365

Starting in 2017, each year I complete a “run streak” where I run at least 1 mile from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. It started after I trained for and ran my first marathon. One thing about a marathon training block that I love and hate is the schedule, but then it’s over and you’re kind of like…what do I do now? The run streak game was fun and gave me something to do.

Last year, I set out to do the run streak like usual, starting on accident a couple days before Thanksgiving because I just happened to run those days too. And then, I just never stopped (Forrest Gump references welcome). Not going to sugar coat it, I was struggling a bit mentally. I had been laid off from my job in November and I didn’t always have much else to do other than incessantly check email and scour the internet for jobs. 

I guess that explains why I ran through January, February…and then March. Then, I started a new job and had to travel quite a bit, which would certainly have been a good time to stop. But I didn’t.

Today marks 365 days. Many days I ran more than a mile, in fact I averaged about 2.3 miles per day over 365 days. I have run many more miles in other years, but I have never run more than 6 weeks or so daily.

A few thoughts as I look back on the year:

- Most of the time, I didn’t want to run. I did it anyway. Motivation was never a prerequisite.

- I can talk myself into running a mile in almost any physical condition, including throwing my back out, bad colds, fevers, jet lag, depression, a few hangovers, etc. The contrast is that it makes it really hard to not run when you just aren’t feeling it. See point above.

- I can talk myself into running a mile in a lot of different places too, like:

• California
• Florida
• North Dakota (usually laps around a Walmart, but once in -20 real feel in the dark)
• Colorado (at 11,000 feet of elevation, with a cold)
• Canada (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec)
• Sweden
• Germany
• Netherlands (through the airport to my gate)

-      The hardest times to get going:

• Jet lag is the worst. Last week after flying overnight to Amsterdam and then to Hanover, I found out I couldn’t check into my hotel for 5 more hours. I sat in the lobby for a while, and then I started exploring, found the workout room, found a bathroom, opened my suitcase, got changed, and jumped on the treadmill. Changed again, went to the venue, worked for 7 hours. Yes, I was tired. 
• When I was really, really, really (yes I’m adding a third) depressed. The first few months, yes, I was unemployed and could’ve run all day, but I just couldn’t. Sometimes I could barely get out of bed, let alone think about putting my running shoes on. Alas, depression hates a moving target, and getting going was the hardest part.
• The day after I started a new job, in a strange city, no treadmill in the hotel, and -20 real feel temps. It was dark, I was alone, I was pissed off, and I used socks for mittens.

The biggest question I got during the streak was: how do you do it? Now I feel like...how do I not do it after that many days in a row? The question I get now is: when will you stop? I don’t know, but certainly not on day 366 or day 367...I’m signed up for a Turkey Trot 5k!