Back to running and seeing

Prêt à porter

Today's run (street): 3.1 miles
Yesterday's run (treadmill): 2.25 miles

Okay, I lied. It's still September and here I am posting again. On my last post (not the one that confused SIOR because I used a complicated word like hiatus) I wrote about my enduring problem with plantar faciitis. That was in late August. Although I didn't say it at the time, it was the start of a planned running break. I needed to have a couple of eye surgeries and my doctor said I wouldn't be allowed to run again until mid-October.

I had my first surgery a couple of weeks ago in my left eye. It went well but my recovery has been slower than expected. So much so that we ended up postponing the second one. It's been a roller coaster of experiences: frustration, surprise, concern, excitement. The exciting part was what happened after I stuck a contact lens in my other eye for the first time in 25 years.

After surgery I could technically see about 20/30 without a corrective lens in my left eye. With the contact in my right, I was able to look at the world clearly again without glasses.  I'm still dealing with some left eye vision issues but my ophthalmologist has cleared me for highway driving.

The doctor also gave me the okay to resume running. It was sunny on Friday morning and, without sunglasses, I opted for the treadmill. I was concerned that a month's layoff from running would mean a substantial loss in fitness, but I felt good the entire time. The secret to that was only running 2.25 miles at about 5 MPH. I didn't care about mileage or performance, I just needed to know I could run.

This morning was cool and overcast and I wasn't going to run inside again. I borrowed a pair of giveaway sunglasses that my daughter got from freshman orientation last year. They were fine except the arms were a bright Hofstra blue. They did the job but I didn't feel that comfortable wearing $2 novelty shades, especially after eye surgery.

My plan was to do the route I used to follow every morning at 4:00 AM before taking the train into the city. The distance is 2.5 miles, just a small increase from yesterday and something I thought would be easy to handle. My first steps confirmed that and I knew I would be in for a good run. It had rained overnight and the smell of ozone mixed with the aroma of maple trees was very pleasant. The 55° weather made me feel like I could run forever. Maybe not forever, but more than my planned 2.5 miles.

Still, the sunglass situation had to change, so this afternoon I drove over to Dick's in Melville to buy off the rack sunglasses for the first time in two decades. I had visions of getting some of those cool, aggressively shaped tri athlete shades with removable lenses for different sports. Dick's has nothing like that, and if they did, they'd charge $300 for them. They did have cheap lookalikes made of chintzy plastic that looked awful on me.

I found a decently made pair for $20 with a reassuring label on the front that said "Polarizing lenses, 100% UV protection." That may be the law but I wasn't taking any chances. As a matter of fact I was so risk averse I texted the above selfie to my wife so she could tell me it was okay to buy them. They were.

So I'm back to running and seeing, two things I really missed. I'll do the other surgery eventually but since it's not medically necessary right now I'll wait. I plan to go out again tomorrow and increase distance a little more. My plantar faciitis went away during my hiatus and I really hope it's gone for good. Or at least for a really long time.

Dealing with the white stuff -- snow and sugar

Backyard trekking

Today's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles + snowshoe
Yesterday's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

I had lunch this week with a work colleague who told me he'd given up added sugar just before the holidays. He looked like he lost at least 20 pounds. I asked him if he misses sugar. He said if he wants something sweet he's happy to have a piece of fruit. I often think about the amount of sugar I consume and I know I often exceed the recommended limit of 50 grams per day.

I know that if I try to quit sugar cold turkey I'll fail. However, if I pay more attention, I can probably step down my sugar intake over time. I started watching sugar content on Thursday and substituted sugar laden stuff for more savory options whenever possible. I estimate that I cut back about 50% through Friday and through most of today, but our post-dinner ice cream was a setback.

I worked from home on Friday and managed to get in a few miles on the treadmill. I usually start my work-from-home days around 6:00 AM which is when I typically start my commute. Once my wife finished her workout, I jumped on the treadmill. While I find the treadmill mind numbingly boring, I appreciate that it's a better indoor workout than the elliptical. Still, my patience can only handle about thirty treadmill minutes at a time. Once I hit 5K I was done.

My schedule was tight this morning so I got on the treadmill early. I wasn't feeling very motivated and would probably have stalled another hour if I didn't have such a tight window. It was tough going at the start, partly because I set my speed about 5% faster than on Friday. I eventually adapted and felt far better through the second half of the run.

