Holiday Running Streak

It’s been a quiet fall for me–that is quiet on the racing front.  It’s the first time in awhile that I haven’t had any fall races on the calendar and I’m starting to miss having a challenge on my plate.  So the other day when I read one of my favorite Runner’s World columns, The Newbie Chronicles, I decided to take author Marc Parent’s advice and sign up for the Runner’s World Holiday Running Streak. Parent describes this as “a challenge to run at least one mile every day through the sticky-bun gravy-trough of Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.  You sign on and gut it out for the next 40-plus days or call yourself a quitter…essentially [this is a] Don’t-Get-Stinking-Fat Holiday Streak.”

I don’t know about you but I need a little extra motivation to get out the door during the holiday season.  A. It’s cold out; B. I don’t want to run after gorging myself on treats; and C. the Time Factor–there is always somewhere to be, someone to visit, shopping to do, priorities to be had, etc.  No excuses this season.  I’m not saying don’t “eat, drink and be merry” but a challenge like this is easy enough to get me out the door and provide guilt-free indulgence later (plus when I’m running I usually don’t crave cookies and pies as much!). I love Parent’s humor in the column and he hit the nail on the head here, “You never feel guilty about the run you don’t take when you take them all.”

If you are interested but not sure this is for you, check out the Frequently Asked Questions posted by Runner’s World.  I’ll see you out there!  Follow me @MileOneCounting #RWRunStreak.