It’s Only a Mile
I set a goal to run a mile a day, and I reached it.
About 2 months ago, I attended a Leadership and Culture presentation in my office. It was really informative and I walked away with some perspective.
A Little Background
There was a topic that was brought up in the meeting that really got my attention. I wanted to hold on to this idea as soon as I heard about it. It a series of 30-day challenges that had been self-assigned to a guy who ended up having a TED talk about it. We were then asked if there was a 20-day challenge we could do for ourselves. It was presented as something that didn’t have to be difficult, it didn’t exactly have to change your life or your whole world. A challenge just for you, and help you grow.
Getting Personal
I had recently (and not so recently) been told by medical professionals that I needed to focus on cardio in my workout routines. It’s good for my body, which is genetically at risk for diabetes and heart disease, just like it’s good for most people’s bodies. I had already started showing some of the pre-diabetic warning signs and I needed to continue to take care of myself to stay healthy.
However, I fight with the same boredom that many, many people do when it comes to cardio. Bikes, and ellipticals, and treadmills, and even the stair climbers… you are huffing and puffing and staying in place. Its tough to stay engaged. So I thought it over and figured one mile is not that hard. I decided to start a mile a day challenge.
For this challenge, I gave myself one simple rule: I had to run at least one mile every day, for 30 days.
Off and Running
It was a simple start and I felt great about it. Sometimes I would be feeling really good on the initial mile, get a second wind and run more than a mile. Sometimes the cardio would warm me up and I would weight lift for another 20 or 30 mins. It got me off the couch and out the door. I was active for at least 15 to 20 mins every day, and I could feel a big difference.
The Good: In the time I had given myself for this challenge, my boyfriend, Ben, and I had a little vacation planned. I had to plan a little in advance and map out a couple of routes while we were gone. It was nice that I was able to get out and run while I wasn’t at home. I ran around a super cute area in Oakland, and found a really nice trail outside of Reno (places I most likely would not have seen!)
The Bad: One or two times, I would have to go to the gym late, at the end of the day. 10 pm on a treadmill seems really awful, but it was actually fine. I would crawl back home, shower and get right into bed. Those nights I actually slept very peacefully.
The Ugly: The worst was an evening where I was in a dance workshop for almost 3 hours and hadn’t run my mile yet. A lot of people said to me “you danced for 3 hours, that counts” but it would have broken my rule. I had to RUN one mile, that was the deal that I had made with myself. I’m glad I stuck to that and didn’t compromise. It made me feel that much more accomplished when I looked back on my 30 days.
Success
It was one of the tougher months I have put myself through, but it got me into a good routine. My last day of the challenge, I even tried to push myself to run 2 miles. I ended up with a good idea of what i can accomplish at the gym. I’m proud of myself.
I wouldn’t say this is a wholly original idea. I got the idea from someone else, who was explaining someone else’s journey. Mini-challenges have been around for quite some time, but I like the small wildfires it creates within a community.
Several friends and colleagues of mine have asked me about this and they have been inspired. Some are modifying the idea so that it for works for them, and what they hope to gain in the fitness department, but using the basics of “it’s just one mile” to get motivated.
The Bottom Line
Let’s face it, some days, a mile is hard. You don’t want to get out of bed, or you had a long day, or you just finished a whole pizza by yourself, but you do it. You get a rush endorphins and move on with your day. Other days, you think its going to be a drag but you hit a good stride and you really feel motivated to take the day on and continue being active! I guess its all about perspective.
Originally posted on Passionate About Musicals
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