Hi Y’all,
A mile a day needs some creative thinking to keep a run streak alive. I’ve come up with 5 creative ways to one mile a day to keep your run streak alive and interesting.
So today is day 2 of a tradition of mine, the Runner’s World Holiday Run Streak. It starts on Thanksgiving and goes through New Year’s Day. When I first heard about the streak, I thought it would be a great way to keep active over the holidays which also coincided with the end of the training program before the start of another. It was 2013 and I had just finished my first half marathon with plans on another in March…
Let me back up a bit and explain for those who don’t know, what the Runner’s World Holiday Run Streak entails. It is at least a mile a day every day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. The mile is not a cumulative accounting of steps for the day but should be a continuous mile either running or walking. As a matter of fact, the United States Streak Association, Inc defines a streak as “at least one mile (1.61 kilometers) within each calendar day. Running may occur on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill.” You can even make your streak official, but you can only do that after a year continuously streaking.
Now that you know a bit about the streak (for more details check out the Runner’s World FAQ’s), know that my first try didn’t take. I made it about half-way. It took a second try the next year to make it all the way through the streak. Giving it a try was the important part.
If you are going to give this streak a try, know you will need some creative ways to get in your miles. Try one or all of these 5 creative ways to get one mile a day and keep your streak alive.
- Get your speed work on! Try doing some 400M fast then recover for 200M and repeat. You will be surprised how quickly your mile will fly by. Plus, you will get in some of that speed work you’ve been meaning to try.
- Every quarter-mile add a bodyweight movement. Try doing 10 air squats after the first quarter-mile, 10 walking lunges after the second quarter-mile, 10 jumping jacks after the third quarter, and finish your mile with 10 monster walks (walking sideways in a high squat). You will be able to get your mile plus some strength training too. Even better you can do a few rounds of this to get a great workout!
- Run the bases and outfield. Find a baseball field. Run the bases and then run a lap around the outfield. Repeat the laps until you reach a mile
- Change of scenery! Try hiking or running on a trail. If you normally run on asphalt, your legs and mind will thank you for seeking out a trail. It really is a relaxing time on the right trail. Plus it will add an adventure to your streak. You may just find a new place to add to your regular run schedule.
- Short building sprints on a tennis court. Find a tennis court and run from the back fence to the backcourt line. Run back to the fence, then run to the midcourt line. Return to the fence. Next stop is the net and back to the back fence. Run from the back fence to the opposite midcourt line. Return to your starting fence and run to the opposite backcourt line and return to your start. The last segment is to run from the fence to fence. Keep your watch going until you hit a mile. Guaranteed to be a high-intensity workout with a change of pace from your normal sprints.
I plan on trying some if not all of these during my streak. One of my personal favorite ways to get in one mile or more on an active recovery day is to walk my dog. She is happy to help me get in a mile or so. It is slow going at times but gives her some much-needed exercise too. Each run streak whether only the 40 days of awesome or years long can be the much-needed boost to your fitness journey.
Let me know if you plan on streaking. I would love to hear about some of your creative ways to get in one mile a day.
Telling you to be creative during a streak or challenge,
TJ
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TJ Tells It | COPYRIGHT © 2019 · TJ Hadley
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