I haven’t written daily updates of my progress in Runner’s World 2012 Holiday Running Streak on the blog.

I have been tweeting my runs daily, and plan to write a full post on the streak once it has ended.  But today, on Day 37 of the streak, I have a few things to share.

I will write more about this in a separate post, but the run streak is meant to last for forty days.  Yesterday was Day 36 and I struggled to get out of bed.  I was exhausted from the day before; it was dark out, cold and raining heavily.  All signs pointed me back to bed.  So I slept in and planned to go to the gym in the evening.  But after a long day at work, followed by some errands, I could scarcely find the motivation to do that.

I had promised El Profesor that I would walk to the gym with him, but told him that I wouldn’t be staying for his whole workout.  I had one goal:  run one treadmill mile. Then I could stretch, go home, blog and call it a day.  This was the first day during the streak that I actually wanted to skip my run.  Yet, having come this far in to it, how could I stop now?  I couldn’t. I would only disappoint myself.

So I pushed myself through a single mile run on a treadmill.  I walked one minute to warm up and one minute to cool down.  Each quarter mile, I increased my pace.  But it was less about finding my groove, and more about wanting to get the run over with.

I had hoped that I would find my motivation in that mile; that afterwards, I would join El Profesor on an elliptical to push through another half hour or so of cardio and keep him company.  But I couldn’t do it.  I told EP I was going to stretch and head home.  He was cool about it…cooler than me.

When I am disappointed by a run, I often set a steadfast goal for my next run.  I planned to run eight miles this morning.  But by mile three, I knew it just wasn’t going to happen.  I was wearing run pants instead of run tights and the lack of compression made me feel every ache in my sore legs.  My chosen course was hilly and the very thought of doing two laps was wearing me out.  When I started feeling a twinge in my hip, I headed for home.

The streak is beginning to wear me out.  Knowing that there are only a few days left keeps me going, though.

I want to finish the rest of the streak strong.  I want to finish with a challenging long run.  It will give me a sense of pride and a sense of achievement.

4.5 hilly miles made for a challenging run this morning.  I wanted more, sure, but it did the trick.  I felt that I had worked hard, but still had enough energy to follow it up with an intense upper body strength training session, some ab work and very focused time on the foam roller.

Tomorrow is another day — another day for an excellent run.

Day 38, here I come!

Run On™