Last week I reached the two year anniversary of running every day. I’ve now run over 730 days in a row.
Last year when I reached this milestone I looked back and found a few days that were hilariously fun. This year seemed less fun and more like work. While I had some great moments, they were mostly in the actual races and not in the quiet moments running alone.
The Big Events
In October last year I paced my sister to her first marathon in Washington D.C. She’d survived a difficult surgery and promised herself that she’d run a marathon if her life returned to normal. I’m thankful that it did and it was my honor to escort her around Washington D.C. for 26.2 miles. What a blast. It was a beautiful day and a huge win for her.
In December I ran my fastest marathon ever at College Station, Texas, finishing in 3 hours, 44 minutes. I trained with the goal of 3 hours 45 minutes as my pace. It’s amazing how close my race resembled my training (that’s sarcasm). You get what you put into it…and I got the joy of coming across at my goal pace.
In January Cheryl wanted me to pace her at Houston. She ran her 2nd fastest marathon ever and surprised herself by her fast time (especially after she nearly gave up at the 23 mile mark). I was really excited for her, and I’ll pace my wife running whenever she wants. She’s a great running partner (even if she tries to always train faster than I really want….).
That said, the quiet moments were the important ones.
The moments that mattered in my “every day of running” personal challenge were the times that I just didn’t feel like it. It was the days (like today) when it’s the perfect day for running but my body’s tired of it and I just don’t want to go. I think I had great days because on days like today I decided that this wasn’t the right day to quit. Instead of saying “no” and taking the easy way, I strapped on the shoes and trudged at least a mile. Most days I was glad I did.
It’s the quiet moments that are most important to your goals.
It’s those days when nothing is happening that matter.
It’s the day you spend a little less.
It’s the day you ask for a raise.
It’s the day you do a little more for the client.
It’s the day you decide to cook at home instead of eating out.
It’s the day you donate to the local charity.
It’s the day you give 1% more to your 401k plan.
It’s the day you revisit your life insurance needs.
It’s the day you have the garage sale and get rid of clutter.
It’s the day you pick up a financial book (or podcast!) and get educated.
It’s the little days.
Go chase that goal! I’m heading out to run…..
Photo: Torrey Wiley
Happy two year anniversary of running every day, that is a great achievement! I really wanted to join a fun run in our city, but I think I’m not yet ready.
I started by run/walking. There’s a neat program online called couch potato to 5k. I like the audio version where the guy tells you when to run and when to walk, slowly building you up to running a full three miles by the end of several weeks. That might be a place to start 🙂
First of all I still can’t believe you run EVERY day. If I didn’t take at least one rest day my body would be a wreck! But look at your accomplishments. But you’re right, they don’t always have to be these big things. I have found giving someone a compliment who looked like they need it and watching their face light up was a lot bigger than something like finishing a half marathon. Or being able to make a tiny bit of money stretch when I really have to.
I know what you mean, but I still think your half marathon was pretty damned cool. I get lots of joy filling rental cars with premium gasoline. I’m a giver.
Wow! Joe, what a huge accomplishment! Running is something I do frequently but I can’t boast running every day. That’s amazing. And I agree – it’s often those small, quiet moments where something big happens. Love the story with your sister too!
Thanks! I’m not sure if it’s smart or stupid….I tend to go toward stupid, but at this point it’s pretty OCD. Now when I feel like taking a day off I think, “Really? All of those days you did and you’re going to stop just because “I wanted to eat a cookie instead? How will you feel about that later?” So, at this point I’m screwed because it’s gonna take a 24 flight or a broken bone to stop this craziness….
I love that your 2 year anniversary is sometime in the first week of October. Which means you didn’t say, “I want to run every day! That’ll be something I start New Years Day!” And then wait 3 months instead of getting going NOW. Most people would do that… and that’s why most people never really get started working towards their goals in a real way.
Amen, sister! How’s your running going lately?
What a great feat, Joe!!!! And I couldn’t agree more. On the days when we feel really discouraged with our debt payoff, we take extra pleasure when we don’t give in to giving up. We haven’t really done anything big besides sticking with the program, but for us, those are huge days.
Great points, and huge….. The funny thing is….I don’t feel the pleasure with running until the next day. Generally when I finish doing what I call my “mandatory mile” days I feel pretty bleh about it. I have to keep my sights on delayed gratification. 🙂
Okay, I’m trying to figure out why you’re doing this. But I suppose it literally is for the challenge of doing something/anything every single day for as long as you can. Because it’s certainly not to be a better runner or to be healthier or any of the normal motivations to start running. Thinking of it that way, this is definitely a good accomplishment, congrats on doing something every single day.
Thanks, Leslie!
So, why am I doing it? I woke up one day, after having run a couple marathons and said, “What if I ran a mile on my off days and started a streak?” The longer I ran, the harder it became to stop. Now I’m so focused on the streak that I don’t know what it’ll take to make it go away.
I’ve also used it to leverage other areas of my life. Lately I’ve told myself that if I can make the change with running, I can clearly finish my book (I’ve now nearly completed it in six months). I can lose weight (I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds, depending on the day you weigh me….). It’s been a huge thing for my psyche.
But I suppose it literally is for the challenge of doing something/anything every single day for as long as you can. Because it’s certainly not to be a better runner or to be healthier or any of the normal motivations to start running. Thinking of it that way, this is definitely a good accomplishment, congrats on doing something every single day.