Oh bullshit.

Humans are complicated. You can't read a couple sentences re. someone being grumpy and state "here's the cause". Maybe it's repair mode, maybe she's grumpy because she's simply annoyed with herself, maybe she's grumpy because no exercise means she doesn't get to eat ice cream today. Deep thinkers have been trying to understand the root cause of human feelings for millennia. Some ideas seem to make sense, others seem silly. Anyone who thinks they have a perfect understanding of the causes of their own "issues" is fooling themselves, much less a perfect understanding of someone else's issues.

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Books @ Amazon
"If only he had used his genius for niceness, instead of Evil." M. Smart

sorry, don't agree.
This is physiology, not some existential concept about thoughts and feelings.

Like I said ... It's Runner's World for chrissakes

They should subtitle it: The Worldwide Journal of Hobby Joggers

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Why not race? You clearly love the sport! Even if you're not setting personal PRs or burning down the house, racing in itself is fun and motivating!

Sure, I'd train close to as hard without a race since I value fitness and discipline in itself, but for me, having the race is almost like an annual doctor physical checkup - it's very reassuring and satisfying to see that my times are pretty stable and minimally declining despite age. For sure, if I was working out a fair amount but suffered a big dropoff, I'd be worried!

Why am I grumpy on my day off? Because I physically feel out of sorts. Can't explain it. But all my joints and muscles feel stiff. I am not a morning person, so it takes me a while to feel awake and be a happy mom to my kids. If I run in the morning, I am totally ready to "take on" the kids and truly enjoy their company. It's like physically my body needs a kick in the ass (via running) to get going. And mentally, I need to be in my own space before I deal with others.

Obviously this is different during weekdays when I am at work. I slowly wake up as I sit in front of my computer and work and dealing with other adults is less emotionally demanding. But I still need my lunch run or else same thing will happen, I will be totally miserable by the afternoon.

I don't run to "treat" myself to ice cream or stuff. That being said, I do eat a muffin for breakfast if I know that I am going to run (otherwise I wouldn't).

Do I sacrifice social time with others in order to exercise? Heck yeah! I do NOT enjoy sitting on my lunch break at the food court and talk to people that have nothing in common with me. I feel drained and guilty after that. I would rather just walk around the shops at the very least. I DO enjoy running or swimming or working out with people from my gym at lunch (more than doing it by myself). But this is maybe because over the years I have come to realize that contrary to my desire, I am actually an introvert and I think as I get older, I get more introverted. Same with my hubby, so he gets me.

If you engage in the activity to the detriment of other important aspects of your life- spouse, children, job, health, etc- then I'd say yes.

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I read Haruki's book on running about 3-4 yrs ago and he exaggerates greatly, i.e. he does NOT run every day as the above quote would imply but rather only 3-4 days/wk. Further, he doesn't even bike or swim either so about half the days of the year he does not do anything other than maybe walk from the subway to his office.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

No, just doing the bare minimum. But those 'ultra' folks, they've got problems.

Nor am I an alcoholic (hiccup), because I don't go to the meetings.

And before you ask, no I'm not in denial. I would know if I was.

And I'm definitely not a perfectionist, because that would be a flaw.

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Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
http://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/

"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)

We're engineered to move steadily for hours at a time -- fulfilling this need isn't pathological.

Not all addictions are bad.
I don't see an issue here.

I look forward to my rest days btw because I understand rest is integral for me doing this well and for a long time. Plus I am damn tired going into it.

Which just proves the quote: "All Runners are Liars" - Bart Yasso

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

"HEY! I never said that!"

Well, Bart, I would say one of us is lying about that

Oh yeah, how's your buddy Mike Rossi doing these days?

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I really enjoy racing but not when body parts are broken. I have a disc/nerve issue that makes running and cycling problematic and very unpredictable as I lose complete strength and coordination in my left leg due to this. Thus I am swimming a ton, doing weights/core training, treadmill jogging (running on the road is not on) and when things work some riding. In any case, I get my 2 hours of exercise in regardless with no racing target.

I could do some swim racing, but honestly, I am more interested in improving at all 4 strokes. My metric has moved from race times to doing the sport properly. Perhaps similar to the addict downhill skier who is trying to perfect carving turns coming down the mountain and improving the craft technically. Plus I view all of this as an investment if I get to race again. But if I do not, while I am not entirely OK with not racing again (but gradually accepting this is a strong reality), I am just returning to my DNA from being a teenager, just enjoying doing sport every day just for the sake of doing sport. That's what I am wired to do.

If it costs you a relationship.......or a job......or (___________).....does it really matter how they label it?

My whole career (retired 3 weeks ago -- woohoo time to get more training in) involved constant interaction with patients --- talk talk talk --so I also valued the quiet time of exercise.

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RayGovett
Hughson CA
Be Prepared-- Strike Swiftly -- Who Dares Wins- Without warning-"it will be hard. I can do it"

Interesting, have not heard that quote before. In a few races, I've had people lie to me straight-faced after the race, even though they know, or should know, that I can very easily check their time. This always kind of amazes me.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

But you're thinking about it now, aren't you?

