I am running monthly challenges in 2021 to fundraise for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
Run every day streak: a challenge for May 2021.
Why this challenge?
I have been on a running journey since childhood. The last 6 years I progressed to marathon and then ultra marathon distance. However, it has been several decades since I have run more than 6 days in a row! My fundraising buddy Lauren inspired me by doing RED (Run Every Day) January. You can read about her experience here. In addition to the limited daylight hours of living in Scotland, she also faced treacherous weather.
I have chosen May for my run every day streak (even though it is not a ‘thing’, like RED January, with a website and all!) to give myself a reasonable chance to succeed. The longer days are what I need. I have two unpredictably long work days in the operating theatre and an intense dislike for running in the dark!
I came across a brilliant blog about doing a ‘running streak’ by PlutoniumSox. This gave me some useful tips and ideas. Additionally, it follows on nicely from my April running challenge, which was to keep learning from my running injuries!
The last addition to the list of lessons is to build good and helpful habits. I am generally a very highly motivated runner. Could I also be a habitual runner for those days or seasons when motivation wanes?
My other challenges were:
- a half marathon every weekend of January.
- a heart shaped run for Valentine’s day in February.
- an ultra marathon on Gower Peninsular in March.
Run every day streak: my strategy
I need to have a strategy in order to optimise the conditions for success. There are obstacles and potential risks to consider.
Distance
When does a run become a run that counts? Is it enough to run up the stairs to the loo? Probably not!
It is widely agreed that the minimum distance for a run is one mile. I will join in with this agreement.
Rest days
Rest and recovery is a vital component of any training programme. It reduces risk of injury and gives the body time to recover from and adjust to the stimulus of training. I will adopt a minimum distance and a minimum pace run for rest days and call it the one-mile plod.
Long work days and on-calls
Once again, the one-mile plod will do for those days when I really generally feel there is simply not enough time for a run!
Daylight hours
Some of us simply prefer to run in daylight and preferably sunshiney daylight! I am one of those, so May will do nicely for my run every day streak. June might have been even better, but is already occupied by a mountain running challenge.
So far, so good!
I have already reached day 9 of my run every day streak and feel positive about keeping it up till 31 May.
At the end of the month I will reflect on my experience and what I have gained or not. I will also reflect on the daily challenges of those whose lives are subject to UK immigration.
People find themselves in overwhelming and impossible situations due to the UK border regime. I run every day this May in solidarity with everyone who is faced with the challenge of getting through another day whilst suffering violence and injury at the UK border. The border regime has been extended to every part of British society through the hostile environment policies.
JCWI published new research this month in their report ‘We Are Here’. The research seeks to better understand the realities of life for those who have become ‘undocumented’ people in the UK. BBC panorama broadcast a documentary called ‘Am I British?‘ this week. Young people who grew up in the UK talk of their experiences of being treated as ‘second class citizens’ due to immigration policies.
Get involved
You can get involved in supporting the Welfare of Immigrants in the UK by donating to my Justgiving page.
You can join the fundraising team ‘Love without Borders’ with your own activity challenges by reaching out in the comments or on social media.
Or just follow my running challenge journey by subscribing to my blog.
