The season’s upon us. It’s that time of year.
Time for a Holiday Streak!
And no, I’m not talking about the ‘70s fad of stripping off your clothes and running through the neighborhood — or across an Oscar stage. Instead, I’m talking about running, day after day after day, during the holidays.
From Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day, inclusive, you should run at least a mile a day, every day. It doesn’t matter how you run the miles — indoors, outdoors, around the block, up and down the street, on a winding trail, on a treadmill, or on a gym track. As long as you run at least a mile a day, it counts.
And you don’t have to run it naked. You can if you want, and it’ll count, but it is not a requirement.
This year, that will mean a streak of 37 days. Of course, you can be like some people and continue it through the new year, into the summer, and into the next holiday season. That’s what Paul Seibert of Fort Mitchell did one year, eventually getting a running streak that hit more than 500 days.
Last year, ultra-runner Harvey Lewis started his holiday streak a month late, on Dec. 22, but has continued it since. Of course, his daily runs often are in the double digits — and sometimes the triple digits. But that’s another story.
And Donna Lutes Piatt of Cincinnati started her holiday streak on Nov. 22, 2012, and hasn’t stopped yet, passing the three-year mark this past weekend.
“It started with the holiday streak, and I just kept going,” said Piatt, who runs with the Queen City Running Club. “When that was over, I decided to see if I could make it 100 days. Then at 100 I figured I could do a year. Then it seemed to me like I had to just keep going. Now it’s like I can’t stop unless I had a really good reason.”
I did a holiday streak last year, and while it was tiring, it was fun and motivating, and a way to ensure the holiday fervor didn’t adversely affect my running routine. It’s easy to slack off and plenty of excuses are available during the festive winter months.
For me last year, it meant one time I had to run up and down the street in front of my brothers’ house in upstate New York, after a day spent visiting the city. It meant running around my neighborhood on a Sunday evening after a 12-hour drive. It meant running a mile after a Christmas party that included beer and burritos — a day that may have been the hardest of all.
So this year, I am encouraging others to focus on a streak. A cousin, Alma Mc Auley, who lives in Toronto, is on board. A co-worker, Jessica Shoemaker, who lives in Cynthiana, said she is considering it, although many of her runs may be run-walks — but that’s OK, too.
“I am doing it for the discipline,” said Jenny O’Donnell, who runs with an RWB team. “I need to find quiet time, particularly during this frantic season of hyper commercials and obligations. I want to find my inner sanity, and outside, on a run, that’s where I can breathe out the chaos, and breathe in the calm.”
Jessica White, who runs with the Tri State Running Co. out of Edgewood, said she did a 41-day summer streak from Memorial Day to July. She’s eager to start a winter streak.
“I think this one is a great idea for many reasons, but will prove much more challenging with cold, darkness, kids with homework, and with so many other fun holiday events calling my name,” she said. “I’m considering it, but would be going in very aware that this one will take commitment and planning.”
There are several Facebook pages dedicated to helping local people doing the streak. One is set up by Ohio Team RWB, a running group comprising or supporting veterans.
There’s Holiday Streakers, a holdover from last year.
“It’s hard to stay active over the holidays,” said Lisa Vulcano Roa, who helped set up the Team RWB website. “This might motivate some of us to get out from behind the turkey and get going. Also, we need to be visible right now; we stand by our vets and our country.”
The community can be quite supportive of starting a streak. Several Thanksgiving Day races take place in Greater Cincinnati, including the massive 10K downtown, and several smaller 5Ks in Burlington and Erlanger. If you’re visiting relatives across the country, it’s not difficult to find a race nearby. http://runningintheusa.com/Race/
That’s your start.
And you have several choices about how to wrap it up. There’s always the Al Salvato Memorial Frostbite 5 Mile run on New Year’s Day in Fort Thomas, named after the former Kentucky Post reporter and editor, which benefits the city’s YMCA.
Or, you can try the new race at Turfway Park, the Turfway Tick Tock Trot Two Mile Run.
This race starts at 11:45 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, so if you run your first mile in 15 minutes, the race could count for both days!
Paul Long writes weekly for the NKyTribune about running and runners. For his daily running stories, follow him at dailymile.com or on Twitter @Pogue57