The Streak Chronicles - a blog about my daily run adventures.
Be brave! Be strong! Be fearless! Once you have taken up the spiritual life, fight as long as there is any life in you. Even though you know you are going to be killed, fight till you ‘are killed.’ Don’t die of fright. Die fighting. Don’t go down till you are knocked down. –Swami Vivekananda
The Story…
The Streak began September 2, 2002. I was 16 years old, a junior in high school and just recently joined the cross country team that fall. I was the only girl on the team and decided, against my friend’s judgements, to try cross country that year instead of sitting the bench at soccer games. I just wanted to be good at something and running seemed consistent, something I could do without relying on other people and it was a good way to get in shape.
Come October 2002, I looked back on training and realized that I had run everyday for a whole month! I decided to run everyday for one whole year, never miss. Why? I thought, “if I want to be good at something, why waste a day without training?” Plus I was learning to love running and enjoyed the discipline. And so, I began to run everyday.
Flash forward to 2022, I still have not missed a single day of running. Since 2002 I have logged over 30,000 miles. My minimum has been 1.5 miles and the most I have ran was 27 miles. In 2010 I logged over 3,000 miles for the year. The daily average is a little over four miles. My minimum became two miles in 2018 as I was working twelve hour days and had to run on my lunch break, but recently in January 2021 my minimum has become three miles reaching 100 miles every month.
There have been many adventures, hard times, injuries, illnesses and victories throughout this streak and after 18 years, I have decided that it is time to share these stories with the intention of inspiring others to live a more focused, disciplined and meaningful life.
Below I have outlined a timetable of each year for references. I have learned many life lessons by committing to running everyday and this discipline has helped me understand myself and the world around me that much more. At some point what you see below will become formulated into a book.
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My junior year of high school and first season to run cross country. I continued running after the season and later hooked up with Gregg and Ellen Osborn who helped coach me over the winter in order to better prepare for the following cross country season. That spring I competed in some high school track races. My small high school never had a track team so I had to run unattached. The summer consisted of steady training for the upcoming cross country season.
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September 2003 marked the one year anniversary of the streak. My Dad took me out to dinner and we celebrated. I competed cross country again for my high school and also, by showing by example, led my friends to decide to join the team as well. I never won a race, but I won place awards. My first award I stood up with the line of other runners feeling that joy and satisfaction that hard work does pay off. There were no regrets from training, because I really did train every day! The end of the season was not as victorious, but I continued to train for track season where we had, for the first time in my high school’s history, a full affiliated track team! I won a few races and finally broke six minutes in the mile. I ran 5:39. Haven’t ran that fast since. Tied for third place at the championships, and alas, long hair-pony-tail-amish girl was able to go on to the next championship. Alas, I was on to college training throughout the summer.
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College. If I only knew that first day about how horrible this place was going to be…If I only knew…The coach favored other runners, I tried to hard. My competitive fire made me compete against the other teammates on easy days. I knew I had it in me, so why were these girls beating me! This was my mental state for this year. Also, plantar facsitus made it extremely painful to run. Mostly because the coach insisted we run one mile barefoot everyday. Frustrating and discouraging, but thus is the emotional state of competition.
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Another injury, this time “runner’s knee” where the cartilage of the patella gets worn down that eventually bone is rubbing against bone. Could not bend my knees, so ran Forrest Gump style to get in the mileage. Come track season, I was down in weight and down in times. Correlation? I had the speed and beat a lot of people, achieving personal records.
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A semester abroad in London was a good break from Pennsylvania life. I was able to run what I pleased and where I pleased. I was logging a consistent 60 miles per week because I felt good. I became overly obsessed in track season, logging 70 miles per week and eating soy based foods. No injuries but a severe symptom of overtraining. So much negativity and unneeded stress.
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2007 consisted mostly of counting down the days until college was over. That cross country season my goal was to have fun. I threw in the towel on being overly competitive, tried to find peace within and tried to prevent injuries. The middle way was attempted. I didn’t want to run track, but did anyway. Sometimes I would run on my own because I wanted to. I was through with authority even if it was a coach. I was uncoachable and always disappointed with times and races. Summer 2008 was great! I began training for my first marathon!
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I ran my first marathon in Columbus OH, then became severely injured with IT band syndrome. I hobbled through a few miles while holding my leg. It was painful. I dreamt of running, I missed it so much. Fortunately I recovered and was able to train and run the Boston marathon that Spring. I tried following a coach for the training, costing my parents $375 per month because he was supposed to help with nutrition, but I pretty much knew what to do. The summer of 2009 I began my one hour daily run streak.
