Is 44 to old to be letting running be your life?

Life is meaningless except for the meaning you choose to give to things. The only real important thing is always being as honest with yourself as you can, and being open enough to at least consider whether you could be doing anything differently that would make your life more enjoyable or satisfying.

If you're honestly really happy/satisfied with running now and into the future (assuming you keep running instead of building something else for your future), then great, keep doing it. But if you're unsure, which you seem to be by asking this question, you owe it to yourself to not think just about whether running is what you should be working hard at, but what alternatives there might be. And really this should be an ongoing thing, until you either identify other things you could add or shift over to, or you convince yourself for the time being that yeah you're pretty happy with the choice of focusing mainly on running, and the impacts that will have on your life down the road.

Lot's of people go through life never finding anything, if you like running "Just Do It"

no worries dude

just do what you like

No! As someone else said, at least you have a hobby or interest in life. I think a lot of people never have a passion about anything.

Now, if you're neglecting your children, wife, relationships, work, etc., then you might need to take a step back.

I'm your age & I wonder if life is simply a series of hobbies & interests that come in & out of your life.

But, I run & coach. (I'm a high school teacher by trade.) But, I think about running all the time (my own mileage and/or making my athletes the best they can be). I find it really rewarding. I'm healthy & mentoring student-athletes in life.

By the way, what is your mileage like? How bad is your "running obsession?"

Hjkk wrote:

Anyone know.Where all you do is run and work and run.

Might be instructive to ask if there are any folks in their 50's, 60's, 70's who were obsessed with running in their 40's and how they feel about it now.

I personally wish I had not let running become so important to me in my late 30's and early 40's. Especially since I was such a hobby jogger. Trying to break 3 hours in a marathon seems so unimportant and ridiculous to me now compared to spending that time with my family.

And actually it's not just the time running ... it's the lower energy the rest of the day after a 20 miler.

Hjkk wrote:

Anyone know.Where all you do is run and work and run.

Ask your spouse this same question.

Happy Dieting!

It's ok so long as it's actual running and not hobbyjogging.

Not if it makes you happy.

I regret it wrote:

Hjkk wrote:

Anyone know.Where all you do is run and work and run.

Might be instructive to ask if there are any folks in their 50's, 60's, 70's who were obsessed with running in their 40's and how they feel about it now.

I personally wish I had not let running become so important to me in my late 30's and early 40's. Especially since I was such a hobby jogger. Trying to break 3 hours in a marathon seems so unimportant and ridiculous to me now compared to spending that time with my family.

And actually it's not just the time running ... it's the lower energy the rest of the day after a 20 miler.

I hear this a lot and always wonder what it means exactly, "spending time with my family".

You're not going to the circus or Disneyworld everyday, or playing hours of soccer with your son or baking cakes with your daughter everyday. Or do you sit around the fireplace and sing songs in four parts?

I am not trying to be negative in any way, but as a 33 year old unattached I just don't understand.

quality control wrote:

I hear this a lot and always wonder what it means exactly, "spending time with my family".

You're not going to the circus or Disneyworld everyday, or playing hours of soccer with your son or baking cakes with your daughter everyday. Or do you sit around the fireplace and sing songs in four parts?

I am not trying to be negative in any way, but as a 33 year old unattached I just don't understand.

It's hard to understand if you haven't done it.

It means those weekend mornings when you can take the kids to the zoo or go for a long run. Go run the race you had signed up for a couple of months ago and then an opportunity comes up where your grown up kid comes back from college for the day. Your kid was going to do something with friends and that fell through and is free to watch a movie with you but you have to run.

Choosing running or any obsession over family feels pretty real.

I regret it wrote:

Might be instructive to ask if there are any folks in their 50's, 60's, 70's who were obsessed with running in their 40's and how they feel about it now.

I personally wish I had not let running become so important to me in my late 30's and early 40's. Especially since I was such a hobby jogger. Trying to break 3 hours in a marathon seems so unimportant and ridiculous to me now compared to spending that time with my family.

And actually it's not just the time running ... it's the lower energy the rest of the day after a 20 miler.

