Hey everyone, I'm Ace and I'm trying to complete the challenge of running 100 miles in 30 days (by the end of January 2022) alongside my close friend to help support cancer awareness. I'm making these posts a few times a week as a diary of my progress, feelings, and experiences, and also to help keep me motivated and accountable. Yesterday was Day 4, and after finishing the 5.2 mile run that day I have a total of 15.6 out of the 100 miles needed for the challenge, which means as of now I am keeping pace with where I need to be!
Day 4:
After the third day of this, I was getting more used to it, and also realizing I needed to make some updates. So that evening I made some adjustments and upgrades so that I could start Day 4 off prepared! The first upgrade was a pair of shoes. I managed to find a pair of Nike tennis shoes for $15 on the local marketplace that were my size and which provided some much needed support for my feet. Next, I searched through my closet and found a large and puffy winter coat so that the cold morning runs wouldn't be so harsh on my body. I also found a nice colorful hat to wear to help keep my head and ears warmer and to add some Holiday spirit to my runs! Lastly, I purchased two ankle supports to wear so that I don't end up with a sprain from having to walk off-road periodically. With my newly acquired gear and a warm hearty breakfast, I started off my Day 4 journey in much better shape!
The 2.6 mile trip to work was productive but uneventful. It was the coldest morning so far, so I decided not to try to push myself too much and just treat it like a good baseline of my current progress. I made it there in 36 minutes and 35 seconds, a little bit under my previous best time. I was feeling a little bit sore throughout the work day, but better than I felt after Day 2, and my energy levels were high and mood soaring throughout the day! In what felt like no time at all I was finished with my work day and ready to head home!
Now that I had done it once before, running the 2.6 miles back home didn't really frighten me, and I set off without delay. I experienced my unique event just a few minutes into my run, and at the same four way intersection as the prior day's event. Unfortunately, this event was also a little bit scary, as it was a car accident involving three cars. It happened quickly yet covertly: one car had to make a sudden stop after the light had just turned green and it was rear-ended by the car behind it. But then due to the proximity of the cars and the unexpected nature of the event, the car behind the second one also rear ended it. None of the cars were moving very quickly and therefore nobody was injured, but they all ended up stopped right in the middle of the intersection and impeding traffic for about a minute. Thankfully, the cars formed a line and moved out of the way of traffic and onto the side of the road. After seeing it happen and additionally seeing that everyone was okay and the vehicles not too damaged, I continued my walk, paying extra close attention to the other cars around me. Not even 3 minutes later two police cars arrived to assist, which is in my opinion a great time to action response from initial 911 call to on-site assistance, and a testament to the emergency services infrastructure!
After that experience I continued my trip and felt like I was making pretty good time. About halfway in I was greeted by an acquaintance who waved to me from their car as they were driving past. Not too long afterwards I had made it home, tired, out of breath, sweaty, and happy. My time for the 2.6 mile trip back home was 40 minutes, exactly the same my the time it took me to return home on Day 2. My times weren't improving yet, but I felt like my body was starting to adapt to the running, and that hopefully soon I would start seeing my times steadily improving!
I'm still feeling good about this challenge and appreciate the support on these posts! Once I get it figured out, I'm going to try to start posting some pictures too! Keep safe and have a great day everyone, my next jog log will be tomorrow.
-Ace