after a discussion with some team-mates of mine, i wanted to know what the rest of the running world thinks...
can you ever be too focused on running to the point where it actually hurts your running? for example, is it better to chill out, let loose occasionally, and "let things take care of themselves" (to some degree) or is it better to completely abstain from all distractions/possible detractions (such as junk food, alcohol, partying etc.)?
stories/examples/general input?
shameless self bump is shameless
I think everyone is different. Some people seem to thrive on the focus/dedication/determination aspect, while some people are a bit more laid back and still perform well. Personally, I like to be a bit more laid back because it's more fun. That's the most important thing to me. Another example is Mike Vick: he's obviously a great talent, but he liked to let loose and slam dogs to death as a distraction to his career. Neither way is incorrect.
I remember Chris Lukezic saying that he ran best in college when he was doing other things, hanging out with friends, etc., and not focusing exclusively on running. He said that he didn't like it as much and didn't run as well when he was a pro and focused entirely on running.
need to find a balance. when you're young sometimes you gotta just let loose and maybe have a few drinks with friends or whatever but a serious runner needs focus most of the time.