Ironman training - a good distraction from life's ups and downs? an essential part of my life? a distraction to living life? I think I do all three. I can see the addictive nature of Ironman training (or any endurance sport.) And the basic nature of ALL addictions is to avoid feeling, avoid relationship, conflict, life. Do I have an addiction? It makes me feel better, but liquor does too, to an alcoholic. Training and racing, with all its complications, is still alot more straight forward and predicitable than this thing we call life. I can see myself doing one race after another just to hide. Just how many Ironmans can one do in a year? Then there are Ultras which are a whole another level of craziness.
I know a lot of endurance athletes (triathletes especially, but also ultramarathoners, cyclists) with a background of drugs, alcohol, smoking, eating disorders. Says something, doesn't it?
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