Running Addiction

Amanda_1973
Amanda_1973 Posts: 28 Member
edited November 14 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm just starting out trying to learn 5 K so I don't have an addiction to running at all, though my husband started this time last year and has developed an addiction to it (could be worse things to be addicted to I'm guessing) he just LOVES it so much. What is it about it exactly that is so addictive? and about when does the addiction occur?

Replies

  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    Welcome to your husband. Glad he joined the club. It won't be long 'til we get you too. Ha ha ha ha ha (in my best Vincent price voice). :D

    BTW - Not every who tries running loves it. You will know at some point if this is you. I'd say when it starts getting easier so you can just 'run' an not have to breathe hard and nothing hurts. Then you can run and zone out.
  • Philtex
    Philtex Posts: 1,232 Member
    Amanda_1973 wrote: »
    when does the addiction occur?

    For me it was when I ran my first race (a 5K).
  • Zarka_91
    Zarka_91 Posts: 99 Member
    you either love running or you dont lol. im developing a love for it slowly, i wouldnt say addiction just yet, i used to run every single day till i burnt my immune system out with over training then i reduced my running days to 3 times a week .. some weeks i tend to fit in 5 days of running, depends how i feel really. today i did a 5 mile run, only to injure my foot which is currently throbbing with pain haha, hope it recovers soon so i can get back to running.
  • _RNR_
    _RNR_ Posts: 875 Member
    Never.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited January 2017
    Philtex wrote: »
    Amanda_1973 wrote: »
    when does the addiction occur?

    For me it was when I ran my first race (a 5K).

    It took me a year of running...
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,745 Member
    I agree with Philtex. Racing is fun. Training for races can be hard, but it can be good too, as you expand your limits and do things you never thought possible. I love the challenge of training for a new distance, or trying to get faster at a previous distance. I'll never be fast, but I do enjoy the atmosphere of a race and pushing myself as hard as I can.

    I love spending time outdoors. I am primarily a hiker and backpacker, but running is something I can do every day and not just on weekends. I love the feeling I get after a good run, the mellow warm rush of endorphins. Some people never get that. But they do get to the point where it isn't hard all the time. They learn what easy pace feels like and find themselves able to extend their distance without too much trouble. That feels good, even if you don't get the runners high.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited January 2017
    I loath running...I love cycling. I dusted off my bike a few years ago while training for a sprint triathlon and pretty much immediately fell in love with it. I don't run, but I love being out on the bike.
  • divcara
    divcara Posts: 357 Member
    edited January 2017
    I hate running, but I love racing. To me, it became very addictive to have a time to beat and sign up for new races and try to beat my previous times. I also love the social aspect, the new friends I have made, and the fun of festive races, good race swag, or the post race parties. I am in no danger of placing in my age group (yet haha), but I like striving to be in the top 10% of females or age group, or whatever my current goal is.

    The thing is, I actually do not enjoy running. I know people like to run for a variety of reasons. I hate it! When I run alone, I get bored, restless, and just think about how much I hate it. I do more interval training in my classes - mentally I can handle 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes at a time.

    I never run outside on my own. I actually joined a run club that starts up in a few weeks to train for a 10K. But the real reason was motivation to run outdoors and get my 5K time down if I actually train a few times a week. While it always makes me feel good, I don't run or exercise for pure enjoyment. I have a personality that enjoys the competition (against myself), or always needing a new goal to chase to stay engaged and motivated. Race days bring out the inner athlete in me I never knew I had.

    I have friends that are the complete opposite - love running, absolutely hate the competitive aspect of racing. Everyone's motivations are so different! But yes, it can get addictive - in the best of ways!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Amanda_1973 wrote: »
    ...and about when does the addiction occur?

    When I started trail running.

    And you can't complain when the aid stations have beer, cider, vodka, champagne... And cake...
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
    I got hooked during the week 5 20 minute run in C25K. That was when I first time I experienced the feeling of being able to do something I never thought I could do and I've been hooked ever since.

    I started C25K because I wanted to run a mile just once in my life - I never could run the whole mile in the school fitness tests. I told myself I'd do this C25K thing, and if I didn't like running when I finished it I would stop. It's been nearly 2 years and I still run at least 20 miles a week. I'm hooked on meeting new fitness goals. Faster 10K time, heavier deadlift, or just trying a new lift or running a new route.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    Actually running can be a dangerous thing to get addicted to. You can very easily destroy your body if you don't learn proper biomechanics and training progression. People mistaken it as a sport anyone can just up and do.

    I definitely took a better liking to it after I'd built up a bit of endurance and started hitting trails. I love being outside and being goal oriented - so obstacle course racing struck true to me. And I've been falling in love with the training aspect ever since. Racing really shouldn't be your only motive for something.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
    i started really liking it, when i finished the c25k program and was not feeling exhausted every time i ran.sometimes i have a great run and i love it,sometimes i have a bad run and i can't wait for it to be over.but i always put my running shoes on when the time comes again.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    I think the answer is different for everyone, but I think most people fall in love with running when they realize that they don't have to run fast and they slow down and run at a conversational pace. When you run like this, you get the feeling that you could run forever and it feels great!
  • Amanda_1973
    Amanda_1973 Posts: 28 Member
    yeah I think the answers you gave me above are what my husband is experiencing, I'm just trying to understand he's desire/passion for it, I guess addiction is the wrong word to use but that seems to be what it's like. I'm hoping the C25K will the real experience of it and see how it goes. He's first "addiction" or enjoyment of it it occurred after he's first 5K race as well last year.
  • woodwardtm
    woodwardtm Posts: 361 Member
    The endorphins released when exercising make you feel good. When you are first starting out as a runner, completing that 5K gives you such a sense of accomplishment! It makes you want to do more.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    woodwardtm wrote: »
    The endorphins released when exercising make you feel good. When you are first starting out as a runner, completing that 5K gives you such a sense of accomplishment! It makes you want to do more.

    Exactly.
    Any exercise that releases endorphins can become "addictive." But it is a good addiction to have.
    For me, it is swimming. It has become essential to good mental health for me. keeps anxiety and stress at bay.
  • snowyne
    snowyne Posts: 268 Member
    Agree with all of these replies. I just started running in mid-Nov. and am slowly developing an appreciation for it. I used to hate it but as my stamina has improved, so has my attitude. Now I crave it when I miss a day. I've never been athletic and I took up running after getting a treadmill. I had a tough, loss-filled 2016 and it felt good to set little goals and eventually reach them. Running is now a bright spot in my day, something that clears my head and relieves stress like nothing else.
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