Reflecting on running every day for 365 days ..

On Friday 6th October I ran 5k with my friends and then had a coffee - I do this most Fridays but this day was a little different - it was my 365th day of running straight!

Why did I decide to run at least 2k every day?

At first it was to kick start a consistent running habit - in the off season I’d often reduce my running to 2-3 times a week, which wasn’t quite enough to stay as fit as I wanted. I thought I’d just do it till Christmas, Christmas came and went and I kept running everyday. 1 year became my new goal

Why 2k?

It’s achievable no matter what life throws at me - I felt I could find 12-15 minutes a day. At times it took some “thinking/preparing” to fit it in, but I managed to do it. The following were some of the challenging times:

- a couple of multi-day bush walking trips (getting up early and sneaking out of the tent!)

- 3+ road trips to NSW and QLD,

- A work trip overseas

- Small injuries

- The flu

Preparation was the secret for most of those runs

Running when I was away from home was a fantastic grounding experience as I explored new places on foot. I found myself running down trails and roads I would not normally have had an opportunity to explore. I felt a different level of connection to these places than I would have if I’d not laced up my running shoes…

Did I want to run every day?

Absolutely not, there’s been many days when I would rather have stayed in bed or on the couch. But I had made a commitment to myself and now it’s just something I fit into everyday, like brushing my teeth (even if it means getting up a little earlier some days or running in the rain)!

It’s what I do…

For me it’s not about the runs themselves, it’s about forming a new healthy habit / proving to myself that I could be consistent, even when it’s not convenient.

A long time ago I realised that we don’t have power over everything in our lives but we can decide how to spend our free time (actually even work is a choice). Personally my highest goal is to be healthy - physically and mentally - so I can be the best version of me in this world (and ultimately help others tap into their best versions of themselves). My path to that is running.

Exercise is one thing none of us do enough of even though science has shown us that regular exercise is not just great for our physical body but also for our mind. In fact we’ve learnt that there is no separation between what happens in our mind and our body - one always affects the other. So running is not only a path to a fitter body but also a fitter mind (did someone say FitMIND FitBODY?)

Will I keep running everyday?

At this point yes - I have an event in 2024 to train for and running every day helps me stay focused on that. And I really don’t want to give up my daily run time, its a time for me, a time to check in, a time to connect, a time to listen to my thoughts, a time to turn my thoughts off, and a time to do something for me that will support every aspect of my life.

If you’d like to turn your runs into the best part of your day let me know, I’d love to support you...