Keeping the streak alive

My holiday season has been hectic, but not for the normal holiday reasons (Read: Major career change! More on that later...)

Fortunately the holiday run-streak has been a stable foundation in an otherwise frenetic month. For the past week, my streak runs have been 10-15 minutes crammed in between work meetings, flights, holiday shopping, family dinners, and social calls.

But on day 59 of the streak, I can say that for all of the rush-to-run-a-mile-the-treadmill-before-work and running-circles-around-the-block for 10 minutes at my mother in law's house (in the dark, dressed in denim, while she was putting the finishing touches on dinner...) the streak has been my sanity. Even if maintaining it has sometimes seemed a little insane.

Unexpected light

Yesterday, long after the sun set, I realized that work distractions prevented me from running in the morning, or at lunch, or even sneaking out mid-afternoon for a 15-minute smoke run-break.

Still achy from Saturday's race, I wondered if I really needed a good rest day more than I needed to maintain this run-streak. Maybe I used work as an excuse to "forget" the run-streak? Maybe I should take the hint? The streak doesn't matter to anyone but me anyway...

But at 44 days into this year's streak, a slow-and-easy mile wouldn't kill me.

If last year's streak taught me anything, it's that part of the run-streak is about the routine and part is about overcoming the mental hurdle of "I'd rather not run because ______." (Insert typical runner complaint here: It's raining. It's too cold. It's too hot. I'm tired. I'm too busy. I'd rather eat cookies.)

The streak won.

I grabbed a flashlight and headed out the door.

I turned a corner and realized I didn't need my flashlight. The neighborhood was ablaze with Christmas lights.

I took my time, admiring the decorations as I ran.

The neighborhood was silent. It was just me, the pavement, and the lights. I rounded corners and wove up and down streets to tour the twinkle lights. 10 minutes turned into 15. Then 20.

What started out as an obligation turned into the highlight of my day.

Running is funny that way.

Some days you want to run, and you just don't have the juice.

Some days you don't want to run, but you go anyway, and it's magic.

Streak vs. Taper

Alt. Title: Race vs. Run

This weekend I plan to run half marathon #4 of 2012.

After injury setbacks this summer, it feels good to be comfortable again at longer distances. I'm not where I'd like to be speed-wise, but at least I'm not broken.

This weekend I also plan to break my 2011 run streak record (42 days).

I wrapped up streak day #39 this morning, and see no reason to quit now. Except... these are highly incompatible goals. This week I should be engaging in that little pre-race ritual we love/loathe: The Taper.

Normally I'd spend the week before a distance race nixing all strength training, cutting back on my mileage, and enjoying a couple of good, long, no-running-allowed rest days. Maybe I'd add a massage for good measure.

I know that I race best when my legs are rested. I know that rest is an important part of a running routine. But how do I rest while run-streaking?!

So, do I quit the streak? Do I streak and let my race suffer? Decisions. Decisions...

When I look at my goals for the year, I see:

• 5 half marathons
• 24-minute 5k
• run-streak

Did you notice that those half marathons have no time goal? Good!
I can run, skip, hop, walk, waddle, or cartwheel my way through 13.1 miles and it still counts toward my goal. Whether I race this race (which was unlikely anyway -- see injury statement above) or I Galloway this race is irrelevant. I don't need to compete in order to complete the distance.

Waddling inspiration!

Now we've got the ingredients to formulate a pre-race taper plan! I'm going to reduce my streak-day mileage to 2 miles or less each day, and I'll waddle* my way through 13.1. Conflict resolved!

*I realize that race purists are turning up their noses right now. "Why run if you're not going to be in peak form?" they'll ask. (Ok. Let's be honest. Those people probably don't read this blog.) Whether they read or not, I counter with two points: (1) I am going to try my hardest... my hardest while streaking and after taking two months off. Call it a training run. (2) Without this half marathon goal, I might not have been motivated to rebuild my distance after taking most of the summer off. Call it a motivating force.

Normally I race. This weekend I'm going to run.
And that's ok.
(I might still get that massage anyway...)

What's your normal taper routine?

Streaking

I'm going streaking!

(No, mom. Not that kind of streaking.)

Last winter I competed a holiday running streak: Thanksgiving into the New Year. A minimum of one mile run each day. Treadmills, tracks, roads, and trails count. Running while playing another sport (basketball, tennis) does not. Pool running and elliptical workouts are also out (at least according to the rules set by Streak Runners International, Inc.... Yes, folks - there is a cult support group.)

I'll be seeing this, rain or shine,
every day from now 'til the new year.

The minimum mile must be run.

Last winter I ran on 42 consecutive days, covering 135 miles, across three coasts (Gulf, Pacific, Mediterranean) and two continents, finishing my streak while on vacation in Barcelona.

