mile a day | life in a hawks nest

Run or die.

Just kidding.

Today I started the Mile a Day challenge. I think that most typically this challenge runs during the 6 weeks leading up to Christmas, but I have taken it upon myself to run the entire month of February. The challenge itself is rather simple: run a mile every day. Pretty obvious, right? A few bloggers that I follow on Instagram completed the mile a day challenge and it was very encouraging to follow along in their journey. I found myself rooting for them – which is rather absurd because most of them I haven’t met in person – and I believe that seeing those pictures each and every day fostered within myself a sense to try the challenge on my own.

Let me point out a couple of things here…

#1. I am not a runner. Really, I am not athletically inclined in any way. I think that in my entire life I have run maybe 2 miles (not consecutively) without stopping and that includes grade school P.E.

#2. I am not running to be cool. If thumping down the street like an oompa loompa, huffing and puffing at every stop sign is cool, then I retract my previous statement and I am actually doing this to be the coolest of cool.

I don’t think that the mile a day challenge isn’t about running a mile every day. OK – literally, that is what it’s about, but I think it is also about so much more than that. The mile a day challenge to me, is just that – a challenge. If you do something you are already good at then it isn’t very challenging, right? Making a conscious effort to get outside and run a mile every day is a discipline; It builds character, and in a weird way, I believe it also builds patience. Am I going to actually run a mile every single day? No. Will I at least walk a mile every single day? Yes. Is following through with the discipline of making myself attempt running a mile every day going to also build patience? You bet.

I am excited about this endeavor. Is it going to be difficult? Absolutely. Will it be worth it? I sure think so. Feel free to follow along in the fun with me on Instagram: @kristensux or with everyone via #mileaday.