Snowy Porch
Despite the snowy subzero temps/windchills here, today I’m 80 days into my longest run streak in recent memory (streak began Nov. 19, 2013). How did this happen? This streak was supposed to end after Jan. 1. Not sure I could do this. But fatigue has become an issue. Slamming coffee. Strange blood blister on 1 toe that won’t go away. Can I really go 100 days? Can I go 365?
In a previous post (2 posts ago?) I pointed to fatigue and told you I would address it. So here goes. Naps are my friends. Rest is not a four-letter word I can ignore. Runners don’t like to be at rest (we like to move right?).
Here are 10 Lessons of my run-streak:
1. Running 1 mile is enough to keep it alive. Some days that’s all the energy I have (with coffee;)
2. Hard:easy run/workout progression works (pace yourself).
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Funny sign-pace your run
3. Other friends are streaking, too.
4. Some people you know have streaked for years and that looks like fun.
5. Can’t stop streaking.
6. Don’t want to stop streaking.
7. Stock up on KT Tape. I’m now buying it 3 or 4 rolls at a time to avoid having to buy it in the middle of a winter storm. Yes, I know I need it because it saves my feet/legs/even my back a lot of agony. Seriously! (I just won some KT Tape from KT Tape Europe just for tweeting about it on Twitter. Thank you!)
8. Who wore out my running shoes?
9. Revolving laundry basket aka “laundry streak” is almost a necessity.
10. Treadmill is best option when it’s too cold/windy/snowy outside. With my asthma, I can’t take chances and subzero temps or windchills are just too difficult for me to handle.
Irish Cliffs are steep! 18%!
80 day Run-Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Insomnia has accompanied some of the run-streak. So I try to concentrate on relaxing and getting deeper sleep. Quality over quantity, that’s what we parents say! Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep and have the crazy desire to lace up and run because after all, the Petzl headlamp (and all my reflective gear) will allow it. I hate waking up my family by running on the treadmill too early in the morning but we have sound sleepers in our family (except me).
So where am I taking this streak? 100 days? Well, that doesn’t make sense because it’s about 30 days to Lent, plus the 40 days of Lent, that stretches the streak to 150 or so. Might as well run 180 at that point. The key point will be in October, when I’m running a race of extra length (a 50K ultramarathon *more on this later). The ultra may crush the streak. (Hopefully not, because it’s only a month short of a year streak by then.) However, I just want to run-streak 365 days in a row if possible. After that, I rest?
My primary running goal is still to #RunThisYear. I’m following the RTY suggested running schedule mostly. Sometimes more, sometimes a little less. Also doing a 100-day challenge of 30 min of exercise minimum, about 5 days into that.
No Streak Sunset
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I hear you, buddy! I get tired and even a bit grouchy lately from fatigue. I’ve had to resort to a quick 1 miler a couple times now in my streak as well just to be able to say “Shut up, I ran!” *lol*.
With your planned 50k, let me warn you, it’s not necessarily the after race that’s a problem, it’s not resting up for fresh legs BEFORE the race. Make sure to get lots of slow 1 milers in before, that’s about all the rest us streakers can get 🙂
Good luck on the 365. I will most certainly be stopping after 100, but mostly because of a lot of international travel coming up for me that doesn’t leave time for running when flying half way around the world. Having said that, running is a great way to combat jet lag, get’s the blood moving again right after a long long LONG flight. I may try for a 365 in 2015, we’ll see 🙂
Thanks Ken, it’s inspiring to see others like you able to run-streak and complete a 50k. There will be lots of 1-2 mile day runs, I’m sure. And although I hate tapering, I think you’re right about tapering before the 50k. Would love to have some international travel but alas, none on the schedule unfortunately. 😉 I know that is disruptive though and then there’s jet lag. But that’s what coffee is for, right?