With an easy three-miler today, I reached 100 miles run in December. That concluded my second consecutive year of running 100 or more miles every single month. I’m happy with that.

This isn’t the best 100 mile month streak in my life. When I was (much) younger, I had a great streak going when I went from July 2008 through April 2013 with consecutive 100-Mile Months. That was a streak of 58 consecutive months. I would have to do this for 34 more months, consecutively, to match that – all of 2024, all of 2025, and then I’d tie that mark with 100 miles in October 2026. That seems like a lifetime away. 

But I think I can do it. I’m going to try to, anyway.

One way I stay motivated is by setting goals. Another is holding myself accountable by logging all my exercises, especially my runs. 

2023 was the year I turned 55-years-old. I’m no longer a kid. I am what can only be called middle-age. But I’m not letting my age, or any perceptions anyone might have about age, define what I can do.

All told, I ran 1,577 miles this year. That was the 7th most miles I have ever run in a year. (The best I ever did was 2,025 in 2009.)

This is all silly, but when I look back and reflect on my year of running, I feel a sense of accomplishment.  Running isn’t easy. It often hurts. There are always other and seemingly better things to do. But I believe that the mental discipline it takes to run helps me stay focused for my other tasks (like writing books) and it keeps me in the best shape possible so I can (hopefully) continue to live a vigorous life for decades to come. All of this also serves to motivate me to do even more next year. 

In 2023, I ran:

• 1 mile, 8 times
• 2 miles, 10 times
• 3 miles, 54 times
• 4 miles, 29 times
• 5 miles, 40 times
• 6 miles, 19 times
• 7 miles, 19 times
• 8 miles, 6 times
• 9 miles, 6 times
• 10 miles, 21 times
• 11 miles, 4 times
• 12 miles, 3 times
• 13 miles, 5 times
• 14 miles, 1 time
• 15 miles, 3 times, 18 miles, 2 times
• 19 miles, 1 time
• 20 miles, 1 time
• 26.2 miles, 2 times (the Pittsburgh Marathon and the New York City Marathon)

Not bad.

I’m no longer as fast as I used to be, of course. Most of my runs tend to be at about a 9:20 pace, but I did break eight-minute miles for a few of those runs:

• On April 25, I ran four miles at 7:52 pace
• On June 8, I ran four miles at 7:48 pace
• On April 17, I ran five miles at 7:59 pace
• and on May 27, I ran five miles at 7:56 pace (in the Spring Lake Five). 

Again, I’ll take it. 

Maybe I can manage a few more fast runs in the next year.

Since 1992, when I started keeping track of such nonsense, I have run a grand total of 27,950 miles. It would take a lifetime best of 2,050 miles, but if I ran that many miles in 2024, I’d end the year with 30,000 lifetime miles. That seems like a worthy goal to aim for.

In order to run 2,050 miles in 2024, I’d have to average 5.6 miles each day, every day. That’s a lot.

It might be more than I can do.

Maybe.

But, I don’t believe in limits. 

For now, I’m going to give myself the rest of the year off… three days without running. I’ll give my body a break from all the pounding.

I look forward to Monday (January 1) when I’ll start again, anew, knowing anything is possible!