Day 300 - (untitled)

Today was run 300.

There wasn't much else special about it. Like so many of the 299 days before, my schedule was crammed, I was tired, I didn't feel so great. And I certainly didn't feel like running.

But... I did. I ran after everything else was taken care of... at 8:30p, in the dark, with the dog.

Just like every one of the 299 days before, my day was better with the run than it would have been without it.

On Day 9 of this streak, while standing in the shower, I drew a "9" on the glass wall with my finger. I had never run 9 days in a row before. I just stared at the number, letting it sink in. Letting myself feel good about it.

Then, I drew a line under it. And under the line, I wrote "365".

That put things into perspective.

9/365 = 0.025

What I was trying to do was almost unimaginably larger than the best I'd ever done.

That kinda freaked me out.

But, by adding one run, one day at a time, day after day, today I hit 300.

3-effin'-00!

300 is hard to imagine. Try to picture 300 of something... seriously, try... I'll wait...

Hard isn't it...

Here, see if this helps...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Doesn't seem like that many, really. Like, if they were M&Ms. But pretend you have to lace up and head out for each one of those, without skipping even one day, and you'll see it differently.

I know 300 is more days than I ever thought I could run in a row. Yet I know that I'll make it to 365.

After December 31st, I'm not sure what I'll do. To be honest, the streak has taken a toll on my body. Going from hardly running at all to running every day is pretty irresponsible. Doing it at my age is certifiable. Adding that mess to minimalist running is just stupid.

For the damage it's done to my connective tissue, it's done 10 times as much good for the rest of me. Carving out a few minutes everyday for myself to process, examine, measure, work through things, put things into perspective, forgive, or just escape the world and be present in every breath and foot fall, has been the best thing I've ever done for myself.

And the beauty of the streak is that I continue to do that best thing, every day.

Good running,
Doug

Numbers: 3.1 miles on the streets in the dark.