Yesterday, I wrapped up my running for the month of June and am very satisfied to write that not only did I achieve my goal of running every day of the month, I also completed over 100 miles in the month of June. It was the first time that I have ever run every day in a month and it was definitely a challenge some days as the temperatures rose into the 90's and the aches and pains poked and prodded at my body.
This last week was a particular challenge, as I did something to my left leg - not sure what but it felt like it was out of place and my knee area was very tight and painful. It started mostly after my 8 mile run last Sunday but I didn't feel it until some time after the run was complete. So, this week I was very cognizant of altering my stride and putting as little impact as possible on my knee while doing some stretching in between runs. I'm glad to say that the knee discomfort continued to improve throughout the week and is back to near normal today.
This month has been really good for me in a few ways.
First, if you read my last blog post, Setting Goals, near the beginning of the month, I was struggling with depression and the main reason I set the goal of running every day in June was to keep myself focused on something to occupy my thoughts. I'm glad to say that it definitely helped my mental state and gave me reason and purpose.
Second, it helped bolster my self image. Every goal that we set and achieve brings a sense of accomplishment and with it increased self appreciation. The importance of goals in life cannot be over emphasized because goals are tied directly to hope.
Third, I had to be strategic this month which is essential to increased mental acumen. Running every day meant none of the rest days that are so important to a long term running regime. Muscles need time to rest and with running every day, one can easily get caught up in increasing the speed and distance to the point of over exerting the muscles, joints and bones of the body. I had to intentionally run very short and slow on my scheduled "rest" days and continue to monitor myself throughout each run to ensure that I was running in a sustainable fashion. There were a number of times that I wanted to run hard and fast on the rest days (and unfortunately, a couple of times I did) but I constantly reminded myself about the overall goal of being able to run every day. If I had over exerted myself early on, I very likely wouldn't have been able to achieve the goal I set for the month.
So, here I am on July 1st and this will be the first run free day after running 31 days in a row. The immediate goal now in front of me related to running is to let my knee have a few days of complete rest from running and then decide what's in store for July. I'll be in Florida for a bit so it's always exciting to plan runs in new areas so I'm sure that will fit somewhere into the plans.
As always, thanks to those who take the time to read. Happy Running!