I trained seriously from age 42 to 44 after on-again off-again running through my 20s and 30s. It really took over my life, but I don't regret it. I was age-group competitive and had a lot of fun. Track races, roads, cross-country ... one mile through marathon. After a couple years, though, I was no longer improving ... training hard just to run the same times. I stepped away from it then, but no regrets for the time I spent. Good memories, still.

Read about this guy and decide if this is who you want to be.

http://www.pinebeltpacers.org/News/Pope/Pope.html

It sounds like you need to find an engaged Masters team.

Hjkk wrote:

Anyone know.Where all you do is run and work and run.

I think that's an important phase that many runners go through. I've gone through periods like that in my life where important changes were happening and the running gave me time to focus. After a period like that, if I decide to race, the strong performances are more an indicator of how much I've grown inside, and I'm allowing people to see that. For the same reason, when I'm training well it's fun to run with other people, especially long runs on the weekend.

My lowest weekly mileage is 25 miles, highest 108 (when my dear Dad passed). The most productive sustainable base building mileage for me this is 70-75, which I can keep up for 4-5 months. I'll be 57 in February.

Personally, what keeps me going is being out with the sunrise and the sunset. That quiet time is important for me to have focus and direction. And that time doesn't have to be running, just moving in nature. I have a Kickbike that is great fun, the different kind of challenge, which I use just to go exploring or spend time with friends who are doing long runs on pavement. The summer I spent two months running in chest deep water in the Chesapeake Bay, 2-4 miles at a time. There's a nice sandy bottom and a beautiful shoreline, and relaxing to blend floating steps with rolling waves amidst sea birds and paddleboarders. Yes, I was a swimmer when I was young.

I would say if you lose your love for being outside and being fit, then you need to change the focus for a why you're doing it so that you will enjoy it again. They are always sunrises and sunsets and new trails to explore as the seasons change.

Run like a child !

Fogrunr

Edited:

I think that's an important phase that many runners go through. I've gone through periods like that in my life where important changes were happening and the running gave me time to focus. After a period like that, if I decide to race, the strong performances are more an indicator of how much I've grown inside, and I'm allowing people to see that. For the same reason, when I'm training well it's fun to run with other people, especially long runs on the weekend.

My lowest weekly mileage is 25 miles, highest 108 (when my dear Dad passed). The most productive sustainable base building mileage for me this is 70-75, which I can keep up for 4-5 months. I'll be 57 in February.

Personally, what keeps me going is being out with the sunrise and the sunset. That quiet time is important for me to have focus and direction. And that time doesn't have to be running, just moving in nature. I have a Kickbike that is great fun, a  different kind of challenge, which I use just to go exploring or spend time with friends who are doing long runs on pavement. This summer I spent two months running in chest deep water in the Chesapeake Bay, 2-4 miles at a time. There's a nice sandy bottom and a beautiful shoreline, and it's relaxing to blend floating steps with rolling waves amidst sea birds and paddleboarders. Yes, I was a swimmer when I was young.

I would say if you lose your love for being outside and being fit, then you need to change the focus for why you're doing it so that you will enjoy it again. There are always sunrises and sunsets and new trails to explore as the seasons change.

Run like a child !

Fogrunr

I actually started hitting some PRs in my late 30s and early 40s, but w/ three kids, work, several acres of land to maintain, my mileage became random - but, my desire was always there. At 65, I now know that running has been more for my head over the years; I've tried to quit, but to no avail. You'll be surprised, eventually getting out the door just for three can be just as satisfying as that twenty. Stay with it.

It's your life.

Do what makes you happy.

There is no age limit on happiness.

As long as your not not ignoring other obligations, if your focus is on work and running and you have a passion for both...your lucky. Most people go through life with no really passion for anything and spend their days doing what there "supposed" to do.

otter wrote:

It's hard to understand if you haven't done it.

It means those weekend mornings when you can take the kids to the zoo or go for a long run. Go run the race you had signed up for a couple of months ago and then an opportunity comes up where your grown up kid comes back from college for the day. Your kid was going to do something with friends and that fell through and is free to watch a movie with you but you have to run.

Choosing running or any obsession over family feels pretty real.

Thanks. Yes, that makes it a little more clear for me, at least in theory.