This year I toyed with the idea of streaking again.

I wasn't sure whether or not my calf could handle the increase in activity so soon.

So I started small.

For the past couple of weeks I've been running a tidy little mile around my neigbhorhood on my "rest" days.

And when I logged today's run, I realized I've already been streaking for 16 days!

So...

Anyone wanna streak with me through the new year?

I'll start a wall of fame with links to your posts if you're streaking.

Independence Day racing streak

Happy Independence Day to my U.S. readers!*

Fireworks over Lake Union in Seattle, WA

This morning Hubby and I went for a run together, but for the first time since we started dating, we did not race on the Fourth of July. We did, however, keep our Independence Run streak alive by running a Firecracker 5k on Saturday.

Over the years we've run (some more than once)...

• Scripps Ranch Old Pros 10k in San Diego, CA remains one of my favorite races of all time. The course is net-downhill (read: serious PR potential) and is organized not by a major event organizer but by a local group of athletes (read: every detail a runner could hope for is included in this race).
• Firecracker 5000 in Seattle, WA is unique because it is the very first race on the Fourth of July. The event starts on July 3, a few minutes before midnight, so runners cross the finish line in the early morning hours of July 4th. Racing so late at night is exhilarating, but also makes for some interesting logistical challenges. (What do you eat for pre-race dinner? Hint: not salad!) After running this race in 2010, Hubby and I tried to grab a post-run beer but were greeted with shouts of "last call!" at the bar.
• Independence 5000 in Fort Worth, TX is, by far, the hottest Fourth of July race we've run so far. But the heat beat down other runners more than it beat me down. Hello age group award!<
• Firecracker 5k in Pensacola, FL is a fun, hometown event with an excellent after-party. While not always held on the Fourth of July, this race served as our Independence run for 2012 because all of the other "local" races were at least an 50 miles from home...

Inflatable Lady Liberty "statue" at Gasworks Park in Seattle, WA

Do you race on holidays?
Do you have any running streaks or running traditions?

*And apologies to the Brits for what I'm sure sounds like a lot of gloating on this side of the Big Pond today...

Streak week 6

Goodbye week 6 of the Runner's World holiday running streak!
Week 1 was novel, week 2 made me feel hardcore, week 3 was tiring, week 4 was wet, week 5 was festive.
Week 6 was foreign. Hubby and I spent 5 days in Barcelona.

Here's my brief translation of the week in running:

36. Sunday - a quick Christmas mile around the neighborhood squeezed in between packing, last minute tasks, and driving to Atlanta.
37. Monday - the best hotel treadmill workout ever -- 400s and 800s at a 7:00 pace (in the biggest and most well-supplied hotel gym I've ever seen thanks to the Westin Atlanta Airport).
38. Tuesday - My first run in Barcelona was 15 minutes of trotting up and down the blocks near our hotel... after flying for more than 9 hours, losing half a day in the time change, and getting no sleep on the flight thanks to screaming babies and cackling drunk people. This, by far, was the hardest run of the streak.
39. Wednesday - 20 minutes along the Barcelona waterfront in my street clothes, because schedule-wise, that's what worked that day. (Yes. I wore black khakis and a floral shirt during this run.) I think this also counts as my first run ever in minimalist shoes. Only a few "real-looking" runners gave me the stink-eye for my odd attire.

Barcelona waterfront run.

40. Thursday - A 10k with the Barcelona Casual Road Runner's meetup. (A full report on my run with "the locals" has its own post.)
41. Friday - A horribly slow mile after a long and cold hike up and around Montjuic that started with hundreds of stairs, and continued all the way up and back down the "mountain." Plus, at the end of a long tourist-ing day I was exhausted and hungry. So we stopped for tapas and a cup of cava. Fortified with jamon and vino, I made my way through streets of Barcelona to keep the streak alive.

Steps leading up to the
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya on Montjuic

42. Saturday - Hubby, our friend C, and I were spectators at Cursa dels Nassos, and did some running to and along the course to watch the runners.

Holiday running streak goal achieved!

And... the streak is over.

Yesterday, after 4,584 miles in an airplane (taking 10 hours and 45 minutes) and 320 miles in a car (taking 5 more hours), I seriously considered adding a 1 mile loop around my neighborhood before bed last night, but the original goal is accomplished.

And I really, really needed sleep.

Streak week 5

Goodbye week 5 of the Runner's World holiday running streak!
Week 1 was novel, week 2 made me feel hardcore, week 3 was tiring, week 4 was WET, and week 5 has been festive (and humid, but let's focus on the festive)!

