5k everyday challenge.

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Hey guys. I have recently decided I will be running 5k a day for the foreseeable future. Apart from days I play football, I'll aim to get 20k steps on my fitbit instead. Any tips for staying motivated to get me out of the house and running on days I'm not feeling It ? Not much of a runner so I feel it will be hard to keep motivated. Thanks guys.
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Replies

  • hhebert01
    hhebert01 Posts: 5 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Agreed. Use rundouble or runtastic (apps) to help you train your cardiovascular system 3x a week and to measure your progress.
  • RhiAndy11
    RhiAndy11 Posts: 72 Member
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    5k every single day is alot! i ran too much last year and ended up with tendonitis so be careful!

    but i saw some good advice about how to get you out there when you arent feeling it.....just tell yourself to run for 5 minutes and if you still dont feel like it then dont hold it against yourself, try another day, but more than likely once you have done your 5 minutes you will just carry on.
    running 5k 3 or 4x a week is surely enough though :smile:
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    Bad idea to go from not running to 5k every day. Start running 3x a week (less than 5k) and build up from there

    They aren't going from zero though, they play football ;) . An average midfielder will run 5k a game if they are in for most of it. So it depends on how many games a week OP plays.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    scorpio516 wrote: »
    Bad idea to go from not running to 5k every day. Start running 3x a week (less than 5k) and build up from there

    They aren't going from zero though, they play football ;) . An average midfielder will run 5k a game if they are in for most of it. So it depends on how many games a week OP plays.

    yeah but that's 5k over 90 minutes, not continuously running 5k.
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
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    Streak running is its own discipline, and I don't totally understand it. My understanding is that most streak runners count 1 mile as enough to maintain the streak of consecutive running days.

    That having been said, if you want to run 5K every day, it might be possible. You will need to be careful to avoid injury. On a lot of days when you might feel like running farther, you will need to stop at 5K. The 5K should be an easy run at least 5 days a week, preferably 6, and nothing wrong with keeping them all easy.

    Motivation to actually get out and do it? I don't know. I rarely have motivation issues, and when I do they're mostly procrastination related to the weather looking worse than it really is. Get me out the door, and I run. Except on my rest days. I could never be a streak runner. I want to run too far or too hard too often to never have a rest day.

    I have noticed that for streak runners, once the streak gets long enough to be brag-worthy there's a ton of motivation in not breaking the streak.
  • RhiAndy11
    RhiAndy11 Posts: 72 Member
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    There are three stages to a run:
    1. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS;
    2. This isn't so bad:
    3. Glad I got this run in.
    Or, to quote Mary Poppins; "Well begun is half done". :) Sometimes you just have to get out and get started. No one ever regretted getting a workout/run in.[/quote]


    Too true!
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    MobyCarp wrote: »
    Streak running is its own discipline, and I don't totally understand it. My understanding is that most streak runners count 1 mile as enough to maintain the streak of consecutive running days.

    I started a run streak on the 1st and am definitely using 1mile as my base, even though I regularly run anything up to a half marathon. For me 5km a day seems a lot, especially if you're not used to it, it took me months to work up to 4km 3-4x a week and then even longer to build my longer run up beyond that.

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    firef1y72 wrote: »
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    Streak running is its own discipline, and I don't totally understand it. My understanding is that most streak runners count 1 mile as enough to maintain the streak of consecutive running days.

    I started a run streak on the 1st and am definitely using 1mile as my base, even though I regularly run anything up to a half marathon. For me 5km a day seems a lot, especially if you're not used to it, it took me months to work up to 4km 3-4x a week and then even longer to build my longer run up beyond that.

    I am very tempted to do your mile a day for August but I'm also HM training so not convinced it's a good idea...
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
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    I take a day off sometimes and find that by the time my running day shows up on the calendar I'm motivated again. I guess I believe that for me, a recovery day is important. Just put on your running shoes and get out the door.
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
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    firef1y72 wrote: »
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    Streak running is its own discipline, and I don't totally understand it. My understanding is that most streak runners count 1 mile as enough to maintain the streak of consecutive running days.

    I started a run streak on the 1st and am definitely using 1mile as my base, even though I regularly run anything up to a half marathon. For me 5km a day seems a lot, especially if you're not used to it, it took me months to work up to 4km 3-4x a week and then even longer to build my longer run up beyond that.

    I am very tempted to do your mile a day for August but I'm also HM training so not convinced it's a good idea...

    I don't think streak running is compatible with training for a fast time in a long race. The way the calendar fell, I put 3 miles onto my regularly scheduled rest day once in June, a 2 mile warm up and a 1 mile race on a track. It was the shortest running distance of any running day I had that month, and I was whipped and ready for a rest day after a 13 day running streak. I expect that real streak runners won't be running the volume that I am, and probably won't be doing the volume of speed work that I'm doing in marathon training. But that's okay. Maintaining a streak is a different goal from finishing a marathon or a half marathon fast.

    Could I be a streak runner with a minimum of 5K per day? Maybe. But I won't find out, because I like marathon training too much. And with marathon training, I definitely need rest days.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,680 Member
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    I have a friend who does marathons a couple of times a year, plus many short races, who is on her third or 4th year of a streak. In her case, she does at least one mile a day.

