Watching a lot of running influencers it seems like there are a lot of runners in their mid to late twenties who are afraid to admit that their time has passed. So many running influencers seem like they’re using distance running to live an immature lifestyle and prolonged adolescence.
What is it about distance running that attracts these personalities?
Although there are tasteful and distasteful ways of doing it, there's nothing wrong with trying to stay fit and feeling as young as possible, as long as possible. Perhaps people having "Peter Pan Syndrome" isn't the problem, but choosing to watch them do it and getting bothered by it, is?
It's the jealousy factor with some people. Ex-athletes all the time "move on" after competing and start to loose fitness, sometimes they get fat. They start to get jealous of their friends who are still exercising in their sport and staying fit. They talk about how they could better be spending their time, but it's really just eating cheetos on the couch while watching Netflix after work or sleeping in to get to work just on time. They fail to manage to find time to exercise for several hours a week even though the time is there and convince themselves they're sooooo busy with normal life.
Although there are tasteful and distasteful ways of doing it, there's nothing wrong with trying to stay fit and feeling as young as possible, as long as possible. Perhaps people having "Peter Pan Syndrome" isn't the problem, but choosing to watch them do it and getting bothered by it, is?
It's the jealousy factor with some people. Ex-athletes all the time "move on" after competing and start to loose fitness, sometimes they get fat. They start to get jealous of their friends who are still exercising in their sport and staying fit. They talk about how they could better be spending their time, but it's really just eating cheetos on the couch while watching Netflix after work or sleeping in to get to work just on time. They fail to manage to find time to exercise for several hours a week even though the time is there and convince themselves they're sooooo busy with normal life.
Wrong. Peter Pan syndrome is real and we’re watching weirdos pretend their still in college working for minimum wage at the local shoe store who pimp them out to their customers because they know PPS is real and they offer it like a legal drug. Next thing is they’re busy entering college races and taking spots in heats from college runners. It’s absurd all of it. Go race a local road 5k ya nerds
It's the jealousy factor with some people. Ex-athletes all the time "move on" after competing and start to loose fitness, sometimes they get fat. They start to get jealous of their friends who are still exercising in their sport and staying fit. They talk about how they could better be spending their time, but it's really just eating cheetos on the couch while watching Netflix after work or sleeping in to get to work just on time. They fail to manage to find time to exercise for several hours a week even though the time is there and convince themselves they're sooooo busy with normal life.
Wrong. Peter Pan syndrome is real and we’re watching weirdos pretend their still in college working for minimum wage at the local shoe store who pimp them out to their customers because they know PPS is real and they offer it like a legal drug. Next thing is they’re busy entering college races and taking spots in heats from college runners. It’s absurd all of it. Go race a local road 5k ya nerds
It's not just runners. Everyone in their mid to late twenties is attempting to live a prolonged adolescence. They aren't getting married, having kids, buying houses, starting careers, planning for the future, etc. They're the new "Me generation", sharing many qualities with the boomers they deride.
Except the Boomers had all the money and opportunity in the world to get married and houses and have children when they were young, but Millennials and Gen Z have insecure employment and insure housing so cannot have children for fear of not being able to provide for them.
When you are looking for an excuse.... any one will do.
Each generation faced many different obstacles to success, each unique to that time period. For every thing you think is worse, a smart person would counter with how much easier it is now.
It's not just runners. Everyone in their mid to late twenties is attempting to live a prolonged adolescence. They aren't getting married, having kids, buying houses, starting careers, planning for the future, etc. They're the new "Me generation", sharing many qualities with the boomers they deride.
Except the Boomers had all the money and opportunity in the world to get married and houses and have children when they were young, but Millennials and Gen Z have insecure employment and insure housing so cannot have children for fear of not being able to provide for them.
I understand victimhood is popular these days. But, those things that you think are unique to Millennials and Gen Z, have smacked every generation in the face. Your situation is no more difficult than anyone else's.
Except the Boomers had all the money and opportunity in the world to get married and houses and have children when they were young, but Millennials and Gen Z have insecure employment and insure housing so cannot have children for fear of not being able to provide for them.
I understand victimhood is popular these days. But, those things that you think are unique to Millennials and Gen Z, have smacked every generation in the face. Your situation is no more difficult than anyone else's.
Yeah, try coming into adulthood during the Great Depression or a major world war. I'm Gen X and my grandparents faced the latter. All were smart enough to be the first in their families to go to college at that time and all but one had to drop out to go to work to support their family to get by and it was unheard of to go to school beyond your early 20s back then. Sure, everyone has their own problems no matter how wealthy or privileged, and too few have a grounded perspective.
Idk why OP is getting down voted so hard. OP is not saying that running and training post collegiately is a bad thing. Lots of people train really hard post college to get that one Pr they might've missed. What OP is saying is Peter Pan syndrome is people who refuse to use their degree and continue working jobs they did in college while also training full time and acting like a pro. I feel like people down voted this post and did not fully read it. No where in the post did OP say that there is anything wrong with racing and training post collegiately.
Except the Boomers had all the money and opportunity in the world to get married and houses and have children when they were young, but Millennials and Gen Z have insecure employment and insure housing so cannot have children for fear of not being able to provide for them.
