Goal #2 Complete – I ran every day in 2009

I set a goal last year of running every day for a year. I reached that goal on Sept 9, 2009, and then needed a new one. I looked around for awhile and finally decided to try and complete 2009, running every calendar day.

I did that today, finishing my 478th day in a row, and completing at least a mile run every day of 2009!

Next up, getting to 500 days.

Day 478

A nice easy one, my standard 16 min run.

16:00min

1.63mi

Day 477

After skiing I took it easy. Plus I was hungry. The right ankle was slightly sore, so I didn’t push things too hard.

14:00

1.39mi

Day 476

A nice run today. I was talking with my wife earlier about running and how I was going slower. I had gone up to 6.6 last week and felt pretty winded after a few minutes. She asked if I was trying to go faster, and if I’d want to run a race. I said no and yes, so we might do one soon.

However that had me thinking today and 6.4mph, which is usually where I peak, is slow. I used to start there in my 20s and go to 7.0 or 7.5 and cruise along. Finishing a 5k in under 24min was a given, and while I’m slowed, I don’t think I’m that slower.

Today I tried to go faster, coming up quicker on this pace:

0:00 – 4mph to start

1:00 – 5.6mph

2:00 – 6.2mph

4:00 – 6.5mph

7:00 – 7.0mph

14:00 – 6.5mph

18:00 – 4.0mph

It actually felt OK, and I wasn’t overly winded. My right ankle is slightly sore now, but just a little. Maybe I can still do a 24:00 5K.

20:00min

2.11mi

The running streak application is off!

When I hit one year I downloaded the membership application from the US Running Streak Association and filled it out on my laptop. It asked for a total of miles run, and I didn’t have a good total since I had tracked things all over the place. So I started to compile things, but got distracted with machine issues.

When I sent off my laptop recently, it struck me that I might need to do a new application. Fortunately I found it synced up on my desktop and finished filling it out and compiled my mileage. It was over 500 miles for the year, which was cool.

Today I finally got a stamp and mailed it off. I’m not expecting to get on the active streak list until Feb since it’s so late in the year, but look for me there.

The Active streaks – I should be 220 when I go up, with my streak starting on 9/10/2008.

There are also retired streaks, where I hope not to be for some time.

Day 475

A nice run, a little longer than normal, but not too long after the 3mi yesterday. I know that pushing too hard can catch up to me after a week or so.

18:00min

1.89mi

Day 474

No skiing, so I went for a longer one today, jogging through 3 miles.
30:00
3.2mi

Day 473

A nice easy jog on the treadmill with it being 24F outside and taking it easy after a longer one yesterday. Looking to try and go for 3mi tomorrow or Mon.
16:00min
1.61mi

Day 472

My second Christmas Day run in a row! The kids were playing, things were relaxed, and I was hungry, having only eaten a little. I wanted to enjoy Christmas Day after this with a beer or two, so I went for a nice run to earn it.

Everything felt great, but I moved up to 6.6mph as part of a pyramid and it was tough. 2-3 minutes there was enough, and I worked my way back down again, through 6.4, 6.2, and then 5.6 to close out.

22:00min

2.24mi

Day 471

Christmas Eve, my second one running. A nice one, again short in time, but a little faster than the rest of this week.

16:00min

1.64mi

Day 470

The streak continues through another snow storm. A nice run this afternoon, everything felt great, and no pain. I didn't push things since my neck is still sore and we skied a long time yesterday.

16:00min
1.58mi

Day 469

We're going skiing, so a morning run on Christmas week before we head up. Felt great, back to my mile and a half.
16:00
1.61mi

Day 468

Late at night, a 9:40pm run after a long day. Everything felt fine, but a minimal run since I’ll probably run in the morning before we go skiing.

14:00min

1.28mi

Another Vote for Cho-Pat

After running for 4 days outside up in the mountains, and having my son hit my with his snowboard a couple times in the knee (he was playing around), my legs were sore. I wrapped up the knee at karate, but it was sore below the knee to the touch and I had to really modify things.

It felt OK while running, but it was still sore. I let it go for about 4-5 days, but it didn't seem to get better. Then I noticed the cho-pat straps I have down by the treadmill. I haven't worn them in a few months, but I slipped one on for a run. Didn't change anything that day, or the next, but the 3rd day things started to feel better.

I know time passed, and maybe I was just healing, but I think those straps really work. In fact, after a week of wearing one I noticed that the other leg didn't seem as strong. Good thing I have two straps.


Mine are similar to this one, but I might go ahead and try one of the upper and lower knee straps from Amazon.

Day 467

Pushed a little harder, but not too much. With a 50F day, I had planned to run outside, but it was so windy I bailed.  Everything felt OK in the legs, but my neck was acting up, so I cut things short.
16:00
1.52mi

Day 466

I almost went for a long run, but feeling sick, and having leg issues, I decided not to push it, even though I feel fine.
16:00min
1.47mi

Chilly

Most of the year I’ve been running outside or in the basement with my shirt off. I’ve found that sweating in cool weather tends to get my nipples sore, so I usually remove my shirt before I get on the treadmill, or outside if it’s nice enough.

However feeling sick the last week, and chilly weather, have had me keeping them on in the basement for treadmill runs. Too cold to run without a shirt.

