Streaking. What is it? Why do we do it? What can we learn from it? I was first introduced to the concept of a run streak via the Albany Running Exchange (ARE), back in 2018, when they challenged members to run at least 1 mile, every day, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, the heart of the holiday season and right smack in the middle of winter (my least favorite season of the year, in case you are wondering). For completion of the streak, members would earn a prize, and would be required to log their miles in the ARE member web page. Winter running is not the easiest, so I thought “Why not?” and managed to convince my brother to join me. My brother and I completed the challenge and earned a cool trucker hat (compliments of Salomon Running) for our efforts. It was great to have a rhythm, something to look forward to, and so I kept at it, until April of 2019, when I got a cold just before the ARE’s inaugural Helderberg to Hudson Half Marathon. I took a rest day before that race (which did not go well at all) and it was the last time I took a day off before a race since officially beginning a running streak on May 24, 2019.
On February 17th, I ran my 1000th day since the beginning of my run streak, with almost 7000 streak miles logged so far. I’ve done 12 live races from May 2019 to February 2022 (the month I wrote this article) without taking a break from running every day (Disclaimer: no racing in 2020 due to the cancellation of races across the globe, as a result of the pandemic). Of these 12 races, 11 were course PR’s for me. This is not to say rest days are bad because running is so individual. What works for one person may or may not work for another. You need to find your groove and do what works for you.
I discovered running later in life (almost eight years ago), was never coached or trained, and never followed a training plan. True, there was the one time I tried the 12-week Garmin Coach Plan for a half marathon. That training plan had me running 12 miles the day before the Firecracker 4 Race (which happened to be my best average pace time of 2021), but I did not strictly follow the plan because I did not take a rest day. Also, I did not like being forced to stop running after 40 min (so I would just run a bit longer, blatantly ignoring the Garmin Coach’s advice). Nothing against coaching, but that is an added expense and not one that all can take on, especially when running every day (you need funds for your gear and to pay for races etc.).
When my colleagues think of me, athlete is not a word that comes to mind. One colleague saw me running and later remarked “I had no idea you could run like that!” I am a professor of STEM and have a long work commute. My day will often begin with a long drive, then a run, and then off to teach classes, in addition to other daily responsibilities and commitments. I average between 50 and 60 miles of running per week (over 200 miles per month), and have weekly/monthly/yearly goals that I always strive to achieve. “Between dreams and goals are discipline and consistency,” said by Denzel Washington, so as a run streaker, I take consistency to heart!
All of my streak miles have been accumulated via running outside, despite the weather and circumstances. No treadmill, no Peloton, no fancy gym membership, etc. What happens if there’s a polar vortex, torrential rain, gale-force winds, sweltering heat and humidity, or icy roadways? I run. What if you are short on sleep, or feeling under the weather, or depressed? I run. Besides, running makes you feel better! In a world full of uncertainty and great challenge, you can consistently count on a run! Sometimes the run is only 3 miles, instead of 6 or 7, but it can be as short as 2 miles (like the time when I hit a lightning storm). Over this streak, so far, I am averaging almost 7 miles a day, and every run is its own. Terrain is often hilly, pace varies. I always do a long run, once a week, and always complete the Strava Half Marathon Monthly Challenge (so at least one half-marathon run per month). Obviously if the ground is icy, has buckets of water everywhere, or the dew point is high, the pace will go down. Let it be. It is important to be in sync with your body and to adjust accordingly.
Some of you may be wondering what to do about gear and footwear. I cycle through at least six pairs of sneakers every week. It may seem a bit excessive, but there is really no such a thing as owning too many shoes; hey, if your feet aren’t happy, they can’t dance! Injury prevention! Lighter sneakers for tempo or speed workouts, which reminds me, to this day, I have never set foot on a track (not opposed to running on one, just never had the opportunity). Responsive and cushioned sneaker for longer runs (10+ miles). As for what to wear for the cornucopia of weather one encounters on a day-to-day basis, you really learn what works for you. Synthetics have really come a long way and can definitely hold up to the task. While a streak is technically at least one mile, every day, I prefer to do at bare minimum 3 miles because if the laundry is going to pile up (and believe me, it does), one mile is harder to justify (maybe if it is a time trial, but I haven’t even done that!).
Denzel Washington once said: “You won’t always be motivated. You must learn to be disciplined.” The discipline required to run, streak or no streak, is significant. We all have it within ourselves to accomplish hard things in life.
What has this running streak taught me so far?
1-Every day is different. You will not always hit the pace you want to hit, but all the work that you are putting forth is a step toward progress, and that counts for a lot!
2-Change takes time and is seldom instant. This holds true for positive change, like PRs, as well as negative change, aches/pains, for example.
3-You will frequently hear the phrase “I saw you running.” When you run every day, the chances are high you will be seen!
4-People will tell you that you’re crazy. Cool, so that means you graduate from half-crazy and according to all those signs you see at half-marathon races, you should go for a marathon!
5-All jokes aside, you will learn that the human body truly is an incredible machine so don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits! Run long, run strong! On a streak!
