I just finished running for the 366th day in a row. Every single day for the past (leap) year I have run at least one mile. Oh, and all those miles were run outside because I prefer running through blizzards than running on a treadmill.
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A year ago I saw a post on Facebook about the Runner’s World Run Streak that runs from Memorial Day to the 4th of July. I thought it sounded like a neat idea, run at least one mile, every day for 41 days. I honestly didn’t think I could make it the whole 41 days, but I thought it would be cool to try it for as long as possible. If I could run every day for two weeks I’d be pretty proud of myself. Maybe a miracle would happen and I’d make it the whole 41 days, but probably not, that’s just crazy talk to run that many days without a rest day. I thought for sure I’d get a major injury for trying.
And yet I made it to 41 days, then 50, then 100. When my dad died on day 103 I knew I couldn’t stop my streak. It wasn’t even a question in my mind. You see, my dad wasn’t able to run, he was in an accident that broke his back years before I was born. On every hard run I’ve ever gone on, I’ve been inspired by my dad. I knew how much he wanted to run, how much he missed the freedom and mobility he once had. So when running gets hard, I run harder because of him. Day 103 will forever be etched in my memory. The hardest day ever, but the run was good. I cried tears of joy on that run, knowing my dad is running free in heaven now.
I was nervous going into the winter. I wanted to make it to 200 days, just before Christmas, and then I figured I’d see how long I could make it through the snow and icy conditions. Maybe I’d get a gym membership for a couple months to keep it going through the winter. Somewhere along the way though, I decided to avoid the gym at all costs and do a completely outdoor streak. By the way, I absolutely despise cold, so this was a ridiculous decision.
Celebrating day 200! (Everything is backward in a selfie)
In January I got strep throat twice. I lost count of how many times I had to run with a fever and the chills in the snow that month. January was not my favorite month. But once you run while you’re that sick, you realize you don’t really have any excuses. So I decided to try and see if I could run every day for a year. And I did.
Lest you think this is a post just to pat myself on the back, it is not. I’m sharing my experience to remind you that we can do hard things. You can do amazing things. And you should. I want to remind you that you have one life, so you should live it well. I want to encourage you to take care of yourself and prioritize your health and wellness because no one else can and no one else will. And you can’t do the things God created you to do if you’re too tired or sick or unwell.
Maybe a run streak is not your cuppa tea. I can absolutely say it is not for everyone. But by giving myself at least ten minutes a day, by choosing to prioritize my health, and stick with a goal that was entirely focused on self-care, I can honestly say that my life has been changed and improved tremendously. I’m not at all perfect. I still have a long way to go. But I’m a better wife, mother, employee, friend, neighbor, child of God, and human because I choose to take care of myself every single day as a priority.
That is the message I so passionately want to share with other women. Do you remember that command from Jesus that says “Love your neighbor as yourself”? The very first step in following that commandment is to actually love yourself. You can’t love your neighbors, you can’t take care of your neighbors, you can’t make a difference in the world if you hate yourself, if you ignore yourself if you put everything and everyone in priority above caring about yourself. You have to love and care for yourself first, then it’s far easier to love and care for everyone else. My running streak has been about so many things, but one of the most vital parts of this streak is that it forces me to take care of me.
I don’t speak of loving and caring for yourself in a narcissistic, self-centered way. We have enough of that going on in our culture. Prioritizing yourself doesn’t mean you are the center of the universe or the most important person in the world, but it does recognize that you are human. We cannot give from a place of emptiness. We cannot love and care for others if we don’t love and care for ourselves first.
Running helps me be a better mom.
Self-care and self-love are not just about relaxing massages and buying yourself flowers. Self-care can be hard. It might look like the hardest thing you’ve ever done. It might take every ounce of strength you have. But what it can give you back in return is a strength you never dreamed possible, a joy you didn’t know existed, and a confidence that fuels you into more amazing things. Exercise and making healthy choices can be brutally hard (trust me, I ran 17 miles a few days ago!), but I believe it is so worth the effort.
All right, so that’s my little soapbox about why I’m so passionate and excited about my #runstreak. Here are some more details about my experience and what’s ahead in case you’re curious.
