I Am A Streaker!

OK, before anyone gets the wrong idea, I am not talking about stripping all my clothes off running around town like Will Ferrell in "Old School". When I say streaking, I am referring to a running streak.

I had big goals for 2015, so big some people suggested that I split them into two years as the training for a Boston Qualifier and a 50 and 100 mile ultra marathon are very different. I was motivated at the time, but I was going to need and incredible amount of motivation to train (basically alone), for such lofty goals.

One day I was on the phone with Houston Wolf (a fellow Maniac and Streaker). I told him my goals, and being as crazy as I am when it comes to running, he encouraged me to start a running streak. He said it had really helped him get out the door everyday. He said for the streak to count you have to run at least one mile everyday. I wasn't sure how I could do it. Then he said, "How long does it take to run a mile?" I said, "Well, even at a slow pace it would take less than 10 minutes."  He came back with, "Come on! You can do anything for less than 10 minutes!" He was right and the streak started 8/24/14.

It wasn't always easy. I was traveling a lot and sometimes had to do my streak run in jeans and boots around airports to get it in. The day after the Big Cottonwood Marathon in mid September, I ran with a 102 degree temperature. I only ran a very slow and easy mile, but I got it in. In late October, I injured my SI joint during the Marine Corps Marathon and for the next month, my runs looked more like hobbling than running, but I got that one mile in.

So here I am one year after starting my streak and what has streaking done for me? Well, a lot. It made getting out that door a habit. Even when I didn't want to get up early or run late after work, the streak kept me going. This led to better training for my goals. I wanted to run a 50 miler this year, CHECK! I wanted to get fast enough to qualify for Boston (something that I NEVER thought I would do), CHECK! I wanted to run every day for at least one year and be included in the United States Running Streak Association's list of streakers- CHECK!

I still have 2 goals on my list (running a 100 miler and completing my 100th marathon/ultra), which I hope to achieve on Oct 3rd-4th at the Arkansas Traveller 100. None of this would be possible if I had not started my streak.

Thanks to everyone that has encouraged (or put up with) me during this past year. I promise there will fewer selfies now! Thanks Houston for inspiring me to get on this crazy streak. I will always be grateful to you for that.