Hi everyone, it’s been great watching everyone’s steak grow since I joined you coming up on 4 years ago. At that time, I was trying to string together 36 days as part of the Runner’s World Thanksgiving to New Year’s streak. When I hit 1000 days I was so excited and felt like I’d accomplished something remarkable. Since then, my engagement has been on a slow decline, and mini-milestones like day 1500 coming up in a month or so don’t excite me the same way.
At first I started sneaking in more days with only a mile, then my overall mileage started to come down, and since Covid found its way into our lives, I’ve still been running every day, but with no races on the horizon, my motivation retreated. Last week was my first ever where I did an entire week at a mile a day, so perhaps it’s time. I always thought I just loved running, but now I think I was more goal oriented than I realized.
My question (especially for those who’ve gone longer than I have) as I contemplate hanging it up at 4 years next week is this - did you always maintain that same passion/enthusiasm/drive to get out and lay down distance, and keep up training throughout your streak? Or do you have certain years or spans of months where you pull back until you miss running enough to snap back to the streak?
#RunEveryDay
I started my streak with some American friends who were doing that US Thanksgiving to NYD streak. I never intended at the start to stick with it longer. Then it became a way to get through the winter. Then I decided my body would tell me when it was ready to stop.
I don't know that I feel a lot of passion or enthusiasm about it. I don't really think of it that way. It's become a habit. It's just something I do. This fall when I ran my first marathon, I got up the next day and did a slow mile, like I would for any other race.
I expect when I am ready to stop, I'll know. I have no plans to stop at a certain milestone. (I'll hit 7 years next week.)
If you feel ready to stop, then stop. You can always start a new streak if you miss it.
Half Fanatic #9292.
Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.
Intentionally Blank
I hit 10 years today, and you’ll see my mileage is lower than plenty of people with less time. I’ve certainly had weeks where I just did the minimum.
I was considering stopping at 5 years, but my family convinced me to keep going. Like Meg, it’s just a habit now.
But hey, if it doesn’t bring you joy, or if it feels like a burden, there’s nothing wrong with stopping.
It is really up to you! For me, if I don't run, I feel lost and like something is wrong. My morning runs are "me" time . . . time to think and breath fresh air. Yes, there are occasional days when I don't want to do it, but I know that I always feel better after I get it done.
Sara
MM #2929
I'm just finishing up a 1 mile a day week right now - mainly to get some rest for my hamstring which has been bothering me since I refereed a soccer game a few weeks ago.
However, to answer your question, NO I do not have the same passion all the time. It sounds like you are like me though - you need a goal, something to be training for to help keep you going. With Covid I lost that severely this Spring and got severely demotivated. I was in the 2020 in 2020 running game so I still tried to keep up the mileage to help my team. That helped, but not all the time.
What I did find a couple years ago was www.citystrides.com where you run with your GPS (or phone I suppose - as long as it links to something like Strava) and it tracks every street that you have run.
This year I finished off all the streets in two different towns - getting ready start another one and I've completed over the past 2-3 years every street in my town and the 5 surrounding towns. It helps because I'll actually sit there at night looking at the map trying to map out my run for the next day so that I can get in the mileage i am looking for but also try to get as many streets in as possible. As you get closer to finishing each town it gets tougher and at times I've run an 8-9 mile run just to get two streets that I missed on the far side of a town.
Anyway - maybe just look around and try to find some other way to try to make the running more engaging.
Best of luck
Jeff
Hi everyone, thanks for sharing your unique perspectives. I appreciate it.
Meg, I’m Canadian, too You’re right, it’s a habit if nothing more. At least it’s a healthy one. Virtual high five for 7 years and completing your first marathon!
Sruiz, congrats on a decade! Thinking back over all the miles between 2010 and now, you’ve probably seen and experienced a lot. My family is encouraging me with a look ahead to day 1500 on January 1st next year as a way to put 2020 behind us and to reassess how I feel at that time.
Sara, now that I think of it, getting out to run before the streak I did always have days where it was more difficult or I took a few extra days off if my mind wasn’t in it. I might look at running in the morning instead of early evening. I haven’t done that regularly for a few years.
Jeff, it’s reassuring to know that I’m not alone in the ebbs and flows. I’ll definitely check out that site and contemplate other ways to spark interest. Rest up your hamstring and hopefully we’ll have more races and new goals to look forward to in the new year.
Thanks again everyone!
not bad for mile 25
Hi nimble,
I just noticed your post, so maybe you have already dropped your streak. As the other said, if it's giving you no joy, then dropping it is the right thing to do. In any case, here's what streaking does for me. I'm pretty sure if I felt I could let myself skip a day, then in a short time I would find excuses to skip more and more days. My mileage would drop from 40/week to 20 to 10 or...maybe nothing. The more days I skip, the harder it would be to get out and run at all. Now, during the COVID era, the morning run gives some routine and structure to my life that I feel I need. In some ways, I feel that this is a lost year, and I'm just biding time till we can return to what we now realize were glorious times!
So, streak or no streak, hope your running and your life in general are going well!