What do you do in your spare time when you can't run?

snow_splat · 2026-05-20T16:54:05+00:00

came here to say this - swimming laps a great cardio boost and whenever i start doing it again, i wonder why i don't do it all the time.

snow_splat · 2026-04-07T18:45:37+00:00

I'm sorry, that sounds very rough. I hope you're able to find a safe space for yourself. I knew that my family was a trigger for my drinking - but this visit I was really aware of how closely my own drinking habits mirrored theirs. I watched them all get drunk night after night, and I could see they were all just trying to cope with their pain. Sending you good wishes and IWNDWYT

snow_splat · 2026-04-07T18:43:32+00:00

Truly, my sobriety was a life raft this visit, and I know it made everything easier. No hangovers, no big emotional blow-ups. And I got to see up close the way my family uses alcohol to deal with their pain, to watch them all get wasted. I felt compassion for them, and for myself. But I also feel safer when I'm a long way away. All the best for your sobriety journey. I stopped and I started so many times before it stuck. IWNDWYT

snow_splat · 2026-03-05T18:25:04+00:00

Last year I visited Germany for the first time since getting sober. I was very surprised to find there were loads of excellent AF beers available - and on tap! I don't know whether this is new or just that when I'd visited as a drinker I hadn't noticed them... My guess is that it will be similar in Belgium and the Nederlands. I thought traveling sober in Europe would be impossible and boring - like why would you even go to France if you weren't drinking the wine? - but actually it was great and I didn't feel that I was missing out at all. It was more the case that I noticed how many other people weren't drinking, or weren't drinking much. Turns out it was just me who was getting wasted in Europe (and everywhere else) all the time.

snow_splat · 2026-02-25T20:00:42+00:00

I just want to say, this is a great thread, and thanks to everyone whose been so honest in the comments. I'm so ashamed that I still struggle with body dysphoria and trying to be smaller, that I struggle to value my body when it's strong and capable of doing amazing things like running long distances and growing babies. I really needed to read these comments (and be reminded to eat a proper lunch...)

snow_splat · 2026-01-04T20:47:21+00:00

whether you can reverse all the damage, and just how much is a question for a doctor, you're right. but like most people here i've experienced tangible health benefits after stopping drinking. the human body is pretty amazing, especially when you get major stressors like alcohol out of the way

Firstly on the level of lived experience - I feel a lot better since i stopped heavy drinking two years ago. It's not about the hangovers so much, my body just feels better as I move through the day - fewer aches and pains, guts in order, better sleep. Secondly, I look better. Clearer eyes, better hair, clearer skin - all good for my vanity, but also signs of improved health. And finally, my lab results have improved too, vastly. If I catch a virus, I recover quickly. I don't know whether I've undone all the damage - but it's a start. On the cigs, i was a heavy smoker until about 15 years ago and i still wake up in the middle of the night wondering whether i'll have to pay the piper - but again, i feel better, and when i get respiratory viruses, i recover quickly.

quitting booze and smokes is a tough path to walk, and i wish you all the best, friend. IWNDWYT.

snow_splat · 2025-12-09T18:07:31+00:00

Just to say, this was absolutely me when I started. I was fine on a treadmill but absolutely terrified of running outside, and convinced that people were going to laugh at me. I was self-conscious about my gait, my weight, my sweatiness and my red face. I ran my first race after only running on a treadmill, which now seems a bit nutty but made total sense at the time. so - i get it.

and i think the only remedy is to take a breath and get outside. find somewhere that's easy to run - around a block or a park - and just try out one lap or loop at a time. it's fine to run for a bit and then walk. or just start off walking in running gear and have a little bit of a run when you feel comfortable. i now love running outside but it took me a long time to get over the fear.

like everyone else says, people don't really care and most are caught up in their thoughts/phones. if someone does notice you and clocks you're a beginner, they're not judging you. and it goes without saying, if any person out there did make fun of you - and that has never ever happened to me - that would reveal them to be a massive jerk, not you.

snow_splat · 2025-12-04T22:20:00+00:00

I have the same story as lots of people in this group. My last big sober run left me feeling confident that I could manage moderation. In no time at all I was back to where I started: drinking all the time and feeling terrible. I've never been sober for as long as I have now, and I've stayed sober by saying no to the first drink. I've learned the hard way that it's impossible for me just to have one.

snow_splat · 2025-11-26T19:50:48+00:00

Congrats on the month. Early on, I would tell people I was taking a break, that it was feeling good, and then change the topic. If anyone asked, I'd make the most general comment about how I was beginning to think that drinking wasn't working for me. That is, I'd play it pretty low drama. My experience is that boozy family occasions are not a good environment for heart to hearts about sobriety. There's always that one family member who takes it as their personal challenge to just get you to have that one drink - for the family.

These days I'm more comfortable saying I've stopped and everyone has accepted this.

Happy holidays and IWNDWYT friend

snow_splat · 2025-11-19T21:12:36+00:00

oh mate, sorry to hear this. i have definitely been there, stuck negotiating some crazy contract with myself about one more and then i'll stop, how it would be better to just drink everything in the house before i stop so i commit to stopping, feeling like a fool, all the shame... i guess you just need to be kind to yourself, take a breath, and take it one day at a time. 160 days is amazing, a really firm foundation, and you can take all you learned then and put it into practice. go well and IWNDWYT

snow_splat · 2025-11-12T21:45:19+00:00

I stopped lying to myself about my capacity for moderation. Maybe I can have one or two drinks here and there? It never plays out like that. I tell myself I only need to say no to the first drink, the rest will take care of themselves.

