HOW TO DO A RUN STREAK

Ever thought of doing a Run Streak? What is a Run Streak? Should you even attempt it? Did you know that some streakers have been running every single day for years, some of them decades? If you’ve ever been curious about this fascinating form of running, we have all the information you need right here to help you decide if it’s for you. Join us as we show you how to do a run streak.

The Run Streak is one of those things that many runners have heard about or know a bit about, but have never attempted.

You may have even had an interest in the run streak, but didn’t know whether it’s for you, if you should attempt it, or even how to go about it.

If it’s on your radar, it may be time to give it a go.

Here you’ll find everything you need to help you decide if it’s for you, how to do it successfully, and enjoy this wildly popular form of running. We’ll also show you how to avoid common mistakes and possible injury.

Let’s get started.

What Is A Run Streak?

In its most basic and purest form, the run streak is simply running every day in a row for a certain period of time.

A run streak is at least two consecutive days of running. There is no upper limit of how many days in a row you run. You can decide how far each run should be, but officially, the minimum distance is 1.61 kilometres (one mile).

Sounds simple enough, right? But, not so fast, there’s a lot more to it than that.

Done right, the run streak can be great for your health and fitness, your resilience, and mental well-being. There are many worthwhile benefits you can enjoy.

Done wrong, you could end up injured, demoralised, or even lose the motivation to run at all.

TIP: This is not about making a spur of the moment decision to run every day for the rest of your life. Rather, it’s about setting some meaningful goals, getting properly prepared, and using the run streak as an integral part of your training or running lifestyle.

Exciting and fun, let’s set you up for your very own successful run streak.

Some Amazing Records.

But first, let’s have a little fun looking at some run streak records.

• Jon Sutherland from the US. Started 26/05/1969. Jon has been running every day for 52.80 years, that’s19,286 days.
• Ron Hill from England ran at least one mile every day for 52.11 years. That’s 19,032 days which ended Jan 28 2017.
• Jim Pearson from the US. Started 16/02/1070. Jim has been running every day for 52.07 years, or 19,020 days.
• Lois Bastien from the US started running every day on 19/04/1980. That’s 41.91 years, or 15,307 days.

These are incredible human feats and illustrate what is possible, but for us mere mortals, a running streak can be an exciting and much more achievable running endeavour.

Types Of Run Streak.

According to the official Streak Runners International, Inc and United States Running Streak Association, Inc websites, a running steak definition is at least 1.61 kilometres (1 Mile) every calendar day.

Since we know how far we need to run each day as a minimum, the only other decision is how many days in a row we should run for.

Runners may have personal reasons to run a particular streak, or maybe just starting out with a shorter one and building up to a longer duration.

Here are some ideas for you to choose from –

• 2 days
• 1 week
• 1 month
• 100 days
• 6 months
• 1 year
• Your age in days
• 1000 days, the magic four digits
• Start on a significant day
• Any other number that has a significant meaning to you

Who Should Do A Run Streak?

Anyone can do a run streak right? Sure, but should you? Maybe!

You need some running experience before attempting such a strenuous and demanding activity. Your body must be fully accustomed to regular running.

TIP: If you are a new runner, don’t launch straight into a run streak. To avoid injury, overtraining and possibly losing motivation, get as much experience as you can first by giving your body sufficient time to adapt to the rigours of regular running.

The Benefits Of Doing A Run Streak.

Like all forms of running, and other cardio workouts, there are many well proven benefits to your body and mind. Take a look at our post ‘5 Best Benefits of Running’ for some inspiration.

Let’s explore some of the best benefits of the run streak.

• Exercise. First and foremost is the benefit of regular cardio exercise to your body. Done right, the run streak can improve your fitness, boost your immune system, improve your heart health, plus offer many other health and fitness rewards. You are essentially becoming more athletic.
• Weight management. Running is cardio. Cardio burns calories. A run streak may be a good way to schedule regular exercise which, combined with an appropriate diet, can help you lose weight and achieve your ideal weight goal.
• Consistency. When something becomes non-negotiable, it quickly turns into a habit. Habitually running everyday takes away any decision of whether you should run or not. It becomes a consistent exercise routine that will help you achieve your goals. Who doesn’t want to form a healthy new habit?
• Injury prevention. You can reduce the risk of injury with consistent exercise which builds stamina and resilience, whilst also being sure to get appropriate rest.
• Mindset. Getting in your daily exercise can be very satisfying and positive for your mindset and mood. That rewarding feeling doing something beneficial for your health and fitness, whilst also enjoying your own personal ‘me’ time. Those few minutes of running each day can be a real circuit-breaker for busy or stressed individuals.

