Confession: My Running Addiction

I remember coming across an article in Runner’s World about running addiction a while ago. I looked it up on a whim today because I was pontificating over my recently and very strictly limited racing schedule (I cut back on racing a ton). Being able to take a step back made me realize how much running has been a driving force in my life (cut backs on social time with friends, spending a lot of my money on races, racing gear, etc.) It’s a way to gain control in my life but I’ve reached a cross-roads where I want some of it back, but not lose the sense of control or discipline.

In order to evaluate and “cure” myself of my running addiction (making sure I continue to train, get better while not reaping the negative results of alienating loved ones) the first step was cutting back on the racing. Right now I am taking a look at my training. Although with the LA Marathon coming up – I don’t really have an option as far as time commitment goes.

Or maybe I’ll just keep it as is, as long as marathon training doesn’t make me gain weight. Here’s an interesting read on the breakdown and history of thought behind running addiction.