The best stories are those that move you; they stir some sort of emotion and create a feeling of empathy with one or more of the characters. You could say they take you on a journey.
By contrast, this is a moving story that you might argue hasn’t actually moved me. It began on the 10th April 2022. I tied my laces and set off for a potter around the block, jogging not too far or too fast. 500 days later, I’m still going.
Just to be clear, I don’t mean literally. I’ve managed to eat, sleep and (thankfully) shower along the way, and by and large carry on with ‘normal’ life – whatever that is. I have, however, continued the running streak: 500 runs in 500 days in five different countries and three different time zones. Every day, whatever the weather, I’ve set foot out of the door embarking upon a daily jog. The shortest distance has been a mile, typically completed the day before the longest distance, of 26.2.
Which is no big deal. By comparison, I met a guy who ran a marathon every day for a year. Really. It has, however, got me asking ‘Why?’. I didn’t start off with the intention of running every day for however long; there wasn’t a grand ‘plan’ as such. It just sort of happened by accident. You could say I stumbled into it (some days, literally). Whatever the reasons, I seem to have generated some momentum. If you persist at something long enough, it becomes harder to stop than to start: a habit. We all know we can fall into good and bad habits, and arguably those that are simultaneously both. I’d like to think my daily dalliance falls into the former category.
Perhaps the real question should be ‘Why not?’. I’ve not suffered unduly over the course of the last 500 days, bar the occasional blister. No one’s forced me out of the door. I’ve chosen to do this because there simply hasn’t been a good reason not to. Which, I think, is the real reason…
‘Why wouldn’t you?’ is surely a better way to approach life. Otherwise, we eventually reach a point of wondering ‘Why didn’t I?’. By then, it’s often too late. Now, however, most certainly isn’t. And all we really have is a series of ‘nows’. I think this is a story about venturing forth.
The difference between going somewhere and going nowhere is intention. That’s as much to do with the head as the feet. Putting your best foot forward starts with your best. There’s no better place to start than today.