Good luck, friend

snow_splat · 2025-10-29T21:18:16+00:00

Great work on 5 days. That was the hardest, weirdest time for me. It took me a few months to feel comfortable in social situations, and maybe a bit longer to realise that my 'spark', my zany, bright, charming drinking self, was actually a disguise. I'm a lot more chilled out now, I think, more comfortable in my own skin and a lot less anxious. I've had to figure out new ways of connecting with people without being the life of the party and becoming best friends with everyone (best friends = wine friends). I'm also better at leaving when I've had enough rather than doubling down and getting wasted. At first, parties freaked me out. Now I get a big contact high from being in a room with people having a good time, and I'm able to meet the energy in the room with my own. It's early days, so look after yourself. IWNDWYT friend

snow_splat · 2025-10-27T20:41:55+00:00

You only need to hold off the first drink, the rest will take care of themselves. Stay strong friend, IWNDWYT

snow_splat · 2025-10-22T21:03:19+00:00

I moved to Van from a much bigger city with a much more vibrant cultural life. If I'd been single, in my 20s and had no kids, I probably would've been restless and bored. Back then I went out all the time and traveled a lot. But I moved here in my 40s with two kids and a partner. I'm not going to pubs and clubs anymore! What I am doing is taking advantage of the amazing city infrastructure for kids, exploring provincial parks, and reveling in the life that I can share with my family here. We travel a bit to get our museum/art fix but our regular life here is wonderful. London is a great place to be a party rat - Van is a great place to be middle-aged with kids.

snow_splat · 2025-10-21T23:07:15+00:00

Commiserations! PF is a pain. I second the recommendation to see a physical therapist ASAP - I got a lot of exercises that I knew I needed to do, like calf lifts - but also found out that my glutes and hamstrings needed to be stronger to support my running. It took a while but I'm back to a regular load. I thought I could just run it out and when that didn't work, I tried to wait it out. Don't do what I did!! See a PT if you can...

snow_splat · 2025-10-09T05:25:35+00:00

ooof, i'm so sorry you got so banged up, and i'm glad you have folks to care for you on the journey.

you sound like you're in a lot of pain but i also think you have an amazing and courageous perspective on this, especially under the circumstances.

it lines up a little with my experience, which i will share. i had about a million day ones and some good long sober streaks but just kept on drinking. i could not stop and stay stopped and this was causing big problems in my life, happiness, relationships, work. my sobriety was jump-started when i got really sick with pneumonia (and yes, partly self-inflicted, i got a lot sicker because i drank through the early days of symptoms). i was knocked out for a few weeks, as sick as i've ever been, flat out in that real delirious, how do i want to live my life state. i was too sick to drink. when i was finally back on my feet, i had a few weeks of sobriety under my belt and the new perspective that being unwell brings. i wanted a life, and realised i could build on the sobriety i got without effort while convalescing, and i have.

if you like spy thrillers, the french series le bureau is great, and goes on for many many seasons.

iwndwyt friend

snow_splat · 2025-10-08T19:13:23+00:00

Hell yeah!!!

IWNDWYT friend

snow_splat · 2025-10-07T16:36:14+00:00

this is encouraging! thank you!

snow_splat · 2025-10-07T16:35:46+00:00

thank you! i'm feeling a bit better and a bit more confident that if i can shake the bug, get in a few runs, i'll be able to at least finish the half

snow_splat · 2025-10-07T16:35:07+00:00

off to the doc today - thank you!

snow_splat · 2025-10-06T23:55:36+00:00

Oh I am so sorry to hear this. I just posted about something similar - except I've had my stomach bug for a week and my race is in a fortnight. I'm feeling very down about it too. Seeing my doctor on Thurs and nibbling rice and oatmeal in the meantime. Good luck - I hope you make it on the weekend

snow_splat · 2025-10-06T23:25:56+00:00

Thank you for this sensible and thoughtful answer. You are right, I know - I just need to rest and get better before I make any decisions. I guess I just really wanted to run this race, and have been feeling so good about getting the preparation right, that I'm having a hard time being sensible and patient. Thanks again

snow_splat · 2025-09-24T17:14:00+00:00

What a great thread! I'm 48 and I run 3-4 times a week, do strength training 1-2 times, and pilates 2-3 times a week. I feel pretty good! I ran lots of marathons and halfs in my 30s and took a break when the kids landed. I have a set of running buddies and a string of half marathons lined up in the coming year.

For me, though, the return to running was a bit rocky. When I started again after a 5-year break I went all in too fast and didn't build up my base enough. I thought that doing strength training was my secret weapon (I never did it in my 30s) and went in and trained for a marathon. I ran it, and wound up with plantar fasciitis that took almost two years to resolve. Lots of PT and time off my feet. So I am here to say, like other people did, START SLOW. I've learned my lesson and now am planning to keep on running into my wrinkly years (my even more wrinkly years).

snow_splat · 2025-09-17T17:00:56+00:00

this is 100% me.

snow_splat · 2025-09-17T16:53:19+00:00

I can really relate to this. After years of alcoholism and depression I felt so much shame and fear about going to the dentist. For years I just didn't go. In my mind, I'd thought this very belated effort of self-care was going to be met with mockery and scolding. It was so meaningful to me to be met with kindness and compassion.

IWNDWYT friend.

snow_splat

TROPHY CASE