Running Training - Starting a Run-Streak

A friend of mine challenged me to start a #RunStreak - an unbroken number of days where one runs a certain amount. We have self-selected 1 mile to be our minimum daily quota. I've made it 1 week so far, but it hasn't been easy. Cold mornings are never fun.

I've been running for over 10 years and logged countless hours on the road. If pressed to answer, I'd say I've unknowingly achieved a run streak of 1 month or so. Having never set a goal to run every day, it's never been important to me. 

This challenge did get me thinking about a few things. First, who is really good at running every day?

Apparently avid runner Mark Covert has this thing down, and I mean to the ground. Answer 1  - check!

Another question this challenge brought up was about the value of running every day. What good could 1 mile do? If I've just finished a hard set of intervals the day before and my legs are totally shot, why lace up for such a pointless jog?

Rest is critical - no getting around it. It is one of the silent events in every sport. Like its brother nutrition, if you ignore it for long enough you either bonk hard or get hurt. 

But is 1 little mile going to kill my rest? Not in this bloggers opinion. So, is there something larger going on here? 

Aristotle once said "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit". Devotion, determination and discipline are what's being trained with that extra 1 mile. The "get out of bed" muscle inside your brain needs to be trained just like your quads do.

(To continue playing devil's advocate) But shouldn't you save that mental strength building to get you through your toughest workouts?

Which side will I end up on...we'll see.

Post your thoughts on my Twitter feed @paceandfaith .