Never give up.

There may be a fine line between addiction and having a very solid habit. Often while a person is developing a habit, they may become obsessed as the habit is becoming part of your life. I suppose if a person continues down the obsessed path and does not find a nice place in there life for the habit, it can take over their life. If the basics of life are getting short changed and this runners life becomes imbalanced, you may be looking at an addiction. I know for me, as I have been becoming a runner, I have displayed obsessed traits. But, I have been working really hard to put running in it's place. For me running is an addiction of sorts, but I choose to view it as a really great habit and an awesome hobby of mine. I do have to watch myself, that my passion for running does not run over the rest of my life. You know though, I cannot miss my runs or I have major withdrawal!

I have to agree with you! I am having a hard time putting running in its place, but I feel that I have to go to this extreme because of my life style before I started getting more serious about running. I am the kind of person that if I don’t take it to an extreme that I have a very hard time keeping my interest in it and wanting to continue in whatever I am doing. I hope that makes sense. I am not sure if I am taking running to an extreme. Thanks for your thoughts i will have to ponder on them for a while.

I am just like you, with the extreems.

Just like with every other thing in my life, I have to cut out the non essentials and do what needs to be done. I've had to adjust my running so that it fits in better with my family. I don't do many races as to save money and time away from my family. I've had to get up early and get the runs in before the troops wake. Fortunately my husband and kids are VERY supportive. Running is a HUGE part of my life now, and my former self and lifestyle is no longer welcome :) I am getting a lot better at balancing it all. My friends still think I am a FREAK for running outside in the cold. I just laugh at them and have another piece of fudge in my skinny jeans ;D

First off nice run. Now my two cents... I guess I would view being addicted to running like other addictions. If it starts to take over your life and pulls you away from others things that you should be focusing on like family, job, God, etc. As Marion said it is probably a fine line between being a dedicated runner and being addicted. I like to think that if you are dedicated to running then you can find a balance between running and the other things in your life. I know for me I would hope that if my schedule changed and it came down to a choice between running and the other priorities in life then I would have to cut back on the running. On the other side of the equation I also know that by running I am a more healthy person and I can be a better Dad, husband, worker because I have more energy and the discipline that we learn in running carries over to other parts of our life and makes us more effective with our time. Just my thoughts but it is a good discussion.

It is a fine line we tread.

I agree with both Marion and Jim, and I completely understand how you're feeling; I oftentimes find myself getting a little obsessive about my running as well. Whenever I find myself letting running take precedent over everything else, I make a point to take a day or two off to "take a step back" and reevaluate my priorities (somewhat of a departure from the usual mindset of a dedicated runner that likes to use time running as a time to think, I know, but there is an inherent conflict of interest at play). If a little added incentive is needed, I think of the benefits of rest days with regard to running (and, to extrapolate a little, I figure if I need and can use rest days in my early twenties, then they are probably a good idea for most everyone).

In any case, whether the running turns out to be a habit or an addiction, some time off here and there accomplishes several things, including recovery, time to think, time to get other things done during your extra 1, 2, 3+ hours a day, and, not trivial in the least, a great sense of relief when you start back running. Best of luck to you.

Thank you. I am still learning the fine line between addiction and having a very solid habit. I think with my foot giving me problems is a way of making me step back and relax. But, thank you for your help. It really make sense.

Your body has a way of making you take some recovery time even if you have other plans. Good luck, and I hope your foot gets to feeling better.