The Dangers Of Doing A Run Streak.

At RMWA we often advocate running three or four times a week, and taking appropriate rest days in between workouts. This is a schedule that works for most people and provides plenty of opportunity for growth in health and fitness.

Elite athletes and certain other individuals can often get away with training every day, sometimes twice a day. But this requires proper planning and a strict training program, possibly under the direction of an experienced coach.

For most runners, attempting a run streak requires prior knowledge of how to successfully undertake such an intense training regime, and proper conditioning of the body and mind, before even one step is taken.

The run streak is not going to be for everyone, especially those people who have other exercise commitments such as gym, netball, football etc. The workload would simply be too much and could result in reduced performance, fatigue, or even injury.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some dangers of doing a run streak.

• Overtraining. As with all forms of exercise, you can over do it. Factoring in sufficient rest and just enough exercise to realise your goals is the sweet spot, doing too much will lead to overtraining and your gains will go backwards. Some signs of overtraining are, feeling tired, exhaustion, fatigue, and trouble sleeping.
• Injury. Running is a repetitive motion, running every day subsequently increases the risk of repetitive trauma to your joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. At the first sign of any discomfort or pain, it is important to quickly identify the problem and take appropriate action to remediate it. Take a look at our post of the ‘6 Most Common Running Injuries‘ to help you first understand the issue and secondly, what to do to help treat it.
• Stress. Sometimes the fear of breaking a significant commitment can lead to stress. What if I don’t have the time to run? What if a miss a day? What if I get injured? What if something happens and I can’t run? The important thing to remember is that running, and the run streak, should be something you enjoy doing, it should be a fun activity you really look forward to. You can maintain your run streak with as little as a 2k run, even if you don’t have time to change and have to do it in your work clothes, that’s fine, just don’t let it worry you.
• Neglecting other training. You wouldn’t go to the gym and do the same routine day in, day out for the rest of your life. You would end up with big muscles in some places, and others completely undeveloped. Running is the same, variety is the key. Mix up your running routine, trying many exercises such as hills, stairs, sprints etc. You should also consider other activities such as gym, biking, rowing etc. This is a great way to get a full-body workout and avoid repetitive strain injuries.
• Mental fatigue. When the run streak becomes a chore or something you resent having to do, and all enjoyment is lost, mental fatigue can set in, destroying motivation. At these times, think about your goals, what you are trying to achieve and why you are doing a run streak in the first place. Maybe it’s time for new goals or different routines to rekindle some excitement. Maintaining motivation is not easy and there will be times when it’s hard to lace up and get out of the door. We have some great ideas to help you to fire up that mojo in our post ‘7 Ways To Stay Motivated To Run‘.

TIP: Listen to your body, know the signs of overtraining, and don’t ignore injury or pain. A run streak is a long-term commitment, success requires you to quickly identify and deal with problems before they become serious enough to threaten continuing.

How To Do A Run Streak.

So, you’ve decided to do a run streak, but not sure where to start or what to do. With some simple planning and preparation, you can make your run streak a great success.

Here are some ideas to help you on your way.

Set Your Run Streak Goal.

First, consider your reasons and set your goals.

Are you running for a special reason? The number of consecutive days you wish to run may have special significance to you, such as a future date, a birthday, or an event, for example.

Or, you may simply decide to set a streak of a random number, 10 days, one month, or even a year.

Whatever you decide, the number of days having some significance to you will make a great aspirational goal.

TIP: If you are a beginner, ease yourself into the run streak. Start with just a few days, take a rest, then maybe run for a week, rest, then go a little longer. Allow your body time to adjust to this new running regime, especially if your end goal is a large number of consecutive days.

Now that you have set your goal, let’s look at everything you need to consider when planning a run streak.

• Distance. How far each week do you want to run? You may decide to continue your normal running workouts each week and use the off days for shorter rest runs. For example, if you normally work out on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, you can add a shorter distance active rest run on the other days. Remember to factor in appropriate rest, and leave time for your other exercise endeavours such as biking or gym.
• Weekly plan. Use a diary or an app on your phone to schedule in your runs for each day. Having a proper plan for each day takes away any decision-making or procrastination, is easy to set up, and acts as a reminder each day of your run. Consequently, you are not trying to figure out when you will have the time to run, it’s right there, already decided and planned around your other daily commitments. Each day will be different, some days you may schedule your run in the morning, others after work, maybe even incorporating a run to the gym if pumping iron is on your agenda for the day.