    I did the holiday streak one year, running every day from Halloween to New Years. It was fun, but I was ready to stop. It takes a lot of discipline. It made my overall mileage higher, because I rarely only ran one mile, and it made it easy to transition to 6 days a week running, which I did that marathon cycle, but I like having a day off when I need or want one. It can take the fun out of running when you feel like it's more an obligation than a joy, but that can happen during race training too.
  • govenderd1
    govenderd1 Posts: 30 Member
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    Instead of doing 5k each day, aim for 35k per week. On good days you may do much more than 5k, on bad days less than 5k or rest. However, you will average 5k per day and your body will thank you for this.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    scorpio516 wrote: »
    Bad idea to go from not running to 5k every day. Start running 3x a week (less than 5k) and build up from there

    They aren't going from zero though, they play football ;) . An average midfielder will run 5k a game if they are in for most of it. So it depends on how many games a week OP plays.

    There is a big difference between oikball and running. I've run with regular players, and wiped them on even a short distance like 5K.
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
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    I have a friend who does marathons a couple of times a year, plus many short races, who is on her third or 4th year of a streak. In her case, she does at least one mile a day.

    I've wondered about streak runners who run marathons. How easy do you have to run the marathon to be able to run a mile the next day? I had my best marathon recovery to date after Boston 2017, but I still wouldn't have wanted to run a mile the next day.

    Hmm. Maybe if I just hang with the 3:30 pacer at Rochester I'll be in such good shape that I can do a recovery run the next day. Or maybe not. A lot depends on the weather.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited July 2017
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    MobyCarp wrote: »
    I have a friend who does marathons a couple of times a year, plus many short races, who is on her third or 4th year of a streak. In her case, she does at least one mile a day.

    I've wondered about streak runners who run marathons. How easy do you have to run the marathon to be able to run a mile the next day? I had my best marathon recovery to date after Boston 2017, but I still wouldn't have wanted to run a mile the next day.

    Hmm. Maybe if I just hang with the 3:30 pacer at Rochester I'll be in such good shape that I can do a recovery run the next day. Or maybe not. A lot depends on the weather.

    Once you've done a few marathons you get used to it. I did a 5K hill run the morning after my first full, a 10K the night of the full I did in May and have a 50K on a Saturday with marathon on the Sunday in September. You just adapt.

    That said, these are all trail races. Roads leave me feeling beaten up.
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
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    Streaking is a bad idea overall: "athletes participating in cycling challenges or running streaks open themselves up to a higher risk of injury due to the increased volume and constant impact forces being absorbed by the body. Rest and recovery are two of the most vital things in an athlete’s training plan; as I say often, “train hard, recover harder.” Rest and recovery is more than just physical; athletes also need a mental break from training, and weekly rest days provide that. This is especially true for age-group athletes who are balancing training with work, parenting and the other tasks of day-to-day life. Many multi-day challenges inherently do not embrace this philosophy, and it can be a dangerous road to embark on as it can lead to overtraining, fatigue and burnout." Source
  • OregonMother
    OregonMother Posts: 1,572 Member
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    gobonas99 wrote: »
    Streaking is a bad idea overall: "athletes participating in cycling challenges or running streaks open themselves up to a higher risk of injury due to the increased volume and constant impact forces being absorbed by the body. Rest and recovery are two of the most vital things in an athlete’s training plan; as I say often, “train hard, recover harder.” Rest and recovery is more than just physical; athletes also need a mental break from training, and weekly rest days provide that. This is especially true for age-group athletes who are balancing training with work, parenting and the other tasks of day-to-day life. Many multi-day challenges inherently do not embrace this philosophy, and it can be a dangerous road to embark on as it can lead to overtraining, fatigue and burnout." Source

    In general, I agree with this, but you can remain true to the laws of the streak and still work in some rest by running early morning one day and late evening the next. Not a full rest "day" but certainly could be up to 36 hours or more of rest (rather than 48).

    I also agree that a 5k a day would be tough for most casual runners, and that one mile keeps the streak alive.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    MobyCarp wrote: »
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    MobyCarp wrote: »
    Streak running is its own discipline, and I don't totally understand it. My understanding is that most streak runners count 1 mile as enough to maintain the streak of consecutive running days.

    I started a run streak on the 1st and am definitely using 1mile as my base, even though I regularly run anything up to a half marathon. For me 5km a day seems a lot, especially if you're not used to it, it took me months to work up to 4km 3-4x a week and then even longer to build my longer run up beyond that.

    I am very tempted to do your mile a day for August but I'm also HM training so not convinced it's a good idea...

    I don't think streak running is compatible with training for a fast time in a long race. The way the calendar fell, I put 3 miles onto my regularly scheduled rest day once in June, a 2 mile warm up and a 1 mile race on a track. It was the shortest running distance of any running day I had that month, and I was whipped and ready for a rest day after a 13 day running streak. I expect that real streak runners won't be running the volume that I am, and probably won't be doing the volume of speed work that I'm doing in marathon training. But that's okay. Maintaining a streak is a different goal from finishing a marathon or a half marathon fast.

    Could I be a streak runner with a minimum of 5K per day? Maybe. But I won't find out, because I like marathon training too much. And with marathon training, I definitely need rest days.

    Yeah, I'll maybe find a month when I am not training for something... December maybe...