My weekend of complete laziness has reminded me quite effectively that I really dislike a lack of activity in my world. I can appreciate some downtime now and then, but an active lifestyle better defines me and brings me joy.
In honor of that, I am committing to the Runner’s World Summer Running Streak. It’s 38 straight days of running at least one mile a day, from Memorial Day to Independence Day. I am starting a day late, so I will finish a day late too. I am excited to make running a daily aspect of life. I am planning to incorporate Sushi (the dog) into a lot of these running days, too.
To kick off the streak, I met Sara tonight for 4 miles on rolling hills. I’d been looking forward to the run all day given my bummed mood from the weekend laziness, so when the sky opened up and poured, I willed it to clear up so we could run. Luckily, it did, and just in time.
A gloomy day makes a happy runner!
It was my first real attempt at the Chi running technique I learned last week, so we both agreed to try to keep each other accountable, frequently reminding ourselves to drop our elbows, lean from the ankles, keep the cadence high.
Chi. Running. Is. Hard. So hard. Normally, we chat the whole time we run, but today we were struggling for conversation after 1.5 miles. We had to focus so much on our form, every aspect of our alignment. However, upon finishing, we realized that our pace was very fast for the course we ran. 4 miles at an average pace of 9:28. We typically run those hills at closer to a 10:00 pace. While it hurt, I am eager to keep practicing chi running until it becomes more natural.
I also got to wear my brand new Saucony Kinvaras. I LOVE getting new running shoes. These are a much more minimalist shoe than I have been wearing, and they felt great.
So bright and pretty...for now.
It was an excellent start to my Runner’s World Challenge. So far, my goal is just to make sure that I run one mile (minimum) every day, but I am still thinking of goals I might like to pursue.
Anyone up for joining the Runner’s World Challenge with me? If so, what are your goals?
Good luck with the streak! I’m embracing the taper so my streak is already broken