Yesterday I promised you a post about all the GOOD things that came out of my 365-day running streak. Yesterday it was raining, and I was still a bit poorly and cross at having had to run while feeling so rubbish.
Today it’s still raining, but I’m better, which means everything looks more positive.
So here’s why running every day for 365 days absolutely rocked:
1. It was so simple. I might have complained about it, but every day all I had to do was pull on my trainers and get out the door.
2. It gave me confidence in my own grit and ability to get the job done even when I don’t fancy it much.
3. It was a golden thread between all the days – wherever I was in the world, whatever my mood, whatever the weather or the season, whatever time of day I could squeeze it in.
4. It inspired my kids. Both of them really got into the spirit of the challenge, checking to see whether I’d done my run yet, sometimes even running with me. Those were the best runs.
5. I stayed healthy and injury free. Ironic, really, given that one of my biggest concerns was the risk of injury caused by running every day. But because I kept most runs fairly short and fairly easy, in fact I had fewer problems than usual. And it was only in the last week that I came down sick, the first time in the entire year.
6. It showed just how flimsy my usual excuses are: of COURSE I have time/energy, and so what if it’s raining? Once you’re running, it doesn’t really make any difference.
7. It delivered multiple miniature excuses for celebrating along the way: a month, 50 days, 100 days, 200 days, 300 days, a year. I saved the fizz for the last of these, but each milestone (if you’ll pardon the pun) along the way gave me a buzz.
8. It made me miss my long runs. So that’s what’s next: a spring marathon, and a training plan incorporating one long run each week to take me there.
I’m still considering what to do about the blogging, so the streak continues, for now…