Hang around the trail running scene long enough and you’re bound to meet a recovering addict who’s turned their life around and taken up running . The first ultra runner I ever met came out of the 12-step program in 2013, put on his , and within two years ran the . A childhood friend traded a 40-a-day smoking habit around the same time and was soon battling through grueling 50k marathons like the Ben Nevis Ultra.
Several books have been written on this subject, like former meth addict Catra Corbett’s , and in his , ultra running coach Jason Koop estimates that as many as one-third of his clients are in recovery. So why do so many people in recovery find solace in running mammoth distances? I recently spoke with recovering addict, fitness coach and distance runner about this topic, who starts out by explaining that the very word “addiction” is problematic. The majority of us assume it means you are living on the streets abusing heroin, when in fact you might just be using drugs recreationally on a weekly basis and generally feeling like you’re always playing catch up.
“It's almost like that label itself stops people from seeking the help they potentially need.” Another complicating factor is that addiction isn’t a clinical diagnosis – you can be diagnosed with substance or alcohol misuse, but not addiction. Furthermore, while some substances such as heroin really do create dependence and withdrawal symptoms, others, like cocaine, don’t – but many people.
