Love, pain and the whole damn thing

I was reading Trail Running magazine and there is an article about running addiction. The article goes deep about when a good things goes terrible wrong. I started running seriously about a year ago and there is not a time that goes by that somebody thinks that there is something wrong with me or doesn't feel sorry.

I had a good chat with my friend Joylin today, she is been a runner for a long time and she often wins age group races by a big margin. I don't know how old she is but we both compete on the 35-39 age group, if I didn't know her I will think she was early 20's, she also has 3 young children often on tow. I like talking to her, she is always in a good mood, and she is the kind of person that makes you feel good about yourself. We started talking about running with the same passion people talk about a good movie or a juicy gossip of a friend having an affair, the way only a runner can talk to a runner with out feeling self conscious of being weird

When is a good thing a bad thing?. We as society we are quick to judge people around us a s different if we don't follow general rules, as we get older you are suppose to leave behind things that are not as important such as running and concentrate on working and raising your kids . I like running, a lot, and that makes me a happy person, a happy person makes a great parent.

What it seems to make no sense to people around me is that I spend so much time on a hobby, something that I make no living out of, and even if I improve I will never make it to the elite ranks. Reading the article I recognize some of the danger signs, " being constantly tired" for example. Well that I am, but I am not sure that running is the single source of my fatigueness, I work full time and have kids that alone will make anybody tired, I find that by exercising a lot I have more energy, sometimes training does catch up to me but sometimes works does or kids do when they are sick for example I am almost always tired but the source is different every time. " Missing out on social events" Well you got me there. I am known for missing out on going out and the only time I get to go out I know how to clear a room and it gets worse as the night progresses since I hardly ever drink, is hard to go out when you know you have to get up early and take your kids out the morning after, I haven't slept in since I had kids and until my kids are old enough to drive themselves it will be the case.

I am not sure if I have an addiction or is simply just something that I do to make myself happy, I like talking to friends such as Joylin who is excited talking about mile repeats and lunges with the same passion people talk about the new restaurant in town. I think that addiction is something that makes you unhappy when you are not doing it, I am happy when I an not running, and I am also happy when I am. Running everyday and sometimes twice a day seems a bit obsessive, and I am sure that there are people that really have running addiction sometimes we are quick to label people with having a problem just like we are quick to diagnose ADHD. I think we restore to go to mental stimulus like happy thoughts of running or planing my next week of training just like other people check their facebook account or think about golfing. Is just an escape of the daily routine, we need a mental brake everyday to cope with overstimulating ourselves at work or at home. it might seem unhealthy but is a preventive medicine, not a substitute of living but to enhance it not unlike taking vitamins when you already have a healthy diet.