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I slowly built up my mileage, not running less than one hour. LSD is often referred to Long Slow Distance and that’s what I did. I logged over 3,000 miles for that year, consistently running 80 miles per week with a streak of Sunday 20-22 mile long runs. My mind became steady and my body stronger. I ate a lot. I won some races and then won a marathon that Winter, the fastest ever in 3:17. But never quite recovered and kept running too much. Moving to South Florida I also kept sweating too much. I found Ashtanga Yoga and would try to balance the practice and running. Sometimes I would run ten miles before primary series.
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Attempted another marathon-The Toronto marathon and ran 3:39, a time that was just to finish. It was horrible, but my mind was strong to endure the pain and misery. I began to get my mileage back up, running 60 miles a week not even trying. The Miami Marathon in January was an ultimate breaking point of Yoga’s conquer, but running dreams and goals were still there. A fractured rib was the ultimate realization that my identity has become consumed by the runner’s stereotypes. I was not a runner, I was a Yogini, and I always have been. I was a spiritual body within this body that could run. I could be free if I gave up running. I gave up my ambitious running dreams but still ran because I enjoyed it. A few miles with the dogs in the woods were some of my fondest runs.
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I surrendered all running goals and dreams. November 2011 consisted of four mile runs along the Arabian sea in Kerala India. February 2012 was the last time that I ran 10 miles. It was a beautiful 10 miles too. But when the opportunity to come back to India to study Ashtanga in Mysore at the shala presented itself, I knew that I had to make the surrender of running and fully embrace the Ashtanga daily practice. The balance slowly fell into place. And the summer of 2012 being in Mysore studying with Sharathji, convinced me that YOGA is my path. Running has taught me enough to get here and truly begin to understand the practice.
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Got married. Thirty minutes were my measly daily runs. That winter we returned to Mysore India, where I began to run daily 20minutes. Found the middle way of running while still maintaining the streak. Yoga progress is now more important than running. Running will remain constant and a pranayama exercise
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I returned from India and BAM got pregnant. The first few months were so slow, I felt fine but running was difficult. We ended up moving to Houston, TX where I worked at a retail store undergoing construction.
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I delivered Ray in a local birthing center, a whopping 40 hours of unmedicated labor. He was born on Thanksgiving at 3pm, I ran 17 minutes at 8pm thus keeping the streak alive. Running with a newborn was difficult, I had to ask for help - “hold this baby for twenty minutes please” to a husband and family that were very busy and caught up in their own lives. I began running with a stroller in February, bundling him up.
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I often described that pregnancy was similar to a tumor - something growing inside your body without you really being aware of it. Ironically, as I was growing a second child, my husband at the time was growing a brain tumor.
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I was eight months pregnant when my husband at the time was admitted to the ICU for emergency brain surgery. I slept on the “infectious floor” - as the nurses later told me, as he recovered from surgery. He was diagnosed with stage four, high risk brain cancer with doctors already apologizing that treatment will not work. In March he became cancer free, but life together would never be the same.
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Just trying to keep my head above water, as they say. But without the support of my loving parents, I would not have been able to maintain my happiness and living in the circumstances that I had to endure. I started a full time job to support my family later in the year, juggling raising kids and working life.
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My days began at 4am where I would wake up and drive to the space I rented to teach yoga, my yoga practice being was around two hours, then I taught to the group, then I began work at 8am, using my hour lunch break to run 20 minutes, done with work at 5pm, picked up kids, home and dinner.
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I was finally able to move us out of the stable because I maintained a consistent job, saving up money, but I decided to not invite my husband to live with us. The beginning half of the year I was plagued with numerous respiratory infections (pre Covid) due to probably some stress. I ran with my phone because I wasn’t sure if I would make it through the run as breathing was difficult. The lockdown occurred in March and I felt grateful to be home with my boys (and no longer have that 8-5 job of which could be an entire novel in itself).
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I began sharing my story on Instagram and suddenly thousands of people from all around the world were interested. Thus began my business of social media, content creating and brand partnerships.
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Somehow I got myself intertwined in a relationship that turned into a typical Lifetime Movie and it was not good, but guess what? It did not end as most of those movies do, I chose to rise up and become a better person. I have so much to give and share with the world and the start of this third decade of running everyday will see no mercy.
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How My Dad Began His Run Streak
A little about my dad before his book comes out. My dad came from a professional baseball background, he was a left handed pitcher for the New York Yankees in the minor leagues. Baseball was his life. Sadly a shoulder injury prevented him from progressing into the major leagues, but it all worked out because he met my mom in New York City and the rest is history.
So when I began running everyday in 2002 I was a mere junior in high school. I wanted to be good at something and I grew to enjoy the run. My dad strongly advised me to take a day off, that’s what he was used to in training. But I kept running. No one really believed that I would do it and I also wasn’t someone to just talk about things. I was a doer. Still am. I continued to run everyday.
