…another Week of Pi

 

I think we all knew it was bound to happen…again.

When I spontaneously gave in to a self-created challenge in 2020, little did I know it would become an annual ritual during my birthday week. I guess somethings are worth repeating!

This was my sixth time taking on the Week of Pi Challenge. Read on for all the deets…

This quirky challenge coincides, every year, with the quirky National Pi Day, March 14th. For those not in the loop, the number pi is a mathematical "constant," used in physics and various fields of math. In short, it is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter (you're welcome). Approximately equal to 3.14, it's only natural that March 14th would be the perfect "National Day" to pay honor to it.

Did I mention March 14th is also my birthday? And that I was a bit of a math geek back in the day? I don’t think that’s a coincidence, LOL. 

With this happening in the month of March, the weather in the Midwest is always a bit of a wild card. Although most of the extreme cold is behind us, it’s never a guarantee that we’re out of the (winter) woods. That being said, the 7-day forecast was looking pretty promising…

Here’s how things played-out this year:

Day-1… Saturday March 8th

The day may have been windy, but the sunshine was warm and the temps were mild. I waited until the afternoon before hitting the trail, and the 3.14 miles felt great.

Day-2…Sunday March 9th

With the promise of warm afternoon temps, I had ZERO regrets in waiting to get out after lunch. Besides, procrastinating the run allowed for me to witness the Iowa Hawkeye men’s basketball team defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers (hence the quarter-zip and visor).

Day-3…Monday March 10th

Another unseasonably warm day, I was able to run in shorts and a tank top! In fact, the 75F temps broke the record and set a new all-time high for that day’s weather conditions. I was totally good with that!

Day-4…Tuesday March 11th

When I’d seen the 7-day forecast, the thought of possibly doing numerous Pi runs in shorts came to mind. In years past, I’d only been able to do a few random runs in shorts, and usually had to layer-up for most of the others. When Day-4 arrived, not only did I have shorts-worthy temps, but also full-on sunshine (again).  

Day-5…Wednesday March 12th

While I didn’t have sunshine for Day-5, I did have the (almost) full moon and the company of Hannah and Kelly (my Wednesday morning running gals). The temps were a little chilly at that early hour, but with the minimal wind, I made the command decision to wear shorts. Hey, I had a 5-day “Pi-running-in-shorts” streak going, so it just made sense to continue, LOL.

Day-6…Thursday March 13th

After five continuous days of daily running, my body was feeling a bit fatigued. With the Thursday night group run not happening until 7:00PM, I’d have nearly 38 hours of recovery time between runs. How’s that for timing! Maybe that’s why Day-6’s run went so well…not only did I have ample recovery time, I also had the group dynamics and the rising full moon (upon completion) to pump-up the adrenaline. The weather made for ideal conditions as well.

Day-7…Friday March 14th…the Grand Finale!

I took PTO for the afternoon, allowing for another mid-day run. The temps were balmy, but crazy windy! The timing for this final Pi run was optimal as a nasty storm blew through later in the afternoon. 

So, those are the specifics, but this Week of Pi was probably the best yet. There were several variables, that all aligned, to make this edition of my Pi antics so great:

***This was my first time Pi-running in my new town. I always try to make each run unique, with a different route each day, and I was able to do so again this year. The fact that I had my new town to explore and conquer was just a bonus.

***I was incredibly blessed with great weather. Although I had to battle some wind, I had warm temps to relish for all of the runs (except for that early morning Wednesday outing). And, for the first time in the history of Pi running, I was able to wear shorts for each of the daily 3.14-mile endeavors.

***Let’s not forget the full moon! The full moon was there to witness two of my runs this year!

***Another fun aspect, this year, was running with friends! The gals on Wednesday morning, as well as the group on Thursday evening, all ran the requisite 3.14 miles with me. Does it get any better?

So, yeah, I’m calling the 2025 Week of Pi an incredible success. It may seem like a silly little ritual, but for me it’s a fun way to celebrate each trip around the sun. I’m grateful to have a birthdate that allows for such a celebration. And, most of all, I’m thankful I have the ability to do so, via my running shoes.

As mentioned, this was not my first “Pi rodeo.” This began in 2020 (recap) and has continued each year since. You can access other Week of Pi recaps here for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. 

Do you do anything special (or quirky) to celebrate your birthday, in terms of fitness?

  I'm linking this with Zenaida and Jenn for the TuesdayTopics Linkup. 

 

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