Might As Well Face It, You’re Addicted to Running
In a piece for Vogue, Edith Zimmerman writes about trading one addiction for another: A Former Drinker Asks, Am I Addicted to Running?
And running is good. I don’t have to lie about it or hide it. It makes me happy, and it makes my life better. There are little parallels between running and drinking, though: I feel antsy, for instance, on days when I can’t run (that itch!). And I backpedal on the days I plan to rest — I’ll just go for a quick one right now and take tomorrow off instead. And I don’t understand the people — my friends — who run only once or twice a week. Why not more? Wouldn’t you want to do it every day?
Edith and I traded Insta memes this morning about running and mountain biking. I’ve been mtn biking for four years now but this year was the first time it felt urgent — every few days, I had to get out on the bike. And each time I did, I wanted to ride harder and faster and better. I pushed it so hard I almost died and didn’t ride for a month, during which period I wasn’t feeling apprehensive about getting back on the bike, I was impatient and antsy that I couldn’t. Since getting back to it, I’ve modified my approach — less aggressive, more life preserving — but the need to get out remains. I don’t know what I’m going to do this winter without it.
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As a middle aged runner and mountain biker, I admire those who are 20+ years older than me who are still out hitting the trails regularly. I find one of my guiding principles is to make sure that what I'm doing today is in service of me being able to do it in 20 years.
The Leadville 100 MTB race now has a 70+ age group.
I started running just over 4 years ago in middle age. I am now in my fifties and feel better than ever. I see people in their 70s running hard trail races and want to be out there doing it for as long as possible. I think most people have no idea what their body is capable of and miss out on what feels like the best mental and physical care I have ever received. I used to love biking, but the roads are too dangerous where I live and it takes too much time to get to a trail on a regular basis. Everywhere I go, I can run.
I have the same sense of dread every year regarding what I'll do to get my outside exercise fix as winter comes on and biking is so cold.
A fat bike could be the answer. They're so fun especially if you can ride trails that get packed down by other trail users fairly quickly after snow. Going slower than a road bike does so much to keep you warm. 20 degrees F is totally manageable. Bizarre how something so heavy and slow looking can be so fun. I had a Salsa Mukluk that was amazing. Pro tip: get a cheap dropper post installed on the fat bike.
An indoor trainer like the Wahoo Zwift One Kickr Core Smart trainer has been surprisingly effective at satisfying my need to do bikey-type exercise for physical, mental and emotional health. You should be able to set it up with your existing mountain bike although the on screen riding is all roads. It's entertaining enough that I was on there for two hours the other day. I only use mine during the winter, and the $200 per year subscription has been totally worth it for me to not have to go to an actual gym and exercise with, you know...other people.
Kind of expensive, but I'm considering getting an AT ski set up this year so I can hike up at the resort and ski down like normal. Earn your turns or something.
Jogging is a despicable option I resort to when I'm desperate cuz it can be done in really cold weather, and after 30 minutes I'm destroyed so that's kind of fulfilling.
I have a quick exercise routine that I do on days I can't get out. Pushups to failing, 2 min side plank, 2 min side plank, two minute regular plank, another pushups to fail. I intentionally try to get feelings out while doing this, like grunts, bad words, etc.
Keep your head up, dude, and if you need to get some winter sunshine you're welcome to come out to Colorado, and I'll put you up.
Is there something scientific or chemical happening that instills that ABSOLUTE NEED to move? Does it have to do with age? Or are endorphins addictive? I'm with you guys on this, started moving, running, working out less than a decade ago and now I cannot stop!
P.S. I saw people in Svalbard during polar midnight in December riding their bikes so maybe no dark trail riding but safely lit road riding?
Great article, Edith! I especially agree with the comment at the end that while running may be healthy, our relationship with it may not (always) be.
Thanks, Eric!
I have to periodically take forced breaks (a week usually does it) to reset my dependency on exercise. It's hard but makes me open up to other possibilities for my time and energy.
Thanks for the link, Jason! Bikes still scare the crap out of me, FWIW.
We'll get you out there someday.
LOL, I am addicted to both running and biking (and skiing and hiking).
Mountain biking at night - with a half-decent headlight - on trails you know well....is an absolute blast! They're familiar that you don't worry about what's coming up, but at the same time VERY different because you can only see a little of what's coming up.
Good lights now are cheap and much more reliable than the old incandescent ones from way back.
Pro tip: Bring a good headlamp along, too, just in case you bite it and/or the headlight on the bike takes a nap. Whatever you think "dark" is, the darkness of being in the forest at night is a whole other level.
A bicycle is a happiness machine.
co-signed.
I have, on more than one occasion, likely prolonged my recovery from respiratory illness because I just couldn't resist the call of a bike ride or trail run a few days before I should've. Including right now. I so need to move, but know I shouldn't.
"on more than one occasion" has become "every occasion" for me in this regard.
Keep up the good work. 😁
Always nice to have Edith back in the mix here.
On the question of what to do as winter comes back into our lives, I liked this thread and subsequent comments that came from @IsabelUnraveled.
For me: More inviting people over for dinner. More hot peppermint tea. More scheduled exercise (in leau of running in the early-onset darkness).
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