You need a purpose for doing something time consuming. I finished out 2020 with a total of 1010 miles run. It didn’t even become an official goal until about late October when I noticed my Strava running totals were getting close to 800. With 2 months left I thought, why not? Since the pandemic started and gyms closed I had been on a steady routine of running 4-5 times a week, every week, to make sure I don’t get complacent with fitness.
You have to decide that you’re going to run, period. With races being cancelled this year, I made sure to schedule long runs on the weekend to really build the volume. It’s so easy to lose stamina and momentum even if you take just a few weeks off from long runs. Eventually I said I will run a half marathon distance (13.1 miles) on my own time each month to see if I can. I ended up doing it 7 times since March. At times it felt effortless, which blew my mind.
The key is consistency. 1000 miles in one year is very manageable. It sounds like a big number but when broken down week by week it is slightly less than 20 miles/week. These aren’t beginner numbers, but they aren’t elite either. My main focus each week was to not go more than 3-4 days without running. Like most things in life, consistency will get you to the finish line. While I did have longer runs on the weekends, with my longest run being 16 miles, the average run was just 4.5 miles. Consistent mid length runs, and a ton of them is what added up.
Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right. The mind is what makes or breaks you. Running is tough on the body, but your brain is what can defeat you much faster than your legs. You can go so much farther than you think if you just allow your mental state to believe you can keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Stress + Rest = Growth. When you apply your body to some kind of challenge or stressor, you need to follow it with rest and recovery. Too much stress without enough rest and you get injury or burnout. Not enough stress plus too much rest and you get complacency and stagnation.
Shoes and running gear are valuable. I will gladly pay a little extra for comfort when it comes to shoes and running gear. Everything you wear needs to fit and provide support so you are comfortable while doing something this grueling. That $125 Saloman running vest with hydration is well worth the convenience for long runs. The $75 Saax running shorts are worth the lightweight comfort and no chafing. Those $15 Experia running socks are worth the price of never getting a blister.
Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making progress. I can probably say less than a dozen runs this year were in perfect weather conditions, excluding Hawaii earlier in the year, ha. But I know there were several dozen times I ran in the rain, sometimes pouring rain, and actually enjoyed it. Once you’re wet, you’re wet. It shouldn’t be a reason to not run that day and not improve. Because if you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never start.
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