Happy Running Streak 1st Anni…not so fast!

I thought this past week was going to be my big day. My running streak's 1st anniversary date that I’ve had marked on the calendar for so long. On August 28, 2024, I left the house for a run, and each day after, I never stopped. At first there was no goal, like Forrest Gump said, “For no particular reason, I just kept on going.” Or so I thought. It turns out this anniversary date was a false summit.

The night before that big day, while lying in bed, I had a weird feeling that I had missed a day. Somewhat paranoid, I scrolled through my Garmin workout log and sure enough, there it was — a half-mile walk on October 19. I logged a walk!? How did I miss that!? Then the memories of that day came flooding back…

October 19^th is the birthday of my wife and our youngest son. Which means, it’s his day now. In 2021, he simultaneously stole her day and became the greatest family gift all in one moment. And last year, landing on a Saturday, it was also the day the Texas Longhorns hosted ESPN’s College GameDay. The stakes were high as our #1 ranked Longhorns hosted the #5 ranked Georgia Bulldogs. My three oldest boys were pumped, so we got the blessing from mom and committed to going.

We left the house early and arrived on location at 5:30 AM, near the large TV set and tons of gathering fans, all before sunrise. We walked to get coffee and bagels, we danced, we cheered, we waited, we said hi to Bevo, we waited some more, the UT student missed the kick, Lee Corso picked the Longhorns, my kids fist-bumped the crew and celebrity picker Scottie Scheffler, and then we walked back to our secret parking spot on the corner of Colorado Street and W 18^th Street. It was awesome!

Every detail of that day floated through my mind. We went back home to pick up my daughter and the birthday boy and girl. We ate birthday cake, and soon after, the whole family was back at the stadium, soaking in the free Spoon concert at the tailgating scene and playing the family-favorite carnival games before the big game.

In the end, the Longhorns lost, but the day was a win, and our family had a blast. All were snoozing in the car by the time we arrived home around 10:00 PM. It was a long, but super fun day. We did a lot, and based on my step count for the day, I probably walked 6 miles. But I didn’t run. What faked me out this whole time was a half-mile walk I logged from our car to the stadium, which registered as a workout on my Garmin calendar. Probably recorded to prove to my kids it wasn’t that far. I was 53 days into my run streak goal at that point (also not that far), and I must have blocked that missed day from my memory this whole time. That is, until the truth came back to me the night before what was supposed to be my running anniversary.

I lay in bed for an hour, my mind spinning with thoughts. I was embarrassed that I had gotten this wrong, especially after highlighting this streak in public for so long. But mostly I was frustrated for missing this detail — a rather large detail in an effort to keep a streak alive. So many wonderful memories from that day, and yet as I recalled them, I kept making excuses about why I didn’t run. Walks are great, but walks don’t count in a running streak. Not if you want to make the Streak Runners International list. I should have run that day. It was a busy day, but I had time. I made time every other day this past year. Son of a gun! I couldn’t believe I messed this up…

Then I fell asleep, determined to get it right. I got up, and ran my fake anniversary with a deeper sense of integrity to do the right thing and a renewed conviction to do the hard thing, and accomplish my goal.

October 19 will always be special, first and foremost because we celebrate two birthdays in our house. And we’ll also look back and think fondly of our GameDay experience in 2024. And now, I’m adding one more thing to that day. It’s my new running streak anniversary date. “Of course it is,” my wife said with a laugh.

You want to know something else funny? A year ago, I read David Goggins’ book Can’t Hurt Me, and it was one of the catalysts of my running streak. His powerful story taught me I had a lot more in the tank. This year, as a run-up to my big day, I started reading his second book, aptly titled Never Finished. What was supposed to be a bookend reading experience to mark my year-long running adventure has now become a fitting and ironic twist of a story to be continued. Goggins’ straight talk and colorful language are not for everyone, but he has been the kick in the pants I needed at the right time to do more (and be more) on numerous occasions this past year.

The truth is, I’m not finished. I’ve got a few more days to go to get to 365. At first, that felt like a setback. But then I realized, that’s life. We’ve all experienced a punch to the gut when we recognize we’ve reached a false summit. This plot twist in my running journey only strengthens my resolve to accomplish this goal, and the next one. I’ve just got a little work left to do to finish this one first. What I’m learning from running is that the struggle is the point of the journey. While Day 365 looms ahead, it’s no longer what I’ll fix my eyes on; the end will come when it comes. The summit will be nice, but if I’m craning my neck to keep finding it, I’ll miss the key lesson of the climb.

In a way, I’m glad I messed up. I’m happy I earned 53 more days to see this goal through and prepare for the next one. Like Mama Gump always said, “You got to put the past behind you before you move on.” These extra days will help me learn that doing hard things is more about the doing than the hard thing…

Keep grinding, y’all!

AP

p.s. Hook ‘em Horns!