Wednesday, December 2, 2015

I have a new Holiday Tradition...Streaking!



Anyone else doing the Runner's World Winter 2015 Streak?

This is my third consecutive year doing the winter streak, and also my fifth time streaking. The last time I streaked was the RW Winter Streak a year ago (you can read my recap HERE ). I also streaked in April of 2013, Winter of 2013 and June of 2014.

Let me preface this by coming clean and being totally honest..... I am not a fan of daily running. Some runners love to run everyday and don't experience problems in doing so. Myself, I love running but not enough to do it so frequently. Also, my body needs recovery time, and "easy" daily running is not 100% restful.

That said, I do enjoy doing the occasional streak because it gets me out of my comfort zone. It also confirms the fact that daily running is not for me.

So, how does this streaking thing work? It's really not that difficult. As a general guideline, we're asked to run one mile everyday between Thanksgiving until New Years Day. Of course, we can run further than the one mile minimum.
Streaking Day 1-Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving
My plan? Typically, I run 2-3 times during the week, and try to do a "longer" run on the weekend. The only thing I do differently while streaking is to run that minimum one mile on my usual rest days. I have a treadmill, but am hoping to do all of my runs outside for the Streak.

Streaking Day 2...before hitting the Black Friday scene
I live on a hill, and the block where my house resides is an exact 1/2 mile in perimeter. So, running two laps around my block is an easy option (and gives me some good hill work as well). There's a smaller block across the street from my house (also situated on a hill)....and three laps around that block also equals one mile. That's another option.

Streaking Day 3, sporting one of my Black Friday bargains
Also, did you know that a mile (usually) is equal to the distance of 10 city blocks? That's an average, not necessarily a hard and fast rule of city government. When in doubt, you can map out a course online, or use your GPS device.
Streaking Day 4 had me out at the local nature preserve for some (muddy) trails
I try to do a different route everyday...whether it's running the same block in reverse or running one lap clockwise and another lap counter-clockwise. Not only do I get bored doing the same route all the time, it's not good to always be running on the same incline, or always be making left turns, etc. It does your body good to change the terrain now and then. That's true for running in general, not just for streaking.

Streaking Day 5.....got rain? Chilly temps in the high 30's? No problem!

And, I'll be posting my runfies (selfies while in running attire, usually immediately following a run)....to not only keep me accountable for getting the daily runs done, but also to see how many different (colorful) outfits I can create. You do what you gotta do to get it done, right?

Streaking Day 6, my coldest run thus far in the 33-degree temps and damp air
Don't forget, I'm in Iowa. We don't exactly have tropical conditions this time of year. I anticipate a myriad of weather conditions will be challenging me to stay inside...but I've done this streaking gig before, and I've been running outside (almost exclusively) for the past nine years. Prior to that, I spent my first year running on the treadmill. I have done it both ways, and outside is definitely my forte'.


'nuff said

So, anyone care to join me? I welcome your comments, and I'll gladly cheer you on and give you an endless supply of (virtual) high-5's! I'm linking up with Deb at Deb Runs today for the Wednesday Word, which is Tradition. Go ahead and check out her blog and all the others, as we share our versions and visions on this topic.



28 comments:

  1. I'm dying over here...that you wrote about the same thing I did. We're like yin and yang today! Love that you did this. And good luck with the streak! My feet are crying just thinking about it...

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    1. yes, #greatminds LOL My body is holding up, but I'm "only" 7 days in...and I'm taking it super easy. I have no major races on the calendar for awhile, so I'm letting my body enjoy the off-season ;-)

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  2. All the best with your streak! Sounds like you've got it well nailed down. Me? No streak. I barely run as it is. My body would not have it. Plus my hair would be really dirty. Ha!

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    1. well, the hair issue is another blog post for another time LOL Most of my streak runs have been happening after work, so the dry shampoo has a good 12 hours to work its magic

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  3. I've got a treadmill & I'm not afraid to use it. :)

    I prefer running outside, and will run outside down into the single digits, but I still opt for the mill more often in the winter. Just not exclusively.

    But no, no streaking here.In fact, still sticking to just 3 x week because my body seems to like it.