Starting date: May 25th, 2015, one mile at 9 minutes and 23 seconds (9:23)
Total miles: 790
Most miles run in one day: 17 (May 21, 2016)
Most miles run in one month: August (91.85 miles)
Least miles run in one month: January (42.3, thank you strep throat)
Fastest mile: 7:58 on November 2nd
Slowest mile: 13:23 on June 2nd (I ran this one with my 6-year-old daughter, she fell and got two scraped knees. I helped her up, kissed her wounds, and we kept on running.)
Icing my sore, sore hips after a hilly half marathon.
Most painful run: This feels like a tie. Two days after a very hilly and difficult half marathon, I remember holding my hips as I ran because the pain was so intense. There was also a day early in the winter that started out snowy and icy and gradually got warmer. I waited too long and went for my run as the snow and ice was melting. There were at least two inches of icy water covering the surface of the road. My shoes filled with ice water quickly and the first half mile was utterly miserable until my feet finally went numb.
Most emotional run: September 19th, I was supposed to run a half marathon with my friends in Indianapolis two weeks after my dad died. I was already an emotional wreck. I decided to run the race in honor of my dad. And then about 3 miles in, the race was black-flagged due to lightning. I was so angry, upset, sad, and just an emotional mess.
The medal I didn’t earn from the race that got black-flagged.
Silliest run: A few weeks ago I ran to Dairy Queen, ate a blizzard, and ran back home (just over 5 miles round trip). It was such a silly and fun thing. Sadly, I ate more calories on that run than I burned actually running. Blizzards are apparently heavy on the calories.
I run for DQ blizzards.
Funniest story: That one time my friend and I were getting ready to run a 5k race in a nearby park. She suggested we do a quick warm up mile on the trails nearby while we waited for the start. Side note-I think running to warm up to run is silly, why waste the energy? But I agreed to join her because what else was I going to do? We ended up getting lost in the woods. We kept pulling up our GPS maps on our phone and could not figure out how to get out! When we did finally make it out of the woods, we had already run more than a 5k for our “warm up” and the real 5k had already started without us. Oops! Interestingly, I went back to that park a few months ago and tried to get lost again, and could not figure out how we did it.
Races:
June 6th – Sunburst Half Marathon – 2:38:28
June 27th – Mishawaka Summerfest 5k – 28:44
July 25th – Bremen B Strong 5k – 28:16
August 15th – Running Wild 5k – 46:26 (this is the race where we got lost before the start)
September 19th – Indy Women’s Half Marathon attempt – race black-flagged
October 10th – Sandhill Crane Half Marathon – 2:30:26
November 26th – Turkey Stampede – 28:21
December 5th – Spruce Scoot 10k – 1:01:12
January 16th – Niles Frigid 5k – 31:59
March 13th – Rusty’s Run 25k – 2:50:14
April 16th- CAPS Superhero Race 5k – 27:33
May 15th – Granger Paths 5k – 26:00
During this streak, I cut 2:44 seconds off my 5k PR time and 8:02 off my half marathon PR time (I have another half next weekend which will hopefully be even faster).
Running with my lifelong friend in a Superhero race.
Injuries:
Early on I pulled a muscle in my groin. I had to wear this groin/thigh sleeve for a while, but lots of slow one miler days and ice fixed it up.
My knee has given me fits every once in a while. I had my husband apply KT Tape for a few days last time and was amazed at how quickly I felt better.
Occasionally my calves get tight, so I always wear my compression sleeves or socks (people love to make fun of these argyle socks I wear, but I love them) at the first sign of soreness or tiredness in my calves.
There is a spot on my foot that occasionally causes me issues. I’ve almost wondered if it’s the start of a stress fracture, but it comes and goes so often, I also wonder if it’s just my imagination. I just ice it up when it hurts and ignore it otherwise. 🙂
Sicknesses: Other than the two rounds of strep throat, I also dealt with a bad case of the stomach flu that ran through our entire family. On the worst day of the stomach flu, I made sure to run at night in the hopes that my neighbors wouldn’t see if I had to puke on the side of the road (I didn’t). I’m also regularly prone to headaches and seasonal allergies, but life goes on, those are easy to push through.
Accountability partners: I will be forever grateful to my friend Janelle who saw that I was attempting a run streak early on and decided to join me. We’ve made it through every single day this year together. I would never have been successful alone.
At various times in my streak, other friends joined in the fun for their own run streaks. At one point I knew of seven other friends who were running every day as well. One of those friends is still streaking. I can’t wait to celebrate with her when she finishes running every day for a year as well.