Later in the afternoon, I pulled out my snowshoes and spent 40 minutes going around my backyard. The snow was better than the first time I tried this during last week's storm. The temperature had risen and fallen over the freezing point over the past week. That resulted in a nice firm crust that kept me from from sinking in too deep. After a while the snow shoe-ing motion began to feel very natural and the drifts in my backyard created some mogul-like challenges. My friend FS said she likes that snow shoes allow her to get up and over rock faces. In my case this afternoon, that was my back deck.

Exploring new horizons around the deck and swing set

After I'd finished my snow shoe workout, my wife put them on and did her rounds in the back, followed by my daughter. I may go over to the adjacent middle school tomorrow and try them out on the athletic fields. I would be fun to to see what it's like to trek more than a quarter mile without having to make any turns. I'll probably end up on the treadmill in the morning, but I'll be thinking about snow shoe-ing and low sugar snacking to distract me from that tedium.

Deflated by my run

I know that feeling

Today's run (street): 3.4 miles

Yesterday I wrote about my tendency to always get sick at the end of the year. I made the mistake of saying that I've avoided that situation over the last few years. This morning I woke up with a painful migraine-like headache that has kept me exhausted throughout the day. No amount of analgesics, decongestants, running or showering has helped the situation. All I can hope for is relief after a good night's sleep.

We have guests staying with us this weekend and this headache hasn't helped my sociability. I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances. I thought a run might help the situation, but when I went out this morning I immediately regretted the decision. After a half a mile I knew it would be a struggle to get through even a three mile run. I had the opportunity to cut it short when I looped around to a road that's close to my house, but I couldn't bring myself to head home.

I ran as fast as my leaden legs could carry me. My head was pounding and the relief that I thought might come from aerobic breathing never materialized. Along the way I noticed how many lawns were covered by deflated Santas and snowmen. Apparently these large balloons are the new decoration standard. I'm guessing that people wait until dark to inflate them as part of their Christmas display. It amused me to see house after house with what looked like colorfully dressed people passed out on the lawn.

I was happy to end the run, but I felt no better after the workout. In fact I felt worse. The rest of the day has been filled with activities and my participation has been on the low side. I regret the timing of this annoyance because I only see our guests a few times a year.

The Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5K happened today and, because of our schedule, I've had to miss it. I guess that worked out in its own way because I would not have been in shape to race this morning. The Petite Pacer ran it today and I'm betting she had a much better running experience than I did today.

Sorry doctors, but I'm ignoring your advice

Today's run (treadmill): 3.4 miles  

Back in the early '90's, when I first moved to NYC, it seemed like I was always battling a cold or virus. One weekend my sister confronted my constant state of illness and asked me whether I took a multi-vitamin. I said that I didn't think they provided any real benefits. She guaranteed me that if I took a daily vitamin for a month, my constant sniffling and coughing would go away.

I figured it was worth trying, if only to prove her wrong. Thirty days later, I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a symptom. Ever since then, I've taken a daily vitamin. Except for a very very bad week, I've been pretty good at fighting off illnesses. My wife and kids have also taken vitamins on a daily basis and they rarely get sick.

When I saw on the news today that the Annals of Internal Medicine had published an article entitled, "Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements", I had to disagree. After all, what makes these doctors, with their years of training and expertise, more qualified than me to decide if vitamins are good or bad? Not only are these doctors saying vitamins don't help, they are saying that taking vitamins may pose certain risks. Does my sister know??!!!

Seriously, I'm conflicted by this news. I've taken a daily vitamin for over 20 years and have a healthy immune system. But I also run 20 miles a week and eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. So is it my diet or the daily supplement? It's not quite as paradoxical as Schrödinger's cat, but it's pretty hard to prove one way or the other.

Running happiness in a squeeze bottle

Doping the right way

Today's run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

Oxymetazoline HCl is my new favorite drug. I've recently found that a minimal dose of this OTC nasal spray provides a lot of relief to my pressure headaches. Using it seems to negate the need to take ibuprofen or pseudoephedrine. I don't like to take either of those, especially when I'm planning to run. I get these headaches during certain weather conditions and they are tough to treat, but a couple of sprays have put me back on the mend.

