One item that I've been wanting to check off my running bucket list
for some time was a sustained running streak- at least one mile every
day for a certain period of time. Given the crazy things I have signed
myself up for in 2017 and trying not to freak out as I think about what
it will take to get me there, I decided to nail this challenge down. If
I'm going to be the strongest, best runner I can possibly be this year,
setting goals and sticking to them will help cultivate that discipline
that I will rely on to get me to the finish line when my mind and body
have checked out. For the month of February, the shortest month of the
year, I vowed to myself that I would do just that- run at least one mile
a day for the duration of the month.
The running
streak was always something that intrigued me. I like the thought of
doing something consistently, every day, and making it a habit. But
running? That sounds like a lot of work. Hard work. Until now, my own
personal record was 16 days. This year, however, is going to be
different. If I want to improve, I must push farther than I've gone
before. I need to beat my toughest opponent, myself.
So I made a quiet promise to myself- no matter what, I was going to streak through February.
The
month started out with much potential. I had friends to run with, and
as a last resort, my treadmill at home. February 1, I met up with a
group to knock out a few miles. February 2 was a bit of a challenge. I
taught kickboxing in the evening, which is usually my workout for the
day. Instead of showering and putting on my PJs as soon as I got home, I
jumped on the treadmill and completed my mile. Success! The next
evening, Friday, I did a few laps around the backyard to equal about a
mile and rested up to prepare for the following day. Oh yeah...
February 4. The Cast a Shadow 6 hour relay/solo race.
One
of the things I decided to try this winter was joining a formal
racing/training team, something I have never done before. Since it
would take place over the cold, snowy months, it was a snowshoe team.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate with us this season so
nights where we dreamed of fluffy, cleated tracks were instead replaced
with water and mud. Nevertheless, the team was a great group of people
to run and socialize with.
Part of the team experience was
encouraging us to sign up for a winter snowshoe racing series. I enjoy
snowshoeing and racing with my friends so I signed up for each race of
the series. The third was an annual event based loosely on whether or
not Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow; yes and the six hour race ended
exactly at 6 hours, no and participants were allowed to finish their
final lap as long as they started it before the 6 hour cutoff. Of
course I signed up. And because assembling a team of 2 other friends to
trade off with seemed like a lot of work, I signed up for the 6 hour
solo race.
Race day approached. This was the my
first experience with a race that was based on time and not distance.
2.5 mile loops for 6 hours. I could either run at a relaxed pace, hang
out in the lodge and visit with my friends, or push myself and see what
kind of distance I could reach in 6 hours. I chose the latter. A
marathon distance was 11 loops. If I averaged 2 loops an hour, this was
a more than achievable goal. I plodded on, stopping quickly for food
or to use the restroom, and one longer break around lap 7 to prepare for
the setting sun and cooler temps. With temperatures peaking near 20 Fahrenheit, losing the sunlight and warmth would have an impact on a sweaty, tired body that had been wearing the same layers all day.
My friends who had run this race in the past advised me that the
twilight hours would be toughest and to prepare for dropping
temperatures. I changed into dry outer layers, added an extra pair of
tights, donned my headlamp, and set out to complete the last 4 laps. I
will admit, the last 2 were not pretty; my body was tired and the packed
snow and ice caused my lower back muscles to tighten to a most
uncomfortable state. But the notion of a prize was dangled before me;
run, walk, or crawl, I would earn this token! I did finish 11 laps in
roughly 6 hours, 23 minutes, including the time I spent in the lodge.
The prize was a very nice fleece throw with the Goose Adventure Racing
logo (the company that produced the race) on it. I was quite pleased
with this. After the awards ceremony and time with good friends, I
headed home. We parted ways with a plan to meet in the morning and run a
few miles together.
I have heard of "recovery runs"
and honestly, this is not something that I ever believed in. How could
running possibly help your body recover when it is sore, fatigued, and
in agony from running a ridiculous number of miles the day before?
Surely sitting as still as possible under a cozy fleece blanket would be
a much more effective way to recover from a race. But it was only
February 5, and I was going to try my hardest to actually carry through
with this running streak. So I took my time with my morning routine,
did some yoga, and kept my plans to meet my friends at 11 for our
"recovery run". Thankfully, most had participated in the same race I
had the day before, either solo or as a relay, and were feeling the
day's miles that morning. We commiserated through 4 miles of one of our
favorite trails, taking our time and walking when it became necessary.
Although it was tough to get started and quite painful, I did feel
better after running. My muscles had loosened up a bit and the soreness
wasn't as intense. I headed home with thoughts of eating and lounging
for the rest of the day, and of course, watching the last football game
of the season.
The next day, 2 days post-marathon, I
woke up not nearly as sore as I thought I would be. Other than some
residual aches, the previous Saturday's torture was now a distant, fond
memory. I had been converted, the recovery run works miracles!!!
Because
I have friends that are smarter and more experienced than me,
especially when it comes to running, I listen and try to learn from the
wisdom they share. A good friend of mine who also has a hectic
schedule, and has been keeping a run streak for 6 plus months, shared
with me her method of running 1-2 miles in the morning or however many
she has time for before work, and getting in a few evening miles as well
when her schedule permitted. I really liked this idea. This is what I
would try next, early morning runs! For me, this meant waking up
around 5 am, letting out and feeding my 2 dogs & 2 cats, while
donning my running clothes and shoes to get in a quick 15 minute run on
the treadmill before showering and getting ready for work. So early
that Monday, I stumbled out of bed to carry out the aforementioned
routine. As I laced up my shoes, I wondered if the noise of the
treadmill would disturb my still sleeping husband; guess I will find out
momentarily! Thankfully, it did not. I learned that as much as I love
sleeping until the last possible second, I loved getting up and
cranking out those 15 minutes even more. I felt accomplished,
energized, inspired, and was in a better mood for the rest of the day.
My lofty goal of doing this every single morning wavered as the weeks
went on, especially if I had a particularly exhausting hill or speed
workout the night before, but I will do what I can and try to keep
Monday morning runs at the very least. My long term goal is to get up
early enough to run 2-3 miles before work as I get closer to race
date(s).
There were times I wanted a break, times I
wanted to quit, and times when I wondered if that one mile was truly
worth it. I stuck to it through the whole month and am still going. I
am not sure how long I will keep up my running streak. Today being day
33, I still am unsure if this is the way to accomplish my goals. At
some point, this streak will end, and I will embrace all it has taught
me about myself, my body, and running in general. Whether it's just
experimental, or something that turns into a lifestyle, I would
recommend giving a running streak a try. You may surprise yourself.