RUNSTREAK

What does it mean to “be on a runstreak”?

Simply said, being on a runstreak means that you run at least 1,61 km (1 mile) every day. 

Why START A RUNSTREAK?

People may have many different reasons for going on a running streak, but we think that it’s actually one of the best ways to train for ultrarunning! A runstreak is a great way to start a new, healthy habit. It’s also very kind to your body, as long as you stick to running slowly and don’t run sessions longer than 20 minutes. Every now and then you can of course run longer or harder, but we believe that it makes sense to think of your runstreak as “recovery in motion” — who really thinks the best way to recover from hard efforts is to be completely still? We don’t!

Ellen Westfelt, one of our most experienced ultrarunning coaches, has been on a runstreak for more than 7 years and she praises the training form:

My runstreak helps me to be ready to take on any challenge, any day. In some periods I only run about 20 minutes a day, but I’m still never further away from a 100-miler than a few long runs. It’s very easy to step up volume whenever I feel like it. And also, running a little every day makes me recover so much faster from my ultrarunning races than before!

THE OFFICIAL RULES OF A RUNSTREAK

The official rules are defined by www.runeveryday.com, the Streak Runners International, Inc., and United States Running Streak Association, Inc.:

”To run at least one mile (1.61 kilometers) within each calendar day. Running may occur on either the roads, a track, over hill and dale, or on a treadmill.”

• According to the international runstreak rules above, the only requirement is to run 1,6 km (1 mile) per 24-hour period. In other words, there is no requirement to run a certain period of time (We have “invented” the concept of 20 minutes, read more below).

• Run as slowly or as fast as you want, indoors or outdoors, on a treadmill, a road or in the forest.

• You alone are responsible for making sure that you run every day. Once you’ve ran at least 365 days in a row, you can apply to enter the runstreak scoreboard run by Streak Runners International.

Our recommendations

We suggest running for at least 20 minutes per 24-hour time period, rather than 1 mile. However, make sure that you run at least 1 mile during those 20 minutes. Most people will be able to run more than a mile, but we believe it makes more sense to focus on time rather than distance. The reason is that, in this way, you won’t be as tempted to run way too fast just to tick another session off your list. To run slowly and seeing your daily run as daily movement - or even better, as recovery in motion - is important to stay injury free. A couple of times per week you can run longer or faster if you’d like, as long as the majority of your runs are at a slower pace.

You are responsible for making sure that you run each day, but it’s a good idea to keep some kind of training diary. For Ellen, an additional rule is to always run after she has changed into her running clothes. This is not a must in order for your run to count as a runstreak, but mentally it feel good, because in this way you’re making a clear distinction between e.g. running to the bus in the morning.

Read Ellen’s blog post about runstreaking here - everything you’ve always been wondering about and more!
Read our article on benefits of a runstreak. Great inspiration!

sOME MORE ADVICE TO HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY

Don’t over-achieve.

• Don’t tell yourself (or to others!) that you should run longer than 1,61 km (1 mile) every day. So many people have started their streak, but with a minimum of perhaps 5 km or 10 km per day. Those running streaks never last for very long…

Run slowly.

• Think of it as “recovery in motion” and try to run at a comfortable pace. You can plan hard training sessions too, but don’t confuse each runstreak session with actual training sessions. Runstreak does its magic over time, not by running fast for 1,6 km.

Have fun!

• Bring friends - and maybe a snack!