The importance of reflection

I started running back in 2020. My first year of running was mainly to get my body used to running. I did around 480km that year.

2021 my goal was to build up stamina and do longer runs. I did 888km and I felt more like a runner.

In 2022 my goal is to do 1000km and get ready for a marathon next year. I started running on Jan 2nd and I haven't missed a day. 225 consecutive runs covering 752km. I didn't plan on running every day but once I started a streak it was hard to stop. I kept on going no matter how my schedule looked or how the weather was. Even after changing jobs and moving to Tokyo, I continued the streak.

But the last few weeks haven't been easy. I have continued the streak but I didn't enjoy the runs much. I got into running because I enjoyed it. So instead of trying to continue my streak, I want to change my strategy. I want to mix things up instead of running every single day. I will probably do 4 runs a week and 3 rest days.

I don't recommend running every single day. I was lucky to not get injured. I didn't do it just for the sake of doing it. I enjoyed the runs a lot and that's why I continued. But since I am not feeling that enjoyment anymore, I want to make some changes.

I am sharing this to show the importance of reflection. Whatever goals you set for yourself it's important to stop and reevaluate how things are going. You definitely need to make changes. It also helps to keep track of the goals you are working on. The more data you have the more it will help you plan.