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As an Antiquated Runner I am in seemingly constant contact with my Orthopedic doctor friend.  My knee hurts when I do this, my back hurts when I do that…her response is usually the same, “Don’t do that!”  This time we are talking about getting enough rest BETWEEN runs.  As we get older our bodies need more time to rest & recover and her advice is always to get enough rest.  So when I asked about doing a January challenge (along with Dry January) of running every day she was against it.  Her first objection was January?  “You couldn’t pick a warmer month?”  My answer was of course I could, but this was supposed to be a challenge.  Her other objection I couldn’t argue with.  She said our bodies are just not made to run every day.  I NEED to rest or I WILL pay the price later in the form of some over use injury or I will burn myself out on the activity, get bored or discouraged and quit defeating the whole reason I am running in winter in the first place. She then went through all the usual precautions that I am used to hearing and eventually gave her blessing.

As you can tell, since I am posting this in February, my month of running is over.  It went well.  In fact, so well that I am continuing to run and seeing how long I can go.  I did join a health club in the area with an indoor track for the really bad days (no, I don’t think that is cheating.  At least I’m not running on a treadmill!).  Winter is here and us Chicago area runners have to deal with it and adapt.  The only other option is to wait for spring…or the feared treadmill?  I don’t think so.  I was reading a Chicago area running blogger who was asked how can he run in the worst weather imaginable?  He said he doesn’t look at each day and decide if he’s going out or not.  He thinks about the streak he is on, like 45 days in a row and that is what pushes him out the door every day.  To NOT break that streak.  I’m on day 41 and going strong.  Is spring coming?  Of course it is!  And I will be ready.  Not to get started, but to keep going.  To not break my streak.  A streak only I know about.