100 Days and Counting

This post is a bit delayed but hey, I've been busy. A little over 100 days ago, I started running every day. Motivated by someone that people like to refer to as The Beer Runner, I saw what he was doing and the goal that he set out to accomplish and thought "I could do that". The basis is simple, run at least 1 mile and enjoy a tasty brew every day. Sounds easy enough, right?

Well, maybe not so easy. The beer a day thing wasn't really a problem since I keep the fridge at my house fairly well stocked with tasty craft beer and I'm fortunate to have a workplace that does as well. But it became apparent pretty early on that life and work like to get in the way of running. I love what I do for a living, but when what I do means the occasional tight deadlines and the long days and sometimes nights that accompany it, the last thing on your mind at those times can be getting your run in. I decided a little sleep deprivation wasn't going get in the way and pushed on.

The other obstacle that I faced was golf. Now that may sound like an odd thing, but I'm slightly obsessed with the game and often play in local and national qualifiers which can mean walking 36 holes in a day. Now that may not seem like that big a deal to some, but I ask you to walk 36 holes in a day while carrying your own bag and then let me know if you feel like doing much afterwards. I'm pretty sure that you'll just want to sit down and take care of the other half of the streak, a nice cold brew.

I wish I had run today...

With that being said, the streak has definitely gotten easier to maintain as time has gone on. The running is now a pretty engrained part of my morning routine during the week. Whenever I don't feel like running, I just remind myself of the following quote:

There will always be days when you didn't run where you'll think, "I wish I had run today", but there will never be a day where you went running where you'll think "I wish I hadn't done that".

Through all of this running, I have defnitely noticed that my energy has increased and I'm pretty sure I'm in close to the best shape I've been in since college (Soccer FTW!). Not only that, but I think that the running has helped my golf game as well. How you might ask? Talk to any athlete out there and they'll tell you that it is much easier to concentrate and focus when you aren't tired. Golf is mostly mental, and I know that it helps that I feel like I have just as much energy walking up the 18th fairway as I did the first.

So there it is, it's been 105 days now and I hope that this is only a small portion of a longer streak. If you've been thinking about getting in better shape or just getting back to excercising again, NIKE (Just Do It). I am here to let you know that it is possible to be healthy and active and still enjoy a tasty brew.

Slainte!

P.S. I've been working on a little project. A glimpse at what it might be can be found here.

So a little while back I read a tweet from Draft Magazine talking about this guy that was doing something he called a "beer-run" streak. The premise is pretty simple, run at least 1 mile and drink 1 craft beer each day. I figured that I had the craft beer a day part down (you can follow me on Untappd to see), so I just needed to add in the running part. 30 days ago I started a streak of my own.

It did help that I was already pretty active, working out 3 days a week, and that running comes fairly easilty to me having played soccer in college. Now the challenge was just getting in at least 1 mile everday. For me, this means running in the morning before heading off to work and going about my daily activities (a.k.a. golfing). I've never really been a morning person, but I was already getting up and going to the gym a couple days a week, so getting up earlier those other few mornings wasn't too hard to do.

After running every day for the last month, it is definitely getting easier and the motivation to continue is now stronger having already made it this long. My advice to anyone thinking about a streak of their own is the same recommendation for those getting into craft beer, start slow. My routes at the beginninng weren't very long and my pace definitely wasn't that fast, but both have gotten better just as my initial foray into craft beer started with Boulevard Wheat and has moved onto Imperial IPA's and Stout's. 

I raise my glass to all of the beer runners out there and hope to inspire more to start their own streak and show everyone that it is possible to enjoy good beer and live an active lifestyle at the same time. Slainte!