how do you deal with having to give running up?

bike

weights

swimming

top cyclists are just as fit as runners

lift weights... will keep you looking more masculine and just as healthy in the long run (As Mo Farah's coach once said, having muscle is a good thing).

Why do you have to give it up? Do you have joint issues?

If you can't run, there's always cycling. The latter is pretty damn close to running.... you go far distances, easily do it with friends, and provides cardiac benefit.

I've been there myself, and it sucks. A lot. A knee cartilage injury ended my running for good a couple of years ago. After the diagnosis, I cried every day for three months. I had no idea what I was going to do with myself, and I was very depressed. It's a lot like the death of a loved one, except it's kind of a death of yourself. Give yourself time to mourn, you need it.

Anyone who tells you it gets easier with time is lying. I still miss running every single day. Sure, I've moved on and stay fit with cycling amd weights, but it is not the same. It's just exercise, while running was a passion. I have a happy enough life now, but my heart still has a gaping hole in it. It probably always will. Running is irreplaceable.

Well, I have two college teammates who have had to give it up. One is a cyclist and he is now (in his mid 30s) fitter than he ever was as a runner.

The other just goes to the gym everyday and hits the elliptical for an hour followed by weights. He looks great and says it makes him feel as good as running did. He says he doesn't miss the racing because he wouldn't be PRing anyway.

If I were you, I'd figure out a way to stay fit. Don't just sit at home. Stay active and maybe you'll find a new passion.

I've been there and I've found that no other activity replaces running except for long distance walking. I think think this is because it is a more "natural" activity like running, unlike say biking, which I've seriously tried to do but couldn't get into. Perhaps swimming might also be a good alternative to running too. Good luck.

Like others have said try alternative sports. I found that rock climbing helped me still feel fit. One of the hardest things about not running that crept up on me slowly was the amount of time I spent indoors. I found myself disliking the rain and the winter more because I wasn't used to being uncomfortable outside. I found myself not appreciating the beautiful summer and fall days because I wasn't outside to see them.

Find something else to do. I did it a while back - no desire to compete again. I am now, and have been for a long while, too busy doing other rewarding things with my life. I go for a jog from time to time, ride my bike, hike, lift weights, etc. to keep fit. There is a whole other world out there beside running.

Find another addiction/obsession. Really, that is what it is or what is was. Find another healthy addiction/obsession. What is your physical problem that you can't run anymore?

sadexrunner wrote:

im really struggling to deal with the idea that i may have to give up running forever. has anyone else had to give it up due to a physical problem or injury? ive been a runner my entire life. it feels so natural to me, i dont know how to not do it anymore. when i see people running, i feel heartbroken. i feel angry at the casual runners who still get to do it whenever they want, while i have to give up my passion. this has brought a very deep depression on me.

has anyone else gone through this? i would love any advise or wisdom you can offer.

I had to deal with this. One day, in my junior year of college, the night before the Paul Short XC Invitational, I started feeling sick. I had cold sweats and just felt light-headed and a bit dizzy. I don't remember exactly what it was like, but needless to say, I had a sub-par race. Despite the fact that I seemed to be feeling better the morning of the race after a night of sleep, I could tell something was a little off.

Little did I know that I would go on to experience a strange array of symptoms over the course of the season. I began to feel a strange lump in my throat that's been with me for almost three years. I began to feel fatigued very easily.

I struggled through the remainder of the season. It was the first year that our team had been good enough to win the Conference Championship, and I was usually a 4th or 5th runner. Somehow, although running below my potential, I was able to run well enough to help my team make it to XC nationals in Terre Haute. At this point, I was frantic trying to figure out what was going on with my body. Nationals was one of the worst races of my life, and I completely blew up and ran 33:5x.

I didn't know what to do, so my coach and I decided to redshirt me for track and I continued to run, all the while feeling like I had suddenly aged 60 years when I ran. The pain of running was unbearable; I was out of breath and could barely move my legs after 15 minutes of easy running.

In denial, I tried everything I could and spent the entire track season and the rest of the summer just wishing and hoping that it would go away, but it never did, no matter what I tried.

My senior year, I continued to hang out at practice and help out at meets, but I always felt insecure because I couldn't compete or even train. I remember going to one meet to help out after a night of drinking with some new friends I had found. I was a mess and kept to myself mostly, except for my coach who I viewed as a second father. I messed up the timing and acted awkward the whole time. I was very embarrassed by all this.

The plan was to meet the team on Sunday morning to attempt a long run. However, after getting black-out drunk the night before and waking up with a hangover realizing I had missed the long run, I finally made the decision and, with tears in my eyes, sent an e-mail to all of my teammates and my coach announcing that I was quitting the team because of the mysterious tragedy that had suddenly befallen me.

Crestfallen and alienated from everyone I had run with for 3 years of my life, I hung out with my new "friends" drinking every week, sometimes more than once. My studies didn't suffer much, but I was miserable. I dulled the pain with alcohol and started getting into trouble. Me and my new friend spontaneously decided to meet up with some of my old high school friends for a night on the town over Thanksgiving Break.

We road-tripped to my friend's house, which was in a different state. While I was there, I got very drunk, as usual and embarrassed myself by getting kicked out of a bar, going on an emotional tirade in the middle of the street and cursing at police officers, for which I received a $300 fine.

