2016 Advent Running Challenge

by Jo Sharples

 

25 runs in 25 days… you must be joking? Up until now, I had yet to brave the thought of doing a running streak challenge, and merely admired those crazy enough to entertain it. My training throughout November had been okay, but I felt like I had become a little unenthused by running. I had heard of the Advent Running challenge before and decided 2016 would be my year to try it. An advent chocolate and a run a day- what a perfect balance!

The Advent running collective was founded in 2014 by 2 running enthusiasts. They are both an online and actual community and training sessions are based in London. The AR challenge is a free challenge, where the aim is to do 30mins of activity a day from 1-25th December.

But what about those days when I’m too busy to run? What about when I’m too tired to run? What about when I don’t want to run? What about when I’m resting for a race?

So 1/12/16 arrived and I had stupidly ran the last three days of November, due to indecisiveness. Rookie error! I had decided the days I was just running to complete the challenge I would run a minimum of 10 minutes (or roughly 1.5miles) and then do yoga and strength work for half an hour after. The first week was okay, and I found it wasn’t that difficult to fit a run into a busy day with a bit of imagination. The next challenge arose in the run up to the MK Winter half. Hmm, I have always rested the 1-2 days before a race, would this ruin things? Well let’s say running the day before the Winter Half was the least of my problems on that day, and I don’t think it really affected my race. Unfortunately, I woke up the next day with a muscle spasm in my lumbar back, making any form of movement incredibly painful, great! Has this meant the Winter Half had ruined by AR challenge? Should I risk a run, or risk further injury? I spent the afternoon resting and stretching my lower back and at 6pm I thought if I don’t try I wouldn’t know. I set off tentatively and weirdly enough running was pain-free, unlike most other movement. I think I had a lucky escape!

 

I had also discovered the large community of advent runners on facebook. And my facebook feed was saturated with peoples updates on their progress and runs. Amusingly in the AR community there was two teams, one #runforsprouts and #runfromsprouts. My only other LBACer on there was Gareth Bird who appeared to be fluctuating between a state of pain and enjoyment!

I had started to really enjoy my little runs, and even when it was a real struggle to get out the door, once I started running I felt like I could go further. I also think the yoga meant my risk of injury from running every day was reduced, and I was averaging 35miles a week.

The most difficult day in the challenge was 23rd December, so close to the end! I had left running to a bit later on in the day and storm Barbara had reared her ugly head. It took all my determination to get out the door, and I ended up shouting at and into the head wind whilst running down the Soulbury road (alert, crazy running lady on the loose). But luckily the weekend of Christmas was a fun running weekend. On Christmas eve a large group of LBAC attended Rushmere parkrun, and I managed to run a course PB. I still did not feel particularly quick, but I really enjoyed the run. And that left just one more run to go!

Sam, and I ran MK parkrun on Christmas day, alongside a million Redway Runners all dressed as Santa. There was a huge turnout and such a good atmosphere, such a perfect run to end the AR challenge with!!!

But the story doesn’t stop there, I had forgotten I had entered the Aylesbury Boxing day 5K. Now the dilemma, do I stop or continue? After much deliberation on the morning of the race, I decided to make my AR challenge a December running challenge. And I am pleased I did, as I really enjoyed the runs I did after Christmas, and after all that is what running is all about. I finished my challenge on New Year’s eve with a run with Dad, the person who got me into running originally.

So 31 runs in 31 days (excluding my additional November ones), and what a rollercoaster of a month it was. From a positive start, to an injury scare, to feeling too tired to run, to finding some speed, to disliking running, to loving running. My December running challenge certainly had everything.

Now I’m looking forward to a rest, or a New Years day parkrun!

Ed. Jo also ran Panshanger parkrun on New Year’s Day in 21:28 making it 35 days of consecutive running… and counting! Why stop there?