Keep on running — five things I learned from running 100km every month in 2021
At the start of 2021, with a formal three month lockdown looming over all of us with a sense of imminent impending terror, I felt I needed to do something to keep me active and motivated throughout the course of the year.
To that end, I set myself a goal of running 100 kilometres every month. The aim was, mostly, to keep fit, raise some money for the fantastic charity Special Effect and provide some semblance of structure to a year that, in the end, proved to be as unhelpfully free form as a Grade 1 improvisational jazz session.
Yesterday, I finally achieved my goal. I pounded the streets of Northest North London to clock the final seven kilometres that took me over the milestone for December and rounded off a year of fairly substantial effort.
But what did I learn from running 100 kilometres every month of the year? And is any of it even vaguely useful for your running plans or your wider life? Let’s have a little read, shall we?
Pace is (usually) the enemy
The single most important thing I learned from covering so much distance this year is that running too fast is one of the easiest ways to sink your longer distance running ambitions.
I’ve gotten to the point in my running life where I can, if I want to, run quite quickly for a sustained period of time. And you know what, it is entertaining to whack on the metaphorical afterburners for a moment and speed your way round a run from time to time.
But it is also one of the easiest ways to demotivate yourself on any run that’s 10km plus. Setting off too quickly, or trying to maintain too fast a pace over an extended period of time, is the best way to turning a long run from a nice time killer into a death march.
Whatever your level, whether starting out or going for a mad endurance challenge, I recommend prioritising running for longer at a gentler pace. You might not get that speed demon thrill, but you’ll find distance targets are much easier to achieve longer term.
Variety is essential
Running is fantastic for my physical condition. It is essential to my mental wellbeing. It, generally speaking, makes me a happier and healthier person.
But sometimes, dear lord, it gets boring. There were times, possibly as a result of lockdown really reducing those geographical horizons, where I felt like running the same loop at the same time of day with the same playlist on was going to drive me out of my mind.
So where you can, mix it up. Run different routes as often as you can to give you something new to look at. Pick a different time of day to go out to see the world at a different time. Even run your usual route backwards for once, if you feel you need to.
It won’t stop you from feeling bored or demotivated on occasion. But you’ll be surprised how much throwing in some minor routine changes can forestall those dips in motivation.
Set achievable targets
Running 100km every month isn’t an easy thing to do. Consistently getting out and putting in distance is tough, especially when the weather is playing up. Getting one relatively bad injury, or contracting Covid in my case, can be enough to seriously derail your plans. And there are just points in a year dominated by running where you really do not want to face yet another 10km+ run over the weekend.
But all that said, I also knew this was something that I could achieve. At the tail end of 2020, I managed to run 100km plus in both October and November as lockdown two landed on us. I knew what I had to do to be able to run that kind of distance and knew I was capable of it, which meant that even at the worst of times I felt the target remained in reach.
Therefore, I recommend finding a running goal that feels like you’ll need to stretch a bit to achieve it but that it isn’t entirely out of reach. That’ll help you strike the right balance where you’ll know you’ve achieved something, while avoiding the risk of damaging your motivation by putting it too far out of your reach.
Company helps
I have generally treated running as a solitary activity. The head clearing properties of a good jog for me meant that I treated any run as an excuse to disconnect from the world and avoid human contact. This year, I realised that was, although highly understandable, a mistake.
Running with friends lightens the load considerably. Settling into a good run with someone you can have a chat with brings that pace down naturally and provides a welcome distraction, allowing you to chew the fat while burning some.
Admittedly, it isn’t always possible to get company (especially when you’re having to run every other day). But if you have a good podcast or two to listen to — in my case The Football Ramble and Not the Top 20 did a lot of heavy lifting — in its place, you can create a similar sensation that’ll keep you driving forwards.
Enjoy it
Finally, make sure that you try your best to enjoy running where you can. I know I’ve spoken of the importance of some thoroughly unthrilling things — like managing your pace and setting realistic targets — and mentioned that there were times when boredom set in.
But genuinely, this challenge was one of the only positives for me in 2021. It provided a sense of achievement, yes, and helped raise money for charity. Equally though, it got me outside, helped me see more of London than I’ve seen before, kept me in contact with friends and gave me something that I could be (not that) quietly proud of doing during an unsettling year.
So whatever goals you’re looking to achieve in your running — or whatever exercise you’re doing — keep checking that you are enjoying it. It really is meant to be fun and you’ll feel like you’re getting the most out of it if it’s bringing a smile to your face.
Osborn year stats
Distance covered: 1321km
Runs completed: 160
Time run: 118 hours
Thank you to the 86 people who supported my efforts to fundraise for Special Effect this year, helping me reach — at time of writing — a total of £2785 raised for the cause.
You can donate to the cause by clicking the following link: www.justgiving.com/go2021