The hardest season of this streak was in the weeks after my dad died. So many friends ran in honor of me and support of me. It was a huge blessing. One friend, Terry, ran two miles every day during those first couple weeks after, just in case I didn’t have the strength to run one day. He ran one mile for me and one for his own streak. It was such an amazing way to carry me through that time. I was able to keep up my own streak, but I felt so loved by so many people.
Running with my daughter and nephew on vacation.
Throughout this streak, I have run with a number of friends, my daughter, my nephew, my husband, and my aunts. I usually prefer to run alone, but when you run every day, sometimes you need some company.
Best advice: You won’t find the time and you can’t make time. We all have the same 168 hours of time each week. The only difference between people who work out and people who say they “can’t find the time” is a choice. I made the choice to run every single day, so I just do it. And other than illness and pain, it really hasn’t been nearly as hard as I thought it would be.
What about the future?: I honestly don’t know what the future holds for my running streak. There are some people who have running streaks lasting more than 40 years. That blows my mind. For me, I’m just taking it one day at a time. I have no plans to end my streak anytime soon. I don’t think I’ll just randomly decide to stop one day. My biggest fear is that I’ll accidentally forget one day and that will be the depressing end. Most likely it will be something beyond my control, an injury or scheduling emergency that gets in the way. I really hope it doesn’t end anytime soon. I’m still very much in love with my running streak.
#streakon
More Running Posts
Want to start your own #runstreak or any other kind of daily habit? I have a free 37-day email streak challenge. You’ll get an encouraging and motivating email in your inbox each morning to help you accomplish your own streak. Check it out here.
UPDATE: I’m over two years into my run streak now. I share 5 lessons I’ve learned about Self-Discipline after running every day for 2 years in this post.
Here is my guide to winter running clothes and gear.
Here is my guide to summer running clothes and gear.
I ran a full marathon during my #runstreak. Check out all the details here.
10 Tips to Get Started as a Runner
10 Running Tips I learned early in my run streak
I love this! I never run more than a 5k, but I love the idea of at least a mile a day between Memorial Day and July 4th! I have a 2 mile race on the 4th, so I think I’ll do this!
Great to hear! If you can do a 5k, you can do a mile a day. Good luck and have fun!!
Today is the day. I can’t run, but I will walk!! Thank you for sharing your story.
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear you are starting. We all must walk before we can run. Have fun!!
I love this! Thanks for sharing your heart and showing that this is possible, though certainly not easy. I’m a long-time runner who has recently lost some of my mojo-maybe a new challenge is necessary-especially since self-discipline is an area that I need to work on!
Well done! I don’t do the every day run, but I do the 1000 mile challenge. Nothing feels better than taking the time to take care of my body and mind. Although some with children may feel this takes time away from being with them, I see it as setting an example of how I want them to take care of their bodies through life.
Yes, I completely agree that it sets a good example for my kids to take care of their health and prioritize self-care. My 6 year old talks about taking her kids on runs with her when she’s a mom. I think she thinks going on a run everyday is just what all moms do. ?
Great story and awesome accomplishment! Thanks for sharing!!
So sorry for the loss of your father. I started reading but couldn’t get passed that part, too emotional for me. I lost my father a few months ago, two weeks after I ran my first 5k. He was so proud of me! Like your father, my dad could not run either. He had COPD. So my running was really special to him.
I pinned your story to go back and finish reading. I’m already inspired! Thank you!
This is such an amazing adventure that you started and completed. It is very inspiring for me as a mom and a women. I have been trying to get more active. I’m not much of a runner since I’ve always had asthma but try to walk as much as I can. I am so impressed that you were able to accomplish this as I can only imagine how hard it must have truly been and how much determination it must have taken. What a great story! #LetsGetRealSocial
Thanks for stopping by! It has been hard, but that just helps inspire me to keep going each day, knowing how far I’ve come. I struggled with exercise induced asthma when I first started running, so I completely understand. I still take a lot of walk breaks when I run to give my lungs a chance to catch up! I just had to take the time to learn what my body needed and nudge it along to keep trying more things. Keep moving!
Wow, what a great goal! Thanks for sharing your inspiration!
Wow, this is really inspiring! How strong you had to be to keep running in honor of your dad!! Kudos! Thanks for linking up with lets get real!
Hey just found this -very motivating. However it looks like I missed the challenge…want to start up another one for August or September? I’ve got all kinds of excuses why I can’t…but want a good one why I can. Thx.