I understand victimhood is popular these days. But, those things that you think are unique to Millennials and Gen Z, have smacked every generation in the face. Your situation is no more difficult than anyone else's.
It's simply not true. Wages are bumping along the bottom of this chart while housing costs have experienced triple digit inflation.
It demonstrably wasn't as hard for Boomers to make this crucial step. There were other challenges sure, but I believe in the housing theory of everything. If you can't do this, it all comes crashing down - personal goals and economic ones.
I did it with snow skiing. Moved to Breckenridge after college and fell into the ski culture. Lots of fun, powder, and adventure with like minded Peter Pans. Didnt hurt career wise - now Construction Analyst but way behind on Retirement Savings! Oh well. Great memories and friends.
I understand victimhood is popular these days. But, those things that you think are unique to Millennials and Gen Z, have smacked every generation in the face. Your situation is no more difficult than anyone else's.
It's simply not true. Wages are bumping along the bottom of this chart while housing costs have experienced triple digit inflation.
It demonstrably wasn't as hard for Boomers to make this crucial step. There were other challenges sure, but I believe in the housing theory of everything. If you can't do this, it all comes crashing down - personal goals and economic ones.
It doesn't say it's impossible. It says it's more difficult. It may require that dirty word - sacrifice. Every generation has to sacrifice in one way or another and the crap part is you don't get to chose. As soon as you learn that you can move forward.
Watching a lot of running influencers it seems like there are a lot of runners in their mid to late twenties who are afraid to admit that their time has passed. So many running influencers seem like they’re using distance running to live an immature lifestyle and prolonged adolescence.
What is it about distance running that attracts these personalities?
It's not just runners. Everyone in their mid to late twenties is attempting to live a prolonged adolescence. They aren't getting married, having kids, buying houses, starting careers, planning for the future, etc. They're the new "Me generation", sharing many qualities with the boomers they deride.
Those damn millenials/gen z peter pans not buying houses that are historically more expensive compared to average starting salaries than at any point in history (with 7% interest rates as well). Just pull yourself up by the bootstraps and save 150k for a down-payment and closing costs so you can buy a home like all us real men did in the the 1950s through 80s.
It's not just runners. Everyone in their mid to late twenties is attempting to live a prolonged adolescence. They aren't getting married, having kids, buying houses, starting careers, planning for the future, etc. They're the new "Me generation", sharing many qualities with the boomers they deride.
Those damn millenials/gen z peter pans not buying houses that are historically more expensive compared to average starting salaries than at any point in history (with 7% interest rates as well). Just pull yourself up by the bootstraps and save 150k for a down-payment and closing costs so you can buy a home like all us real men did in the the 1950s through 80s.
You think you're making a point. It just sounds like whining. By the way people in the 1950s to 1980s would have killed for a 7% interest rate.
It demonstrably wasn't as hard for Boomers to make this crucial step. There were other challenges sure, but I believe in the housing theory of everything. If you can't do this, it all comes crashing down - personal goals and economic ones.
It doesn't say it's impossible. It says it's more difficult. It may require that dirty word - sacrifice. Every generation has to sacrifice in one way or another and the crap part is you don't get to chose. As soon as you learn that you can move forward.
I haven't said it was impossible either, just harder. You have to sacrifice for longer, and as a result will have an "extended adolescence" and will settle down later and have less children. It's quite an easy calculation really.
In the US, this problem starts with high school coaches who refuse to train kid appropriately out of some fear that "they won't have room to improve in college".
Kids matriculate to college undertrained, begin an overtraining/injury cycle. Luckily, the college system provides full-time treatment options, rehab, trainers, etc., so athletes can band-aid themselves together to run a few good races/respectable PRs that indicate the potential for marathon success.
Kids graduate from college and look forward to the freedom and time that adulthood provides. They continue to overtrain for their marathon, realizing how good they had it in college with teammates to train with daily and full-time support system, all while balancing the beginning of a career and the social opportunities of young adulthood. They blow up in their first marathon, blame the race on poor nutrition, and decide to drop back down in distance.
Without the college structure and teammates to help keep the speed in place, the attempts at lower distance PRs come up short, leading to the desire to go back to the marathon distance. This cycle repeats, runner ages, and those PRs set at age 21-23 turn into unreachable goals, but the runner doesn't accept this, and the Peter Pan Sydnrome is born.
Certain individuals feel they are entitled to define maturity & immaturity. Their definitions usually revolve around higher paying jobs, marriage & having children. To others these are the definitions of immaturity, since they lead to overconsumption, breaking life long promises & overpopulation. Why are so many people who appear successful on antidepressants?
Those damn millenials/gen z peter pans not buying houses that are historically more expensive compared to average starting salaries than at any point in history (with 7% interest rates as well). Just pull yourself up by the bootstraps and save 150k for a down-payment and closing costs so you can buy a home like all us real men did in the the 1950s through 80s.
You think you're making a point. It just sounds like whining. By the way people in the 1950s to 1980s would have killed for a 7% interest rate.
Lots of houses in this country for under 100K, in nice towns. Better houses than I bought over 40 years ago, renovated, and lost money on. But I moved on, with the kids I had. Leave Seattle, get in the real game, and you'll be better off in 20 years than you are trying to work at Google, getting Avo toast delivered, and carrying the newest iPhone.
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