This morning's weather was windy and rainy. Fallen leaves on the roads made for slippery conditions and I resigned myself to another treadmill workout. I'd used the nasal spray as soon as I got up and felt instantly better. I was ready to push hard today and I set the speed a full MPH faster than yesterday. Today was warmer and more humid than Thursday, yet I felt much stronger throughout the run.

The good thing about running faster on the treadmill is that you get through your planned distance sooner. I had plenty to do today so that was a bonus. The nasal spray, unlike decongestant tablets, doesn't make me dizzy or tired. Treadmill running is scary enough without having to deal with those concerns.

When breathing gets tough, do the run easy

Easy like Sunday morning

Today's run (street): 3.2 miles

I'm finally feeling some relief from this endless cough, mostly because it's moved up into my head. I'm coughing less, but I'm now dealing with a bout of laryngitis. About twice a year, I completely lose my voice to this affliction. I can't complain (and no one would hear me if I did) because I sound terrible. Despite that, I feel fine.

Near the end of yesterday's run, my breathing started feeling restricted and I wondered if this chest cough may be related to a newly developed pollen allergy. My concern was, with even greater heat and humidity this morning, I'd have more trouble breathing than on Saturday. I considered skipping my workout or doing a hike instead. Ultimately, I chose to do a short, easy run to get my week's mileage into line.

I went out slowly and almost regretted my decision to bring my Garmin. I often wish I could just go out and run, unencumbered with tracking tools like GPS, a stopwatch timer or a heart rate monitor. I also know myself well enough that, if I ran without tracking, I'd end up reconstructing the run by estimating the time and mapping the route on Gmaps. Besides that, I always like to capture the route map in Garmin Connect.

My run started easy and stayed easy. I never approached my lactic acid threshold, although I did bring up my speed over the last quarter mile. It was at that point yesterday when I detected some restriction in my breathing. Today, that was not the case. I don't know if it's because my lungs are clearing, or if it's simply related to running easier. Either way, I was glad to get some miles in today, as I start my taper for next Sunday's race.

Great cough run cough

My lunch meeting

Today's run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

I really hate this cough. I'm not concerned about it because my daughter endured it for three full weeks and (thankfully) she is over it now. Someday, I'll get over it as well. As disruptive as this cough has been, it hasn't really affected my workout routine. I've noticed that I never cough while I'm running or somehow active. Too bad I can't be active all the time.

The weather was iffy this morning, so I did a treadmill run using progressive speed increases every quarter mile. It was humid, so I blasted the fan. My cough had woken me up during the night and I was concerned that I'd be dragging myself through my morning run. But I was surprised by the level of energy I was able to maintain. It ended up being a pretty good workout, although I would have liked more recovery time afterward.

A train derailment at Penn Station last night made the morning commute difficult for LIRR riders. I prepared for an awful experience, but things had improved by the time I went in. I covered almost four miles on foot, according to my Fitbit, and that - somewhat - made up for my large lunch. I coughed the whole train ride into and out of the the city and frequently through my meetings. I look forward to improvement and I'm hoping that it happens soon. But recent history tells me it might not get better for a while.

A run on the road and hike at Caumsett

Take a hike!

Today's run (street): 3.9 miles

Yesterday was a tough one. Bad coughs can be exhausting, and I never got to the point on Friday where I felt strong enough to do a workout. I was determined to run today, but not if it would compromise my recovery. The weather was near perfect and, while I was still coughing, I decided to head outside.

I would have liked to do a tempo run but I settled for a more moderate pace. I'd coughed all throughout the night and morning, but not once on the run. It seemed as though every landscaper in the area had come to my neighborhood to work, so I needed to be wary of workers and equipment as I made my way past all the trucks. I used the sidewalks when things got too tight.

Even though it was a fairly short run, I felt very tired by the finish. Despite that fatigue, I was glad to return to the road. Since my bout with pneumonia in early 2010, I get concerned whenever I develop a cough like this one. In this case I'm confident that it's nothing but a cold. Extremely annoying, but nothing particularly severe.

Entrance to the Caumsett grounds

After lunch we headed to Caumsett State Park for a hike on the paved trails. It's a great park with beautiful grounds, including views of Long Island Sound. We finished our walk and spent some time in the "Walled Garden" where the kids played a scavenger hunt game using pictures taken on their cell phones. I want to return there for a run sometime, although I'll need to be prepared for a lot of steep hills.

