What are your thoughts on running streakers, or those who have run daily for many years?

HRE wrote:

These sorts of threads fascinate me because I cannot begin to figure out why people care if another person runs for years without missing a day or not.

Makes me wonder if it's usually men who get all agitated about this - similar to how it's typically men who get all agitated over other peoples sexuality.

Try it. 100 days. Pick a distance. 1 km. 1 mile. Or a time. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. Whatever. It's not like you need to warm up. Or cool down. There will be plenty of days it'll interrupt some mindless evening smart phone play time. There will be a few days itll suck. There will be days you have no desire to go out, but you get to your turn around point and keep on going another 30 minutes. There will be days it'd be better to rest but there will be far more days you'll be glad you forced yourself out the door and had a great run because of it.

It all seems healthier than folks that kill themselves sticking to their 12 week marathon plan or people that insist on doing their mile repeats at some pre-planned time when they should be doing an easy run instead.

Yes, some people like to discuss their streak and all sorts other things no one really cares about like running an arbitrary distance at an arbitrary time.

HRE wrote:

These sorts of threads fascinate me because I cannot begin to figure out why people care if another person runs for years without missing a day or not.

Because our culture celebrates it like it's some amazing feat, that's why people care. If people were streakers and just kept it to themselves, then sure, shouldn't be an issue we discuss. The point of this thread is to point out that it's not some amazing feat, can be outright dangerous/foolish, and in fact is not something society should be discussing.

Easy Peasy wrote:

The point of this thread is to point out that it's not some amazing feat, can be outright dangerous/foolish

Most people on here don't seem to be saying it's anything to write home about. And we keep to ourselves.

As for it being, possibly, dangerous/foolish, I guess that depends on each person's approach. I can think of plenty of activities, some of them pretty mundane, like downhill skiing or scuba diving, that are a lot more dangerous than running a mile or 10 minutes or whatever everyday.

And foolish? Ha! :) Most people would say that long-distance running is a foolish activity anyway.

Easy Peasy wrote:

Because our culture celebrates it like it's some amazing feat, that's why people care. If people were streakers and just kept it to themselves, then sure, shouldn't be an issue we discuss. The point of this thread is to point out that it's not some amazing feat, can be outright dangerous/foolish, and in fact is not something society should be discussing.

Yes. Super dangerous. Hopefully we can get schools to include mile a day avoidance with their Just Say No program.

Safety Patrol Captain wrote:

Easy Peasy wrote:

Because our culture celebrates it like it's some amazing feat, that's why people care. If people were streakers and just kept it to themselves, then sure, shouldn't be an issue we discuss. The point of this thread is to point out that it's not some amazing feat, can be outright dangerous/foolish, and in fact is not something society should be discussing.

Yes. Super dangerous. Hopefully we can get schools to include mile a day avoidance with their Just Say No program.

It's bad for your knees.

tttt wrote:

amkelley wrote:

People who "have" to run every day miss out on other rewarding experiences because they can't bear to put themselves in a situation where they can't run for a day.

I don't "have" to run every day. I want to run everyday.

I have been in at least two situations where I thought "That's it, I am needed here and I won't run today." - and I am talking serious stuff. Like a very close relative dying.

Things developed the way they did and I was able to run later in the day without affecting anyone.

amkelley wrote:

I'm not afraid to take a day off for illness, injury, or just something else I'd rather do.

Neither am I.

Just never had to.

You are actually lying here. You're OCD.

Wait, so the experts of LRC are saying that running "streakers" DON'T have to run at least one mile per day? A "run" is self defined?

So do I have a streak because I briskly walk (a running pace to some) from my office to the parking lot every day?

Rulebook wrote:

So do I have a streak because I briskly walk (a running pace to some) from my office to the parking lot every day?

Only you should care about that.

Easy Peasy wrote:

HRE wrote:

These sorts of threads fascinate me because I cannot begin to figure out why people care if another person runs for years without missing a day or not.

Because our culture celebrates it like it's some amazing feat, that's why people care. If people were streakers and just kept it to themselves, then sure, shouldn't be an issue we discuss. The point of this thread is to point out that it's not some amazing feat, can be outright dangerous/foolish, and in fact is not something society should be discussing.

If you honestly think running for maybe 10-15 minutes a day every day is dangerous or foolish and shouldn't be talked about that's your business. There have been plenty of threads here linking to research about how training for and racing marathons is potentially dangerous. There seems to be a lot more literature about the dangers of marathon running than there is about running a mile or two every day. Should "society", which also would include Letsrun, not talk about marathon training and racing too as it can be outright foolish/dangerous? What about trail racing? We hear of people being attacked by mountain lions and bears. That's pretty dangerous.

I've never seen a thread here about streaking started by someone who acknowledges that they have a streak going and who maybe wants people to think it's impressive. The threads have all been like this one where someone asks what people think about streakers or maybe mentions someone else who has or had a streak, Mark Covert, Ron Hill, etc. Obviously it's different from what most runners do and I suppose that will generate some discussion. But it really is not a more abnormal life than that of any other serious, long term, distance runner.At one point in his career Shorter had missed six days of running in the previous six years. How different is that from not missing any days in that time? Covert and Hill both lived to get old, both raised families, both have been married for a long time to their original spouses, both had decent work lives, taken family trips, etc. Both ended their streaks when they came to believe it was time to.

And while I'm at it, I suppose the one last point I want to make, at least for now, is that no matter how many people on this thread would diagnose running streakers as people who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I can tell you that such behavior in no way comes close to meeting the clinical criteria for assigning such a diagnosis. Between runs I got graduate degrees in psychology, worked in mental health clinics where I had to learn how to diagnose psychopathology then later taught grad students how to do it. You need to have several other things going on for such a diagnosis to be valid. A single behavior is not nearly sufficient "proof."

Thank you for your post, HRE.

You're welcome.

Nobody is impressed by autistic OCD.

I ate the same breakfast for 10 years, a blueberry bagel with butter and orange juice and I didnt get a message board thread!

Austinsssss wrote:

Nobody is impressed by autistic OCD.

I ate the same breakfast for 10 years, a blueberry bagel with butter and orange juice and I didnt get a message board thread!

Congratulations!

HRE wrote:

Much less than 40 years and almost always more than a mile. Every day feels better for having run. That's the only benefit I'm mentioning these days.

The thing about runners that have a running streak is that is it a VERY personal endeavor and most are not willing to discuss it with just anyone.

Very few runners that have a steak going brag about it and discuss it with other runners and with non runners.

I had a long running streak before knee surgery ending my running days and I was really reluctant to discuss it with even other runners, because most people just do not understand why you are doing it.

I'm impressed with people who have long running streaks but the best in the world take down time. I think down time is healthy after goal races and that balance is important. Not gonna trash on somebody that is motivated enough to never take a break.

I'm impressed with long running streaks. It's as valid as any other athletic goal. I think the streak-haters have issues, probably jealous of the attention that running 'streakers' often get.

Nobody is jealous of negative attention , clog boy.

Every Day Heroes wrote:

Streaking is good. Streaking for the sake of streaking is not so good.

Honest question. Is there a reason, other than “for the sake of streaking”, that you can imagine for maintaining a streak?

To the OP’s question, I guess it’s fine if it doesn’t break them down, but I would never do it. I tried a Christmas to New Year streak one year, but running a mile a day kept me from doing the sustained long running I prefer.