Besides being a great reminder, a to-do list of any kind, whether it be tasks for the day, jobs to get done at work, or items to pick up at the grocery, is also an excellent measuring stick for how your day has gone. When the last light fades from the evening, you can look at piles of paper covered in checkmarks and know that everything you needed to complete is completed.
It's part of the fun of my running spreadsheet. I get to watch the miles pile up and watch my countdown clock wind down. Every days is another round of accomplishment.
I read an article a few weeks ago about the running boom in the last few years. Marathon registration has gone through the roof, which is a major contributing factor to the selling out of the big races in record time. Just ask anyone who couldn't get in to Boston last year, or this coming October's Marine Corps Marathon. They're selling out in hours, not days, and the percentage of Americans participating in road races is skyrocketing. So, the question becomes, why?
One big reason, evidently, is the downturn in the economy. As a person sits at home searching for employment, they begin to feel as though they have no control over any aspect of their life. In order to regain this feeling of control and get their head back on straight, they start running. If nothing else, that person will decide how far and how fast they are going to run today. Even after they get a job, they often find that they've found a new love in life, and they'll continue the habit.
What's great about this is that you don't have to wait until things go wrong to take control. When you grab ahold of one aspect of your life, the others fall into place.
Until you go and screw it up by adding too many other things to your life. Whoops.
Saturday's Run:
80 Degrees / Clear
9.51 Miles
1 Hour, 10 Minutes, 54 Seconds
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