As I came upon a familiar spot on my daily run I stopped and
took a selfie with the lake in the background and another picture of the view I
was taking in. It was December 30th
and it was beautiful morning with temperatures in the high thirties and the sun
shining strongly meaning that the temperatures would rise up near sixty degrees
that day. While this run was one of my more routine runs it was important to
me. As was the spot where I stopped, it meant that I had passed 3,000 miles of
running (There were a few walks and hikes sprinkled in as well.) this calendar
year. The vast majority of those miles I
had amassed stepping out my front door on routine runs. Even some of the others
were a short five minute drive from my house to do trail runs in a park near my
house.
That is not to say there were not some amazing and even epic
runs this past year away from home. I had completed two marathons one in
Atlantic City and one in New York State.
I had done a 100 miles in a Connecticut race. I had run a 100k in
central New Jersey. Finally my most epic run was running the length of my home
state of New Jersey from High Point to the Cape May Lighthouse. A journey of
196 miles. There were also other half marathons sprinkled in as well. Yet all
those achievements were made possible, by stepping out my front door for those
routine runs.
The foundation for successful running is the routine. If you
stop running or become erratic in your routine the races become harder. When I
first took up running I would train for a race maybe a half marathon and then
sign up for another race so I would not be tempted to slow down. Now I am in a
perpetual state of training ready to take on most any distance under fifty
miles the upcoming weekend.
I used the term “successful running” as if we all have the
same definition. We obviously do not. For me however it is enjoying every run
and when you are in a race happy with where you place because you did your best.
I am an older runner so I am never part of the lead pack. At the end of a
“successful” run you may be breathing heavy with your hands on your knees with
a little exhaustion but a lot of euphoria.
A key for me in logging so many miles is that I have to run
outdoors. I love doing long runs and my “short” run is often seven miles. While
I have a treadmill I use it when I need to only get in a few miles as a second
run on a lunch break or when my schedule prevents me to have the time for a
longer run.
Living in a distinct four season area in the state of New Jersey that means running in all types of weather and temperatures. That means running in rain and snow. Temperatures ranging from single digits to 90 degrees. Sometimes you experience the temperature ranges in the same week. For example on the same week that I went over 3,000 miles I was bundled up for a five degree run with layers of clothes hats and gloves and a week later I was in shorts and a t-shirt as temperatures were in the mid-fifties. I know many runners who are fair weather runners who will not run outside once the thermometer hits freezing. I believe that there is a huge benefit to a runner to be able to run in all conditions. Especially if you want to eventually conquer long distance like marathons or ultra-marathons. You cannot be guaranteed great weather on race day.
Yet despite my bravados about conquering the weather that
does not mean I just easily go out my front door every morning. No I can
readily state that the hardest step on all those runs, is the first step out
the front door. A nice cup of coffee is so appealing scrolling through social
media or reading a book. Sometimes even though I have run in ice cold weather
before, a rest day is more appealing than bundling up. Sometimes the hardest
step is just the one getting out of bed. I can’t just get up and run. I need at
least thirty to forty minutes to truly wake up before running. It seems so easy
to just walk out your front door doesn’t it? Yet many a New Year Resolutions
are broken because of the inability to open the front door.
In any case all those mental battles and gyrations that I
have to overcome before my run are similar to what other runner’s experience. It
is as if I can hear my front door laughing at me. I hear it saying “Not so dedicated today are you? Better luck
tomorrow.” I am not sure about others but when I miss a run because I gave
into all those obstacles I beat myself up. Luckily I win those battles a lot
more than I lose.
As I finished my run that put me over 3,000 miles for the
year I stopped my Garmin and the last step felt great. Another great run. As I walked to my house there was my front
door greeting me. It was no longer an obstacle but the finishing line
congratulating me on my accomplishment. The man entering the house is always a
happier man than the one who goes out.
A new year has begun and I would like to reach that same
milestone again. My front door is always there every morning challenging and
congratulating me. I love this battle.
The view at 3,000 miles.
