?? Running Sucks!
Yeah, I’m the personal trainer in your life that says it how it is. Running. Not a fan. In any way. So, you might be surprised to learn that I’ve been running every single day (bar one tiny little Saturday), for the past month.
Boom!
What the hell am I doing? Well, let’s go down the rabbit hole of why I’m running every single day, when I think it sucks.
We have to go way back to around 2014/2015. I was still on all the social media channels and a friend of mine in Scotland (?? Mackay!) tagged me on a post on Facebook. It was some sort of an informal group with a running challenge. “You should totally do this Mich!” Says Mackay. I was marginally interested, so clicked on the link. Turns out it was into the second or third year of this now-annual event. It was called?Marcothon ?and was named after some guy called Marco with one very simple premise:
Every single day in December you must run 25 minutes or 5km, whatever comes first. Post your run in the group - get a high-5 - stay in another day.
This was super interesting to me as I’d just started to do online monthly challenges with my own clients - 10 minute mini-workouts every single day - so I was completely behind the daily challenge aspect, and the timing of 25 minutes per day seemed totally doable. I was pretty sure that my daily run would be hitting 25 minutes and not the 5km, but I loved the choice.
Okay - I added a comment to the group: I’m in!
And so it began.
Now, if you’ve never done a daily-for-one-month challenge before, let me give you some sort of an idea about how it goes.
Days 1-7 are pretty easy. You’re psyched, amped, full of happiness and you’re loving the group accountability aspect.
Days 8-14 are getting tougher. It’s getting a bit harder to find the time to do the challenge, but you’re still in it.
Days 15-20 are the failure days. You can literally drop out of the challenge at any point during this zone. You’re not having fun at this point (usually). You’re finding it really tough to find the time and as it’s no longer a novelty thing, you’re starting to get weary.
Days 20+ is over the hump zone. You can see the end of the challenge and there will be nothing to get in your way - you’re not giving up!
The thing that appealed to me with the Marcothon running challenge was that it was utterly Baltic in Scotland during December (most of the runners were UK based and a lot in Scotland), so I kind of felt that if they could run in the sleet and wind and rain, then I could do it in sunny-but-cold Switzerland (I lived in Lausanne at the time).
The second thing was that I didn’t actually do any running at that time and whilst I knew it was a superb way to keep fit and active, I hadn’t really given it a chance. I thought that by signing up I could have a massive community to give me random high-5s plus get into something that I normally wouldn’t do.
My goal was to do this every single day and I figured that if I ran after my own work (personal training with clients), then it would be a legitimate run - and not just tally up the “running” I was doing during the day training clients - and that I could do that run on the way to collect my son from after-school club. Win:win.
Next up, I downloaded the Nike Running Club app and synced it to my Facebook account, not really realizing that every time I hit the pavements that it was automatically announcing to my FB friends that “Michelle is out on a run - cheer her on” was being prompted. Although that was pretty neat too, kept me going on some runs.
My idea was to map out a couple of routes from my apartment to my son’s after school club, and to make sure that the elevation was pretty even too.
And so I started running.
I recall pretty much every run that I did for that challenge - even all these years later - namely because I was hooked on the accountability part. My personality is one that once I sign up to something, I must see it through. And uploading my screenshot proving my time/distance with a selfie was honestly the best thing ever.
I do remember one day when I was exhausted, it was getting late and dark, and I needed to do the run. In my mind all I could rationale was that I had sacrificed quite a lot over the past X days to run, and I could not fail at this stage. I persuaded my young son to grab his balance bike (he was 4) and we made our way to the pitch dark local park. I ran, he biked, and so we completely the 25 minutes together.
Fast forward to February and I was sitting in my apartment (in France now), and feeling totally stuck. I was getting slightly frustrated with the whole CV19 thing, missing my friends, banter in bars, the gym and my clients. I felt very much like I was still fitting into all of my clothes, but I didn’t feel nearly as fit as I did pre-CV. And the reality is that I wasn’t as fit. When you’re a PT and working, in person, with clients every single day you end up doing plenty of workouts all day long. That dipping in and out keeps you in check and keeps your own fitness levels completely balanced. Whether you want to add to that with your own training, is a bonus.
