1000 DAYS OF RUNNING IN A ROW
Nearly 3 years ago, I took the first steps on my mission to run at least one mile everyday for 10 years. Now, over 1000 days later, I’ve run through viruses, colds, blisters and the day after marathons and ultramarathons.
Here’s how I’ve gotten this far without injury and how running everyday has changed me.
Firstly, I should explain why I’m doing this. And it’s a personal reason, not rooted in any logic behind becoming a better runner. When I first started running, I really enjoyed it and did it regularly, however I would often skip runs because I was just lazy. At some point I remember thinking, well, this isn’t what a runner is supposed to do. Skip runs because they don’t feel like it. Then I saw a creator on YouTube who was running everyday and I thought, well why can’t I do that. And here we are.
When I started it was harder than it is now. Finding the time to run for at least 3km everyday was a struggle. But like anything you make a priority, you make time for, and that’s what I did. It eventually became a part of my identity and now people often ask me, have you been for your daily run yet.
Throughout the 1000 days, there have been some near misses, either nearly forgetting or nearly running out of time. But it still gets done.
The time I came the closest to losing the streak was when I had a severe flu which took the life out of me. I couldn’t run without coughing so badly I would nearly throw up. That was a level of illness I had not quite experienced yet. I had to pull the initial goal of 3km everyday to 1 mile which was painful, however the 1 mile mark is still what’s considered adequate to have a running streak, according to run streak international.
So how the hell do you manage to run every single day for 1000 days in a row. Well I’ll tell you, it’s pretty simple, and it can be broken down into three points.
1. Listening to my body. When it’s sore, I let it rest. There are exceptions, for example when I’ve had to run after long ultramarathons, my body was very sore.
2. Entering races. This keeps me busy, always having something to train for. I’m not always in peak condition for races, but it gives me a strong incentive to keep running.
3. Planning in advance. I have to always think about the next day and where I will fit a run in. It’s been tricky, and sometimes I’ve had to run at night, but without this crucial step, I would have missed a day or two by now.
Running everyday has changed me for the better. The discipline I have gained from this practice has transferred into other aspects of my life. I know that consistency is key and it’s more important than the occasional huge effort. You build mansions brick by brick after all.
So now I invite you to consider running everyday. It’s not for everyone and I suggest you have a few years of running consistently under your belt before you try something like this, but I promise you, it’s easier than you might think.
00:00 Introduction
00:43 Why I Run Everyday
01:51 How to Run Everyday Pt.1
02:26 How to Run Everyday Pt.2
02:45 How to Run Everyday Pt.3
03:09 Running Everyday has Changed My Life