10 years?

I’m lucky enough to have developed a running habit that doesn’t force me to think about running very often.  It’s nice to be on autopilot and to have routines that just make running a natural part of each day.  This morning while running, though, I realized that it was mid May.  This was the runniversary date of my old 6 year running streak.  As I continued thinking about numbers, which is very difficult for me, I realized that with the exception of that one terrible month in 2018, I’ve been running every single day for 10 years.

Let’s lay that out more clearly.  In May 2012 I started keeping track of running a 5K every day.  In July 2018, I let a surgeon cut me open and in return he told me I couldn’t run for 4 weeks.  Weird trade.  In August 2018, minutes from being given the all-clear from the surgeon to run again, I started the streak back up.  And one more total-honesty disclaimer…there were about 3 days while suffering through COVID-19 in January 2021 that I only managed to run 1 mile instead of 3.1 miles.  Those are my only “rest day runs” in 10 years.  All other runs were 3.1 miles at a minimum.  One was 26.2 miles.

Without attempting any math, we can agree that’s a lot of miles over 10 years.  The miles, however, are not the point at all.  Maybe there’s dedication or determination to be found by others who look at 10 years of running but that’s not really the point either.  The thing that keeps returning to my mind as I think about the last 10 years of running is this:  If there’s anything you like about me, it’s probably due to running.

To the non-runner I’m sure this seems nonsensical but I am prepared to present my case.  We’ve established I’m no mathematician and I’ll also let you know I’m no scientist, but Google will be happy to provide scientific studies to back any of the claims I make about how running makes me who I am.  

The most obvious point seems to be my personality.  We either like people or we don’t based on their personality.  Are we to believe that running every day affects my personality?  Absolutely.  Improved self-esteem, improved confidence and lower stress levels are all data-based results of running and I’d argue that these along with one other key ingredient makes up a huge part of my personality.  More on that later.

The health benefits of running are obvious and again, easily Googled.  Faster metabolism, lower risk for heart disease, lower risk for high blood pressure, lower risk of diabetes, increased lung capacities, improved immune defense and weight reduction and maintenance are all well-known results of running.  All those pile up to generally improve mood and personality.

Let’s talk a minute about the connection with improved brain function and creativity.  I often run very early to start my day and I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve completely figured out my schedule, solved problems, and mentally processed important things during this time.  The increased blood flow to the brain stimulates all the creative parts and my sketchbook is all the evidence I need of that.  Where do you get your ideas?  How did you think of that?  That would be running.  I’m the artist I am today because of running.  

Using the broader term of “mental health” which is so popular these days, we can talk about how running reduces stress.  This may be the one that I notice most often in my life.  After a run, either I’ve figured something out, ran through 14 different tough conversations in my head or I’ve exerted myself to the point where I’ve ran the stress right out of me.  After the run, particularly the longer runs, the endorphins are released and I just feel better about everything.  Let’s not forget the importance of sleep when we consider mental health.  A good running regimen will have you falling asleep before your head stops sinking into the pillow.  True fact.  Run 10 miles with me and let’s see how we sleep. Mix all of this together and you get a pretty healthy picture of a person emotionally and mentally.  

Finally, we come to coffee, the other key ingredient.  100% of regular runners enjoy coffee and as we all know, coffee is the real reason any of us are likeable.  Just like my run, you don’t get to talk to me before I’ve had my coffee.  Once I’ve had both, I transform into the friendly guy you’ve come to love.   

So there you have it.  Five good reasons why running either brought us together or kept us friends.  I may have fudged that coffee paragraph, but I don’t really know anyone who would challenge it either.  

Like it or not, numbers are a thing and while I’ve been streaking for 10 years except for that dreadful four weeks, the 6 year streak ended in July 2018 and the new one began in August 2018.  The new streak will be 4 years old in a few months and then I’ll only have 6 more years to go to make it to 10 streak years.  Hopefully you’ll still like me then.  Maybe we’ll have a coffee together.