Friday Ramble 12/09/22

This week: The stories we tell ourselves are as important as our accomplishments. Plus: Yoga arms! 

Assuming nothing terrible happens between now and the end of the week, I’ll record my 1,783rd running mile of the year on Sunday. That will establish a new personal record in the category of Most Miles Run in a Calendar Year, breaking a mark I set two years ago. 

Of all the ways to measure improvement, it’s hard to top mileage as a primary indicator of success. Running more miles than you did the previous year implies staying healthy and remaining committed to your running program. Both factors are crucial in achieving any kind of breakthrough, and worth celebrating on their own. 

Without context, however, mileage is just a number. The real value is found in the story you tell yourself about what those miles mean. That tale isn’t about how many miles you ran, or how many race medals you collected. It’s about how you evolved as a runner from one year to the next.