1st of May 2021. 2 weeks prior I had fallen off my bicycle and couldn’t do any training at all, and I got terrified to hop on that thing again. So I decided to just focus on running a bit every day. No matter how slow, the goal was to be able to come back the next day, every day.
10 days became 30, then 100, then the first year, the second year, and then 935 days. That’s when my running streak finally ended due to an injury on my hip from which I recovered a few weeks later.
Now, this is the non-important part, what I did and accomplished during the streak. I ran over 16,300 kilometres in total. I ran my first and only marathon in 2 hours and 54 minutes. A half-marathon in 1 hour and 20 minutes, and other personal bests on shorter distances such as 10 kilometres, 5 kilometres, etc. Paces I never thought I could run. I also had a block of 12 weeks where I ran consistently over 100 miles a week, and other crazy things like running 20 kilometres in the morning then 16 kilometres in the afternoon, then feeling fresh the next day to go again.
It wasn’t always fun but it was very fulfilling.
Ok, here is the very important part, what I learned and became.
I learned that committing to a practice every day takes a big burden off your shoulders. The burden of deciding whether you should do it or not. It has already been decided. Negotiated within yourself. There’s no mental argument. You just do it because it is a new day. Your body and mind respond to it. Positively. You just keep adapting and getting better at it.
I also learned that motivation can’t be trusted. I definitely didn’t feel motivated every day. In fact, most days I didn’t. It is weird. You don’t feel very motivated to do it right before you are about to do it. You feel motivated because you did it. Then the feeling quickly disappears again. I heard someone articulate it like this, “Action doesn’t follow mood, mood follows action.” I completely agree with that.
There were days when I felt great. Running strong with rapid recovery day after day. Other days, not so much. Pains and aches here and there, low in energy, or just very tired. But I learned that those were just cycles. Highs and lows. You do great for a while, then not so much for a longer while. But then, it comes back to the highs and the cycle repeats. I learned to be patient and trust that things will be good again.
I became disciplined at doing other things out of my practice that allowed me to continue with my main practice. Like warm-up routines, strength and mobility exercises, better nutrition, or going early to bed so I could have proper rest, etc.
However, one of the most important disciplines I developed was to say ‘no’ to the things that didn’t contribute to my practice of running every day. Things like drinking too much alcohol, eating junk food, or going out until late, to name a few. Basically, there was always a question in my mind, does this help me to be my best version tomorrow and the days after.
Furthermore, my everyday running opened the door to other fulfilling activities. I became a volunteer running coach for kids at the local athletics club. This led me to learn more about running and coaching. I read several books, listened to podcasts and subscribed to blogs about running physiology and training. I started to become an expert. I even started an online coaching service for which I wrote an e-book that got downloaded over 1,200 times but that’s a story for another day.
I also learned that everything is about pain. For me, the pain of not going out for a run was greater than the pain of going out and suffering during the run. Even if it was a 32-kilometre hilly long run.
Another important lesson was not to overthink it much. One step at a time. Take the pajamas off, get the running clothes on, socks on, running shoes ready, and get the hell out of the door. Everything gets better after that and you feel thankful the rest of the day for having it done.
People get inspired by things like this. Neighbours and parents of my kids’ friends started to ask me about my running and how inspiring it was to see me out every day, no matter the time, the season or the weather. Although, most of them said ‘I could never do something like that’ which I disagree with, of course. It became part of my identity. The guy who runs every day. It’s fun, you get smiles, hand waves, and encouraging words.
Finally, I learned that everything comes to an end. It was difficult, emotionally. I felt a bit devastated. But then I realised that my discipline was still there. The love for my practice is still in me. And it works not only for my running, which I still do every day unless an injury shows, but for everything I approach. It’s not so much what you do on an isolated day but what you do consistently for a significant period of time. Yes, it is the consistency, the accumulation of all the steps you take.
Whatever it is, a daily commitment will simplify a lot of things along the way. It’s not always easy but it is simple, one step at a time, one day at a time.
Again, body and mind will respond accordingly, and the universe will align perfectly to support you unless you interrupt it with distractions or things that don’t align with what you’ve set yourself to do.
One final thought. The beauty of a daily practice is that you learn something every day. It seems the same but it is actually a different experience every time. Don’t hope for a quick outcome, embrace the day and hope that things will click eventually. It is the long game, and it is worth it.