Streaking
One of my friends
nick-named me "Streak-Freak". Having a running streak
is more than a bit obsessive and eccentric - your friends will
think you're nuts. My girlfriend tells me "You
know, Laura, there's therapy for this." I tell
her running IS my therapy. Her words
echo through my head on those -20 windchill nights when my eyes
keep freezing shut (I run in the dark so there aren't any witnesses)
I started my streak on a
lark wondering how long I'd last and after six months it
owned me. An official running streak is at least 1 mile
every day and my minimum 1.0 keeps me safely on my
street. I run when it snows, I run when I'm sick.
Since my last streak ended with an injury I focus on staying
healthy & listening to my body - rein it in or cut it short if
something is bothering me. I've never come home from a run
thinking "I'm sorry I ran today."
I look forward to my daily
run - a break from all other demands - work, phones,
housework, kids. If you consider your
daily run as "play time" rather than a "work" out, you'll look
forward to it. It's a nice mental break - sometimes I do
my best thinking, other times I
think about nothing, and sometimes I
have Bon Jovi stuck in my head for 20 miles.
You have to schedule your
daily run into your day like an appointment - if you
leave it to chance, time has a way of slipping away and I always
before I travel.
Sometimes you have to be a bit selfish - no one is going to tell
you to go out and take some time for yourself and do something
you enjoy.
The hardest part of running
is getting out the door. Having a streak gets you out on
days when you would otherwise curl up with a warm, fuzzy
blanket. It helps to have a supportive family - a few times I thought about ending this
insanity but my husband and son shove me out the door saying "Come on, you can do this -
you know you'll regret quitting tomorrow."
A streak requires
pre-planning and some creativity. I usually plan a day
ahead - morning, noon, or night based on schedule and weather.
If your day is going to get crunched or you have to travel, it's
best to run in the morning so nothing can interfere.
Some of my most memorable runs have been at midnight (there are
still people up and partying at this hour) and 4:30 a.m. You're
on your own on this one - no one is going to get out of their
warm bed to answer the door to rescue a runner in trouble so
plan accordingly and run defensively but keep in mind most
normal humans are snuggled in their beds - you only have to
worry about wild animals or getting injured.
I always said my streak would end the day I couldn't run.
My 1st streak started 3/25/99 and ended 1/08/12 @ 4,672 days with a stress fracture
in my foot. I was a bit relieved & vowed I'd never streak
again but running every day is part of my normal daily routine
so I started a new one 03/26/15.
My current running streak lives @
Days
runlaurarun@greenrunning.net
