Some time around now one year ago I decided to run everyday and now, one year on, I'm still plodding on. I'm not sure of the mileage for the full year as I've only had a garmin since last Christmas but, so far in 2012, I'm averaging getting on for 6.85 miles a day with 1,285 feet of climb. Some interesting feedback from my (first) year:
1. Running daily is a doddle
2. Having a dog to run with is a prime motivator, especially with pretty much all of my weekday running in the winter being headtorching in the hills around Settle
3. I haven't run to any particular plan but just run as I feel like - sometimes ploddy, sometimes fast(ish), sometimes long and sometimes short
4. It may be a coincidence or it may be down to the running but I haven't had a cold or a sniffle all year. Once or twice I've felt like I might be going down with something but its almost been like my body has rejected it flat and next day I've been fine and dandy
5. I'm not sure its improved my racing completely - sometimes I've just raced on the back of too much running (Borrowdale a week after a failed Bob Graham attempt with daily running in between was never going to be my finest blast) but in other races I've definitely raced really well
6. I've probably lost about 20 pounds in weight
7. 99.9999999% of my running has been in the hills and off road
8. I haven't had much in the way of injuries - the odd minor ankle twist and one (probably fractured) little toe injury that still flares up from time to time. Tempting fate I know but I have less niggles now than I pretty much ever have had
9. The quality versus quantity of running is (for me) completely irrelevant. I run better the more I run. Full stop.
10. I'm now on my fifth pair of Walshes for the year
Quite possibly the best thing I've ever done from a running point of view
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