Adapting to my environment and listening to the body.

Day 465

A nice steady run today, everything feeling good. Almost ran past my time, but feeling sick, so cut it off a little early.
16:00 min
1.49mi

Day 464

A late run today. Felt OK, sore knee again as I started, but it was fine on the run. Took it slow.

16:00min
1.46mi

Day 463

A quiet run today, thinking I'd get karate. The knee is slightly sore, and I took it easy. One hip (left) started to get sore near the end, so I slowed down. Not sure why and it feels fine now.

16:00
1.47mi

Day 462

A full blown cold caught me this morning, so I plugged away slowly at a run, but didn’t press it.

16:00min

1.48mi

Slowing Down

I tend to run a lot at 6.2mph. It's a good pace and I like that one. When I'm outside, I go a little faster, but for some reason it feels easier. The other day I was feeling good and went to 6.4, and then 6.6 for about 5 minutes and it felt good, but I was working hard.

What's funny to me is that I used to start running at 6.4mph when I was in my 20s and training for 5ks. Then I'd get up to 7.0 or 7.5 for some runs. I even got up there for some of my Body for Life runs at times, cruising along and working.

But I'm older, I'm running every day, and I'm trying to maintain my body for the long hall. Not just for the next few months. So I go slower, and while I can still get up to 7.0 and run, I want to push my body, not strain it too much.

I think if you have a good body you can run every day, but you definitely have to remember that modifications are needed as you get old. I'm sure I'll be down to 5.8mph in the next decade for lots of my runs.

Day 461

Once again I forgot to start the nano as I ran, so I don't have a Nike + update for today. It was an easy run, though the right knee was slightly sore walking up stairs last night, so I put straps on both legs. Stopped early since I was feeling a bit of a cold and didn't want to overdo it.

14:00min
1.28mi

Day 460

I wasn’t feeling good today, but I decided to plow along, getting through a decent run on the weekend when I didn’t really have much else going on.

18:00

1.77mi

Day 459

Another day, another run. Went longer with not much else going on today.

22:00

2.23mi

Day 458

Still worn out from being sick, despite a lot of sleep in the last 24 hours. I felt OK during the run, but didn't push it, going slow for 5 minutes (5.6mph) and then going faster (6.2mph) to get to 12 minutes, mainly to get things done.

14:00min
1.35mi

Day 457

I was feeling sick, worn out, and struggled through a run today. Just tried to run a decent mile and a half and failed. It felt fast as I was moving along, so I backed down the treadmill a bit.
16:00
1.45mi

Day 456

Delaney was sick, so I wasn't sure about karate. However I was gassed the other day, and the legs have been tired, though feeling better since the ski trip. So I took it easy.

16:00
1.58mi

Day 455

No karate tonight, or during the day. Too much stuff going on and it was cold as can be (-2F). So I went a little longer, cruising through a good run that had me up to 6.6mph for awhile.
20:00
2.0mi

Day 454

Another day, another run. Felt fine and cruised through an easy one.
16:00
1.57mi

Day 453

A nice long steady treadmill run while it's 10F outside. I sped up slowly and then cooled down, a flat pyramid.

22:00
2.12 mi

Day 452

A quick one after the fundraiser for the Scouts and before a little football.
16:00
1.54mi

Catching Up on Logging

with the laptop dead and iTunes not syncing on the desktop, I’m back to manual syncing. I assume I’ll have this working at some point, but I don’t want to lose data if the nano dies.

450 days is a nice number, and I’m caught up, hoping to finish out the year strong.

Day 451

The iPod still won’t sync, so I’m capturing the data here. A nice run, despite a sore knee when I woke up. I started out slow, 5.5mph, and after 8 minutes felt OK, so I took it to 6.2. Finished OK, with only a slight ache in the knee.

18:00

1.71mi

Day 450

A sore knee, but I made it through a slow run today.

16:00

1.47mi

Past weeks’ Runs

Here they are for now. My laptop died and I haven’t tried to sync elsewhere. We’ll see if this works.

12/2 16’ 1.6mi

12/1   16’   1.44mi

11/30  16’  1.65mi

11/29   14:45  1.41mi

11/27   14:53   1.39mi

11/26   13:24  1.39mi

11/25   16’   1.54mi

11/24   16‘  1.45mi

11/23   14’   1.41mi

Day 449

Sore, but not as sore. Didn’t limp on the run today.

16’

1.6mi

A New Goal

I was thinking about goals recently after talking with someone that was looking to get back into shape. They had set a goal to exercise every day in December, which I think it pretty good. However it got me thinking about running, especially with some struggles lately to run.

I had thought about setting 500 days, and that’s not bad, but it didn’t have the excitement of a year. 1,000 days sounds better, but that’s a long way away, and I’m not sure I’ll make it that far. I continued to mull it over and came up with this one:

Run every day in 2009

That sounds cool. And I’m most of the way there, having run every day in the first 11 months of the year. I’m close, and it will server until I get to 500 days, but I think that will be another cool accomplishment to add to this streak.

Day 448

After karate last night, the knee was really sore today. I limped around, and even limped through the first few minutes of the run. It number up and I made it through a short one.

16:00

1.44mi