You can quit running. It will be ok.

spaghettilegs wrote:

crocked wrote:

I've been injured for the past 5 months. I can't turn over in bed without pain on the left side of my groin. I can't sit up without pain. Progress on a diagnosis is very slow.

I was never a competitive runner and I didn't run in college, but it is one of the few things that kept me going. I have no partner, no friends. It got me out of the house. I have gained some perspective from all of this but honestly, this really sucks. Walking isn't the same.

I had this, hurt to caugh and sneeze. It lasted all of 2020 but I got super fit 2022 and beginning of 2023.

Then I did a plank competition along with situps with a friend at the gym and next day a speedworkout on very sore abs. Groin injured again.

But I'll never stop running can't beat a runners high and no better way to burn excess energy if you have it.

Distancerunningfanboyuk wrote:

I think running is a great sport when you’ve got the balance
right, but its also incredibly brutal and unforgiving and like an earlier
poster said rewards some of the worst behaviors that are bad for your mental
health.

I’ve always been quite naturally talented as a runner (1.49
at 19) and I would say the majority of my twenty’s was dedicated to trying to
make a team or run a big time. I think if you have a small amount of success
early on it can skew what is realistic and what isn’t in terms of where you can
go in the sport. I also think people don’t help when they call you talented as
it puts a lot of pressure on to maximize that talent. I remember feeling bad
throughout my time at University for missing runs or going to a party/night
out, things that someone in their early twenty’s should be doing! Not in bed at
9.30 preparing for tomorrows session.

At the end of the day the people that really make something
out of the sport are the super talents that you can see from a young age. Yes,
you can get late bloomers but they are an exception to the rule. I was trying
to make the Olympics in 2016. My relationship broke because of my selfishness
and single-minded pursuit. Friendships were all falling by the wayside as I put
this goal above all things. I didn’t care about having a career when I finished
University and it meant my life was a complete mess for a good few years. I was
never going to make the Olympics or any national team for that matter, I’d have
had to run a 10 second 1500m PB in a season or two and even then, it would
still mean having to beat the best in the country on the day.

After I realized that I needed to sort the parts of my life
I had neglected, I had to really grind in my late twenty’s to catch my peers
and try carve out a career for myself. It taught me a really tough lesson and
running pretty much became none existent for a few years while I tried to sort
myself out. Eventually I was able to start back up again but always under the
condition that it came behind work, family and friendships. Even now I am
probably on the line of doing too much, but I realize it and know that it’s
only for a couple of months while I target a few races, after which I will
probably drop back to 50mpw and train mainly for the social aspect.
Something I do find hard to rationalize now I’m in my mid thirties
is the thought that in the future I may regret not putting the work in and not
getting the best out of my body while I was able to. However, I really hope
that when I’m older I can look past this and see that it wasn’t about running
the times or where I finished in races, it was the friends I made and the good
times we had while being involved in this, strange sport.

Call me skeptical wrote:

TROOF! wrote:

Excellent post! I quit competitive running at roughly the same age to focus on career. You are also so right about the ectomorph thing. Six months after quitting, I put on 20 pounds and developed some pecs and biceps. Also had to start buying size medium shirts. The funny thing was that my dating life greatly improved and I didn't get friend zoned any longer. Some that placed me in friend purgatory reversed their initial decision. The best laughs were provided when I would finish top 10 in a few local races like Turkey Trots and Firecracker Runs and people would come up to me and say, "Wow! You are in great shape. Have you ever thought about running seriously?".

Really? Strangers would have no idea how seriously you take your running. Friends already know.

Doesn’t sound like something that would occur ever, much less numerous times.

skinny and loving it wrote:

TROOF! wrote:

Excellent post! I quit competitive running at roughly the same age to focus on career. You are also so right about the ectomorph thing. Six months after quitting, I put on 20 pounds and developed some pecs and biceps. Also had to start buying size medium shirts. The funny thing was that my dating life greatly improved and I didn't get friend zoned any longer. Some that placed me in friend purgatory reversed their initial decision. The best laughs were provided when I would finish top 10 in a few local races like Turkey Trots and Firecracker Runs and people would come up to me and say, "Wow! You are in great shape. Have you ever thought about running seriously?".

I haven't raced in years, but I love being skinny and do some type of cardio on a regular basis to stay that way:

- lower risk of health problems

- plane seats feel less cramped

- won't feel exhausted on long hikes or other outdoor activities

- can still wear my college clothes

- don't need to worry about weight limits for hot air ballooning, bungee jumping, horseback riding, and other activities

- can squeeze through small entrances if the need arises