Running Streaks & Struggles

On July 26, 2020, I started a run streak. I have run at least one mile each day since. I must confess that I have struggled many times to fit in a run, but I had not lost my motivation until last week. I am simply exhausted, not necessarily physically, although I could definitely use more sleep. I am emotionally drained. I have been a single parent for nearly three years. I have a teenage boy (enough said). I have an almost-teenage girl and twins that are seven going on seventeen. I have a wonderful fiancé, but he lives nearly 1,000 miles away, and long-distance relationships take effort.

My son got his learner’s permit last week. (I did not smile the whole time he was driving.)

Since June, I have been working remotely, and my home office is also my workout room, so I sit next to my treadmill all day. A few months ago, I bought a shelf to attach to my treadmill to be able to use my laptop and work while walking. Last week, I logged zero miles walking. I have just lost my desire to move while I work. Sitting all day is taking a greater toll on my body than all the miles I usually log on the treadmill, elliptical, and pavement.

I still make sure to run every day, but I find that I put it off until the evening. Did you know runners can be procrastinators too? Lest you think that I am burned out from running, I have made sure to take a “rest day” each week, where I only run one mile and at a slower pace than normal. I know my body needs to recover to prevent injuries and exhaustion. This slump is all in my head. I need to get my head back in the game.

I am an ambassador for Zooma (Zoomarun.com) and Skirt Sports (https://bit.ly/32PnVKj), and each time I order something, they send me a motivational card or multiple cards. I have had these sitting on my desk, but only the one about consistency was visible. I have moved them, so I can read all of their encouraging messages daily. I am committing tonight to walking at least one mile tomorrow while I work.

I started this post yesterday with plans to celebrate today being six months since I started my run streak, but I felt I needed to be transparent about the highs and the lows in my life. Most people only post their highs on social media, which makes others feel less accomplished or less capable. We all struggle. We all have bad days/weeks/months/years (now I am singing the “Friends” theme song in my head). We all need to know we are not alone, especially during this pandemic that keeps many of us isolated or at least alone for the majority of the day.

I know I could use a little encouragement, and I am sure others could too. Comment below if you are also struggling in some way.

Snow Much Fun!

We visited family in Illinois over the Christmas break, and it snowed while we were there. The kids and I had vacationed in Colorado two summers ago and played in some snow at a mountain pass, so my kids had seen snow before this trip, but they had not experienced snow falling or fresh snow in many years. My older two kids had a couple of good snows ten and eleven years ago, but Big Sister is 12, so she does not remember it aside from seeing herself in photos.

2010

2010

2011

2011

2011

Until I started looking through old photos, I had forgotten about another snow we got six years ago. From what I can recall, it was not “good” snow nor was it very deep, so we did not build a snowman or anything, and I think it warmed up the next day, so it was short-lived. I think my kids forgot about this too because they kept telling me they had not seen snow in years. I guess six years is an eternity to them.

2015

2015

2015

2015

Regardless of how long it had been since my kids experienced snow, they were thrilled to be outside while the snow was falling, and it was fun to watch them play in it. The younger two even built a small snowman.

A couple of nights later, it snowed again. This time it snowed a lot more, and the snow was perfect for snowballs and sledding, which my kids had never experienced before. The next day, we found a local park with a nice sledding hill, but the girls also had fun in the backyard on a snowboard.

I ran in the snow twice while we were in Illinois. It wasn’t my first time to run in snow, but it was definitely the coldest temperature I have ever run in. I was determined not to let the weather keep me from continuing my run streak, so I went prepared for the snow and cold. I really enjoyed running in the snow.

New Year, New Goals

I am a week late in posting this, but I have been working towards my 2021 goals since January 1st. My goal last year was consistency, and I am keeping that as my goal for this year. I am continuing my run streak (currently on day 166) and plan to run every day this year. I want to complete 2,021 miles this year. I am counting walking, running, and using the elliptical.

I have a few groups keeping me motivated to reach my goals. The Zooma Winter Warrior Challenge has an encouraging group of women all working on a movement (run, walk, whatever) streak for the next several weeks. We have a Facebook group with a coach who offers workouts and accountability. The challenge comes with two shirts and medals. I am all about the swag. Lol. https://bit.ly/32PnVKj

Run the Year is probably my biggest motivation for my running streak and the reason my goal for the year is 2,021 miles. I signed up last year and counted all my miles (steps), syncing with my Fitbit, which had me reaching 2,020 miles by October 4th.

I also kept track of my intentional miles (running, walking, using the elliptical) on the coloring page that Run the Edge provided. I completed 1,311 intentional miles last year, which was short of my personal goal of 1,500, but I struggled with consistency the first half of the year, so I believe I can reach my goal this year.

In the first seven days of 2021, I have completed 51 miles, so I have averaged over 7 miles a day. Approximately half of those miles are from running. The rest are from using the elliptical and walking on the treadmill. I plan to take one day each week to run a short distance (1 or 2 miles) at a slower pace to allow my body to recover.

Something new that I am trying this year is keeping a fitness journal. I record weekly goals, plan daily activities, record my workouts and meals, etc. This has been very motivating for me, and I think it is something I will continue, but I need to research fitness logs geared more towards runners. If you have one you like, please share in the comments.

Do you set annual goals or make New Year’s resolutions?