13 things running 1,000 miles has taught me

I accomplished my goal of running 1,000 miles in 2013 and it has taught me a lot about myself and life in general.

1.  Consistency is the key to accomplishing any goal. Never underestimate the power of erosion. A small, slow moving stream can erode mountains.

2.  People make time for things they care about. No one is that busy. You aren't the president.

3.  Busyness is a disease, a perpetual moment of nothingness.

4.  Running is therapy. I didn't truly understand what that meant until this year. Running, and specifically marathon training, has helped me through anxiety, sadness and depression this year.

5.  I stopped succumbing to "I don't feel like it." What does that even mean? Whenever I don't feel like doing something, I hear my dad saying "what do you mean you don't feel like it?" I never have an adequate response to that question so whatever it is, I just get to it. Better to get it over with.

6.  Be careful who you share your dreams with.

7.  Do not spend one single, solitary moment with someone you don't want to be with. It isn't healthy for either of you. [This has nothing to do with running, but is something I learned this year]

8.  I waste a lot of time. Hours will pass with nothing to account for them.

something like that ...

9.  I loved the #31Write Now blogging challenge. It encouraged me to write consistently for a month. [Clearly, this list has turned into more than just running]

10.  With the exception of December and the week after the Marine Corps Marathon, I didn't go more than two days without running. No matter what I was going through on the third day, I made sure to run at least one mile. That consistency and relentless determination is how I met my goal.

11.  I need to lift more. Now that I have renewed my strength and conditioning certification, I will write myself an annual plan to peak at certain races throughout the year.

12.  I need to foam roll more. Oh, but I hate it. A post on why you should too is coming soon...

13.  I learned to listen to my body and block out outside influences. I only experienced one minor injury at the beginning of the year and I feel that I was able to stay healthy because I didn't push myself beyond what my body was capable of. I rested more and paid more attention to my nutrition and overall recovery. As we increase mileage, recovery becomes more and more important.


Running is a great teacher and I am continuously learning from it. What has running (or something you love) taught you this year?

-Run