Will I regret not running in college?

I didn't run as a freshman at my Ivy League university because I didn't think I was good enough. I ended up running the other 3 years and throughly enjoyed it, even though I was running on the B team. I love the sport and, looking back, I realize that this is the closest many of us will get to being a professional athlete. I went on to dabble in triathlon but medical school got real busy so that went by the wayside. While I'm not super close w/ any of the guys I ran with, they'll always be that "Trial of Miles, Miles of Trials" experience that we shared. You're most likely at the peak of your physical abilities (or damn close to it) on a team with a bunch of other likeminded people. My wife swam at a major D1 university and feels exactly the same. When she was finishing an extra semester she still worked out with the team. The other girls said, "You're done; why are you still here?" She replied, "Look around and soak this in. It just doesn't get any better than this."

I ran and probably shouldn't have. I was just a walk-on with dreams and it did take a lot of time. I ended up training half the time with the team and half on my own.

You could stay where your at, train on your own terms and probably run unattached at some meets that are close by. If you do well enough and can get a scholarship, then it might be worth it to transfer. If not, then probably not worth it and can pursue on your own as stated.

If you have a talent and love for running, then you probably will absolutely regret it. If you stay where you are and just train on your own, you will most likely slack off and never see how fast you’re capable of running (and if you don’t do it in college, you sure as hell aren’t doing it after you start med school). As far as money goes, if you are dead set on going to med school, $15,000 means nothing. You’ll be over $250k in debt regardless of where you go.

There’s just no comparing the types of friendships you make with the guys on the team while out running. I still text over 10 guys I ran with at least once a week and I’ve been out of school almost 8 years. Nothing against NARP friends, but there’s just so much more substance with your teammates compared to the guys on your floor who you get drunk with a few times a week.

Here's the thing you've got to remember:

This isn't a Zero-Sum game.

This isn't an either/or decision. As in I EITHER keep my friends OR I run in college upon transferring. You are an adult now - you can do both! Keep your friends AND transfer, where you will develop new friends and close companions on your XC team, too. Just keep that in mind. Adulthood brings whole hosts of possibilities. It isn't like moving high schools, where you never see/hear from people again.

Another thing to remember is that your life is always in flux, in a state of transition. You'll gain and lose friends and squads. You'll lose touch and then run into them again down the line. But you have opportunities now that are time-bound. I'm sure your friends will want what's best for you.

I found myself in a similar situation. You can still train on your own, and compete in road races and unattached at college xc/track meets. Go with the affordable school. That 5k/year = 20k less student loan debt when you graduate, that's about $200 less per month you pay for the next 10 years of your life, which can make a big difference.

I don't regret not running for a team in college. Sure, it would have been more fun, but I got a better education at a vastly more affordable price and still got to run (albeit on my own). 100% the right call for me.

Regrets wrote:

Yes it is the closest school to my house. I still live at home and I honestly love living here. I have been told that I will not develop socially if I don’t live in a dorm or apartment away from family, but I don’t see what the big deal is. Free food, no interruptions when studying, and privacy. I’m an introvert who needs some alone time

That's a complete load of rubbish. You develop just fine socially regardless of where you live. You just socialize with people at school and work.

If you truly *love* your friends, you should absolutely stay put. I ran D1 track and XC until sophomore year and ultimately quit because I couldn't give full attention to all of the big three priorities: social, academic, athletic (in order of importance to me at the time).

I have at least 10 friends from my freshman year who I still see regularly decades later. Some of our kids are best friends. I have made friends since, but none of those friendships has ever matched the depth of my core college friendships.

I have no regrets about my college choices. Beware taking advice from letsrun loners about what to prioritize in life!

I agree with what Coach P said! However what do you expect to get out of the college running experience? PRs, team spirit, friends, travel, compete under pressure? I would say think through what you want and consider if this program will provide the opportunity for such things. Also consider things that may happen--coaching changes and injuries--if these things happen will you be happy with your decision?

-Former D1 runner who should have transferred to D2 with better program

run on your own.

train for some raod races or run some unattached college cross country, indoor, and outdoor meets when you can

running for a D2 school will just be added costs, stress, and you will be around guys who try and run all their easy runs at 6 min pace to finally break 27 min in the 8k

stay where you are at, save your money, run, lift, explore your area to the fullest

I'll come at it from a different perspective, which is I regret running at a D2 college. Running became my job and I got injured and burnt out at the same time. The ones who enjoyed it the most were the walk-ons that didn't have to hit certain thresholds to stay on scholarship - they just ran for fun. Like others mentioned, focus on academics / having fun / friends / networking and see if you can connect with other runners in the area and run competitively FOR FUN!

Not True. The walk-ons don't run at Bryan Clay or Stanford meets. They usually don't travel to the conference meet or embarrass themselves if they do. Fast runners have the most fun. Ask Fisher or McDonald how much fun they are having and then ask the slowest guy on the Badgers or Cardinal. The slow guys are miserable and the others will say it was the best years of their life.