There are some things that I’m pretty good at doing on a daily basis:
- Eating
- Checking twitter
- Looking at my phone
- Eating sweets
- Checking Facebook
- Late-night snacking
I’m pretty solid as eating, but as you can see, running did not make the list of things that comes easy for me on a daily basis.
Some folks eat so that they can run, I, however, run so that I am can eat (and I do that very well).
On Saturday, February 16th, 2013, I started on a goal to run at least 2 miles every single day for 1 week. Little did I know that that 1 week would turn into 2, and then into a month…and then a year. 1095 days later and the running streak (#RunStreak) is alive and well. Today starts my 4th year of running every, single day.
Over the last 3 years, I’ve seen a lot of early miles and a few later in the day. My wife, Chelsea, deserves most of the credit as she has put up with my absurd idiosyncrasy. She tolerates my leaving right before dinner or after work to squeeze in a quick run if I’m not able to get it in during the early morning hours.
For the last 60 days, I’ve been joined by our puppy Lily. She’s been a trooper, and we’ve averaged 4-5 miles a day. Today she put in her longest run – 10 miles as I’ve kicked off another round of 10×10 (running 10 miles a day for 10 straight days).
It’s been said that what we are doing here (Running Streak) is not a mark of intelligence, and that is probably true. It is however, a sign of perseverance (and probably a hint of stubbornness – a quality my wife would attest to).
I’ve run at 4 a.m. and 10 p.m. My job requires travel so I’ve had to think strategically to plan my runs. Some are on a treadmill, but most are on the road. I’ve run in Vegas, Albuquerque, Jackson (MS), El Paso, Dallas, Houston, Austin, New Orleans, San Antonio, and many other cities. Some runs have been hot and some have been cold, but most have one thing in common – you have to be intentional in order for it to happen.
Two months ago I lost my job. It was quite a shock, but these daily runs have been therapeutic and helped me work through my emotions. We’ve read the research on how exercise gives us a boost and helps us physiologically and psychologically, but it’s not easy to hit the road in the middle of a struggle. My RunStreak has helped me heal and allowed me to look forward to the possibilities of a new adventure.
As you think about your daily endeavors, what’s one thing that you’d like to do every single day? Exercise. Reading. Prayer. Find an area and challenge yourself to do it every day for a week. Who knows exactly what your 1 week might turn into…
Patrick Fariss 