Anyone NOT miss being a collegiate runner?

I miss the team aspect of track and cc for sure. I graduated in 2009 and now find myself enjoying "exercise" in the form of kayaking, mtn biking, and just being active. Casual jogs are somewhat enjoyable when your not having to go at break neck speed to keep a scholarship.

This past winter i DID not miss training....just sayin. So, in short....I miss the team, travel, and racing....not so much the training.

Hmmm I often wonder why I bother running....Im from europe were we dont really have that colleg athletics thing.

I onyl started running after college...I do about 60-70 mpw, train hard and work a 9-5.

I am also painfully mediocre and struggle just to break 5 mins for mile.

I often ask myself just why the fvck Im doing it but I suppose I just find it fulfilling, I like pushing myself hard and its interesting just to see how good I can get (even if I know it will never be that good).

Yes, I share them. I LOVE running as a post-collegian so much more than I liked running in college. I run with a low-key group, so I still have the comraderie, but there is zero pressure, whatsoever. I was always nervous and stressed in college, but now, not at all. Perhaps not surprisingly, I'm improved greatly from my college years in this environment.

Sure, I miss the team camaraderie and having someone to run with and rely on every day. However, the racing situation and schedule is so much better now. There is a ton of freedom and flexibility including being able to pick and choose races week to week, and there is no waiting around for others and wasting all day at meets. So far (and it's been a short time), I really like post-collegiate running/training.

sometimes, i miss the team aspect and working out with a group but im pretty content with being a retired college runner at this point.

i loved running in college but i was always stressed out. i do like the fact that i can race when i feel like racing and i can go out to bars and restaurants late on a friday or saturday night, anytime i want without feeling guilty or sh*tty on a run the next day.

i tried joining a team and it was fun for awhile but i now like running on my own, whenever i feel like it at whatever pace i want a lot better.

i miss racing, training, and the team. luckily, coaching helps fill the void.

i quit running d1 t&f and cross country about 1'2 way through college because the joy was totally lost. Some folks i'm sure had more direction and were more goal oriented, and handled it much better, but i just could not. Took a bunch of years off, and started running again in law school, and have been at it since(more seriously in the last 3-4 years.

What i can say very confidently is that i enjoy running right now more than i ever have in my life. It's hard to reduce to words, but it is immense joy when i go out these days. I don't know if it comes with emotional maturity or what in my particular case. When i was younger i think i enjoyed it because i was winning and that felt good. If i think back though i cannot recall feeling what i feel now as i hammer a tempo or take to the trail early in the morning.

In college I spend the majority of my time running thousands of miles that led nowhere. So the answer is no I don't miss it.

Interesting thread. Isn't it funny that when you're FORCED to do something, all the fun is sucked out of it?

I had a friend who played sports his entire life--including some semi-pro football--and he said the only thing he misses are the bus rides. Yes, NOT the sport, but the TEAM & his TEAMMATES.

I wonder if there could be a "anyone NOT miss being a high school runner" thread? We often hear about idiot coaches ruining the sport for kids. (I see it at meets & invitationals all the time.) Hmmmmm.

i don't miss the feeling of being tired all the time. i don't miss sitting in class on mondays and thinking about the 6 x 1mile awaiting me.....

Interesting discussion, because as an avid, dedicated competitive runner for over 30 years, I've occasionally had minor regrets that I didn't run in college (or for that matter, take it half seriously in high school). I wonder would it would have been like to have all that comraderie, and to do group workouts. I guess it's true, as some have noted, that when you're forced (more or less) to do something, it's hard to find much enjoyment in it.

Yeah. Like the saying goes, "A comedian never tells jokes when he isn't working." You get to a certain point in running and it is strictly business, not pleasure.

It looks like i'm in the minority but i actually do miss it. I've only been out a short time though. I actually looked forward to workouts in most cases, not so much the 6am long runs on the weekends but generally I enjoyed training. What I really miss though is the racing.

At the moment I cant run at all and wont be able to for about a year (was hit by a car) and its really getting to me. Letsrun keeps me sane.

I didn't run in college. But, here's the closest I can relate: I used to be way into cycling. All I thought about was cycling. I thought the coolest thing in the world would be a job at a bike shop. As soon as I spent my days wrenching bicycling, I quickly learned to dislike cycling. I stopped reading magazines about cycling. I stopped watching videos about cycling. I stopped thinking about cycling. I nearly stopped riding. The last thing I wanted to do was ANYTHING with bicycles because I knew I was going have to go to the bike shop & spend 8 hours working on bicycles. As soon as I quit the bike shop (I graduated college.), I fell in love with cycling again! Go figure!?!

I enjoy it more after college because I set my own goals and I race when I want to race. I don't race just because there's a invite on our XC schedule at some slow ass 8k course

I sure don't miss it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Letsrun keeps me sane."

-you must really be bad off.

thecontemplation wrote:

Yeah. Like the saying goes, "A comedian never tells jokes when he isn't working." You get to a certain point in running and it is strictly business, not pleasure.

I completely agree.

I thought that when I would be done with DI track I would get excited about running whatever road races I would want. I was wrong. Its been 5 months and I can't get myself to run more than 40 miles a week. I've been programed to run my ass off for certain meets. I'm not sure if its the fact that I just don't want to do anything because I don't want to or if its the fact that I'm lazy now. We'll see when the weather starts to cool down.

I do find it funny that this thread is attracting all of the non-college wannabe runners.

I miss the team. I miss the travel. I miss it basically being my JOB to run and train.

I do not miss class. I do not miss having no money.