Photo courtesy of 5ksAndCabernets

Here's how the week shook out:

29. Sunday - 3 miles around the neighborhood with Hubby. 3 is also the number of weeks since I last got to spend time with Hubby thanks to our conflicting work travel schedules. All the time apart made me appreciate that we're now both home for the holidays!
30. Monday - 1 mile. In the rain. (The weather gods hate me.) On the plus side, I spent quality time with my stationary bike and free weights for the first time since I started this running streak!
31. Tuesday - 1.5 miles. More rain. (Will it ever end???)
32. Wednesday - 4.5 miles. The rain ended, but the humidity was bad enough that I've put in a request with Santa...
33. Thursday - 2.25 sweaty miles and a terrible clothes shopping experience
34. Friday - Four miles for Festivus!
35. Saturday - 10 glorious miles. 9 minute pace. 54 degrees. 1 neighbor kid dressed like an elf. (Or was that really one of Santa's helpers? Maybe he granted my Christmas wish for cooler weather!)

All total, I logged just over 26 miles for the week.

If I run at just one more mile tomorrow,
I will accomplish my holiday running streak goal!


(Can I keep this up for one more week? I have travel plans that might mess with running for one day, but I'm going to try and keep this thing going into the New Year!)

Have you started planning your running goals for 2012?

Streak week 4!

Goodbye week four of the Runner's World holiday running streak! Week 1 was novel, week 2 made me feel hardcore, week 3 was tiring, week 4 was a roller coaster.

Source: sandiegodigitalphotos.com via shelly on Pinterest

Here's how the week rolled out:

22. Sunday - 4 quick miles before racing off to the airport to catch my flight to San Diego... (roller coaster ticket in-hand)
23. Monday -  Going UP! 6.5 nighttime miles in Balboa Park, under the holiday lights, with some of my favorite running buddies. (Does running get any better than that?)
24. Tuesday -  Going DOWN! a mile that taught me to never mix tequila and a treadmill... 
25. Wednesday -  Going UP! a couple of morning miles through downtown San Diego that made my day.
26. Thursday -  Both up and down! An unforgettable 7.5 mile run, most of which was through pouring rain. (Does running get any wetter than that? My shoes still aren't dry!)
27. Friday - just 1 lonely little mile before work to keep the streak alive
28. Saturday - 3 miles at Mission Bay before (again) racing off to get on an airplane...

(And... the roller coaster ride is over.)

All total, I logged 25 miles for the week.

28 days down, 8 left to go!
(Or maybe 337 left...? I might keep this up for 2012.)

Have you started planning your running goals for 2012?

Good morning city!

Good morning from downtown San Diego!
I woke up this morning to sneak a couple of streak-y miles in before a busy day at the office.

I love urban running, especially early in the morning.

I love watching the delivery workers delivering food and other supplies to the restaurants and hotels.

I love watching the taxicabs cruise the streets (and this early in the morning the roads belong to taxicabs and delivery trucks).

I love how on-my-toes I need to be: looking over my shoulder to check for turning cars, dodging people sleepwalking to work with their heads bent over their first coffee of the day, jumping off the curb and into the street for a block to stay out of the way of the window-washer's equipment.

Nothing wakes me up quite like a morning run in a place like this...

Downtown San Diego skyline (photo from 2009)

The dark side of streaking

I'm HOME (and a bit tipsy, but more on that later...)

I flew into San Diego on Sunday night. I'm here for a week. I'd love to spend the next 20 minutes waxing poetic about how good it feels to be home, how wonderful my friend H was to host me for the first two nights, and how much fun I had at last night's group run with my long-time running buddies.

BUT
Right now I want to hurl.

Yesterday was about healthy living and an excellent run, in the rain, with good friends.

Today is about happy hour with friends/coworkers and trying to keep a running streak alive, even if the miles per minute are equivalent to the runner's (ahem, my) BAC.

Source: google.ca via Nadine on Pinterest

My short visit means a jam-packed schedule of work and social obligations to balance with running goals. Today, for example, included an early wake-up, a day full of meetings, a work-lunch, and a coworker's birthday happy hour. Clearly there would be no running before 8pm. I knew would need to hit the dreadmill as soon as I returned to my hotel. I did not think of the birthday angle, or anticipate that the birthday girl would request a round of tequila shots...

Source: la-luna-de-coco.tumblr.com
via Taylor on Pinteres

Note to self...
Never try to run a mile after two shots of tequila and a plate of nachos referred to as "dinner." No matter how wedded you are to the idea of run-streaking, this is a BAD IDEA.

I thought, maybe, running with a hash group might have prepared me for this... But no. I feel awful.

On the plus side, the streak lives on!

On the minus side, half an hour after ending my mere mile...
I still want to hurl...

Have you ever run after a drink or two (or after eating a plate of nachos)?
Stomach of steel or delicate belly?

