[verisimi]

But the stats! The streak fail! That's what running is about, right?

Imo, this is OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) expressed as running stats, rather than thimble collections or hand washing. It's about gaining/regaining a sense of control of one's life.

[JKCalhoun]

I'm allowing that maintaining the streak is perhaps the prime motivation when you are finding it hard to drag one's sorry ass out of bed every day. So maybe it's a good thing if it keeps you running.

I stopped running maybe 7 or 8 years ago. This thread has me wanting to go back to a mile a day or so — I'm past 60 years old now and more concerned about my health than I used to be.

[igouy]

A sequence of 5k race times (and ages) from yesterday:

    21:34 — 65 
    22:49 — 64 
    23:04 — 61
    23:41 — 64
    24:45 — 75
    24:57 — 63
    25:06 — 67
    25:41 — 66
    25:52 — 66
    26:37 — 63
    27:01 — 73
    27:31 — 70
    27:52 — 74
    28:49 — 76
    29:29 — 61
    30:34 — 78
    30:55 — 86
    31:03 — 72
    31:14 — 68

    & another 14 older than 60

[fifilura]

It will be good for you. Start with a mile/day for three weeks. From there the past days will push you forward.

[grumpy-de-sre]

I suffered from an eating disorder a very long time ago that shared a lot of the same mechanisms (thankfully my starvation survival instinct was stronger).

A healthy relationship with exercise does not look like this and I hate seeing this stuff promoted.

[fifilura]

I am surprised by the emotions in this thread!

Where do they come from?

[mns]

The running community is intense. As a former "runs way too much" runner, you get very into it and it kind of takes over your life, it becomes your whole identity. Until you get injured from it and it wakes you up.

[fifilura]

Thank you for your comment about identity. Was it something I wanted or did it sneak up on me?

The 1000+ days behind me means something. And many days it is what pushes me through.

It would be nice if I could find a ramp down scheme, but then with something else to ramp up, otherwise it would probably be better to just keep going.

Just stopping on a random Wednesday, it would just feel very weird.

(I am not the person in the article, just another guy with a streak)