Triathlon Training Is New Drug for Old Addicts
by Allie Comeau on June 22, 2009 
2 comments
Physical fitness has myriad benefits for your body and mind. As Todd Crandell, founder of Racing for Recovery found out, exercise can also help you recover from drug addiction.
Crandell was on the road to becoming a professional hockey player when he got waylaid by a serious 13-year drug and alcohol addiction. Not only did this addiction ruin his future career in sports, but it ruined his relationships with friends and family, too.
When he finally decided to quit using drugs and alcohol, he found traditional recovery programs to be lacking. So Crandell decided to run an Ironman – and then another one. And another one. Now Crandell, a chemical dependency counselor, is helping other recovering addicts find the same road to recovery he has. Through racing and physical fitness.
“Having an athletic background, I was drawn to getting back in shape,” Crandell said. “It makes you turn intellectually and spiritually fit. Exercise is essential. It decreases addiction, depression and you use it as part of the recovery.”
Racing for Recovery encourages addicts to replace their drug addiction with an exercise addiction. By sponsoring, and participating in, races and Ironman triathlons and organizing support and training teams, the Racing for Recovery program gives people another shot at a life worth living.
“It isn’t a huge surprise when you consider many positive effects exercise can have with regards to the brain chemistry: dopamine, serotonin, endorphin, epinephrine — these are all associated with mood altering effects,” said Dr. Cedric Bryant, the chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise. “If they’re able to get this natural high, through a natural endeavor such as exercise, it allows them to replace the means to achieve that high with a more positive approach.”
Crandell’s program helped Eddie Freas remain sober after he spent his youth chasing drugs and alcohol.
“I feel better when I’m working out,” said Freas, 33. “It does wonders for the mind. The reason I started running — it was a switch that went off in my head. I started feeling positive and feeling great about myself.”
What a great story… and just another example of the transformational power of exercise.
June 24th, 2009 @ 8:48 pm
[...] Allie Comeau wrote an interesting post today onTriathlon Training Is New Drug for Old AddictsHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
June 29th, 2009 @ 2:37 pm
Exercising and working out is SO important. You should try and work out with someone else. It can be fun!