Scavenger hunting in the Walled Garden

Workout sidelined

My chest cold now includes a deep cough among its symptoms. This cough, along with a full morning of conference calls, prompted me to postpone my workout. I was optimistic about running later, but I think I'll call it a rest day and move on. I'm hoping that skipping today's run will help my recovery. My favorite workouts are typically the longer base runs I do on weekends, so I'm counting on getting outside tomorrow.

A glimpse (perhaps) of another emerging runner

Two routes to a healthy life

Today's run (street): 3.25 miles

This morning I noticed a guy walking around the neighborhood while I was out running. Everything from his noticeable gut to his white New Balance walking shoes reminded me of myself, five years ago. My journey from a sedentary life to being a runner started with early morning walks around the neighborhood. That routine led to walking with some running, then running with a little walking. After six weeks, I was just running.

I don't know this walker or his story, but I admire him for getting outside and moving. I have no idea if he's been a dedicated walker or whether he has plans to transition to running. One thing that walking did for me was reinforce the benefits of of an active lifestyle. I lost 30 pounds between August and November of 2008 and half of that weight came off before was exclusively running.

This week I've struggled with a cold and decided to forgo yesterday's workout. During my run today, I thought about that cold and realized that I was recovering fairly quickly. I wondered if my running had helped me hold off colds in the past, and if my immunity was stronger because of running.

I completed my run and noticed that my overall time was nothing special. I'd taken it easy in deference to my still present (but diminishing) cold and I think that was a good decision. I know that running keeps me in good shape and it might just be keeping me healthy. I'd like to think that the walker I saw will follow my path and get to his ideal level of fitness. Whether it's by running or walking, the end result will be a happier life.

Under the weather, due to the weather

Today's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

This has been a strange week for me. Lots of business frenzy and an underlying feeling that I'm about to be hit with a cold. I've been getting migraine-like headaches about once a month, that seem to correlate to changes in the weather. They could also be triggered by pollen, although I've never suffered allergies in the past. Over the last few days I haven't felt 100% and I ended up skipping my run on Wednesday.

This morning I had a return of that headache and I treated it with pseudoephedrine that usually does the trick. It helped greatly, but residual tiredness and a full morning schedule delayed my workout. I had a window of opportunity at noon so I jumped on the treadmill for a leisurely run at an easy pace. I knew I'd get the most benefit out of a workout that taxed me, but didn't push me to the point of feeling run down.

I could have run outdoors but I decided to use the treadmill because I could set the speed and just zone out. It was a decent workout and helped clear my head. I'm still feeling tired, but at least I got a few miles in. The weather is supposed to get cooler from now, through the weekend. That will make for better running conditions outside. I hope that by Saturday, my health will be as good as the predicted weather.

Shakeout run postponed

One of my favorite types of runs is the "Day after race shakeout", when I go out easy and rid my muscles of built-up lactic acid. Weather conditions were better this morning than they were yesterday, and I looked forward to a few recovery miles. I had a rough night's sleep and woke up with sinus headache this morning. These headaches are annoying, because they make me feel draggy and tired. I considered downgrading my neighborhood run to an easy treadmill run, then realized that skipping my workout was the best choice of all.

I've never liked taking medication, but when these headaches come the only thing that helps is the "Sudafed" cure. That's 60 mg of pseudoephedrine, along with a dose of ibuprofen. When the cure takes, it's a night and day improvement. It took a second dose later in the day to eradicate the pounding and dizziness and I'm feeling much better now.

I read recently that runners should take a day off after a race for every mile they ran. That seems extreme, but one day's rest after a race makes good sense. I've just preferred to do my easy runs instead. Now that I have no time pressure to make my train in the morning, I can go on longer runs during the week. I will hopefully sleep better tonight and make up some mileage on Monday.  

How pounding headaches lead to base building

There's something about daylong meetings spent in airless conference rooms that causes me to experience pounding headaches. Tuesday's meeting was intense. I lead an industry group that focuses on some fairly technical subject matter. After the sixth hour of intense debates and discussions, it became exhausting. A different meeting followed on Wednesday, and by 10:00 AM I knew I'd be in for a rough day.

