(1) I often turn down social invites because I don't want people to judge me for not eating the food. I'm a perfectionist in almost every aspect in my life especially in running. The only time I eat more relaxed is the planned breaks I take from running.
(2) I have one person that I'm able to talk to this about. One friend that doesn't judge me for it.
(3) I don't tell my coach these things.
I thought the same thing about my friend who married a lawyer. Then she found out her husband was banging her sister. She had to forgive him because their church pressured her to forgive him.
efsjkdsfkldfs wrote:
old dad wrote:Yeah, I let my daughter run and she ran 8/16 in high school and 8/15/3k/3SC in college. She never had a stress fracture or other serious health problem. She married a really nice guy from her team who now makes $250k+/yr in finance at age 34. She has two wonderful kids, a nice house and a happy life, and can still run a sub-18 5k, so running was a real mistake for her. Right.
or so you heard. muhahaha.
It's to the point where I cannot do that. When you get to a certain level in running you're subject to scrutiny on milesplit, dyestat, and people you know in real life who think they know everything. I won't have my college paid for. People will judge me for it. And most of all I feel worthless unless I'm running well.
I'm in agreement with concerned dad. For a lot of people running can be a great sport, however for girls that are very competitive and are perfectionists it can be harmful. As a 4 year varsity high school athlete, I have seen this sport tear apart the lives of many girls. In this day and age girls are concerned about their body image and often turn to running to lose weight. Once they realize that the weight loss makes them faster they often keep on losing weight to the point where they get an eating disorder. From there they often stunt their growth and develop depression. These girls are under so much pressure that running becomes the only thing in their lives. If you look at the footlocker nationals race many of these girls look underweight. These girls often get injured and then feel like their life is ruined. I'm not saying this is for all runners, but a lot of times it is for many high level athletes under lots of pressure.
This is like saying women shouldn't run more than 800m because their wombs will fall out.
OP is sexist.
Why can't guys feel like this.
Pageants for 3 year olds is weird. Running is not. It's healthy so long as the kid is balanced.
who you are describing wrote:
Im a teenage girl who goes on this site a lot actually (I know nobody is going to believe this) but you are totally right. I am a runner (very good actually: sub 5 1600, sub 10:30 3200, sub 17 5km) and your description fits me perfectly. I will never be able to eat normally because of the disordered patterns the perfectionism associated with running my best have given me with food. I have depression. I have zero self confidence and I never feel good enough. Thank you concerned dad for writing this post.
i doubt this is a problem in kenya
Once your daughters are 18, please bring them to me.
Make them stop running years before, I can't chase them like I used to.
Sincerely,
Chobo the hobo
a healthier sport...... wrote:
Concerned dad... wrote:It's not good for them. Is promotes stress fractures, eating disorders, perfectionism, depression, and low self esteem.
I was at a big race this morning and saw a lot of kinda chubby girls laughing, taking a bunch of selfies, and preparing to run a two hour half marathon. Don't think they fit your picture very well.
I know everyone here runs a sub 1:05, but honestly, sub 2 hours is respectable for someone who isn't devoting themselves to running. It takes training and fitness to do that.
No Way wrote:
a healthier sport...... wrote:I was at a big race this morning and saw a lot of kinda chubby girls laughing, taking a bunch of selfies, and preparing to run a two hour half marathon. Don't think they fit your picture very well.
I know everyone here runs a sub 1:05, but honestly, sub 2 hours is respectable for someone who isn't devoting themselves to running. It takes training and fitness to do that.
Not even world class can beat 2 hours! More like 2:03!
JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ
The idea that girls are fragile and cannot be trusted to handle the pressures of competitive distance running is incredibly chauvinistic and sexist. Girls who have problems with body image do not get it from looking at pictures of Tiruesh Dibaba or Paula Radcliffe. They get it from pop culture. Girls have no special reaction to the pressures of competitive sport. Guys have just as much stress and anxiety as girls do when competing on a high level. And the stress in scholastic sports does not come from the sport itself. It comes from the extreme pressures of being a scholarship athlete (or competing with the hopes of getting a scholarship.
Concerned dad... wrote:
It's not good for them. Is promotes stress fractures, eating disorders, perfectionism, depression, and low self esteem.
Please keep your daughters away from stress fractures, eating disorders, perfectionism, depression, and low self esteem. It's not good for them. It hinders their running.
Fixed.
1/10 only because I went through the effort of copy/paste.
I worked with female runners and it isn't running that causes disordered eating but it seems to be the perfectionists come to running…
Basically, the type A perfectionist females choose running and that's why you see eating disorders which cause stress fractures.
It's unfortunate because I've worked with some that actually have a passion for running its such a joy, but the ones that only run to be thin, control, etc. can make it miserable.
So much no. When I see a picture of a model looking stick thin I don't give a rip. I know it's airbrushed and not healthy. But when I see a stick thin athlete blowing away the competition, breaking records, etc; that's the stuff that fires me up and makes me want to be the same way. I want that success.
Who you are describing wrote:
So much no. When I see a picture of a model looking stick thin I don't give a rip. I know it's airbrushed and not healthy. But when I see a stick thin athlete blowing away the competition, breaking records, etc; that's the stuff that fires me up and makes me want to be the same way. I want that success.
The fact that the majority of girls who run are like this suggests that you may have issues specific to you that can be addressed in talk therapy, which is a very effective tool for balancing unhealthy behaviors. Please talk to your parents about trying this.
As an adult female who runs now but belonged to a dance company in her teens and has suffered from disordered eating and behaviors, I would say to "concerned dad" that the self-esteem problems start at home and the things you describe are merely the symptom of their lack of self-worth. Don't blame the sport for the true underlying problem.
dsalkjf;lkdsajf;ldsafdas wrote:
Who you are describing wrote:So much no. When I see a picture of a model looking stick thin I don't give a rip. I know it's airbrushed and not healthy. But when I see a stick thin athlete blowing away the competition, breaking records, etc; that's the stuff that fires me up and makes me want to be the same way. I want that success.
The fact that the majority of girls who run are not like this suggests that you may have issues specific to you that can be addressed in talk therapy, which is a very effective tool for balancing unhealthy behaviors. Please talk to your parents about trying this.
Corrected
All non-white parents in the US are already keeping them out. This is a white problem.
Concerned dad... wrote:
It's not good for them. Is promotes stress fractures, eating disorders, perfectionism, depression, and low self esteem.
Keep them away from high school.
It promotes most of those things as well.
Pics please!