Why I Ended My Running Streak

It was Fall 2010, and I was the heaviest I've ever been in my life.  So I started to run.  I made it a quarter mile.  But I went out again the next day.  And I kept trying.  I ran a mile.  I ran 2 miles.

In December 2010, I ran my first 5K.  I was hooked.  I was losing weight.  So I made a vow to run at least one race every month.  I thought it was just going to be for a few months.

4 years later.  56 races later.  A triathlon, 6 half marathons, and a marathon later.  1,000+ miles of running later.  Here I am.

And I am done.

I decided that it was time for me to end my streak.  I struggled making this decision for months, but in the end it was easy.  And here's why.

The streak isn't for me now what it was for me then.

It has evolved over the past 4 years into many different things.

In the beginning, the streak was about one thing - accountability.  I figured that no matter what, once a month I would push myself.  I struggled to run a couple miles, so this was that chance to see if I could do it, and if my race didn't go well, which many of them didn't, it served as the motivation I needed to keep going.

Then, once I started being able to run 3+ miles consistently, and the weight kept coming off, my running turned into a test to see how far I could take it.  So I built my way up to a 10K.  Then I built my way up to something I thought I could never accomplish - a half marathon.

That's when my running went crazy.  In a 2 year stretch, I ran 6 half marathons, a Tough Mudder, a triathlon, and a marathon.  The streak became the incentive I needed to push my body to every imaginable limit and keep pursuing the impossible.

It was after these feats that the unimagined happened.  The streak became a burden.  My fitness declined.  I gained weight.  I ate too much.  I ran too little.  So every race I've done, I have been declining.  And declining.

Here I am, back at a place where I don't want to be with my fitness and my running.

It's time for a fresh start.

I've realized that I need to fall in love with running again, and the only way I can do that is to let the streak go.  I won't even be tracking miles in 2015.  Get back to the root of it - nothing but me, some headphones, and the pavement.  No pressures.  No stresses.  Just running.

I plan on running many, many, many more races in the future.  As long as I am able to move, I hope that running will be a part of my life.  And I will race again soon.

It's just time that I get all the other junk out of the way, find races that will drive me to be at my best, and run for the love of running again.

See you on the roads and the trails.

So This is 30

Here I am... finally hitting the 30 mark!  Kristen and I spent an amazing 30th birthday weekend taking in the sights and sounds of the Super Bowl - catching some of the events and watching the big game on the big day with my favorite gal!

So with that, my 30 Before 30 List officially comes to an end.  A year full of amazing memories and incredible triumphs.  To read posts about the things that I accomplished, click here.  However, there were a handful of things that I didn't get accomplished.  So although the list officially comes to a close, the remaining things still are my goals:

1.  Read the Bible

I made it about halfway through this year, and I can't wait to see what else lies in the pages.

2.  Run marathon #2 - sub- 5:00

I've debated about this one since I ran my first marathon a year and a half ago.  Some days I lean toward running another.  Some days I don't.  So we'll see what the future holds for this goal.

5.  Publish or Sell a Photograph

This fall, I was able to have a few of my photos featured in a gallery in Gunnison.  It very much accomplished what had I intended - taking a risk and taking my photography to a new level.  So although nothing sold or published, it was a successful year.

11.  Be Debt Free

This was a huge goal from the get-go.  I did manage to knock a couple thousand dollars off my grand total though, so we're getting there!

12.  PR in 3 race distances: 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon

I managed to do well in a 10K, but overall, my running tanked this year.  Back to the grind!

17.  Get below 200 pounds

Not anywhere close, and actually went the wrong way...

21.  Do a pull up 

I actually came closer than I've ever come on a couple of occasions.  This is the year!

23.  See a mountain lion in the wild

Some day...

28.  1 Second Every Day Project

I have the videos... now I just need the time to make the final project.

30.  Do something unforgettable

This year was amazing, but outside of the things I DID accomplish on the list, nothing really warrants the grandiose caliber I was hoping for to cross this one off.

Despite the fact I didn't hit all my goals, the purpose of this whole thing was met and exceeded.  I wanted this to be a great year, and this gave it a fun spin on it.  And when all was said and done, 29 was one of the best years I've ever had in my life.

But 30 is shaping up to be one for the ages.  Stay tuned!

#6 - Land a Flip

Ah yes, probably the list item I was most nervous about...

I headed to Jump Street in Denver to attempt to accomplish this one.

I got on the trampolines and just had to give it a go.

The first several attempts, I didn't go around far enough and landed on my butt and legs.

Then, I finally got the rotation down, but would have too much momentum and launch forward, ungracefully crashing into the trampoline beneath me.

Then, on about the 12th try...

Boom!