After all that was over, I went back to my apartment to prepare to finish the school year. While I was there, I continued to party like it was the last year of my life. Just as I was nearing the end of the semester, my risky behavior finally caught up with me. Not only did I ram the rear of someone else's car and get a traffic ticket for reckless driving, but my drinking started to have an effect on my judgment.

Long story short, I was kicked out of school and forced to return back home with nothing. I come from a working class family in a rural town, so I struggled to find work and took another 3 years to finally finish my Political Science degree. Ever since that fateful semester, my life has never been the same and I have struggled to come to grips with the fact that my running career was over and that I would probably never see any of my old friends ever again. I wallowed in loneliness and depression for the better part of 3 years until I finally started to get used to life as an ex-runner. I struggled to relate to people since I had abandoned my working-class neighborhood to run for a prestigious university and now I was having trouble integrating back into society.

Since then, I have slowly trudged through life, making small accomplishments and re-building my shattered confidence. I found solace in music and writing, and sometimes I even felt good about myself, but I never quite understood why it had to be this way, why that mysterious illness had ruined my life. Eventually, I found other things to pass the time and lessen the impending sense of hopelessness I garnered as I continued to struggle finding work, and I almost felt okay.

Truth be told, I never really got over it, but I learned to live with it, my illness still with me after four long years, a reminder of my past failure. Becoming a normal person with a life and a job was hard; it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I'm doing it. I'm currently deciding whether I should fall into my work routine or take a big risk and move to China. I want to live, but I don't know the fastest way to get there, and I am still trying to figure it out.

In case you're wondering, I was diagnosed with chronic mono after I left my alma mater. I have my doubts, but I'm still wondering how or if I'm ever going to get rid of it. I can't say that I know how to deal with quitting running, but I can tell you that you should not let it ruin your life. I made a lot of bad choices all because of mono, and I still wonder why, but you don't have to.

My advice is to take as much time as you need off. I still can't believe it's been four years, but I could conceivably get back into running and do quite well if I wanted. The point is that you have more time than you think. Take it now and straighten out your life. Be ambitious. Don't dwell and don't let it rule your life. Find other ways to fulfill yourself. Experience new things, but always stay safe. Don't live in regret like I have. Make inroads into communities where you feel the most comfortable and always have a plan B. You may never get over it, but then you may not have to if you don't do what I did and let it knock you down so hard you take 4 years to get back on your feet.

Running is not all there is.

I'd go into something else related to the sport and live vicariously if you really love it. Coaching and officiating are good choices. Many great coaches and officials are in this boat.

I'm sorry you have to go through something like this.

hazbeen wrote:

A knee cartilage injury ended my running for good a couple of years ago.

What was it?

I try to delude myself and keep the notion that I may recover in the back of mind. In reality, my nerve damage prevents blood from circulating properly in my legs, and will probably never run at 100% again. Keeping a smidgen of hope while transitioning to other hobbies is always a nice way out, even if you're lying to yourself.

that is exactly how i feel, like there is a gaping hole in my heart that i don't think will ever be filled. i feel like anyone who tells me otherwise just doesn't get it, im sorry you have to deal with this as well.

i have been lifting weights (upper body mostly as that is the only thing that doesnt increase my pain) but i am a girl and i dont know how much more masculine i want to get!

joint issues it is. torn meniscus last year, was off for a year then finally got surgery. it healed and within a month a torn hip labrum that hurts all the time, even from walking. cycling bothers it as well. i do understand this isn't necessarily an end to running, but they wont do surgery (at least not now) and im sick and tired of dealing with injuries. i just cant do it anymore. i feel like im stuck with a life of chronic pain.

wow im glad to hear you are getting your lief back together. chronic mono sounds like a tough thing to deal with, especially at that time in your life. do you still have it or have you gotten better? thank you for the advice, i appreciate it.

I had to give up running. It's been almost 6 years. I hope one day to get back to it, but I had accepted a few years ago that was it.

When I had my accident I distanced myself from everything to do with sport and running. I was disillusioned after being told the wrong thing by medical professionals and I was also angry and wanted nothing to do with sport, for fear it would remind me of what I lost.

This was a big mistake. I wish I'd stayed in contact with my club, turned up on training nights and gone to competitions to help or as a spectator.

Even though it was painful not being able to run, I think that would've been better than going off the rails which is what happened.

My number one piece of advice is to maintain links with all of your running friends and stay involved in the sport.

I understand feeling that you're stuck with a life of chronic pain. I won't lie, I've been in pain for 6 years.

The pain is getting better though.

I didn't believe it myself until recently.

So I do think there's hope.

Can you swim or will that hurt your hip?

I'm there right now. I'm in my early 40s and I can't lift or run due to arthritis. I can't bike either although I don't like that. I can swim but I'm not passionate about that at all. I've been allowing it to ruin me mentally. I'm in therapy but I'm not really making progress and still am depressed.

i'm glad your pain is getting better. i know, it can be hard to believe it is really happening, after facing so many let downs when it wasn't getting better!

there is always hope, i guess. it's just hard to see it when nothing is going your way.

i think swimming would probably be okay but i don't know how, aside from breast stroke, which is not ok for the hip. i'd swim laps but honestly i don't know how. i tried once and it was a joke.

you sound like me, only im 30. it's so hard. i hope you will be able to find some peace and happiness. i have not tried therapy though i did go back on antidepressants, which help a little. the sadness and emptiness are still there only not as debilitating.