Monthly Mileage Report - February
96.2 miles. I can't believe it.
All of February, I’ve been looking at the graph below and thinking one thing: I get it, but I don’t. It’s surreal.
Even more strange is how close I am to running 100 miles. That certainly felt like an impossibility less than a year ago.
And while my first triple digit month is in striking distance, I’m holding back.
Finishing Short of 40 miles
Being short of a number is something I first experienced back in October 2022. When I wrapped the month, I banked 39.8 miles.
My initial thought, “Wow. Almost 40. I bet I could run 45 miles next month.”
And my first running programs was born.
It was simple:
Goal - Run 45 miles
Average - 1.5 per day
Method - Run 3 miles every other day
The result: I ran 68.4 miles in November.
And while I wanted to go out again on that last day of the year for 70, I let that number be.
December was a learning month and a whirlwind of emotions.
The death of my Grandmother, injuries to my feet and ego, and a complete lack of intention would all play part in my unraveling.
The problem was that I never set out to run any distance. Having had such an epic month, I thought the work was done, and I lost focus.
Staying Short of 75
When I wrapped January with 73 miles, I had lots of emotions again. I was excited to be running and running often. It was incredible to see the growth and reach my highest monthly mileage yet.
Yet, somehow, I felt like I should have done two more miles to the last day to reach 75.
My plan called for rest, and I respected it. Because to start the year, I had 2 big goals:
Run 1,000 Miles
Run my first half marathon in April.
Two more miles for an arbitrary number wasn’t going matter in the big picture.
I told myself to be patient.
Staying Short of 100
I was rewarded.
February was my best month of running in terms of mileage and frequency, and I’ve never felt this good.
My sleep is amazing. Every run feels as prescribed. The easy stuff is easy, and the hards stuff is f*cking hard. It’s worth it.
I concluded this month with a 10 mile run, and what a difference. I’ve only done 10 miles twice before.
Back in November when I ran 10 miles for the first time, my pace was 10:42 / mile. It wasn’t pretty or fluid. My pace oscillated. At one point, I even lost track of how many miles I had run.
For this most recent 10 miler, things were smooth. Outside of the warm up mile and the cool down half mile finish, I ran the middle 8.5 miles at a 9:35 pace—I only slowed down for two walking snack breaks.
The last day of month calls for rest, and the rest, along with the rest of the plan, is working.
I hope I’ll be rewarded again in March.
Running Reads, Watches, and Listens
If you’re into running, here’s a few things from the month that I really enjoyed:
Chasing Dreams - Golden Trail Series
This YouTube series is like Drive to Survive for trail running. These quick, intense 30 minute episodes will leave you inspired to lace up and go.
Watch the complete Golden Trail Series here.
Out and Back by Hillary Allen
Hillary’s road(s) to recovery are incredible. But even more amazing than her ability and persistence are her adapted approach and mindset to running after major injuries.
Read Out and Back by Hillary Allen here.
Zone 2 training - The Basics
Greg has become one of my good friends on Twitter, and we’re both getting into running. We are both fans of 80/20 Running, but his approach is worth reading especially if you want to use an Apple Watch to track your heart rate.
Read Greg’s Zone 2 Training - The Basics below ⬇️
Love this Brian! You’re crushing the miles every day. Happy to be following your journey.