By Tom Andrews
Ultramarathon World.
Minneapolis, Minnesota (UW) - I originally started my streak over 15 years ago as a way to get out the door more often for a legitimate training run - the idea being that sometimes the first step out the door is the hardest one to make, y'know? And it was effective for me. I used to be a purist about running at least one mile a day.
I would not count any miles run on snowshoes, or even treadmill running. But as time went on I felt it was silly not to include that kind of running as running. If I am injured and it may hurt me to run that day, and I am near a pool, I will get into the pool and run to continue my streak. If I am not near a pool or lake, I will gut it out and baby the injury and jog my "token" mile.
This is where I might differ from other purists about a streak, but I didn't start a streak in order to meet some guidelines that may or may not be out there in the running community. Again, the streak is my personal streak and if I never told anyone I had one I would continue to do it.
Memorable one-milers
I have had some very memorable runs of only 1 mile in that 15-plus years. In France two years ago I ran my first 48-hour run and covered over 200 miles on a 300-meter track. I then went back to the track the following day to do my "token" mile. It took me over 25 minutes with tendonitis in my foot from the race and leg soreness, but I was on my toes and mimicking the running motion. (In 1998 I got that mile down to 16 minutes in the same scenario after that race, without tendonitis but with a swollen knee this time.)
Forget to run? That is the nightmare streakers have to contend with. Working all day and then driving several hours to the race provides a scenario when it is most easy to forget the mile. Especially when I am going to get up and race in a matter of several hours time. Some races in particular I am especially prone to delay the "token" mile. Before Voyaguer 50 Trail
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