January 2021 Monthly Running Challenge

WARNING: Following this thread may be addictive; it gets very talkative...miss a day and you can be 50 posts behind. This is the most popular challenge on MFP. If you found us in the middle (or end) of the month, you're still very welcome to join in - no requirements or special invite needed. Once you post, that's it you're in. And yes, we do this every month.

You set your own pace and distance for the month. We will all be doing it together. This is your virtual running group to help keep you accountable, to enjoy a virtual post-run coffee with your fellow runners, and to make new friends and learn a few things.

This is a continuation from the December 2020 Running Challenge which can be found at:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10816823/december-2020-monthly-running-challenge#latest

Anyone can join in, new and old, and if you found this thread late, you can join in at any time.
We have members ranging from total beginners all the way to Boston Qualifiers and beyond. We are a friendly and encouraging bunch. You never need to be ashamed of your miles. If you are making the effort, you will find only support here.

Here are the details from last month that apply again:

Anybody want to join in for a running challenge? Set a goal here and update us every day. OPTIONAL: You can post your progress by creating a ticker at http://www.tickerfactory.com (if creating one seems difficult, or you're like me and can't be bothered, then just type in your daily miles in this thread).

You can run, walk, or do treadmill - just be consistent. Don't let the high (or low) goals of others intimidate you. Some do 25 miles, others do 50, some go higher than that, some do lower; it's entirely your goal and therefore completely up to you. We help motivate each other, so what do you say? If you're new to running, set a low goal. If you're from a part of the world where miles aren't your thing, log your distances in KMs. And if you'd rather log your progress by time rather than distance, then you're entirely free to do that as well.

Feel free to set your goal now but wait until December 1, 2020 to start logging your runs!

Also, don't forget to join our group which can be found at:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/21182-monthly-running-challenges
Bookmark the previous and past challenges: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10393468/current-past-challenges#latest
Find a small group of runners that encourage and offer food support:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10573619/runners-that-need-some-nutritional-accountability#latest

There you will find lots of good info, and it's a place where everyone can talk to each other for further motivation. It's also a place to find help when there is a problem with this thread.

Note: we also have a group on Strava and Facebook.

After you run, come into this thread and post what you did (don't forget to hit the star in the upper right corner to bookmark this thread). Simply keep a running tally of what you've done this month, and interact with the others. Many folks come in here and chit-chat it up, even on their rest days or while recouping from injury. This is a very social group and we talk about many things (sometimes even about running ). It's a very friendly bunch here so don't be afraid to say hi (even if this is your first time), talk about a recent or up-coming race, ask questions, provide answers, or just lurk-n-learn. Participation is what makes this group successful.

Not quite sure how to log your runs? Follow the examples of many other challenge members. Even take a peek at last month's thread (posted above).


*******OPTIONAL TICKER*************
Info on tickers since I know there will be questions. Sign up for an account at http://www.tickerfactory.com and create your ticker. Then you need to update it after you finish a run and post it here. Here is what you will need to do.

After setting up your ticker, you will need to make note of the weblink they give you so you can return. An example would be:

http://www.tickerfactory.com/exercise/w6K1EiX/ <<<< the last part will be a part of the image link (explained below) that will be supplied to you after you initially create your link.

When you return to TickerFactory with the weblink, go to your settings page. Make sure you type your PIN in that you set when you created your ticker account. Then, where it says "Your current cumulative value", there is an add button. Simply add the distance that you just did, and the cumulative value automatically changes. Then hit next.

After adding your new miles (or KMs) to your ticker, you need to post it here.

After you hit next, it will give you a bunch of codes suggesting how to display your ticker.
Use the one at the bottom where it says Direct Image URL:

It will look something like:
http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/w6K1EiX/exercise.png

To display that correctly in your post, make sure you place the image (img) tags around that link. So it will look something like the following (but removing the spaces in the img tags):

[ img ] http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/w6K1EiX/exercise.png [ /img ]

^^^^^^^ Don't forget to remove the spaces between the brackets ^^^^^^^^^^

Some key things to pay attention to when posting your ticker:
Use the link that ends in .png
Remember the [ img] and [ /img] tags go in between the link
Remove the spaces in the img tags before posting
YES, there is a / in the second /img tag

By the way, everyone here should consider themselves a runner no matter how fast or slow. There's no judgment, we all started somewhere. And no comparisons, except with your former self. Don't compare your Chapter 1 to somebody else’s Chapter 20.

“I often hear someone say I’m not a real runner. We are all runners, some just run faster than others. I never met a fake runner.” – Bart Yasso

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius

"We all know that if you run, you are pretty much choosing a life of success because of it.” – Deena Kastor

“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” – Steve Prefontaine

“Get going … walk if you have to, but finish the damned race.” – Ron Hill

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." - John Bingham


Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay on track.