I Ran A Mile A Day For An Entire Month And Here’s What Happened

I am a non-runner. Full stop. I found ways to fully avoid running The Mile. Doctors notes, sick days, I even arranged running the mile alone after a few panic attacks. So, how did I find myself, 15 years later, choosing to run a mile a day for 30 days?

Celebrating growing out of insecurities

A big reason why I feared running was my insecurities. I always felt like my ears were too big for ponytails, something that pinned me as the girly-girl who wore her hair down in gym class. Plus, I never felt athletic. Being slow felt like a bad thing. So I leaned into other interest areas, fueling my avoidance towards physical activities. When the idea of running a mile every day for 30 days entered my mind, I thought it would be a good way to fight these outdated views about myself. Within my first few days of running, I learned to embrace each breath as Right Now. I don’t need to be A Runner to run. I just need to breathe and take another step. Pace didn’t really matter when I thought about each stride as the purpose.

If the shoe fits

It’s been years since I went into a shoe store to have my feet sized. Shopping, for shoes especially, has become so easy with e-comm and DTC that I underestimated how big a difference having the right shoe would be. I went to a neighborhood running store in LA, had a foot scan, and learned I should size up a half size for running. Resistant, I followed their orders, and felt completely comfortable in my shoes. Even psychologically, having a pair of shoes just for running, combined with taking the time and care to find supportive ones, made a huge difference.

Running gives you options

As a dedicated non-runner, I always assumed one would blast fast-paced music to keep the adrenaline up. I learned within a few runs to try it another way. And another. Switching between guided runs, podcasts, varied music genres, and *gasp* silence, I learned that I get to set the tone for the run I’m having each day. Every run doesn’t need to be the same run. In fact, none of the runs are the same. I stopped fearing how I should “do a run” and just started running. It felt liberating to know I had a toolkit to keep me moving.

Freedom by running shorts

I loved how anti-styled my look grew over the course of 30 days. Running in my partner’s Nike shorts was a welcomed change from my high-waist compression set. Mismatched layers to suit the weather took precedence over “getting a fit off.” The freedom I found in utilitarian dressing was striking and fun.

The numbers

I didn’t think the numbers would excite me or even strike a competitive streak in me. But they did. Watching my timid 14-minute mile turn into a comfortable 11 by the end of week one was illuminating. I learned I could do it. If I was past that uncomfortability after only one week, it was time to make new limits to break.

How I felt after

After my 30th consecutive run, I did feel the pain so many runners (and non-runners) talk about–but it came from an unexpected source. My cheeks hurt from smiling.

The run streak brought on more personal records than I imagined. I ran through the elements– serious heat in LA, coming back with the dreaded red-hot face I avoided for so many years, discovering it wasn’t so bad after all; a drizzly night felt refreshing; 20 degree Midwestern wind hit and I kept going. I reveled in the redness, the windburn, the discomfort because it meant I was sticking to something bigger than a run. I ran a mile in under 10 minutes. I ticked off an early morning run to get my coffee. I ran with my partner–something that only a few months before felt impossible (especially because he’s a marathoner). 

The biggest personal record was one my Nike Run Club app didn’t track; running in my hometown on my high school track. Yes, this was a total cliche, ripped from a groan-worthy coming-of-age movie. But it delivered. Running on my high school track, the place where I’d avoided the four laps so many times actually felt great on my legs. I went back for several runs on the track while I was home for the holidays, completing my miles, and found myself even feeling the psychological growth of the years gone by. How wonderful to think that running the mile was my biggest stressor. The nostalgia of it all only built on how easy running felt, after just 30 days of commitment.

One wildcard also made my run streak memorable. Just before I started running, I got my first tattoo at Ephemeral, a specialty ink that’s made-to-fade in about a year. Fortuitously, I chose to have Bugs Bunny in a tuxedo with a carrot pop out of my sock and wrap around my ankle–the perfect tattoo for my running journey. His optimistic smile kept me going on days I just didn’t feel like lacing up to run. I’d see his ears popping out and know I could do it. This may not be a pro tip, but as a runner who is not claiming to be pro, I think the ink helped me just do it.

When asked how I planned to celebrate, I knew immediately: with a run. Even though my 30 days are over, I’ll be hitting the pavement tomorrow to keep up my streak.