March 2017: I ran away from “I can’t”

By | March 31, 2017

yep. That’s what happens when #GoTheDist meets #RunTheYear/#RunWithJoy

Earlier this month I said:

“I’m taking a run at my Q1 2016 goal. Probably impossible, but worth a try.”

My Q1 2016 total? 1,008,946

My Q1 2017 total? 1,064,082

That is my best quarter, narrowly topping Q2 2016‘s 1,059,278.

I also said:

“Why is this still a challenge when I’m so far up, step wise? Because March 2016 was an insane 394,098 steps. That’s not going to happen again because I won’t have two days walking around DC and might not have the two walking work events”

#FamousLastWords

March 2017 total? 405,914. My first ever 400K step month!

I am in absolute awe. How did this happen? Somewhere during this month I quit saying “I can’t” and decided to go with “Maybe? Can I do this?” So motivating. I didn’t have as few days without goal as I did last year, including one day where I missed it by six. But I kind of expected that with company.  With seven to last year’s four, I’m exactly where I was in 2016. Since my goal days are in general much higher, I’m OK with that. I’m not sure I can do it again, but it’s amazing to know I could once.

I graduated C25K. I finished my first 5K. I ran a 10K (still need to write that one up). I’m now using my running mileage as a fundraiser for a cause that is one of the two I believe most in. #RunWithJoy is more than a cliche for me, I seem to have found a new passion.

Speaking of mileage, Fitbit mileage is so broken. My stats for two days this month:

March 21:

  • 15,328 steps
  • 6.31 miles

March 22:

  • 13497 steps
  • 6.32 miles

See a problem? I’ve given up entirely on miles walked because Fitbit is ridiculous, as much as I love it.  So my goals for the balance of 2017 are steps/miles run. I’ll track miles biked but as I said, I’m not worried about losing those as they were simply meant to ensure gym visits. I did close out March with a nice 8.52 mile ride to cross train ahead of tomorrow’s #RunToBreathe. My #RunTheYear mileage for Q1 is 457.71 and I hope to match that in Q2.

2016 had Easter in March, but I had some company and plans in April that kept my steps down. I was at 336,662 steps.

April Goals:

  • 340,000 steps (stretch: 350,000)
  • 50 miles run
  • 5 or fewer days without goal*

Q2 Goals:

  • 1,075,000 steps (stretch: 1,100,000).
  • 150 miles run

Really too soon to set a quarterly running mileage goal as I’ve gone from 14/25/45 so far this year so this is a random number based on March’s total and April’s goal. I’ll reevaluate come May 1, but speaking of running goals, I have a 4 mile run tomorrow, a 5K charity walk on 4/23 that I may run if crowd allows. I also signed up for another 10K in June, which I’ll actually train properly for. I’m not sure about outdoor summer running, so we’ll see. I would like to do the one for Achilles, so maybe I’ll keep an eye on the weather.

* A note about goal. I officially raised my goal to 11K and that’s the barometer against which I use missing goal in 2017. For days without goal in 2016 and earlier, it’s days I didn’t hit 10K.

Reading front: 21/23%/one book behind schedule. Lots of short, running books this month. It’s a new passion and it’s reading so I’m not knocking myself for that.

 

 

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