Runstreak Day #262 - relaxing about running

Day 262... is it?  I have a feeling it is.

Let me check...

*disappears*

Yup.  262 days of this running malarky.  I wasn't aiming for that.  I wasn't aiming for anything other than the original Advent Streak of running from December 1st to Christmas Day.  And now most of my goals are of that kind of vague nature.  I wanted to run a 5k in under 30 minutes... then under 25 minutes.  A 10k in under an hour seemed like a nice target.  Then one under 55 minutes.  And now, whatever happens, happens!  When it comes to next month's half marathon, I'd kinda like to get a time under 2 hours, but I really don't care that much.

I think that relaxing about running is the thing that's changed most in my running streak.  Running isn't an activity to be 'done'.  It just is.  Like walking.  Eating.  Sleeping.  You just do it.  Without too much thought, and it gets done.  I don't stress about 'fuelling' before a run.  Or what I eat afterwards.  I don't get worried about needing to rest, I just do the run that feels right on whatever day.

And at the start of my run streak, I'd never run with anyone else.  I was far far too nervous about it.  I'd been running for a matter of months and didn't think I was a 'proper runner'.  And now?  Now, as with tonight, I get to have lovely chatty runs with friends I've made through my running.  I don't worry about what pace we're doing when we run together, I just enjoy running with them.  It strikes me that I'm in a really happy place with my running these days.  I can do more than I realise, I can hold my own in a group of runners... and I've really learned how to enjoy it for what it is.  Not what I might want it to be.

Anyhoo... 262 days in a row of this whole running stuff.  Tackled plenty of hills without feeling any anxiety about it.  The aeroplane arms came out.  Finished 5 miles with nice fresh happy legs.

Celebratory cuppa anyone?  ;o)

Geeky stats stuff