After becoming sober, a runner embraced fitness and set a half-marathon goal, feeling energized by early recovery and celebrating a personal record. Over time, daily runs replaced longer races, with performance slowing due to menopause and fluctuating balance. The runner sometimes wheezes, gasps, or walks during runs, while focusing less on speed and personal records. Fitness began as a way to fill the absence left by alcohol, create structure, and channel time into a new habit that supports motivation. Even when the body feels “hijacked,” running remains necessary and part of recovery.
"A few months after I got sober, I decided I needed to run a half-marathon. I was riding the “pink cloud” of recovery, high on life and very enthusiastic about living free and clear of alcohol. The early days of sobriety had been so tough, and I was so thrilled to be beyond them, that it seemed easy to comprehend running 13 miles."
"Lots of people in recovery embrace a fitness habit when they give up alcohol. There are plenty of reasons for this. We have a new hole in our lives, an absence of drinking needs to be filled, and why not do so with something that sparks dopamine and aligns perfectly with our new, healthier path? When I first got sober, I signed up for races all the time because I needed goals."
"Now, 14 years later, my runs are not half-marathons. They are three-mile jogs around my neighborhood. And they are not as fast. This is due to menopause, which seemed to hijack my body, making it tired and wonky. My balance is off on some days. I often start my runs by muttering “Don’t fall” while I maneuver the sidewalks."
"But these days, I don’t pay much attention to my fleetness or PR’s. I don’t even use a watch or w… I have to. It’s part of my recovery. It’s part of my recovery."
Read at Psychology Today
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