I went to bed last night hoping I'd wake up feeling better. I set my running clothes up for a morning workout,  but the need for additional rest and the slight presence of a headache dissuaded me from getting on the treadmill. I think it was a good decision. This is the second or third week in a row where I took Thursday as an additional rest day, but in every case I felt the rest was justified.

The difference between running five days a week versus six isn't great, but it does put me a little behind against my weekly mileage target. So far, I've managed to make up for the loss of weekday miles on weekends. In a way, it has motivated me to extend my weekend long runs a little further than normal. I've been looking to build my base back up and that's a way to do it. I just wish the process to get there this week wasn't so painful.

Would you read Slow Runner magazine?

Going to the Well

Running magazines provide great utility and can occasionally inspire. When I was a new runner, I found these magazines to be a useful source for information about terminology, practices and setting expectations. But just as there are no magazines to help you become a run-of-the-mill decorator or a mediocre cook, the focus of every running magazine seems to be about improving performance. Up until recently, I appreciated that focus. Now I'm a little conflicted.

The reason for this comes from recent studies published by the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health and the Lancet. Both of these studies concluded that mortality rates for those who exercised moderately were lower than the rates for sedentary people or high performing athletes. If running greater than 20 miles per week or pacing in the seven minute pace range causes a health concern, I'm certainly not going to do that. Not that I could run a sustained 7:00 pace anyway.

I'm curious to see whether running magazines will ignore these studies or dismiss them as inaccurate. If not, will they acknowledge the facts and modify their editorial focus? After all, the topic of minimalism started getting regular coverage after Christopher McDougall published "Born to Run". Covering running without a focus on performance may be a hard sell for Running Times, but many titles already devote pages to nutrition, human interest and lifestyle.

Given the choice, I'd always choose an article about running experience over a new approach to running intervals. Maybe that's a new market segment for Rodale to cover.

Running through a headcold is usually the best medicine

Today's run (treadmill): 30 minutes

Without fail, I always experience some health related issue during the week between Christmas and New Year's. With the exception of the accounting team who are called upon to close out the the year, my company pretty much shuts down during the final week. I usually take this week off and, in the past, have suffered the flu, pneumonia or colds during this time. This week it's a mild head cold and I hope it stays that way.

The fourth quarter of the year is usually the most stressful, and I'm sure that's why I get sick when things come to a halt. I started taking flu shots a couple of years ago and that's probably paid off more than I know. Since my current cold is limited to stuffiness, sneezing and an occasional cough, I've chosen to ignore the symptoms and keep my running schedule. I've already covered 14 miles this week and the weekend is still to come.

We needed to get out fairly early this morning, so I returned to the treadmill to save a little time. I'll admit that when News 12 stated that it felt like 20° outside with wind-chill, I decided to "protect my health" and run indoors. I didn't push too hard at the beginning, but I steadily increased my speed and finished running with my heart rate at the low end of zone 4.

I still haven't got out of my own neighborhood to run this week, like I usually do when I'm on vacation. Maybe I'll do a trail run this weekend and I'll look forward to the LIRRC 5-Mile Hangover fun run on Tuesday at Eisenhower Park.

If running wasn't healthy would you still run?

Take your pick

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

My wife mentioned a conversation she'd recently had with our son. They were talking about the motivation for working out. A question they'd pondered was, "If running wasn't healthy, would people still do it?" It's an interesting thought, because most people will tell you that they run for enjoyment. In my opinion, it's much more likely that most people run for the health benefit. Occasionally they'll enjoy  the experience.

Would I run if the benefits weren't clear? That depends on a lot of things. In this scenario, is running harmful or is it health-neutral? If we suddenly learned that running does not contribute to health, I know I'd mothball the treadmill in a second. But, unless it caused harm, I'd probably still run trails. The point is moot, because I've realized big health benefits from running 20 or so miles a week. While I sometimes dislike the work, I always feel great in the end.

There are people on the other end of the spectrum, those who run ultra-long distances or compete in Ironman competitions, who may actually do themselves more harm than good. I wonder if these people accept the risk and choose to run for hours because they love the experience. I suspect that many of these athletes view endurance sports with a distorted lens: if a little running is healthy, a lot of running must be even better. Unfortunately  anorexics tend to look at eating (or not eating) the same way.

