybe I am rationalising this and maybe I spend another $100 - $200 on Gatorade, water, power bars etc so a total of $600 - $700 3 races - $90 Driving - $60 (gas cost only) Shoes - 3 pairs $240 Clothes - maybe $100 (socks cost way more than I think is reasonable) I however spent over $1000 in gym fees that I use maybe once a month. I should cancel that Gym membership which I rarely use since I got addicted to this running. Talk to a cyclist and see what he spends in a year. One reason I am not going to even try cycling If we are talking about cost of time spent running then all bets are off.

This year mine is going to be a bit higher I think: 10 races planned - probably $300 Driving - $150 (some of the races are a bit far away - might actually be higher because the RTB Relay is a 200 mile drive to get there, 200 mile race, then another 50 home.) Shoes - $320 (expect to go through 4 pairs this year) Clothes - $50 (shouldnt need anything really new) Misc Food/stuff - $100 so I am probably looking at spending a grand this year probably. Never mind if I decide to buy some gear at one of the race expos. As for my gym membership - luckily that is only $10 a month so I dont feel bad that I only lift once a week.

jEfFgObLuE

I've got a fever...

posted: 3/12/2008 at 3:27 PM

Quote from Happyfeet on 3/12/2008 at 3:19 PM:

Talk to a cyclist and see what he spends in a year.

Did, you wanna answer that or wait until zoomie's not looking? Tongue

On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will wish that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

spaniel

Feeling the growl again

posted: 3/12/2008 at 3:39 PM

I think you would find that spend on running is inversely proportional to speed to an extent. By this I mean that people who have been in it awhile have learned that all the gadgets in the world aren't what make you faster, and so they don't give into the marketing hype as much. I consider it a VERY cheap hobby, and about the cheapest sport around. I would disagree that it is more dangerous than sitting on the couch. On a given day, I bet mroe people die from sitting on the couch than from running. Running makes you healthier, sitting on the couch does the opposite.

"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

kcam

posted: 3/12/2008 at 3:46 PM

I'm not addicted to running. I can stop anytime I want to.

Ennay

A Saucy Wench

posted: 3/12/2008 at 4:00 PM
modified: 3/12/2008 at 4:02 PM

I actually do spend more than my cyclist dh...unless he decides to actually do an event. Then he has this tendency to drop $2-3K in a week. Fortunately he is too busy kart racing "really, I have spent all the money I need too it's just race fees now" ...except for the new engine, transmission and as long as I have spent that much I really might as well get a new chassis. Roll eyes

I put this on another thread...I actually think I will spend about $1200 this year 5.5 pairs of shoes $440, 4 sports bras $140 Racing 8@ $15 = 120 2@ $40 = 80 2@90 = 180 ~2 @ 25 = 50 $ 1010 - with no gear, gu, socks or commemorative t-shirts. And I am not even traveling. If I go to Tucson in December just tack on a bunch more But I do get serious running withdrawal symptoms. If I dont run, I dont go. Running is my metamucil. I could actually die from my withdrawal symptoms.

I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

sakula

posted: 3/12/2008 at 4:08 PM

I havn't thought about that run after work all day. I Swear!

Running is a drug... (Read 1016 times)