The end of a 4 year streak

~Because it took me so long to finish this post, it ended up very picture heavy, not quite how I wanted to write it.  I just wanted to get it done. ~

I started this post the second week of November, I worked on it the first week of December and then have just kind of ignored it. I think this post is going to be a long one, and I just haven't wanted to take the time to write it.  Plus, I have so many thoughts about it, that it's hard to wrangle them into one space.  Often, lately (and by lately I mean the last several years) when I have a lot going on or a lot to share, I do just a picture post, but this one deserves more. 

I'm talking about the end of my run streak.

Maybe I'll start with the beginning of my run streak: 

    I have been kicking around the idea of a run streak.  I know that there is a popular one from Thanksgiving through New Year's.  I've never done a run streak, but for some reason, this year, it sounds interesting.  The rules of a run streak are that you have to run at least one mile every single day.  There was a story on the news a few weeks ago about a guy with the 5th longest run streak, he had ran for 40+ years, every day, one mile.  Then one day he was hurt and he quit mid-run.  I can't imagine running that much, I think he was in his late 70's when he quit.  Then I heard my supervisor and another lady at my work talking about their 100 day run streak (they didn't really do it though, they committed to 100 miles in 100 days but they counted a 5 mile run and then they didn't have to run for 4 days if they didn't want to, and neither one of them actually accomplished 100 miles in 100 days), but it got me thinking that it would be interesting if I could do it.

I am terrible at follow through, unless it's a race.  So I wonder if I can come up with some sort of reward for completing it.  I don't know what that would be though.  It has to be something I wouldn't do or get anyway. 

I wrote that on Oct. 22, 2018 and you can find it here, 

It's funny that I wrote "I'm terrible at follow through . . ."  That run streak lasted 4 years.  

I have thought a lot about why I decided to do it, and I look at the year I started, 2018.  That was a hugely significant year for me, it was the year I lost my Mom.  I know for a fact that I started school (master's degree) as a result of losing her, I needed something to take my thoughts away from the pain and memories.  But did I start a run streak because of it?  Maybe, not consciously, but maybe.  I also stopped running races.  Oh I ran a few, in 2018 I ran ones I had already committed to, plus the one I found while we were in Ocean Shores and the half marathon on my Mom's birthday that year. But I really lost the desire to run races after my Mom died.  I think it was the idea at the time that there were such bigger things than races.  

I know that one of the reasons I kept running every day was because of my Dad.  I've suspected for years that deep down my Dad wanted to be a runner.  When I was in high school (and younger) I loved running. (You can read how and when I learned I loved running here.) My Dad would challenge me to a race, he always won, of course, but I enjoyed it.  When I started running I decided to do Bloomsday  because he mentioned thinking about doing it.  He talked about doing it every year that my sister and I have, and he even started training for it (walking) 6 or 7 years ago but he got sick and never really got back into training.  Anyway, every time I talked to my Dad he would ask me "Still running?" and I would say yes and give him the number of days of my run streak.  I think he enjoyed that I was doing it.  

So what does 4 years of daily running look like?  Well, I've run everywhere (well, I never did run in an airport and always thought that would be cool).  I ran back and forth (and back and forth and back and forth) in a hospital room when Maddox had his appendix taken out. 

I didn't realize that happened right after I started my runstreak.  That picture was taken Thanksgiving 2018, which I started the streak the first of November 2018.

Races

In June of 2019 I ran my first (and only) Ragnar, which also was my last in person race.  My Dad came over and "followed" me while I ran.  He often asked when I was going to do it again.  I had decided to do it, mainly for him, but then he died.  I don't really have a desire to run another Ragnar.

ragnar

I did a few virtual runs, this one, the Tulip Run, was the last Tulip run I did.  I have not done it since, and it used to be one of my "always" runs from the very beginning of my running journey. 

Trips

At the end of February of 2019 I went to Hawaii with my sister and brother-in-law (and Chris).  I will say, Hawaii is my most favorite run ever.  If I go back, I will probably run everyday while there.  I love it, even when I feel like I don't want to or don't have time, I still love it.

And then in August of 2019 my Dad took us on a cruise to Alaska.  

