Love-Hate Relationship?

Check out this passage shared to me from Brian Townsend:

I have a love-hate relationship with Distance Running. Honestly, our Facebook status currently reads “in An Open Civil Union,” which is a pretty accurate description of things between us now.

Sometimes we fight over our different priorities in life and blame each other for being too selfish or overly critical. I feel like she is fickle and nags. Disagreements over petty issues escalate into arguments that end in frustration, anger, and doubt about our future together.

However, at other times I can’t get enough of her and she is always on my mind. I become obsessively infatuated with her essence, her beauty, and her generosity. She brings out the best in me, and the comfort and joy that she provides is something to cherish.

In the 14 (faithful) years that I’ve been with Distance Running we’ve had to work hard to overcome the usual obstacles: The Mono, the iron deficiency anemia, overtraining, undertraining, aches, pains and fatigue. After some disastrous seasons and laced with poor race performances she has broken my heart. It is at these low points when I really start to question whether or not we should break-up. Is the time and energy commitment really worth it? Do we each get out what we put in to make things work? Is our relationship symbiotic?

Since I’ve decided to continue on with Distance Running as a post-collegiate I have started to understand that she will always remain a part of who I am, fused in my identity. She has influenced the course of my life, and sparked a passion for a unique lifestyle that doesn’t necessarily conform to the norms of society. Individual priorities and perspectives dictate our life-changing choices (a fortunate circumstance of having means and of living in a country with such freedoms!) and now I see that I have already made some major choices with her in mind. The future is uncertain, and the roads leading towards our goals and dreams meander.

So if I’m lucky enough to become an arthritic geriatric, I’ll look back on these days, the prime of my “mid-20s youth.” Hopefully I’ll smile about the challenges we faced together. Most likely I’ll loudly rant about the ‘glory days’ when she and I were young, wild, and carefree. Maybe I’ll whine about how it was just a selfish, convoluted, and reckless fling. Perhaps I’ll regret not saving for retirement?

Currently though, as we head into the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, I see my relationship with Distance Running building momentum. What she has demanded from me she has returned in surplus. She has enriched my life with many different experiences and perspectives. Perhaps, most importantly, she has ignited a true passion – and I hope that we never lose the energy and excitement of that initial spark!

So, is running a love-hate relationship for me? Truthfully, I have not to find that yet, although it is a grueling part of my life that has truly helped shape who I am today. And, for that, I am thankful.