So this time last year I exercised every day for 117 days straight (End of Dec - mid April). Some days I might have even done two things (usually the second one would be a walk or something fairly light).
I don’t have an exercise addiction, and I’m overweight, so arguably it was a healthy thing to do, but it was definitely a coping mechanism. I struggle most years with January and February (even with a SAD lamp and taking extra vitamin D) so this was something that I could control. Most days it wasn’t a struggle, and on the days when it was I would just do 15 minutes of yoga, and just making my body move with intention and purpose usually lifted my spirits.
Then one day I just stopped. I can’t remember why - I think I was just tired. And that’s fine.
Lots of charities have done a ‘Run Every Day’ fundraiser in previous years - that was never going to be me. I figure I’m doing quite well if I manage one run a week, and even that is rare these days. However one of the groups I’m in is doing ‘Record Every Day’ for January and as I’m a sucker for a pretty medal I’ve signed up.
Not every day. Just January. Limits.
Anyway, as I can’t really remember how it felt last time, I thought I’d record it for my own posterity purposes.
Jan 1: 3.45k run. I was going to do Parkrun, but I slept badly (I wasn’t at home) and the thought of both running 5k and going somewhere new to do it just didn’t appeal. I prefer to exercise first thing (well after a cup of tea and a ponder) so it’s not often that I manage to exert myself later in the day. But I cajoled a friend into running with me, and chatting en route always helps distract me (that and largely 90s dance music). I got stitch at times, and it was pretty slow, but it counts. Also did a short walk around the block in the afternoon - I was quite glad when it started raining, as my quads were feeing it. Must have helped though, as I wasn’t sore the following day.
Jan2: 250m? (not sure of the distance actually) lake swim. 6.6 degrees in my ‘blood of the orphans’ Primark wetsuit. They say you should go in slowly to avoid cold water shock, but then on the other hand the longer you are in the water the more you are cooling down….so basically I waited until the ‘WTAF’ feeling of cold in my pelvis dissipated, and then it was ok. It always helps when the sun is shining because it’s such a gorgeous spot. It’s rained so much lately that a) the car park is 90% pot holes and b) it was really slippy underfoot - I felt for the woman who got out after me and just face planted into the mud. Fortunately as it was a soft landing she wasn’t hurt, but she had to go back in to wash the mud off.
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