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    1. knock on wood, I've been able to avoid the 'mill for almost 10 months (?), except for a spell a few weeks ago when I had a nasty cold and the weather was cold, windy and damp.

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  4. Well, I'd have to be all healthy first...

    I'm afraid once I took the time to get all dressed and electronic-ed up, I'd want to run about five miles. And that probably wouldn't be good for this "older" (ahem) gal. I gave my treadmill away, so it's always outside for me. But our winters are mild. The coldest is usually around 28. Rarely do we get snow or ice.

    I like your Santa toboggan! PS...I always do color. Lots of it!

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    1. color is where its at, in my opinion ;-) I need to start a new Pinterest page for all of my favorite running outfits LOL

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  5. I'm coming back from a foot injury, so no running streak for me. I am doing a 30 min for 30 days challenge though! I run 4 times a week, and then hop on my indoor bike and/or do Pilates for the off days. Gotta get that cross training in!

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    1. absolutely! cross-training is crucial!!!!! 30 minutes for 30 days is a great challenge to keep you motivated and accountable ;-)

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  6. No streaking here. I run 4 times a day and outside unless it's raining (I'm a wimp there.) If I lived in a warm climate I would run everyday But it takes too long to get dressed. Of course, I love changing my outfits.

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    1. I don't mind the rain when it's above 60-degrees, but this time of year it's bitterly frigid. Of course, in Iowa we don't see much rain in the winter months (and if we do, it usually freezes and creates that stuff called "ice"). And you're correct, some times it takes longer getting dressed than the actual run itself.

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  7. It's amazing how quickly you get used to running outside in the winter. People constantly seem amazed that I run outside when we get super cold, but really as long as it isn't icy, I can pile on enough layers to be comfy. Have fun streaking!

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    1. That's so true about getting used to the weather. We had two really cold days early in the week, and yesterday it was almost 40-degrees and felt like a spring thaw. #notcomplaining

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  8. I will give you a high five and cheer you on! Go! I love my 3 runs per week, I am definitely not an everyday run person, it would take me longer to get ready to run the mile than running the mile!

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    1. ha ha..it's true that I often spend more time getting dressed than actually running, especially if it's only for a mile. Thankfully, I don't do this ritual year-round ;-)

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  9. Can I just say that you have the best running outfits! I love all the color! Good luck with your streak! I def prefer to run outdoors too but I don't do well under about 20 degrees!

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    1. thank you!! Yes, the bright colors certainly make this cold weather running more tolerable ;-)

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  10. You go girl!! No streaking for me. Too prone to injury, I don't want to get stressed out about running everyday and i worry it will take the joy of running from me. Enjoy-stay warm (it's only cold when you are not moving-right?)

    Tamieka@fitballingrunningmom

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    1. If history repeats itself, I usually go strong until the final week-10 days. By then, the streaking definitely feels more like an obligation than a "challenge." There's a reason not all of us are meant to be daily runners LOL (and, wouldn't it be a boring world if we all liked the same things?)

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  11. Good luck with the streak! I have never done a streak. I try to avoid them because with the two boys, sometimes it's just impossible to get it in every single day, nor do I want to. I envy those of you that can stick to it!

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    1. Well, I'm pretty good at sticking with the streaks, but I am always glad to see them end LOL Daily running is definitely not my thing.

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  12. At my age, recovery is huge, and I just can't risk an injury by not taking days off. Hope you enjoy your streak! Good luck and have fun!

    Thanks for linking up!

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    1. I totally agree that recovery is key. I typically do streaks during the winter, or in the spring when I'm kind of in-between major events and don't have high-mileage demands on me from training. Your link-up is GREAT!!!

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  13. Enjoy your streak! I need to do one someday. In the meantime, enjoy the nicer(er) weather! Not sure about where you live but near Chicago we have 40s and 50s in the forecast for the next week or so. I look at it this way...every day we don't have bad weather gets us another day closer to spring!

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    1. I'm in central Iowa, so we get most of your weather about 24-48 hours before you do. Yes, the past several days have been awesome!

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  14. It is a great time of year to streak because the extra laundry is actually pretty minimal....at least on the days/evenings when I'm only doing the 1-mile minimum. It does give me something to look forward to each day when I'd normally just be "resting."

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