100 Days of Running - What I Learned
Today I consider my last day of the 100 days of running I started on February 1st, 2021.
As we all know though, the end is always the beginning and I plan on keeping on running. I didn’t come this far to only come this far as they say…
If we’re splitting hairs technically today is Day 102. On days 98, 99 and 100, I didn’t run. I felt super run-down and rubbish and knew that running had the potential to push me over the edge. So I’m counting today as the finale.
I have learned so much from this experience; I’m much fitter and now I really enjoy running. I’m also really proud that I didn’t give up.
Full disclosure - over the 100 days I missed 12 days. 3 because I was at a festival, camping with my son, and the rest because I was either exhausted or just ‘over it’.
The first month was rough. It took weeks for me to feel ok running over 3kms, I wrote about The Valley of Disappointment here. And much like meditation I learned that the first part of the run is the hardest, until your body warms up and you relax into the process. When we meditate, we need to practice for at least 20 mins as the mind needs to settle first.
Here are my main takeaways from this experience of committing to running every day for 100 days:
My mind makes things way harder than it needs to be
I whinge a lot, but eventually get it done
It takes longer to get fitter than I anticipated
Energetically I felt a huge shift in my mood, and energy levels overall. Like a huge shift.
The runner’s high is a real thing.
Consistency is everything. I got fitter because I ran a little bit often, rather than longer distances sporadically
I like ‘free running’ best. This means without technology, without music. My brain got to roam free and I didn’t feel fettered by having to run faster or better (than myself).
The body copes and adapts beautifully if you listen and take care of it.
I have a profound level of respect and awe for professional athletes.
After each of the days I didn’t run (we’ll call those rest days) the next run felt phenomenal, which did highlight the importance of rest. That being said, I know I got fitter because I was running consistently day after day. It’s a fine balance between pushing oneself and feeling like you need to take care of your body.
I also learned about plateaus. I’m on top of one right now. I can easily run about 6kms under 6 mins/km but to get past this and fitter, I’ll need to dig in a bit, go deeper and feel uncomfortable for a while. It’s a metaphor for any type of growth. Fortunately my meditation practices have helped me reframe my relationship with anything that feels uncomfortable.
The main thing I took away from this process is to just keep going.
Life isn’t perfect, things unfold and happen in unexpected ways. To get fixated on some false idea of perfection or outcome will just paralyse you. If you can value the process and what you learn instead then every experience you have can be positive.
Day 103 tomorrow and I’ll absolutely being going for a run. I think it’ll be around 3-4 times a week now, which TBH seems like a vacation. ☀️