Streak week 3

Goodbye week 3 of the Runner's World holiday running streak! Week 1 was novel, week 2 made me feel hardcore, week 3 (not going to lie) is starting to wear me out. I had planned on a 14-mile run today (thinking I'd start training for a March marathon). But my legs are tired. Instead of 14 today, I decided on an easy couple of miles, and shifted my double-digit day to tomorrow.

Source: blog.freepeople.com via Megan on Pinterest

Here's how the week shook out:

15. Sunday - 12 tired miles
16. Monday - 1 slow "recovery" mile around the neighborhood
17. Tuesday - 2-fer Tuesday with 1.5 in the morning + 3.5 at night (and saw a pig munching on my neighbor's lawn!)
18. Wednesday - 1.2 miles
19. Thursday - 3.5 miles + tried a new yoga class
20. Friday - 1.3 miles
21. Saturday - 2 miles

This adds up to 26 miles for the week.

21 days down, 15 left to go!
(How much longer do I need to keep this up to join the US Running Streak Association? Maybe I should skip the marathon and make streaking my 2012 goal.)

What are your holiday running goals?

Streak week 2

I finished week 2 of the Runner's World holiday running streak! As I mentioned in last week's wrap up, this is BY FAR the longest streak of daily running that I have ever done. (I've been a rest day girl since I first laced up a pair of sneakers.)

My prior record was four consecutive days of running. Now I'm up to FOURTEEN!
Hello streaking!

Source: Uploaded by user via Meghan on Pinterest

8. Sunday - 6 miles in the pouring rain
9. Monday - 1.5 miles in my new shoes
10. Tuesday - 3.9 miles
11. Wednesday - 1.6 miles on my lunch break
12. Thursday - 3.7 miles
13. Friday - hill sprints! (2+ miles of running, not counting my recovery between sprints)
14. Saturday - 2.5 miles

This adds up to a bit over 21 miles for the week - better than last week, but I still have a ways to go to get ready for a spring marathon. Tomorrow I return to double-digit miles for my weekend long runs.

Fourteen days down, twenty-two left to go!
(I know it's only been two weeks, but I'm seriously starting to think I can keep this up to join the US Running Streak Association in 2012... Then again, maybe I should see how I feel on December 25th?)

What are your holiday running goals?

Streak week 1

Thanks to a little nudge from Runner's World, and some encouragement from Caitlyn over at Adventures of a Latin Geek, I decided to start a holiday running streak.

Source: google.com via Trudy on Pinterest

I have run consistently (3-5 days/week) for more than a decade, but have never before run more than four days in a row. (Yes, I went back through my training logs just to be sure.) And those four-day "streaks" are few and far between.

Today I broke that streak of non-streaking, and finished seven consecutive days of running at least a mile.

1. Sunday - 4.5 miles (Hash run!)
2. Monday - 1.1 miles
3. Tuesday - 3.5 miles (accidentally overslept, but still ran)
4. Wednesday - 1.2 miles
5. Thursday - 3 miles
6. Friday - 5 miles (gorgeous day at the beach, but I could have done without the 20mph headwind!)
7. Saturday - 1 mile

This adds up to about 18 and a half total -- not my highest mileage week ever, but the goal here is running every day from now until Christmas, not breaking weekly mileage records.

Seven down, twenty-nine left to go!
(I wonder if I'll be glad, by 12/25, that I can take a real rest day, or if I'll be motivated to keep going so I can join the US Running Streak Association?)

What's your longest running streak?
Have you ever been the other kind of streaker?

Streaking

I've always wanted to be a streaker!

Source: annadancefloor.tumblr.com via C on Pinterest

No! Not the kind of streaker that runs naked across a football field.
(Well, ok, that might a cool item to check off the Life List, too.)

What I mean is the more traditional definition of streak: "to move swiftly," or "to have a streak (as of winning or outstanding performances)" as defined in Merriam-Webster. (MW seems to also be ok with "streak" meaning "to run naked through a public place." Dirty dictionary! But I digress...)

I've read stories of people who have run every single day for 1, 2, 10 years. According to the United States Running Streak Association, there are at least 6 people in the US who have run every single day for more than 40 years.

And I wonder: How do they do it?

I run regularly, but I'm more of a 4 days/week runner. I rarely run back to back days. But then again, my running routine has been fairly constant for several years now... Maybe it's time for a shakeup? Which brings my back to my original point...

Runner's world is hosting a virtual holiday running streak. Runners are encouraged to log at least one mile each day from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. I'm down with all of this except for the New Year's Day run... The New Year is a special holiday for me, and I fully intend to be nursing a hangover on 1/1/12. I can't justify breaking my New Year's celebration streak (12 years and counting!) just to start another.

But streaking from Thanksgiving to Christmas day... That's mighty tempting!

So what do you think...
Is it time for a little streaking?
If you want to get in on the streaking action, leave a note in the comments section so we can keep each other motivated for the daily mile minimum!