100 runs in 100 days

I was going to wait until I completed this challenge before writing about it, but it looks like I will be hitting day 100 while on an extended weekend trip upcoming that I’m hoping to report on. Also, in trying to be more consistent updating here, I’d like to get another entry in before the weekend, but didn’t have much coming to mind to write about.

Anyways, as the title of this post implies, I am nearing completion of my longest ever running streak (fingers crossed nothing bad happens this week). By the rules I established for myself at the outset, I have run at least 20 minutes a day since October 3rd. For recovery, I try to complete 1 run per week with my wife (a slower pace than my normal) as my only workout, basically serving as my off day. Also, I have been pretty religiously rotating 3 pairs of running shoes in efforts to stave off injuries. These strategies and a good dose of luck have seemed to pay off. Other than the occasional leg fatigue, I have avoided any real issues.

I noticed that weeks 2-5 were by far the hardest to get out the door consistently. Week one is all about the excitement of starting a new challenge, so there are no issues with motivation there. By week 2, your legs start asking, “What are you getting me into?” especially on days after a hard or longer effort. This carries on for the next few weeks with your legs trying to tell you that the streak is short enough right now that it wouldn’t feel like a loss if you gave it up. Once you near the halfway mark, your momentum builds on itself. The legs are adjusted, so don’t complain as often, and you know how hard you worked to keep it going this long. Once you get into this rhythm, the rest is pretty much habit. The biggest issue of late has been trying to fit the runs in with the holiday travel, or trying to fit other workouts in while still getting my daily run (I still need to bike and swim sometimes too).

Contrary to what you’d expect, I really didn’t pile up monster mileage during the streak. Usually, I only averaged 30-40 miles/week. My longest run was 9 miles. The focus of my key workouts was on building speed, as I mentioned I was using a 5k training plan for those, so most runs were in the 4-7 mile range.

As I near the end, my legs feel very strong; this is good since I’m going to start bumping up the long runs to prepare for another half marathon PR attempt. The biggest reason I’m excited to complete this, though, is to no longer have to worry about how I’m going to fit my run in EVERY DAY. However, it’s been an interesting and rewarding challenge to keep me busy in the off-season.