As a challenge, I’m going to run, bike or swim every day in January.

Day Twenty Five

This week I read ‘Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner’ by Dean Karnazes,  an American ultramarathon runner. In his book, Dean talks about how he became known for no just running ultramarathons but running further and longer than anyone thought possible including 200 miles non-stop as he competed in, to what to everyone else was, a relay race, but for Dean a 50 hour non-stop solo run.

And what is the secret of running such long distances? I’m not spoiling the book to say that the secret can be found in Nike – “just do it”. If you want to run 10 miles, just do it. If you want to run 50 miles, just do it. And if you want to run 200 miles, then just, you know it by now, do it!

So, to yesterday and the fact I has to “just do it.” Yesterday was a challenge. I couldn’t do anything first thing as I had to drive to Larbert, I could do anything at lunch as I had a meeting, I couldn’t do anything after work as I need to drive straight home. And I couldn’t do anything when I got home as I had dinner, an infant, a dog and a wife who had to work until 9:30pm. That left my only choice: start at 9:30.

I didn’t want to do it. I thought about stopping the challenge as the idea of doing anything that late made me think it would disrupt my sleep. I hate exercising after 8 as it throws me out. However, Dean Karnazes came to mind and I thought I need to forgot about my objections and “just do it.”

How was it? I can’t say this was the hardest exercise I’ve undertaken this month. I need to go fast enough to make it feel I was doing more than just sitting, but not fast enough that I would release so many endorphins I’d still be awake to see the sun rise tomorrow morning.