I’m still running everyday! Jump in anytime. You can follow me on Instagram @workingmomrunner where I post running updates a few times a week! I do plan to do future challenges and things, but I’m not sure when the next one will be. Probably a little closer to the winter/holidays to get people motivated to keep moving through the cold weather. Hope to see you join in!
Thanks for your inspiration; it always motivates me to read stories like yours. Have that foot checked out though! I had a similar pain in my foot that I ignored and I snapped my metatarsal on mile 4 of the Princess Half Marathon. I sucked it up and got my medal but I had to take off 8 weeks from running when I found out I broke it, probably from a stress fracture.
The original pain I mentioned in this post went away with some rest and ice. I had another foot injury recently and I literally read your comment a couple hours before heading out the door for a 20 mile run on my sore foot. I was so scared the whole time that I’d snap my bone like you did! Fortunately I survived the run and went quickly to the doctor. Turns out I do not have a stress fracture, but do have some tendinitis that keeps flaring up. I have to be careful with how I lace my shoes now.
I’m amazed at your commitment to finish your half on a broken toe! You’re a rockstar!!
I am inspired and honored to know your story!
I can relate in some ways of your story as I was engaged and then in May my fiance broke up with me and it completely broke my heart. Within a few days of that happening I just got the urge to run and started out running 3 miles. Ever since then I have kept running when I can at least 3x a week and I love running now. It definitely opened my eyes and now my fiance and I are back together now and you’re story alone drives me even more to keep going.
I’m glad to hear you are driven to keep going and that you and your fiance were able to work things out. Keep at it!
You’ve inspired me to try creating my own streak. I started running in 2013 and in 2014, made a goal to run a race a month. I’m now in my 3rd year. I think starting with a short streak is doable and will add days as I go. Thank you for sharing your story and for being an inspiration.
That’s awesome! I’m happy to hear that you’re inspired to try your own streak. Just take it one day at a time.
I love the idea of running a race a month. I was working on that goal last year, but I took a little step back from regular races to train for my marathon. I’m starting to get the itch to get back to regular (short) races again.
What a wonderfull idea! I am running since nearly ten years. Last year I finished my first 42 k, this year my first triathlon and I am always looking for a new challenge!
Running for one year every day at least 5k, starting on my birthday 3.10. is going to be the next !
Thank you for this Inspiration !!!
Michaela
I’m so excited to hear that you are inspired to begin your own running streak. It is truly an amazing experience. Enjoy!! And congratulations on your achievements. I’m terrified of trying a triathlon. 😉
Did you lose any weight.?
I never intended to or wanted to lose weight with my running, so I have not lost any weight, or at least not much. I have developed more tone and definition throughout my body during the streak for sure. I have had lots of people comment that I look better/different/more in shape, etc since I started my run streak. If I needed to lose weight, I know my running would help, but for now I eat to maintain my weight where it is.
Hi! I was wondering if you kept a log of the miles you did each day? You are absolutely inspirational, I am so glad I stumbled upon your blog! What a great example of dedication!!
I track everything in the MapMyFitness app and later I log it in a Google Doc spreadsheet so I can easily calculate total amounts and averages and all other nerdy things.
I’m so glad you found my blog and feel inspired! Welcome!
This article is so inspiring and i hope to get back running as i have stopped recently & love the idea of a streak. Hope to start tomorrow. Thank you ?
Wow! What an amazing experience! I have been a runner for about 25 years and have never done this! I have tried a few times but have never made it more than about a week or two. You have inspired me to take up the challenge! Thank you for this amazing post!!
Robin
Wow! What an amazing experience! I have been a runner for over 25 years and have never done this! I tried a few times but never made it more than one or two weeks. You are an inspiration! I think I’m going to give it another try! Thanks for the challenge:)
Robin
I’m so sorry to hear about your dad but I know he is always with you in spirit! This is truly inspiring and love every bit of it. I just finished my first halfie last month and now I am starting to get an itch to do another one and just reading this, well I probably will! My training wasn’t as great as I would have wanted it to be. Could’ve ate better, more strength training and more miles. I need to make better choices 🙂 I was wondering, so you started running a mile a day but then gradually increased. How did you know to just keep running? Did you just add more miles because you wanted to keep going? This whole running thing, just trying to learn from other’s experiences. I know we are all different.
