30 Day Running Challenge & What I Learnt

Once in a while I get a bit..well, lazy, to be quite honest! So in order to kick start myself back into healthy mode I set myself a challenge. My 30 day running challenge began on the 1st of July.

30 day running challenge

I’ve always loved going for a run. After work being my chosen time to go, as it really helps clear the ole’ noggin’ from a busy day and helps me relax for the evening ahead. I know that it’s not just me, for many people running is a theraputic hobby. It’s just an added bonus that it’s a great thing to do for your fitness levels too.

If you’re getting stuck into the same old boring fitness schedule, or falling of the wagon with one too many summer BBQ’s, I’d definitely recommend setting yourself a 30 day challenge. It’s a long enough time to allow you to see results, but short enough so that you can keep committed. For me, doing a 30 day running challenge made loads of sense, as I already enjoy it!

The 30 Day Running Challenge

It’s a pretty simple concept. Run every day, for 30 days.

When we’re talking 30 days, it is good to remember that each day doesn’t have to be a Mo-Farah style dash. Tune into your body so you know when you can push it and when to take it easy. If you’re weight training in between runs (like me) then some days you might be too achey to go far, so just take it easy with a light jog.

3 Things I Learnt From Running Every Day

1) Footwear is super important. When I first started doing races I suffered a lot with blisters. However, making a small investment in some oxide tape and second skin socks did the trick. As long as I remember to tape up and keep my feet well moisturized they are just fine! You wouldn’t want something as trivial as a blister hampering your efforts.

2) Routes can get boring. Make sure you keep things interesting, don’t do the same run day in and day out. I combined running on treadmills with running out in the open, going to Park run each weekend with friends, or simply just trying a new route. If you keep things fresh it’s much easier to motivate yourself.

3) You will surprise yourself. At the end of my challenge I thought I would be so pleased to hang up the trainers and take a day off, but that wasn’t the case. I embraced running every day and when I did finally have that rest day at the end I missed my daily run! Don’t get me wrong, it was nice to hit the gym and not feel obliged to spend half an hour on a treadmill, but running is definitely in my blood now. I am mega proud to have covered 100 miles in a month too.

Challenge Yourself!

Chrissy 30 Day Running Challenge
All in all, it was a great positive experience to set myself up with this 30 day challenge and I would recommend it to anybody. Whatever your fitness level is, you can tailor a challenge to suit.  I wasn’t 100% perfect and life did get in the way sometimes, but I just let it be and carried on as best as possible. It’s really improved my running and just proved to me that I can stick to a plan if I put my mind to it! Over the next few months I’ll be setting myself some more challenges like this one in an aim to improve my fitness levels and lifestyle. It’s worked well so far, so why not!

..Did I mention I ran over 100 miles in a month? (J.k, I know I did I just wanted to show off! That’s like..four marathons, almost!).

 

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