A Journey Of A Thousand Miles

begins with a single step: My year running 1000 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Well there it is! One thousand miles. I couldn't possibly put into words what this year has taught me, but there are some things that have really become clear. Here's what I learned from this journey: Dream big. You can do more than you know, and you'll never know unless you have audacious dreams, incredible goals, highest aspirations. Show up. Every day. Even when it's hard. Showing up proves what's most important to you, and tells you what you stand for. Be present. When you run, you're experiencing such a special gift - you are seeing the great wide open world, hearing it, being it, in a way nobody else is. Running has given me a serenity I could never have imagined. You belong. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner among seasoned veterans, if you stick with it someday you'll be the champion. By dreaming big and showing up you prove that you belong. Sprint out the last eighth of a mile of every run. Trust me on that one. Happy new year everyone, thank you all for the support and positive comments and messages and tips. The running community is so special and I feel so lucky to be a part of it. Coming to you next year with even bigger dreams! December 31, 2015: 5.5 miles Total: 1002 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Second to last run of 2015. All the early mornings, all the sweat, all the athletic tape and foam rollers and gel inserts and bloody toes, all the medals, all the bibs, it all comes to an end tomorrow. I will keep running, perhaps with bigger and better goals, but it will never be as raw and new and exciting and awesome as this year was.

December 29, 2015: 5.2 miles Total: 996.5 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Good morning runner friends!

Another day, another four-point-something early morning run. But seriously, a few weeks ago I felt like the daily 4-8 miles was causing me to break down, and now I feel like I’m breaking through. I didn’t push the pace because it’s a miles game at this point, but the daily grind has become less of a grind and more of a jaunt – just another happy fixture in my morning, like coffee or reading the news. I feel the soreness and tiredness but float right through it. I look forward to how the sunrise will be just slightly different from the day before, and to the lovely solitude of moving quickly across a dark, damp beach.

As the year comes to a close I find myself reflecting on the joys and wonders I have experienced through this year of a thousand miles. From 19 miles on a quiet trail in Shawnee, Kansas, to running from Santa Monica to Redondo Beach and back, to 26.2 in the Outer Banks, to 6 plus along the lake in Cowansville, Quebec in the fall, this journey has connected me to the world around me in ways I could not have imagined. I am grateful for every mile.

December 28, 2015: 4.6 miles Total: 991.3 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Hot and windy today but I got in a delicious, soul-stretching eight miles after a nice rest day yesterday. This has been a fantastic running week for me. Running on the Overseas Highway in the Keys was beautiful and today I saw this friendly manatee!! This final stretch has been both the hardest and the best, and the tiredness is starting to give way to the excitement of knowing I’m going to reach my goal.

December 27, 2015: 8.1 miles Total: 986.7 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Mile marker 80 on the Overseas Highway. Just the salty air, the sea, the open road, and me.

Finishing off a wonderful Christmas with my family with this spectacular view. Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas!

December 25, 2015: 6.2 miles Total: 978.6 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Merry Christmas everyone!! I’m feeling so happy and grateful for my wonderful family and friends and loved ones, and I am especially thankful for getting to go for a run with my Dad today! Only one week to go!

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday.

December 23, 2015: 3.8 miles December 24, 2015: 6.2 miles Total: 972.4 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

I had a pretty stressful day yesterday (pretty stressful month if I’m being honest) and was feeling a little down about my ability to meet this goal and get these thousand miles run. But if there’s anything my training has taught me over the past year it’s that it really doesn’t matter how you feel before – just get up and get started and you’ll feel better in no time. It has held true for me through many early mornings and tough training runs and it’s still true now…despite being stressed and busy and tired and not having rest days, it really does feel good to get moving. And when I really, really hate it I just remember why this all started: running made me better in every way, and I’d like to keep it that way.

December 22, 2015: 5.7 miles Total: 962.4 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

I often pass this big old tree on my runs. I love the way it has spread its roots over the rocks, anchoring itself even to an inhospitable environment. I strive to do the same – grounding myself, planting my feet firmly on the ground, no matter how rocky.

December 19, 2015: 5.4 miles December 20, 2015: 3.9 miles December 21, 2015: 4.8 miles Total: 956.7 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Well, this last 100 miles has truly been a challenge. I ripped half a toenail off yesterday, so this morning’s run was agony. I also took a much-needed rest day yesterday despite it putting me behind. I have yet to really feel the effects but I’m hoping I feel fresh and less sore tomorrow.

Im sort of kicking myself for not pushing just a little harder earlier this year so I’m not stuck with so many miles right at the end. I guess it would have been too easy that way, right?

December 17, 2015: 4.9 miles Total: 942.6 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Good morning runners! Rise and grind!

Today is probably day 8,983,277 in a row that I have run at least 3 miles and more like 5 and I am so tired. I’ve been dying for a rest day, but I noticed a change this morning…despite being sore and tired and sluggish getting out of bed, once I was about two miles in I started to feel really good! I think the anti-stress benefits of running far outweigh any physical tiredness.

Now I feel relaxed and ready to face the day! As a wise runner once said, nobody ever regrets the run they got up for - only the one they skipped!

December 16, 2015: 5.2 miles Total: 937.7 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Got myself a million-dollar view for the price of a good pair of running shoes (or three).

December 15, 2015: 5.0 miles Total: 932.5 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Yesterday 4.0 in Charlotte, North Carolina, today 6.5 in Miami, Florida!

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t really, really tired…I think it’s been well over a week since I had a rest day. But I’m determined to reach this goal I’ve worked so hard all year for, and that means getting up every day and hitting the ground running!

December 13, 2015: 4.0 miles December 14, 2015: 6.5 miles Total: 927.5 miles

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December 12, 2015: 3.6 gorgeous North Carolina miles Total: 917.0 miles

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Exploring, adventuring, meditating

Even as the rain rolls in.

December 11, 2015: 4.8 miles Total: 913.4 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Mindfulness

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it is about running that is so meditative, restorative, and grounding - especially after you’ve pushed past the point of it being ‘hard’. What I really appreciate is how it gradually brings you out of your head and puts you firmly in the real, physical world. Running reminds me how important it is to unplug, let my thoughts go, and just appreciate the world around me.

December 10, 2015: 7.8 miles

Total: 908.6 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

I’ve never been good at meditation, but it comes naturally while running. The sound of traffic and waves drifting in and out, the way the light slowly changes, the steady rhythm of footsteps and breath…my mind has never felt so open and at ease as it has while running.

Grateful today, and every day, for this incredible gift.

December 9, 2015: 5.2 miles Total: 900.8 miles

[theyearof1000miles]

Well the rain finally let up for long enough for me to take a break from building my ark and head out for a run! One of the things I appreciate most about running is how much you see that you don’t notice when you’re zooming by in a car. I’ve seen this view of the causeway a zillion times but I was still surprised at how pretty it was tonight.

As the year comes to a close, I hope everyone is thinking about all the amazing things they want to accomplish next year!

Happy Tuesday, friends! (Did today feel like Monday to anyone else?)

December 8, 2015: 6.03 miles Total: 894.6 miles