I ran on the treadmill this morning and thought about the enjoyment vs. health question. I decided that the only reason I was running (while most people were still sleeping) was to fulfill the commitment I'd made to stay in shape. But this weekend I'll be viewing my running a little differently, with a planned trail run at Caleb Smith State Park. That's my definition of fun and it just happens to be a healthy thing to do.

Staying healthy by not running

Last night I was concerned that the headache and dizziness I suffered from last week was returning. I readied my gear for today's run but prepared to abandon my workout if I wasn't feeling 100% by morning. Last week's strategy to run despite feeling run-down turned out to be a bad gamble. I wasn't going to repeat that today if conditions were the same.

I resisted taking pseudoephedrine when I went to bed because I don't like taking medicine unless I'm really hurting. I figured that if I woke up in the middle of the night feeling awful, I'd reconsider. It turned out that the headache never came, but I still felt weak when I got up. I decided to forgo my run and take the extra time to relax. I think it was the right choice. It's hard to give up a workout, but skipping a run can sometimes be the healthier option.

Incomplete recovery is better than none

Yesterday's troubles continued through the night, and I got to bed early in hopes on sleeping off my pounding headache. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling no better, so I took some pseudoephedrine and Advil and went back to bed. When I got up, my headache was far less noticeable and the heavy fatigue I'd carried most of Wednesday was gone. Still, I knew better than to try a run. I learned something from yesterday.

Headaches of this type are really debilitating and, when they finally leave, the world feels so much better. But even with that improvement, I wasn't out of the woods. I felt well enough to go into the office but some slight dizziness and a mild headache remained. Sudafed saved the day, but it wasn't a complete victory. Another dose this morning brought further improvement.

I'm not sure what's behind these headaches but the only way to get rid of them seems to be a combination of sleep, NSAIDs, and pseudoephedrine. Missing a day's workout, like I did today, would normally bother me because it will make it harder to reach my weekly goal of 20 miles. But an article from Tuesday's WSJ.com sent to me by FS, says that (for older endurance athletes) it's better to keep weekly mileage below that number. Older endurance athletes that run 7:30 paces or faster that is. So I guess I'm good with my 20.

Well timed rest day

I don't think I could have picked a better day to schedule a rest from running. I developed an intense headache last night that was probably triggered by an afternoon of working to recover data from one of our laptops. I had hoped that a good night's sleep would bring some relief, but that hasn't been the case. Just to top off my misery, I went for a company-provided flu shot this morning. I had a slight reaction to it last year and I'm concerned that it may cause me some problems today.

If my existing and anticipated ailments clear by tomorrow morning I'll be back on the road for a run. I've always found sleep to be the best medicine. But right now, it's hard to believe that I'll have the energy to do anything as strenuous as running.

My most important decision in the last four years

Four years and many miles

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

This past weekend I realized that it's been four years since I took the results from my annual physical as a call to action. At that time, I weighed thirty pounds more than I do today. My cholesterol was very high, as were most other indicators. These results were no surprise to me at the time. I had become sedentary and, while I maintained a decent diet, I did not do a good job of regulating portion sizes or sugar intake.

With a wife and two young kids who depended on me, I could no longer ignore the truth. I got off the phone after speaking to my doctor's assistant and told my wife that I was going to change. I don't know if she fully believed me, but she supported my intention. My wife has always been active and she suggested that I use the treadmill in the morning before work and to really watch how much snacking I did after dinner.

In August of 2009 I began to walk, first on the treadmill and, on weekends, around my neighborhood. I pushed my walking pace and, within weeks, I was throwing in some short running segments. It took a while before I could comfortably run a mile but by the end of September I was doing that. By October, I had given over from being a walker to a full time runner.

Along the way, I lost those 30 extra pounds and by year's end, even more. Running is easier the less you weigh. It becomes more interesting when you can track your progress with devices that capture your speed and distance. I made a lot of progress in the first six months after I returned to an active life. Four years later, I'm doing even more.

This is the 1,300th post I've done on the Emerging Runner. I started the blog as a personal journal to help me record my experiences and share them with others. I wondered how long I would be able to maintain the discipline of running every morning and whether I would tire of the routine and the work that comes with it. But four years later, I feel exactly the same as I did the day that I completed my first continuous mile.