At first my dad tried to prohibit me from running on our Indiana country roads because, and I quote, “there’s perverts out there.” However, I continued to run on our country roads, sometimes running 10 miles out and 10 miles back. I logged over 5,000 miles, maybe even near 10,000 miles (will have to go back and confirm) on these prohibited country roads.
So July of 2006, my dad began to run everyday because he noticed that positive changes within myself and wanted to do it too.
I think it takes a lot from a parent to not only have their kid completely change their minds about something, but also to be inspired by your child.
This past July he celebrated 17 years of running every single day, he’s in it for the long haul. He enjoys feeling accomplished first thing in the morning. He runs on our family farm with his border collies and over the years has run through many hardships, illnesses and bad weather. His pace may be slow, his distance a mile, but to continue to commit to the streak every single day is remarkable. Health-wise, it is great for him to get his heart rate up everyday, but he continues to grind on the farm and with business.
I am happy to share my story of running everyday with my dad. We are both positive people and encourage others through our example of hard work, leadership and determination. Someday I want to write an entire book with my dad about leadership as demonstrated through his 35 years of business. He could be one of the most inspiring and influential people in the world, the daily run is just a part of that. Love you dad!
20 Years of a daily run
On September 21, 2022 I completed my run and thus completed 20 years of running every single day. It is actually amazing to think that it has been 20 years. That is two decades. And it’s not necessarily the fact that I have run every day for 20 years, it’s how fast time moves and makes me stop what I am doing and think “how fast will these next 10 years be?”
When people are on their death bed they wish for three things: more love, more time and more joy. Some often regret working too much especially working for someone else and not chasing their own dreams.
Even if the run is only 20 to 30 minutes every single day, I find that this daily practice allows me to experience more love, more time and more joy. Days go by slowly, but monthly seem to cruise by quickly. The run allows for the ability to stop time. Appreciate life. Breathe. Feel alive. Connect with the self and say - this is living.
I am grateful for the ability to run everyday and I will continue to demonstrate my appreciation of this life by a daily run. It is something that I have been doing for two decades and I hope, in my example, I not only inspire people to run, but to LIVE. Unplug from the Matrix of clocking in and out, taxes, bills, politics and go outside, breathe, soak in Mother Nature and find within yourself the innate burning desire of gratitude and appreciation.
A practice such as this is far greater than lacing up the shoes for a mindless jog.
Dig down and feel what it means to be alive.
It is a beautiful thing.
Go run!
Interesting Places I Have Run
The South of France along the Mediterranean Sea: For some reason I chose to run at 5pm, the worst time of day where all the tourists would be out along the boardwalk. I was in Cannes for one month in the Summer 2005. My favorite run there was early morning along the beautiful sea, afterwards I took a dip and swam to one of the platforms for a nice meditation. Perfect!
London Parks: the 3 park loop: Regents park, Hyde park and Green park. Also I ran throughout the city
London Heathrow airport terminal- 3 times!! Traveling to India, we actually lose a day in the airport, so had to get in the run during the layover. Please see the post airport running.
Abu Dhabi airport terminal during Ramadan
Paris Charles de Gualle airport terminal
Along the Arabian sea in Kerala, India
The city streets of Mysore India
A Buddhist monastery just outside of Mysore
A Buddhist monastery in Hubli, early morning “watch out for the snakes”
On the marble sidewalks of Italy
Downtown Aruba
Puerto Vallarta beach
Virginia to DC to Maryland and back
Gettysburg PA battle fields
A 20 mile adventure run through the streets of San Francisco
Central Park NYC
Pretty much everywhere in Coral Gables/Miami and North/South Miami Beach: Every causeway including Venetian causeway, Bay of Biscayne, Matheson Hammock Park, Ocala Park, and everywhere in between.
From Key Largo to Islamorada (Mile marker 102 to 88)
Seeing Bill Rodgers running on Back Cove in Portland Maine
Through the streets of Philadelphia (got lost, nice neighborhoods!)
Through the crowds of Las Vegas, saw the Eiffel tower!
The cobblestone streets of New Orleans, LA
Rolling hills of Tennessee
Along the famous Seine river in Paris as well as a park in which I was asked to leave
The beaches of St Malo, France
Bangalore India park
Norwich UK country side 10 mile adventure
The Army War College in Carlisle PA
Awesome running parks in Washington state
Pre’s trail in Oregon
The track at University of Oregon
The track at University of Miami in Coral Gables (I would jump the fence)
Overseas highway in Key West and along the keys
Many times I ran loops around the parking lot if staying at a hotel in various locations
San Francisco Golden Gate bridge
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Through the free zoo in St Louis MO
Along Lake Michigan in Chicago
A Brief Encounter with the Run Streak
I was sixteen, I was your average high schooler, but on a mission at a very young age to seek the truth. What was this life about? I didn’t know, but what I did know is that life moves too fast and I wanted a way to remember each day.