Now that you have set your goal and decided on your weekly distance, it’s time to consider that there will be days when getting in a run may seem impossible or something happens that may potentially stop you from running.

For example, you have meetings all day at work or have to attend a conference, you are travelling long distance, are simply too tired or maybe have a slight injury. There could be many reasons.

In these cases,

• Focus on how to get the very minimum distance of 1.61k (one mile)
• Run at the airport if there’s no other choice, it will only take a few minutes
• Run without changing clothes if you don’t have time, hopefully wearing suitable shoes though
• Take it really easy and slow, especially if you are tired or have a slight niggling injury

Warm Up, Cool Down.

At RMWA we always advocate proper warming up before a run, and some easy stretching or running as a cool down.

To warm up, some light stretching (do not over-extend cold muscles) plus some brisk walking or easy running will get you safely ready for your run, especially on cold days. Remember, extreme static stretching of cold muscles increases the risk of straining and injury.

At the end of your run, cool down with a few minutes of slow easy running or walking followed by some light stretching.

Start Slowly.

If you are completely new to running, I would suggest focusing on getting your body acclimated to running first. Work your way up to running non-stop for at least five kilometres, practising different forms of running, and working out at least three or four times a week. Boost your fitness first.

Once you’ve been doing this for a quite some time, it may be possible to add a run streak to your training.

To try out the run streak, it’s a great idea to do a couple of smaller test runs first, before setting off on your goal run.

Start with two or three days, resting for recovery, then slowly increase your consecutive days.

Once you feel that your body has gotten used to running every day, you can set off on your run streak goal.

TIP: Slow is ok, this is not a race, be kind to your body, especially on the days you feel a little tired or sore.

Rest, Recovery, And Injury Prevention.

The trick to a sustained run streak is not overdoing your exercise to the point of exhaustion and possible injury.

Consequently, it is imperative that you factor in proper rest. Unlike your normal running routine of three or four days a week, there are no full days off for rest. For this reason, we need to understand the concept of Active Recovery.

Active recovery is using those days which would normally be your rest days, to instead, take a short, slow and easy run. By not stressing your body in this way, you can still allow your legs and muscles sufficient opportunity to recover from the previous day’s harder workout.

Recovery and rest whilst still being active.

TIP: When setting out your run plan as suggested previously, you can plan to get 24 hours rest before your active recovery run if you feel you need it. For example, plan to do your hard workout in the morning one day, and your recovery run the next day in the evening. This is especially helpful if you are feeling tired or a little under the weather.

By listening to your body and taking appropriate rest when necessary, you can realise all the benefits of regular exercise and the resilience that comes with it, without injuring yourself.

At the first sign of any mild discomfort or pain, take the appropriate treatment action. To help with recovery of tired or sore muscles you can use a roller, try light stretching, strapping, icing, or sports massage for example, to help relieve any minor complaints.

By using active recovery, you can still get a run in, without aggravating problem areas.

For more severe pain or injury, please seek immediate medical advice and stop what you are doing to avoid serious damage or making the problem much worse.

Remember the rule, hard days are followed by rest days.

Have The Right Running Gear.

If you’ve been following us for some time, you will have heard us going on ad nauseam about the importance of selecting the correct running shoes, and getting properly fitted.

Incorrect or ill-fitting running shoes can cause pain in your ankles, knees, and hips. Sore muscles, tendons and ligaments, blisters, chafing and other problems in your feet can also be the result of improper shoes.

To make a success of your run streak, you need shoes that are well-matched to your feet and gait. This compliments your natural and fluid running technique, and reduces the risk of causing aches, pain, or injury.

Take advantage of the professional foot analysis provided in dedicated running shoe stores, such as The Athletes Foot, to get your feet analysed and properly fitted.

TIP: It’s a good idea to have a few pairs of different shoes that you can choose according to what type of workout you are planning to do. For example, I always use a more cushioned shoe for longer runs which is more protective of my joints, tendons, and muscles.

Since you’ll be running every day, you are going to experience every type of weather that mother nature can throw at you. From freezing cold to oppressive heat and humidity, you are going to need the correct clothing to help you through.

Choosing the latest technical running gear will help you more comfortably navigate all kinds of conditions. From moisture wicking socks and running tops to heat retaining undergarments. Take advantage of the latest advancements in running gear design and materials.

