50 Days!

Today was my 50th day of consecutive running.  Only 315 to go!  By a happy coincidence today is a Friday so I was able to celebrate my 50th day by running to OCP for a couple of pints.  Thanks to Kata, Rachel, and Jess for joining me.  It was another glorious day.

Running for 50 days in a row is a decent achievement but nothing amazing in the grand scheme.  It's only a milestone on the project.  Next milestone is day 182 and then 365.  I might mark day 100 if I can find a '100 Today' badge.  :-)  On that topic, the barmaid in OCP congratulated on my birthday but when I told her that it wasn't my birthday, she laughed and said, "I was going to say....".  However, the guy in Caffeine coffee shop also congratulated me and when I told him it wasn't my birthday, he screwed his face up and said in  confused voice, "Oh.  Right."  I mean fair enough I can see the confusion - I am after all wearing a 50 today badge, but COME ON!!!  Really???!!!

Some observations on turning 50 then....

1. It got a lot easier after day 8.  
2. I am running a faster pace without thinking about it.  I probably average 5 minutes per kilometre on a training run, as opposed to 5:30 when I started.  
3. I am running a PB every race.  Turns out training helps.  Who knew?  There will come a time when I innevitably don't run a PB.  It might be tomorrow at Park Run. 
4. I am losing weight and more clothes in my wardrobe are becoming available to me. 
5. I could probably live with a maximum of 3 pairs of shorts and t-shirts.  The washing cycle means I sometimes wear the same gear twice in a row because it's at the top of the pile. 
6. Eating before running is still a bad idea.  I run better hungry. 
7. Coconut water rocks!
8. Keeping the running streak going is great motivation in itself.  Two or three times I have only went running because I 'had' to, then got in about 7km and enjoyed it.  
9. Running in the heat is really hard.
10. Advice from The Oatmeal that has been a great help to me.  "When you are really tired and you feel like giving in, try to disengage your brain and listen to your body.  More often than not your body is fine and could keep going no bother, but it's your mind that's telling you to give in, stop, start walking."  This is so true and I have used this technique to great effect many times. 
11. I've had no injuries.  Had a blister from the Red Moss hill race and one time I thought I was getting shin splints but they came to nothing.  I have only been doing normal, hamstring, and calf stretches and it's been great.  No pain, no injury.  Even no pain after the half marathon.
12. Wear comfy socks that come up to your ankle.  They don't look as cool as the small, invisible ones that just come above the top of your trainer, but they are much better blister and comfort wise.  Comfort is more important than appearance when running, but appearance does matter.  I mean I'm not a cyclist!

That's all I can think of now.  Looking forward to day 51 at Park Run.