That means, I committed to myself to run every scheduled running day for the rest of the year - NO EXCEPTIONS. You should know two things about that commitment. First, I run three days, take one day off, then repeat. That's the ideal. However, from Jan 1st thru May 11th, I had only run 34 times. In nineteen weeks, I should have run 114 times. I was 80 miles short of the ideal. Running had become an endangered activity for me. That's why I made what seemed to me a radical commitment.
I made every run for the next week. The numbers were: Total miles run 22.8 at an average pace of 15 minutes and 50 seconds per mile. None of the miles were easy, nor was there much fun involved.
Today, I will make my 87th run of the year. I haven't missed a single day and unless I die between now and December 31st, I won't. This week I ran 32 miles (which includes a thunderstorm shortened run) at an average pace of 14:45 per mile. I've increased my weekly mileage by roughly 30% while lowering the pace over a minute per mile. But I've done something much more important than that. I've shifted my running attitude - missing a scheduled run is no longer an option.
When I made the commitment, I was prepared to gut it out on shear will power just because I said I would. I didn't expect it to be fun. I didn't expect to run further and faster than I have in more than ten years. I didn't expect to lose weight and get in better shape than I have been in more than fifteen years. However, simply by keeping my commitment to myself, all of those things have happened.
Now that's a deal without a downside, and it is one I've just applied to writing. Watch for an update on that one.
Happy commitment to you.
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