I began to run. Not initially for the purpose of remembering each day, but that’s why I committed to doing it everyday. I used to despise running. My mom would try to encourage me to run when I was younger and pay me a dollar for every mile that I ran. Most summers, I would make about three dollars.
In the Spring of 2002, I began to love running. It literally happened one morning, the sun started to wake up earlier and so did I. I got out early before school and enjoyed the calm, quiet time of day. I had a feeling of completeness. By Fall I looked back and realized I didn’t miss a day for almost two months, I decided to commit for a year.
I began to love the challenge, the work ethic and the physical benefits that came from running. I loved how on a chilly December evening, when most people were cozy inside, I took a few strides alongside of a deer who was also on a run. Running made me feel closer to nature, closer to myself.
And so I didn’t stop.
The years went by and the run turned into competition and racing. While I still loved the feeling of running, I was becoming discouraged and bitter. Girls on my college team were running twice as fast as me off of half of my training mileage. My entire self worth was based on what time I would run in the 5k. Every season in college I would have some sort of injury. I developed “runners knee” where the cartilage in your patella gets worn down, I ran like Forrest Gump - as though my legs were in braces so I had to run with straight legs looping out to the side. I had low iron, severe blisters that made running in shoes unbearable, and plantar faciiatis where every step was excruciating pain.
It was when I became face to face with injuries that I remembered the real reason I run. I didn’t run for coaches, or colleagues or achieving any sort of time or award. I run for myself. And that is why I continued running through injuries and difficult emotions. The run was the one thing I had where I could connect to myself.
After college, I began to train for marathons and I dedicated my existence to that daily run. Everything revolved around the run. I was living the life of an elite athlete with a mediocre race pace. I was training an upwards of 90 miles per week making myself too tired to do anything else but run and train.
I met my husband on a run simply by running past where he said “hi, what is your name?” Life around me quickly changed especially as I began to delve deeper in yoga philosophy and a search for truth.
I began to travel the world, and where the run would hold me back from travel before, I knew I needed to move on from training and discouragement and grow as a person. I loved running a few miles in the woods with the dogs just as much as pounding the pavement for twenty miles.
I began to make multiple journeys to India in search of furthering my understanding in Yoga and in doing so I faced my fear of potentially sacrificing my running streak overseas. Life became chaotic and unpredictable, the run was one thing constant and stable.
Over several trips to India, I ran a 5k in a layover in London Heathrow airport with a backpack on and arriving to customs drenched with sweat, at a layover in Paris, a stranger kindly watched my bag as I ran up and down the airport hallway to get in two miles, during Ramadan in the Abu Dhabi airport, I ran through crowds of people up and down the small crowded terminal, and on another layover in Paris, I pushed my 14 month old in an airline stroller up and down the terminal for a few miles before boarding the plane.
I ran through crowds of people off a bus stop in the middle of Bangalore, India. I ran through the smog in Dehli. My daily run in India consisted of getting chased by stray, rabid dogs before sunrise. I ran past the slums where kids would be waiting to run a few minutes with me. I was criticized for running in the yoga tradition because it only creates tight hip flexors and hamstrings. But no one could tell me not to run, even doctors.
I ran through two pregnancies, and ran through contractions, which are a similar feeling to muscle cramps. I ran four hours after my first son was born and ten hours after my second son was born.
The run served as the one thing that made me go outside and leave my husband’s side as he recovers from brain surgery in the ICU. I realized that I was escaping from the situation physically, but was able to connect with it emotionally on that day’s run. Running was my only excuse to take a break from two screaming babies. I savored those twenty minutes of breathing the fresh air, alone with my thoughts, connecting to myself for perhaps the first time in that day. I ended up as a single mom and getting in a few miles looked different everyday - it’s not glamorous, it’s abandonment. Running loops around the trampoline as they played, pushing 70 pounds of two boys in the stroller, setting up cameras during nap time so I can slip away for twenty minutes with all sorts of mom guilt scenarios flooding my mind. I learned that it is possible to run holding a newborn and even a three year old, but it is surely not fun or efficient.
This isn’t a story of not missing a day in eighteen years, this is a story of how something so simple a a run has sustained me throughout this life. The run to me is more like brushing my teeth - something needed to do everyday, out of habit and necessity for self care. It’s only when I reflect back through everything and perceive it as a daily ritual of perseverance, strength, commitment. Whatever the case may be, it’s just something that I do and after 18 years, I am ready to share it.
The daily run is so achievable to anyone. It’s about taking ten to twenty minutes away from your day to connect to yourself. I can’t promise you’ll enjoy it, there’s no guarantee that you won’t forget to do your run, but I can assure you that it is a journey of self transformation. How the daily run can sustain you is only thing left to be discovered.