The middle of June sees my running fortunes taking a tremendous swing upward. I have decided to take the Runner's World streaking challenge of running at least one mile a day from Memorial Day to Independence Day (that's forty-one days if you are wondering). I managed to start a few days early, and I also decided to up the ante to 2 miles a day, although I am currently not doing any less than 2½ miles on any run. So far, I have run on 34 consecutive days racking up a little over 106 miles. Benefits? Yes, quite a few!
1) HEALTH. When I started the streak, I was fatigued plenty, I could not seem to get the weight down, I was having issues with my glutes, and I was having pain in my Achilles tendon during any kind of run. You would think that running every day would exacerbate the situation, but the opposite has happened. While I still have bouts with fatigue, in general, I feel more alert and alive, even while putting in sixty-hour workweeks at UPS. I have lost about eight pounds in a month and a half, and my clothes are fitting much better. Granted, you can chalk up some of the weight loss to my hectic pace at work, but it would not have come off this rapidly without consistent training.
2) FITNESS At the beginning of the streak, heavy wheezing was the order of the day, along with a high heart rate. Any pace below 10:00 per mile was rare. Simply put, most of these issues are gone. My focus and breathing are, for the most part, typical for runs of the intensity I am doing. My heart rate corresponds with runs of this speed, and my pace is usually in the 9:30-9:40 range. I have also completed two courses that I have not tried in about three years on recent weekend long run days; one a five-miler, the other a six and a half.
3) CONFIDENCE The streak itself is something of an accomplishment. I have had all kinds of excuses to stay in bed. None of them have stuck. I feel like I can take on higher mileage, instead of wondering if I can finish a run.
4) MINDSET Why check Facebook all the time when you can analyze your Strava and Garmin stats? Thinking about your running life means you are not thinking about all the craziness the world has to offer. And of course...
5) BLOGGING I have things to write about.
Hopefully, the next seven days will come and go with runs checked off. I just can't wait until July 4th!
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