But that was all lost when CV hit. Doing workouts online is not the same. I can say that with complete confidence and transparency, even though my startup, Vivi Rocks, is pretty much an online fitness company. I, personally, need to be meeting with people and training, and I’ve seriously missed this.
So, in February I decided to take some action and commit to myself to do exactly what the Marcothon set out to do all those years ago: run every single day, 25 mins or 5k, whatever comes first.
My first run was awful. I remember writing this blog, in my head, the whole way - trying to cement in my memory how crap it really was and to detail how my breathing felt in the first few minutes.
I should’ve written it down!
The first km was stop and start - I jogged a bit, walked a bit - just trying to get my legs moving and to figure out how to breathe without needing oxygen. I’m not, in any way joking. I reached the point of “omg, I can’t breathe!” and dropped to walking. Picking myself back up again to jogging. The 25 minutes was super long and the Nike voice is fucking annoying when she pipes up with “halfway” and you feel like you’re already dying. However, on I jogged.
At the end I stopped, grabbed my phone and did the first selfie! I uploaded that to Twitter (with no Marcothon group to cheer me on, I went out to the Twittersphere!), then posted to the Nike Running Club stream, then to my Vivi Rocks private group.
There! Run. Done!
And I kept on doing this every single day.
Here are my biggest takeaways for you:
?? The first week is tough. You don’t feel like you’re making much progress. You might not see huge shifts in your fitness levels, with your legs feeling like lead pretty much every run. But… fitness is a do now, reap rewards later kinda thing. You need to put in the elbow grease now to get the benefits in a month’s time. Now that I’m a month in I can promise you that my first km is not tough - it’s way easier, manageable, doable, and I can breathe.
?? Tracking your run is paramount. You’re doing this so that you can accurately measure what you’re doing every day. Did you do that first km quicker? Did you more kms in overall in that 25 minute zone? And so on. You need to measure otherwise how do you know how to improve or adapt? I highly recommend the Nike Running Club app. It’s the easiest thing ever to use. I literally set up a quick 25 minute run, so every time I go out I hit “start” and that’s it.
?? Getting something in your ears is a great distraction. Initially I was going with music playlists, but found them utterly boring. I’m writing this blog out right now with a playlist blaring in my ears, and it’s keeping me typing and generating ideas and passion. But for some reason this does not work for me whilst I’m running. After two or three days of music I switched to podcasts - and found a really good one that is for the fitness industry. Bizarrely enough I sussed out my VIP subscription membership model whilst listening (and running) to one podcast. In the past 10 days I’ve been listening to BBC Radio 5 Live - I run in the morning so the program on at that time is topical and in depth, and I seem to lose myself in the discussion playing out, more than worrying about my run.
?? Just Do It. Best slogan ever and is one that I use all the time. Nike has it right on point. There is no short cut to getting fit. I wish there was, but there is just nothing other than hard work and getting moving to take your fitness levels from zero to hero. And something that I’ll tell you that works is: faking it til you make it. Normally I’d scoff at this phrase, but for fitness it actually can work. The idea is that you get yourself dressed for the run, you give yourself a hard start time that is non-negotiable, and you leave the house/apartment. You pretend, to yourself, that you’re a seasoned runner and this is your life now. You run. You’re a runner. Watch how I run!
And you just do it.
?? Accountability is your friend. Some people shy away from having accountability groups or partners - mainly because they don’t want to fail and have to tell someone that they’ve failed! So they avoid this like the plague. But, let me tell you, honestly, accountability is the best thing ever. Just before one of my runs I was perusing Twitter and one of my connections posted a photo of her comfy bed and a cup of coffee. The tagline was something like “chilling in bed, no motivation to move!” - so I decided to give her a public nudge. “I’m heading out for a run at 9.30am - 25 mins or 5k, whatever comes first. Fancy doing it too and we can check in later?” - and she was totally up for it! Fast forward an hour and we were both posting our mutual high-5s. I literally have never met this woman, we’re just Twitter buddies!
I also have this with every single client too. Just a place for any client to post that they’ve completed their workout today - and I give them a high 5. It really makes all the difference.
