Anew

Yep, it's another one of those "rededication to running" posts.

Sick of 'em yet?

I am. Well, not exactly. I'm sick of realizing that my dedication has waned. I will probably never find the correct formula to keep myself moving day-to-day and month-to-month, but there is one thing that has worked for me in the recent past, and that's what I'm starting with today.

Consistency.

I believe it was two years ago that I started the year with 100 straight days of running, and eventually injured myself, which led to a lackluster summer of training and a definitive "just trying to finish" performance at the Chicago Marathon. It's been sporadic ever since, if the 11 posts that I actually wrote in 2013 didn't already make that obvious.

And it's because I've always been training for something, not just for me. So now, I'm working on something that all these training programs call a "Base." Shorter mileage, slower times, and (ideally) more consistent ability to get out the door. It means that my morning workouts will be shorter, so I don't have to get up quite so early, and I don't dread them quite so much.

Additionally, I want to work on the other parts of my body as well that have gotten a bit softer recently. Arms, back, abs. All the things that I worked when I attempted P90X, but without actually dedicating myself to the 90-minute workouts I would have to complete to do that program. Don't get me wrong, the program's great, but you've got to have the time to do it.

So, I'm starting with 100 days. Run a bit each morning, hopefully at least 3 miles. Then, I'm doing pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, burpees, curls and squats. Days 1-10, I'll do ten of each. (Except the pull-ups. I'll do as many of those as possible, which at present, is not 10.) Then, I'll assess how I'm feeling. If anything is starting to hurt, I'll back off of it. And if not, day 11 will mean 11 of each, and so on for the following three months.

We're also doing Janu-water this year, which means that from January 2nd - 31st, we will drink nothing but water, clearing the caffeine, sugar and alcohol out of our systems for a little while.

Yes. It's a lot. A considerable shot of healthy all at one time, but I can adjust it as needed. I'm not training for anything in particular right now. Just for me.

So let's start again.

Day 1:
3.19 Miles
10 Reps