Recap: Run June

June was the month for running.  

Prior to running every day in June, my continuous running streak was 4 days. My previous running streak was 4 days.

Run June was a little challenge that I set for myself.  The challenge was simple, to run every day for 30 consecutive days. The minimum distance is 1km.

All I can say is kudos to those that can actually run every day. One thing is for sure, I love running, and I do some sort of movement every day, but I like my no-run days.

Well, those 30 days are now officially over, and in that 30-day period, I covered a total of 202km.

This is the most I have ever covered, totally smashing my previous monthly personal best of 147km.

There were a lot of things that I learned on my 30-day challenge, so it’s apt that I share my top tips with you.

My Top 7 Tips for Running Everyday

.1. Make a plan

A challenge like this takes some planning.

For me, that meant that I had to schedule my runs.  I had to treat them like a meeting like they were important.

I also followed (as closely as possible), the McMillan running plan on Strava.  This plan emails me every day the planned run.  It also gives me an overview of what runs I have for the week ahead.

By following this plan, along with my own calendar, I was able to fit in all my required runs.

When you make a plan, you are more likely to stick with it.

.2. It’s ok to go Slow

I’ve talked about running slow in the Lessons I learned from my long run.

The key to running every day is not to worry about speed.  I had days where my legs felt like cement, and I just could not go any faster.

I reminded myself that it didn’t matter how far or fast I was going, but that I was getting it done.

Be the tortoise, remember he won.

.3. Time 

Tips 1 & 2 work in conjunction with tip 3.  Time.

Why? Well, we have to allow the time in our day to run.

One of the reasons why I set a 1km minimum was that I knew that it would take approximately 7 minutes (on a bad day), to complete.

In 7 minutes you can learn whether you are going to rock a run or if it’s just blah. 

.4. Be visible on Morning/Night Runs

On one particular morning when I left for my pre-sunrise run, it was foggy.  It was that thick fog that just lingers and hangs around.  So I wore my high visibility gear and my headlamp.

I discovered on this run, that I wasn’t wearing the high-vis gear for me.  I could see fine.  Cars however that was another story.

So be visible, it’s not just for your safety.

.5. Nutrition

When you run every day you learn pretty quickly what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to nutrition.

There were some runs where I totally rocked it on an empty stomach.

On one of my long runs, I had a banana beforehand, and it went fantastic.

Figs totally do not work for me in a long run.  I nearly choked on one of the seeds. Yeah, no fun.

SPC fruit crushes ups and is a fantastic alternative to gels like gu or endura.

They are gentle on my stomach and have a great range of flavours.  Mango is my favourite.

How and what you fuel your body with will either enhance your running experience or hinder it. 

.6. Hydration

I learned pretty early on in this challenge the importance of hydration.

During my run, I learned that I prefer Nuun over endura.  Nuun has a fizziness and is less sweet which appeals to me. While I wasn’t drinking much on my long runs I made the effort to take sips every 2 km.

Because it’s winter here I’m not necessarily thirsty or want to drink.  It’s cold.  I’d rather have hot tea than cold water.

During one of my runs, I felt really good during the first half.  Once I got to the turnaround point, I suddenly felt really ordinary.

When I got home I had a massive headache and felt dizzy, lightheaded, and faint.  It then occurred to me that I had very little to drink the past few days.

Once I got some water into me I felt much better.

If you are thirsty you are already dehydrated.

.7. Run with Others

There is nothing like running with others to get your motivation going.

I’m normally a lone runner.  Not by choice, but it is what it is.

But running with others helps me to run faster.

On my birthday I ran the Point Cook Parkrun.  I was the first female to cross the line.  Trying to keep up with the boys pushes me that little bit more.

More recently I ran the S&K Watson SAAC club handicap.  I had 2 others starting with me.  Being with others helped me not only to pace myself but learn how pacing is important in race conditions.

Find a running group or get to a park run and surround yourself with like-minded people.

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What has been your longest-running streak?
Have you ever done a run everyday challenge?