Even after a seemingly paltry 15 days of consecutive running (compare that to Ron Hill or Jon Sutherland's record... unsure? Google it and be amazed) I have learnt so much.
1). Don't expect to feel GREAT all of the time! Running everyday is fun to start with, however, when you nearly fall asleep in the cinema at 1pm, you realise the effort required to keep going!
2). You need to SLEEP ALOT! I would normally get away with 6 hours of total sleep per night, but last week I found myself feeling so tired that I felt pretty ill. When it is bedtime, don't think, "Oh I'll be alright" because, believe me, you won't!
3). EAT properly. Do NOT skip meals. Running every day- even if it's just a mile, means that your mileage will rise, and you burn more calories. In order to carry on, those calories need to be replaced, and replaced with proper food that will leave you feeling energised. Simply, more carbohydrates and protein. Don't fall into the trap of, "oh I'm running loads, I can eat whatever I like, hmmm, where are those KitKat Chunkies....?" Runners need to see food as FUEL.
4). DRINK plenty of WATER. Simple equation- you run more, you sweat more, you lose more moisture from your body... it needs to be replaced. I simply carry a litre bottle of water around with me and just sip all day long, then I'm always hydrated.
5). If you persevere with the above then your training and racing times should come down automatically- obviously providing that you are actually doing decent training and mileage, not just settling for the bare minimum of 1 mile per day!
6). The longer the Streak goes on, the tougher your mental strength will become. I am a firm believer that runners naturally have a great mental strength- just to keep on running even when you are in immense pain! During a Streak it is so tempting to think, "oh I can't be bothered today!" But... we keep going! Look at me- on one particular day I went running at 5am just to guarantee I had run that day... MADNESS!!!
7). If you are feeling tired on one particular day, just chuck in an easy 1-2 miler then rest up on the couch!
Hopefully I'll be back to report on my progress after runstreak day 30!
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