1,000 Miles Ran, a few lessons learned
In 2017, I set out to run 1,000 miles. Perhaps like you, I’ve set New Years resolutions that I didn’t keep. This time worked – here are a few lessons learned along the way.
#1: Running IS NOT FUN
I thought running would be like a Nike commercial on replay…
I quickly realized that running day after day just can be a grind. It’s work. Don’t expect to always enjoy the process.
#2: Goals > Resolutions
If you set a resolution like “I’m going to run five days a week”, what happens if you mess up on week two? You already lost. Why keep going?
A goal is different. 1,000 miles in a year meant I could mess up in any given week – and most weeks, I did. In fact, I was 14 miles behind schedule on the average day in 2017.
But in the end, the goal structure meant there was room to make it up. That’s what motivates you to get up off the couch, brave the rain, and get it done. After all, that’s the whole point of a fitness goal, isn’t it?
#3: Steady Progress > Feats of Strength
On my Nike-ad days, I put in 8 miles. But these were typically followed by a couple days off – a daily average of ~2.5 miles/day.
Later in the year, I realized I could run 4 to 5 miles per day for weeks at a time. Hands down, this was the best strategy to make consistent gains.
I wonder how much this applies to other goals — say, a multi-year project or venture. Does slow and steady win the race?
Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year and underestimate what they can accomplish in ten. – Bill Gates
Maybe Ol’ Bill has a point. If you focus on a clear goal and make steady progress day after day, you can accomplish a lot.
One more thing
Viewing progress in different formats impacted my motivation to hit the goal. Here’s the main chart I used to track progress – it shows how far ahead or behind I was for each day of the year:
When running behind schedule, this graph produced pessimism. But this second view put setbacks into perspective:
This long term view made “huge” delays look more like quick breaks, and gave me the motivation to recover lost ground.
Other Tips
A few other things that helped hit the goal:
- Get a running start. In December of last year, I did some running to get a feel for my pace and make sure this was something I wanted to commit to.
- Develop some rules. In my case, miles only counted if they were at 8 min/mile or better. Figure out the right rules so you can’t cheat.
- Tracking is key. I used Runtastic (outdoor) or a quick picture of the treadmill (indoor) then tracked miles in this spreadsheet.
Good luck accomplishing your goals in 2018!