I have set up zones in Vivi Rocks for you - so you have that in place if you need a group to post your “done my workout today! Whoop Whoop!” messages!
?? Running sucks. But… I feel amazing after every single run. I know, it’s crazy, but here’s how it works. As soon as the Nike woman tells me “congratulations, you’ve hit your target” I stop, immediately! I don’t want my walking cool down to alter my pace score, so I stop immediately and stop the run tracking. And see for the next few minutes I feel like I’ve just finished a marathon. I feel absolutely amazing, buzzing, super fit, and ready to tackle the day. I feel slimmer, glowing and just amazing. I do get that from other workouts, but there’s something about running that makes me feel sexier, cheekier, fitter. I don’t know what running does to you, but I’m going to bet that the endorphins will bursting when you finish up.
I love when my muscles feel like they’ve had a workout, and I always feel this after a run.
?? Selfie tracking is pretty cool. Taking a selfie at the end of any workout and posting it to your accountability partner/group/Twittersphere is a great way to keep you going and to track your successful progress. There’s something quite rewarding about seeing your sweat and effort in the flesh and posting it just gives you another habit forming way to keeping your routine as a daily part of your life.
Apps I am using:
?? Nike Running Club App - tracks my runs, keeps me informed about my distance and time done and what’s left. Allows me to take a selfie at the end and within the app I can cross post to Twitter and Telegram (where my Vivi Rocks group currently sits).
?? Google Fit App - this tracks my daily activity, including simple walking from here to there, and converts my activity into steps and hearts. You can set your goals for steps and hearts each day and get a nice evening notification about your progress.
The best bit is the heart measurement. The hearts each represent one minute of activity and links into the goal of at least 150 minutes of activity per week. Find out more about that recommendation here:
?? WILD.ai - this is a menstrual cycle tracker that also tells you what phase you’re in, what intensity of workouts you could do/avoid, and recovery rates. Works perfectly as a tool to tell me if today’s run/workout should be easier or tougher.
?? TuneIn Radio - to access BBC Radio 5 Live - and hundreds of radio stations!
?? Telegram & Twitter - to share my run with my accountability groups
My advice to you:
?? Do what I’m doing to get you started. Commit to a daily run for one whole month. Make that run 25 minutes or 5km, whatever comes first. If you’re a new runner then it’s likely you’ll be doing the 25 minute runs, which is awesome.
?? Don’t run more than what you’ve set out to do. If the goal is to run 25 minutes or 5 km, whatever comes first, and you get to 25 minutes, then stop at that point. Remember that you’re going to be running every single day. You don’t want to get achy or fed up or demotivated by day 17.
?? Remember to warm up gently before you hit your run tracker app, and to cool down and stretch after you’ve stopped the run tracker app!
?? REMEMBER TO ALWAYS WARM UP BEFOREHAND AND STRETCH AFTERWARDS
?? You may not enjoy the first week at all. But stick with it. The work you’re putting in will reap rewards in one months time. You can’t stop after a day or two. You need to keep on going.
?? You’ve got this. And I’ve got your back too. If you need me to be your cheerleader then just let me know!
?? The benefits of running to your mental health are immediate. You’ll feel amazing immediately. And that feeling will last for hours.
?? There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing and a bad attitude! Harsh, but true my friend. Don’t use rain as an excuse. Get some waterproof clothing on top of your running gear and get out there. The rain is refreshing!
That’s a super long read and I hope it helps you to understand that not everyone, including PTs, enjoy running, but that the benefits of running are just too great to ignore. Give the daily run challenge a go!
Michelle Caira?is the Founder and CEO of?Fit Mama Fitness Inc ?, a community contributor at?Thrive Global ?and a certified Master Personal Trainer. Michelle launched?Fit Mama, a digital platform for mothers, in 2018. Now focusing on women throughout their hormonal lifecycles, Michelle has launched?Vivi Rocks . Its goal is to equip women with the fitness, nutrition and mental wellness solutions and tools they need to thrive - at home and returning to the workplace. Passionate about women in business, Michelle is an entrepreneur with a global vision, and committed to help create a world where women thrive, regardless of any and all other factors.
You can follow Michelle on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Telegram
You can follow Vivi Rocks on Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram