I Just Ran Every Day For A Year

I did it.

I ran every. Single. Day. For. A. Year.

Stats first because runners like numbers:

Distance: 800.79 miles
Times: 144 hours, 45 minutes, 29 seconds. (6 days is 144 hours.)
Shoes: 5 pairs
Number of runs: 375. There were days with 2, even 3.


What we ran through:
Wind, rain, sleet, snow, heat, humidity, hills, roads, trails, treadmills, w/ kids on bikes, w/ clients, w/ a jogging stroller, w/ running groups, through the flu, through a head injury, while driving 2 days across the country, while moving, while changing jobs, while changing jobs again, the day before races and PR attempts, the day after races and PR attempts, the same day as wedding, birthdays, events, before getting on or off airplanes, in running clothes, in jeans, in sweaters, while on the phone with friends, while texting, while not paying attention to anything, while listening to music, while listening to podcasts, while solving all the problems in the world, in at least 5 different states, from one town to another 10 miles away in Iowa, as early as 5am, as late as 11pm, to work, home from work, circling playgrounds, circling parking lots, back and forth on soccer sidelines, with and without compression sleeves, with and without knee braces, with food, without, with liquids, without liquids (up to 2 hours), with coffee, without coffee.

This was always a story about coffee.

I love you, Kiwi. :)

I'm sure I'm forgetting some.



Lastly, questions. If you think of a cool one not answered here, please email or post.

Why? Because I felt like it.

But a year is 365 and a 1/4 days. What about that? Go away, annoying person, I'll be running tomorrow morning for that exact reason. PS- when you string together 800 miles of running, you can judge mine.

Don't you need rest days? Do you stop brushing your teeth to give your teeth a rest day from toothpaste? Didn't think so. Every run is not full out. Check my average time per mile. Upward of 10 minutes. That's because speed training and long distance are interspersed with lazy, mindless miles. I ran for 5 years before trying this. So there was a solid base. Also, my orthopedist and athletic trainer have just written me off as crazy. That helps.

Will you keep running? Yes, but not likely every day. It was a huge accomplishment but I have other running goals to work toward now.

Didn't you skip, like, ever? Really bad depressive days? Period cramps? Injuries? SOMETHING? No. I ran through all of those and a rest stop in Kansas while moving across the country. There are no skip days. Did I almost cry because it was so hard to get out the door? Sometimes. But you do it.

What would you do if you couldn't run? Be sad. Then find a pool.

How do you start a run streak? Mine was me just trying to see if I could run every day in November. I did. Then I just kept going. Runner's World "hosts" a Thanksgiving-to-New-Year's streak every year, and the delightful people at United States Running Streak Association have streaks that make mine look like a joke (upward of 25, 35 years).

Would you do it again? Yes.

What piece of gear or clothes are non-negotiable, that you won't run without? Nothing. I *like* having a ponytail holder, sports bra, and running socks & shoes, but at some time in the past year I've run without each of those.

What's the most important thing you learned? That time will pass anyway- you have to decide how you want to have spent it. Looking back, I have 144 hours of not watching tv, playing on facebook, or eating junk food. I have at least 144 hours of using my body. And that every single time you move toward a goal, you become a little more invincible.




....any thoughts, Kiwi?
I'm bored. Let's go for a run. To the coffee place!
I love it. To the coffee place.

Love Kasha AND KIWI