Holt 5K T-Shirt

So I've finally come to the conclusion that I have too many race t-shirts. This is a big thing for someone like me who has a bit of a hoarder streak. I don't have 19 cats or every issue of Runner's World. I don't even race a whole lot.

This is the front of the shirt, with the houndstooth ribbon
paying tribute to the Tuscaloosa tornado April 27. 
Definitely a dark day, and certainly one I'll never forget.

But I do have shirts from races I ran in North Central Kansas nine years ago, and many more going forward from the time I was a midwesterner, which ended in 2009. I just don't have it in me to let go of them. Perhaps I'll set them aside and have a quilt made. Just send the shirts in and the company makes it for you. Their ads are in the back of the running mags.


One of these shirts is from the Nucor-Holt 5K, which I've written about here and here. This one comes from the 2011 effort, when I let a guy pass me right at the end.


I have my own thoughts on why there aren't any sponsors, but I won't share them here. I'm just starting to cycle out some old race shirts and wanted to share the stories behind them.

Back of the race shirt.

As far as actual road work, things are going very well. 18 consecutive weeks of 20+ miles. I haven't lost any weight mainly because my diet sucks, but I still like where I'm at when I step on the scale. 

I ran an back on Saturday in the light rain, making 26 miles for the week. I'm at 68 for the month, 27 miles away from my monthly goal of 95 and already more than the 58 I ran in February 2016. 

Good stuff-- I'm pleased with it.

19,032

I saw a story in the Washington Post earlier this week about the end of the longest running streak in history. Englishman Ron Hill concluded his streak with a one-miler last Saturday, January 28. Health concerns forced him to the sideline. The 19,032 refers to the number of consecutive days he's laced up his shoes and headed out-- every day since December 21, 1964.

Every day. Didn't miss one. He didn't skip a day because he stayed up all night drinking. He's run 115 marathons, and chose to keep the streak alive after each and every one of them by running at least a mile the next day. 

That... is dedication.

There is so much meat in this story that I don't really know where to start explaining how amazing the numbers really are. Health problems such a car accident that led to a broken sternum, plus bunion surgery that called for short runs and two canes. He powered through it all and didn't miss a single beat for fifty-two years.

Rain? Cold? Didn't matter. Even if he just didn't feel like it, which I'd guess happened a lot, he got himself out there and did his road work for the day. 

I am truly amazed at the level of commitment Hill showed. 20+ miles a week is a victory for me. I'll crank out an occasional seven-miler, but it's unusual if I run anything besides a 4 or a 5. 

Hill ran his final marathon at age 57, a 3:12 at Boston in 1996. His mileage isn't reported, but needless to say it's a big number. And it's no less amazing.

I consciously choose to not be a streaker, even when Runner's World has those summer or holiday streak things they do. I don't want the streak to control my life and dictate what I do. Don't misunderstand, I love, *love* to run, and I love writing about it, but I try to keep running in its place. 

Besides, I manage my time so poorly already.

Anyhow, the new record holder is a gentleman in suburban Los Angeles, California who has run every day for a lousy 47 1/2 years. He apparently puts more stock in logging his miles, as the Post reports he's run over 190,000 miles. Injuries also seem to be a part of his life as well, as he's kept the streak alive through dings such as ten broken bones, two knee surgeries, and more. Assuming running caused the injuries, it would seem to cast streaking in a poor light.

I've upped my goal to 95 miles per week in 2017, and I booked 106 miles in January. My running year is off to a good start!