1 Cor 9.26 – run with purpose.
Congratulations on your first half! That is a great accomplishment. I think there are always things we know we could do better, that’s part of why races become so addicting (at least for me). 🙂
The rule for the streak is to run at least one mile every single day…for as long as you can. So there’s not necessarily a time when you increase, but you could do it that way. It is more about making the habit to get a run in every day, no matter what. Somedays I just run one mile to save my streak and other days I run a full marathon! It all depends on the day. But every day for the past 537 days now I have gone for a run of at least one mile. I usually have a general idea of what distance I’m planning to go for each day when I head out, but sometimes I change my mind while out on the run. You can read this post to get a more detailed description of how I customized my marathon training schedule to include a run every day.
This is an amazing article! Everything you said in there is exactly why I run, but could never put into words. I’m currently on a Thanksgiving to Christmas streak, and I really don’t have any plans of stopping after Christmas. Thank you!!
Happy streaking!
This is beautiful!! An inspiration for sure!! God bless you and your family!!
This blog just came across on my Pinterest, and after reading I felt compelled to comment. I too, was supposed to run that race in Indy, and just like you, I had lost my dad a couple weeks before (September 7th, 2015). My dad battled cancer for 13 months, so I was running in honor of him…13 miles for each month he fought. My new plan is 13 half-marathons!! Only 4 to go! Great job on your journey! You’ve inspired me to attempt a streak like this!
Emily, thanks for the comment. What a small world that you came across this post and our stories are somewhat similar. I’m so sorry to hear about your dad. I love your new goal of running 13 half marathons. What a great tribute to him. Enjoy the journey!
Awesome story!
My funniest run, I was at a 5K with my friend and her 11 y/o daughter (Daughter’s 1st 5k)…. About mile 2.75 I nudge my friend and whisper to her “I think we are on the wrong route”…. she said “No there’s other runners” I then say to her “I think we are on the 10K route” She starts laughing…. we went on a little further until her tracking system said “3.1 miles” At that moment among the other runners we realized we really were on the 10K route.” We burst out in a fit of laughter…. her daughter didn’t see the humor but she was a trooper and busted out that last 3.1 with us.
That is hilarious! Thanks for sharing.
Tracy I’ve just started my run streak I’ve just got my mobility back after pelvis and spinal issues carrying my two beautiful girls. I hadn’t run in over 3 years and want to set a good example for my 3 and 2 year old girls. Your blog is really helpful as I try to figure out how I’m going to keep this going for 2017.
Welcome back to running! I’m so glad you are up and moving again and have found my blog to be helpful. Kudos to you for wanting to show your girls how to be strong and take care of yourself.
Hi just wondering what about rainy days? Do u rain thru e rain?
Oh yes, I do! Rain, snow, sleet, and sun. It doesn’t matter. I actually enjoy rainy runs most of the time. It’s a fun little adventure that always keeps me smiling and laughing. Sleet and soggy snow are my least favorite, but I still manage to always just get it done.
I loved reading your story. I am almost to the two year mark on my streak and your words are like seeing my own thoughts in black and white. The self love and self care. The gratitude to be able to run. The mental discipline.
I had already ran on day 100 and that evening took my daughter to the ER, where she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. That obviously became our focus and I figured I was meant to stop at 100. That was fine. I didn’t care. But my husband handed me my shoes the next day and said “I don’t think you need something else to be sad about.” So I did run #101 back and forth in a empty hospital corridor.
Running heals the hurt, quiets my mind and brings me peace. Thank you for sharing your story. Wish we could run together!! I’m in WA state, but funny thing— I have family in Mishawaka and Granger. 😳🤣😉
Wow! Our stories do sound so similar. I’m so glad that your husband supported you and encouraged you to keep running, even on such a hard day. It really does make a huge difference and makes life better to run every day. That would be so fun to run together if you didn’t live on the other side of the country! 🙂 How neat that you have family so close to me!!
For the last 3 weeks I have been running anywhere from 3 to 6 miles a day. My longest run was 14 miles a few years ago. I stopped and b2came pretty sedentary. I ran 5 miles today…at 4am in the gym…before work….and I’m loving it!
Yay!! I love hearing about people who fall (back) in love with running. It truly can be life-changing. Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing your journey with us, i was looking up to find a motivation and i think i got more than what i was looking for from your journey. Your are really inspired me.
I am going on a run!