You will also need to consider such things as water resistance, pockets for keys and cards etc, reflective strips for running in the dark, chafing, caps for sun protection or beanies to keep your head warm.

For cold weather running in particular, refer to our post ‘How To Run In Cold Weather’ for all the help and tips.

Maintaining Motivation.

A run streak is a big commitment, and over a long period of time. Maintaining motivation is going to be a challenge at times. It’s important to recognise this and have some strategies in place to deal with it when these times come.

By using the tips, tricks, and ideas in this post, you should be able to remain in good physical shape for the duration of the run streak you decide on. But what about those times when you just don’t feel like lacing up, have lost the initial excitement, would rather do something else, don’t have the time, or maybe the weather is bad?

Being prepared that this will inevitably happen is being pre-warned. Accordingly, here are some ideas we fleshed out in our post ‘7 Ways To Stay Motivated To Run‘, to help you. Take a look at the article for even more details.

• Know what drains your motivation. Identifying the situations when you know from experience that you will find it difficult to get out the door for your run, can help you pre-emptively prepare. For example, your next run is an early morning workout, and you know it’s going to be cold. Try setting out your running gear in a warm place the night before, or even sleep in your running gear. Just throw on your trainers and jacket and hit the track.
• Focus on your why’s and goals. Visualise your goals and remember the reason you are doing this in the first place. For example, are you running to lose weight? When you are struggling to get the motivation to run, focus on how you will feel and what that will look like when you achieve your goal. Focusing on that vision will often help you get over this temporary bump.
• Run with a friend. Commitment to another person is a good way to help you get out the door. Whether it be a running buddy, a mentor, or a coach, you don’t want to let them down. Plus, there might be coffee at the end, who doesn’t want that!
• Change location. Research a new running trail in your area and plan to explore it instead of your more well trodden routes. This can add some excitement and motivation to your workouts.
• Different workouts. Instead of just lacing up and doing the same run at the same pace, try something different. Maybe incorporate some stairs, some hill running, intervals, or some other running workout. There are many ways of running that you can try to mix up your routine, add some variety and fun.
• Use technology. Take advantage of all the things your mobile, sports watch or smartwatch can do. Create a new playlist, use GPS to track your run and sync to an app such as Strava, listen to a podcast or an audiobook. Or maybe use an action camera to record some interesting parts of your run. Logging your runs on a running social app such as Strava adds another layer of commitment and can be a great motivator. How about a zombie run? There are many ways you can use technology to spice up your runs.
• Keep a journal. Record all your runs in a journal. Write down the details of each run, but also make a note of how you felt before and after the run. Struggling out the door when your motivation is low, and then re-visiting how great it felt that you pushed through and got the workout done, is an inspirational reminder that can help you on those low days.
• Reward yourself. End your run at your favourite coffee place for a well-earned brew. Is there a tasty protein bar waiting for you? How about shouting yourself a massage? Whatever it is you love, reward yourself for fighting through on those days when you just don’t feel like running. You’ll be so proud of yourself that you didn’t give up, celebrate your dedication with a little reward.

Try a few of these ideas on the days when you need a little help to fire up that mojo.

Some Do’s And Dont’s Of The Run Streak.

Wrapping It Up

This article has taken me 22 days to write. During that time, I have done a 22-day run streak.

I have continued to do my normal three weekly workouts. Sunday long run, Tuesday recovery run, and intense running club workout on Thursday. On the days immediately following the two hard workout days, I used Active Recovery and ran an easy 3k, on the other days I ran 5k. On my days off from work, I still did my weight’s workout, and every other day I have a stretching routine.

This is what a run streak looks like in practical terms, whilst integrating all the tips and ideas in this post.

Here are some of the main takeaways from this experience –

• You CAN successfully include a run streak in your normal training
• By using active recovery, I did not experience any sense of overtraining
• The run streak did not impair performance on my hard workouts
• The short runs were a fun addition to my normal weekly plan
• I felt fit and strong the whole way through
• Would I do it again….absolutely?

Is the run streak right for you? Only you can decide that, but what we have demonstrated here is that with a predetermined goal, the right plan, and following the tips and ideas we have given you here, you can be successful.

Remember our three main rules –

• Use Active Recovery
• Listen to your body
• Don’t ignore pain or injury

Give the run streak a go, let us know in the comments how you are going or if you have any other questions. If you are already a streaker, we’d love to hear your experiences or any other ideas you have.

Happy running

Steve

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