I will say it over and over, Hawaii running is my favorite.  There is no better view.  These two were in 2021 and I can't wait to go back so I can run there again . . . well, and do all the fun sun things.  😊

I ran in Long Beach, WA.

In 2019, I ran in Idaho while there for my 20 year college class reunion.

I ran at the Grand Canyon, sadly I didn't run along the Canyon, I wish I had.  If we had gone when the original trip was planned, with my Dad, I would have been able to because our hotel was right along the Canyon.  However, he died a month before that trip was supposed to happen so was postponed.  

We went to Vancouver, WA a couple times in the last few years for different family (Chris's family) events.  I think this one was his Grandma's 90th birthday party in 2021.

In 2020 we went to Deer Lake 3 times between March and September, the most we had ever been there in one year.  Somehow, we have continued to do long weekends, as well as our yearly August trip since then.  I ran every day while there.  

Pandemic

I ran through a pandemic, seeing deer in the middle of town in the middle of the day.

The creepiest run I've done in a long time, through a cemetery in the fog.

Also, in 2020 being cooped up at home forced social issues to be realized, or was at least highlighted.  "Irunwithmaud" was the hashtag after Armaud Arbery was murdered by men who chased him while he ran.  

In 2017 (pre-run streak), I started having a pain in my leg that I found out was caused by arthritis in my hip.  I had been pretty much ignoring it, until sometime in the last 4 years.  I found this stuff, Dragon Balm, which has CBD oil and rubbed it on my trouble areas.  It smells terrible but worked okay.  Then I started doing yoga with my sister in 2021 and that has almost completely alleviated the pain from my arthritis (I still recommend this stuff though).

Kids

I ran with my kids, even Asher, who was the cutest runner partner I had.  He just bounced, and bounced while I ran on my treadmill.  😄

Eastern Washington

In 2022 I ran in eastern WA a lot.  I was there monthly dealing with my dad's house.  I have so many pictures there.  I ran the day my Dad died, and I ran the day after he died.  (On a side note, I remember my first run after my Mom died, she died of a lung disease and being out of breath made me think of her.  It was maybe my hardest run ever. But it wasn't during my runstreak.)

My most favorite running picture ever.

In 2019 they did repairs on the highway close to my Dad's house so they closed several miles of it.  I grew up there, never walked on that highway, but that year, I got to run on it.

This was actually December of 2021, it was sub-zero temperatures and I ran around the barn 4 times (I think) to get to one mile because it was easier than running on the road. 

Same area, different season.

Milestones

I reached one year on my runstreak and thought I was so clever to write "365" on my route.  It wasn't until a day later, after I posted on Facebook, that a friend of mine asked why I ran "E65."  😂😂

My two year runstreak anniversary . . . I swore I took a different picture, but I can't find it, and this was taken on Oct. 31, 2020, so it has to be the one.  

I thought 900 days in a row was a big deal, so I decided to try to write a number again and was much more successful than E65.  

For 2021 I went to a trail near my house and did my runstreak anniversary run.  

2022 was a year I didn't do anything exciting for my runstreak anniversary.  I think I may have even been sick that year.

And my last day of my "official" runstreak.  I actually ended up running two more days after this because the weather was so nice.  But the reason I ended it was so I could run when I wanted to, not because I felt I had to.  So I ran . . . because I wanted to.  (Although I did joke with my sister that it was runstreak days 1 and 2.)

Seasons

Obviously I ran through all seasons.  Fall and spring are my favorite, but not while it's raining or windy.

It wouldn't really count if I didn't include the season of rain (which is about 10 months of the year)

I ran on Christmas day and in the snow (which I love).  I love running while it's snowing, as long as there isn't snow already on the road.  😊

This was after a treadmill run.  I was so hot, I thought a snow angel would be a great way to cool down.  It was . . . maybe too cool though.  I think I much prefer the method of cooling down in the pool after a hot run during the summer.  😂

Treadmill running

I think 2022 was the year of the treadmill . . . and the one mile runs.  However, these pictures span from 2018 to the end of my runstreak.

My brand new treadmill.

Maybe I'm not running in this picture, but I did, at the beginning of the pandemic, walk a lot on my treadmill while I worked from home.  Once I got my "closet office" I quit doing it, but it was really nice for a while.  

The end