Sunday, November 18, 2012

1,000 days, 1,000 miles

On February 13th, 2010 after being given the go ahead to walk on the hip that I broke, I decided to start streaking again.  I decided to do a mile a day.  I have done one mile a day minimum each and every day since then.  On Thursday, November 8th, 2012 I hit my 1,000th consecutive day of one mile a day!  That same day marked my 270th consecutive one mile a day running streak.

And tomorrow I run is my blog post from the beginning of the streak.  Unfortunately, the pull ups lasted about a week but the walking/running has continued.

Some random observations about a mile a day:
  • It's helped me maintain some fitness when I've done nothing else.  Case in point, last October I was peer pressured into a 50 mile race with no training except the mile a day walking in the two months before.  It wasn't pretty but I finished and I'm glad I did it.
  • Hardest day was the day after Vol State.  I had edema and it was hard to breathe, my legs and feet were swollen and I was TIRED despite a week of 100 mg HC.  Luckily, I didn't have to be on the road to do the mile, I ran trough a corn field.  Nice!  My "speed" of running was laughable for days.  I could only "run" 4.2 mph.  I can walk faster than that most of the time!
  • Thanks to Colleen Woods for getting me started on wanting to streak.  
  • Thanks to Steve Tursi who "counseled" me about running a mile a day as opposed to walking.  He didn't actually "counsel" me, he just told me I could do it when I was doubtful about it. :)
  • After Barkley, I got my running clothes on and headed out.  Lisa Bliss said to me, "where are you going?"  I said, "I have to do a mile."  She said, "Oh, you're a streaker."  It happened at Vol State too.  It's so awesome to have my OCD be understood!
  • Thanks to my husband for standing next to the treadmill on the days when I really, really don't want to do my mile!
  • Maintaining a mile a day streak is NOT HARD.  Everyone should do it.  EVERYONE!  If it's so easy, why not?
  • I almost always find money or gift cards or small toys.  It's like Christmas almost every time I'm on the road.
  • On days I feel like crap, sometimes a mile is the best medicine.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Dusty! Thanks for the shout-out. I get so weary of people not believing me when I say "x can be done" that it's really gratifying to see someone actually doing it - although to be honest, you do things that even I think can't be done!

    As of this morning my streak is up to 691 days. The "brute force" nature of it has made me consistent for the first time in my life, and as a result I have new PRs in every. single. distance. Plus (finally) a 100-mile finish! yay!

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  2. Steve, I pondered switching from walking a mile a day to running a mile a day for a long time. YOU were the deciding factor. You made me feel like it was totally possible. I thank you and you were right!!!

    Amazing how such a small thing (running a mile a day) can have such a HUGE impact mentally and physically, huh???

    Congrats on your fantastic streak and Umstead!

    :) Dusty

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