One Mile

As you know, I signed up for the April "Run Your Ass Off" Challenge.  The premise behind the challenge is to run one mile every day in April.  If you miss a day, you run three miles the next day.  You skip two days?  Run five miles.  

Because of this, today hosted a rare event:  an afternoon run.  My morning didn't lend itself to a run.  In the past the answer to that was a simple,  "Oh well, maybe next time".  Today I was supposed to run a mile.  And I really didn't want to run three miles tomorrow.  (Tomorrow is Thursday.  On Thursdays I play Mah Jongg.  I was already trying to figure out how to get one mile in; three was too much to contemplate.)  So, even though I had already gotten dressed for the day (make-up and everything) and been out in the world, I changed into my running gear, and  since it is still chillingly cold outside, hopped on the treadmill. 

As I was running, I kept thinking that this was a lot to go through for a mile.  If I was going to go to the trouble of getting all sweaty anyway, shouldn't I put on some mileage? Shouldn't I really make it worth my while?

No.  After taking the long, cold winter off, this mile-a-day challenge is exactly what I need right now.  I need to concentrate on consistency.  The low mileage makes it easy to get to every day.  The higher mileage penalties incentivize the daily run.  Again, this is exactly what I need.

[I will not be running this Friday and Saturday (guests in town).  To make up for those two missed days, I am running a previously scheduled 10K on Sunday--all within the rules.]

I will be running a mile every day.  I am looking for consistency.  In that consistency, I will strive for improvement.  

Yesterday, I ran my mile almost a minute faster than Monday.  Today, I ran a couple of seconds faster than yesterday. Tomorrow?  Maybe another second. Or two.   And in the end, I hope to regain my running self that I let languish over the winter.

Did you run today?  Are you running tomorrow?