"Hmmmm, there was that time I ... I guess I kinda fibbed about that; I mean so I rounded a little? And then, well, I said I'd TRY TO do between, 8 & 10; so pulling the plug at 6, wasn't .... a lie?

"Maybe Randy's onto something here"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

If I weren't addicted to endurance sports and structuring my life from race to race, I'd be addicted to drugs, bouncing back and forth between rehab and relapse. I'll go with the former.

"You know, if you stopped drinking beer, you could probably run further & faster"
"But if I stopped drinking beer, why would I bother to run at all?"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Dev, much respect for your attitude regarding your physical issues. Are you doing any OWS?

Mark, I could do some open water swimming, but I have just been mainly in the pool. I have only done 3 wetsuit swims in 2 years (it was a month ago.....72 minute swim, 90 min swim on back to back days and then on Canada Day I did this beach to beach out and back across the local lake 2x4K. Someone posted on the local forum that a variety of people were doing anything from the 2K to 3K to 4K to 8K options. So that morning I decided to try the 8K (which would be the longest single swim of my life) and I showed up and I was the only one doing it, so went for it. I want to do a 10K swim, maybe when I am on family vacation in Tremblant. I need to map out a 4x2.5K course so I can top up on fuel in between loops. I might have to go for a test run with my massive Garmin Fenix 3 (I hate swimming with any watch) just to measure out an accurate 2.5K loop and then give it a go from there the next day.

In any case, as a lifelong exercise addict, you just create new challenges for yourself. Last summer I learned how to do Butterfly stroke (never could do it in the first 50 years of my life) and then I built up and did a 1000m TT as 50m fly/50m free x10 continuously. My time was 18:34 in Feb, so once I return to the "faster" indoor pool in Sep, I am going to see if I can get this down to break 18 minutes. That 1000m as 50/50 was the single hardest 20ish minute aerobic thing I have done...maybe harder than my last 20 min on an personal ITT up Mont Ventoux on a crazy 40C day in 2004 trying to break 90 minutes (I did it with seconds to spare)....in any case, I suppose I have always been about self generate challenges whether inside a formal race, or creating my own.

I was just talking to a work colleague who built up to 40 minutes on a Jacob's ladder continous. She's trying to get me to try this. Next she plans to build up to 40 min this time with ankle weights and a weight vest. It's just a personal challenge she has generated for herself. I can respect that. I have no clue how hard that is as I have never been on one of those things! She's trying to get me to give it a try and I just may if it works with my maimed body parts (well minus any weight vest of ankle weights and maybe start with a few minutes).

Our brains have a remarkable and scary capacity to become addicted to anything that involves a reward cycle. Endurance sports offer physiological rewards (dopamine, adrenaline, fitness) as well as social (status, achievement, power) among others (feel free to chime in). Those of us with addictive tendencies feel the pull strongly! To give up our sport sometimes seems like it would be worse than not living. To miss a training activity feels like a massive blow to our mood and psyche and we fight tooth and nail to keep those times we carve out of our days sacred. It becomes the thing we fight hardest for and treasure the most in our lives--even though it doesn't advance our career or our family. Even when we go on vacation we can't help but think about whether or not there will be time to slip away for a quick ride or run.

I would posit that while an addiction to a sport might not be as physically detrimental as some other addiction, the effects on a person's relationships, mental health, and happiness could still be negative. People lose jobs, marriages, kids, houses, relationships--over these sports. We hide sport-related purchases from our spouses. We sneak away from work to train (or browse ST... hehe). We skip family vacations or get-togethers. We schedule everything in our lives around our races or training plans. This is not an accusation or finger pointing, it's just what I've seen. And who I've been. And am.

I'm just a millennial who is trying to figure out how to do life well, and enjoy the things I love doing without being compulsive about them. For me, the struggle is real.

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts/responses/experiences.

It seems wise to differentiate between passion, obsession and addiction.

All three things might take over ones life in an "unhealthy way."

But obsessions and passions eventually burn out on their own.

Triathlon is currently a passion for me.
I WISH triathlon were an addiction. Then I could keep at it forever.

But alas....
"Triathlon is handsome and triathlon is kind.
Gay as a jewel when first it is new.
But triathlon grows old and waxes cold.
And fades away like morning dew."

Triclimbski - you have actually seen people lose their relationships, houses and jobs over their exercise addiction? I never realized it can get THAT serious. I mean, I see how it can negatively impact relationships and work, but at some point, one would imagine there is always a "wake up call" before it gets that bad.

I can totally relate to the point about vacation with family and thinking about how I can squeeze in some running. I always do because my rationale is - I am taking a vacation day away from work to spend time with my family, but also to "treat" myself to some "me" time because I earned this vacation day (at my work). My "me" time is always a run or a swim. I can sacrifice sleep for it, which is usually what happens - I wake up extra early during the "vacation" day, when the kids are sleeping. By the time I come back from a run, everyone is just waking up, so I don't feel guilty for missing out on anything.