Mile a Day – Week 5

I’m running or walking at least a mile each day through Easter. Here’s how I’m doing:

Mar 24 – 3 mile treadmill run
Mar 25 – 1.1 mile treadmill walk
Mar 26 – 1.4 mile treadmill walk
Mar 27 – 1.7 mile treadmill walk
Mar 28 – 1.7 mile treadmill walk
Mar 29 – 2 mile walk outside with Jose and Emma
Mar 30 – 1 mile treadmill walk

I did it! I officially covered at least 1 mile every day from the day we got our treadmill through Easter! (Don’t worry, I plan to go for a run tomorrow too.) In 36 days, I covered 64.15 miles for an average of 1.78 miles per day (and a median of 1.55, if you like statistics). The most I did in one day was 6.55 miles at the Seabrook Marathon Relay, and the least I did in a day was 1 mile on several occasions. The streak wasn’t even that hard — at the end of a day, it’s difficult to come up with an excuse for not even finding 15-20 minutes to walk a mile.  So I always made sure that I didn’t have to make excuses in the first place.

View from the treadmill: dark backyard, my jewelry frame, and Emma’s Easter basket

Buying a treadmill has obviously been a good thing so far, but after 5 weeks I’m definitely pondering what would make it better for long-term use. The issue of boredom is very real. If I’m walking, I can read on my Kindle which is actually pretty fun — I get exercise AND I get to read simultaneously. (As a result, I read 2.5 books in March alone!) But I can’t read while running, and staring at the blinds (because it’s usually already dark outside by the time I get on the ‘mill) isn’t exactly my idea of a fun time. As a result, there were several days where I chose to walk instead of run so that I could read (and avoid having to shower before bed, but mostly the reading). The few times I did run, I had my iPhone handy to blast high-tempo music — but that only helps to a point.

So this week, I’m going to borrow Jose’s iPad and try some Netflix while I run. Hopefully it will sit in that little ledge just fine because buying a small TV to sit on the edge of the dresser seems a little ridiculous. It’s either Netflix on the iPad…or I just find a way to make peace with starting at window blinds.

In other news, last week I got some new running shoes — a pair of Brooks PureCadence shoes from their lighter, more minimalist line. I have to admit that a primary driver was seeing Erin and Lisa’s brightly colored shoes at the Seabrook race two weeks ago (which made me want pretty running shoes too!), but I’ve been interested in trying something more minimal for a while. I’m not ready to embrace the Vibram Five Fingers look yet, so the PureCadence seemed like a good compromise. At first, they did feel pretty different, since the heel-to-toe drop is a lot smaller than the Brooks Adrenaline I’ve been wearing for years. But I got use to that after a few days and I’m loving them so far! They feel so much lighter and less bulky on my feet…plus, they’re hot pink!

I’ve been considering my future plans now that my 5 week “streak” is wrapping up. I could just keep going — set a goal of covering a mile each day through Memorial Day, maybe, or the 4th of July if I’m feeling really ambitious. But I’d like to start working in other exercise again too. It’s been a couple months since I did anything but walk or run, and I’d like to work the Jillian videos I have back into the mix. I also signed up for the TriGirl Super Sprint triathlon in May, so I need to get back on my bike as well. (I dropped it off at the bike store today for a tune-up, since it had been woefully sitting in the garage since the last time I rode it on…July 4, 2011. I KNOW.)

I just wrapped up a 5-week stint and TriGirl, conveniently, is 6 weeks away. I want to keep doing what I’ve been doing and keep the momentum of doing something each day, but also allow myself the flexibility to do a workout video or go for a bike ride if I’d rather do that instead. So that’s my new goal: for the next 6 weeks, from now until the TriGirl race, I will run or walk at least a mile each day OR do some other form of exercise for at least 15 minutes.