The Streak

Greetings! I hope this blog message finds all of you well. I want to share a one of the most important aspects of my life with you. In August of 1996 I went on a wedding diet. Like many others, I realized I’m not a good dieter. Thus, I resorted to exercise in order to lose weight. I had a trusty Nordic Track and the open road to help meet that end. I initially set out to exercise for at least thirty minutes, four days a week. I once exercised for a whole week, which gave me the idea to see if I could do it every day for a month. That goal eluded me for months. I kept trying, finally reaching my month long goal, and extending that daily exercise pattern indefinitely. As of now, March 9, 1997, was the last day in which I did not engage in at least 30 minutes aerobic or anaerobic exercise.

Now, to my own amazement, over twelve (12) years have come and gone and my “streak” is still intact. Along the way I have learned there are many other obsessive-compulsive folks out there with much longer streaks than mine. I’m not sure if that’s scary or if I find encouragement if that fact. Nonetheless, this whole experience has given me a new respect for time management, nutrition, body mechanics, aspirin, the change of seasons, personal fortitude, ice packs, nature and my spiritual walk (or jog) with God.

In these ten years I have run on four continents, in fifteen countries and in all 50 states! Some highlights include running in every hour of the 24 hour day, which encompassed things such as midnight races, a 1:00am run under the stars with wild dogs in Egypt, a 3:00am run in an Arab family farm in Syria and at 4:00am in the driving snow of a small town in Michigan. I ran up Mount Marathon in Alaska (and slid back down), alongside ten major bodies of water, up the Mount of Olives, around the Sea of Galilee, on the Olympic Marathon track in Atlanta and in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Our trip to complete a run in my 50th state caused us to get iced in Indianapolis and have to stay an extra day. I’ve had injuries in both ankles, my back, hamstring, fingers, head, shoulders, knees and toes. Still, the expense of bandages, new shoes and orthotics pale in comparison to the zillions I save in stress relief, and not needing mood altering pharmaceuticals or therapy.

I want to thank all of those folks who have supported this endeavor over the years, and above all my wife, Shannan, who has waited at no o’clock in the morning and late in the evening in the rain, cold, on beaches, in oppressive heat, on bridges, in foreign countries, at the base of mountains and even parked on a multi-lane limited access highway (yikes, we didn’t realize that was the case when I got of the car--it was before dawn in Ohio).

When I mused if I could make it a month, a decade flashed under my feet. Wonder if I can go for a score!

My best to you all and I hope you keep going, and going and going…..

Tom