Hill & Dale Issue 14 | A "No Days Off" Surprise

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So—I thought this article would be a blunt critique of the “No Days Off” (NDO) calendar by Tracksmith. At first glance, NDO insinuates 365 days of running and easy runs or recovery runs serving as the markers for rest.

I was mistaken, and thankfully, one of the company’s Journal entries about NDO says as much:

What one thing can you do every day to improve as a runner? Some days that will mean executing a hard workout and some days that might mean taking a rest day, or practicing yoga or rolling out.

In January, I ran twenty-five days for Winter GRIT, a distance project created by Believe in the Run. I completed 203 miles with the aid of nine pairs of shoes.

But twenty-five days means that I rested for six. Not short runs or easy runs or recovery runs.

I mean no running. I ate lots of carbs and relished a warm, cozy home as the winds whipped up and the temps plummeted. I rested and prepared for the next day.

After discovering the NDO calendar a few weeks ago, I thought I failed the Tracksmith call to run every day in 2023. I eclipsed 200 solid miles in January but refrained from motion when the legs needed a day to recuperate.

“What one thing can you do every day to improve as a runner?” asks the Journal. I agree that crossing out days on the calendar is “cathartic and centering,” but the one thing in question changes from day to day and person to person.

Some days are easy runs. Some days are track runs. Some days are long runs. Some days are recovery runs. Some days are no runs.

I deeply admire the thousands, if not millions of runners, that utilize NDO January 1 to begin or extend a running streak. According to the United States Running Streak Association, Jon Sutherland, a writer who lives in Washington, Utah, has run 19,617 consecutive days (53.71 years).

A two-week running streak sounds thrilling to me. As I noted a few moments ago, I rested from running only six days in January. In hindsight, I should have switched the nightstand alarm clock off for a few more days.

Sick children interrupted my sleep many nights, and I understandably received the cold that plagued their noses and throats. One harsh day I returned to the Kleenex box every 10-15 minutes hour after hour for more snot to expel. But I persisted in the repetition of consistency to reach the goals I set.

In short, consistency underscores No Days Off. Whether I’m lacing up shoes for a run or reaching for the Roll Recovery R8 or hot chocolate with marshmallows instead, I can do one thing every day to improve as a runner. You can too.

I hope you have a great day. We’ll talk soon.

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Photo courtesy of Eric Rothermel