I never set out to try a running streak. It all began just as the nation and world began to shut down for the Covid-19 pandemic. I had just started training for the Covered Bridges Half Marathon in Vermont (the first half marathon I ever ran, and my favorite race of the year), when suddenly schools closed, businesses closed, and life changed. I kept training, trying to make sense of the new, crazy information that was coming at us daily. CBHM was not until June – surely this would be over by then, right? It seems crazy to have thought that way now, but there I was, hoping that somehow, the race would go on!
Of course it didn’t, but what did happen was that I kept training for the race. It gave me a goal, it gave my days some structure, and it gave me some normalcy in a time of decidedly no normality for anyone. And then I “raced”…by myself, on the course route, with my family as my support crew. Now, we runners all know that sometimes after a big goal race or event, we can get the post-race blues. So after taking a day off running, I started running again. And even without a plan to follow, it still gave me that outlet and feeling that everything was going to be okay.
In the middle of July, it occurred to me that I had been running every day for a while now. I counted up my consecutive days running and found I was at 27 days of an accidental running streak.
Well, accidental no more! Hello, new goal…I was going to see how long I could keep this running streak going. I was concerned that I may get an overuse injury. To make injury less likely, I incorporated easy running, ran trails and roads, and listened to my body. I got all the way up to 114 days…not a very nice, round number, is it? Well, more on why I had to stop my running streak later. Here’s what I learned, though, on my 114 days on the run:
You CAN Find Time
The number one reason for not running or working out? I don’t have time. There are definitely some people who truly cannot find the time, I’m sure. But me, a mother of 4 boys, who works full-time with a constantly changing schedule? I made it work. Sometimes I got up early and ran before my partner had to leave for work. Sometimes I headed out in the middle of the day when I could take a quick break. This was not my favorite in the middle of a humid summer! Other times I snuck in an early-evening run.
This was an eye-opener for me. Up until then, running was the first thing I dropped if I felt overwhelmed and busy. Because I run just for myself, it seemed the most selfless to let go of that first. Running more, and making it work taught me you can find time for whatever is important to you. You also learn time-management skills which help you in all the other areas of your life in which you feel short on time.
Cross Training and Strength Training are Essential
Overuse injuries are no fun. And a running streak can lead to such an injury unless you’re taking precautions. One of the easiest ways to avoid injury is by incorporating cross training and strength training into your weekly routines. I hike and walk regularly, and started riding a bike as well, as my cross training. These are great cross-training exercises for runners, because they utilize the same muscles and joint movements as running, just in a different intensity.
For strength training to support my running streak, I focused on adding in a couple of short sessions per week, of squats, lunges (lateral, reverse, forward, and curtsy!), using sliders for hip mobility, and some upper body and core work.
You don’t need access to a gym, or a lot of equipment (or even any equipment) to effectively strength train. Here are some links and workouts that will help you incorporate strength training to supplement your running:
15-minute Bodyweight Strength Training Workout for Runners
30-minute Kettlebell Workout for Runners
Why Runners Should Strength Train
Strength Training to be a Better Runner
Setting and Achieving Goals is Powerful
Without a race to train for, it’s easy to fall into a rut with running. Setting a goal, whether it be a mileage goal weekly or monthly, a running streak goal, or a pace goal, can keep you motivated. Once you set that goal, if you’re like most runners, your self-competitive spirit will kick in, and you’ll want to beat your own best every day.
As well as being a powerful motivator, setting yourself a challenge and achieving it is an amazing way to increase your self-esteem. It makes you tap into your perseverance and resilience, and can carry over into other areas of your life. Once you prove to yourself that you can achieve whatever it is you’re striving for in running, you realize you also have those abilities when it comes to career, education, and relationships.
Don’t Ignore Your Body if You Want to Keep Up with your Running Streak
Adding extra mileage to your current routine is adding stressors to your body. There are some simple things you should focus on to offset those stressors.
First, make sure you’re getting adequate sleep. Sleep is when our body not only rests, but repairs itself. Your muscles adapt and become stronger when you’re resting, not when you’re running. Next, make sure you’re eating appropriately. More running means more calories needed, and some extra protein in your diet will also help your recovery. Take the time to warm up before your run (here’s some dynamic warm up ideas!) and don’t skimp on the stretching after running.
If something in your body doesn’t feel right on the run, take walking breaks to ease off on the intensity. When something hurts, cut your run short. And of course, if you feel a sudden pain, stop! If you want to end your running streak, running through pain is a quick way to accomplish that.
A Running Streak Offers Stress Relief for the Win
I have 4 boys who are in-person school only part time, a demanding job (running a gym in a pandemic offers all kinds of distinct challenges), and faced a lot of extra, unexpected stress in my life during my running streak. It was a huge source of stress relief for me to know I had that outlet of solo time I built into every single day . Would I come back from a run feeling 100% and not at all stressed out at all? Rarely. But did I feel way better and more balanced than I would have if I hadn’t been running? Definitely.
And When to Stop?
When you are so used to running every day – physically, mentally, and emotionally – it’s hard to know when to stop your running streak. At one point in my streak, our family went on a camping trip and I managed to slice my thumb open cutting a watermelon (slippery little sucker!) I had to go to the ER to get a tendon reattached. The first thing I asked the admissions nurse, and the first thing I asked the doctor was, “Can I still go for a run tomorrow?” 🙂 I could, and I did.
But just over a week ago, I came down with a fever. Because we’re living in a pandemic, I immediately went to a clinic where I could get tested for Covid. Luckily, it was not Covid, but unluckily, it turned out I was sick with a tick-borne illness. And it took me out for a few days. I slept basically 36 hours straight, with a couple of ventures out of bed to eat something.
That was the end of my running streak, but it didn’t feel like the end of the world. It was lucky I had caught the illness early so I could treat it with antibiotics quickly. I made sure to isolate myself within my household for the brief time between getting the fever and getting a negative Covid result. I stayed far away from my loved ones, and wore a mask at all times when I couldn’t (like when my partner drove me to the hospital clinic). It was horrible. I can’t even begin to imagine going through that for a much longer period of quarantine had I been Covid positive.
The basic rule is, drop your streak as soon as it interferes with the quality of your life, and your running. If you are injured, if you’re experiencing symptoms of overtraining, if you’re ill, or if you’re prioritizing running over more important obligations, then it’s time to take your number and be proud of the streak you accomplished.
I’m finally back to running again, after taking over a week off. That first run back felt soooo good. I felt fresh, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Will it turn into another streak? I don’t know yet. 🙂 I’m proud of the time and effort I put in to keep a running streak going as long as I did, and I know I will do it again at some point.
If you’re a runner, would you (or have you) done a running streak?
