BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION-Develop a thankfulness streak

Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about how becoming a "streaker" can make you a better runner and maybe even motivate you to lace up those sneakers more often. Now I'm not talking about running naked (that could get you arrested or thrown out of your running club) or even running every day. I'm talking about developing an attitude of thankfulness by finding at least one thing to be grateful for each day. And the best part about developing a thankfulness streak? There's no risk of injury as there is in developing a running streak (running at least one mile a day every day with no exceptions). In fact, you can add to this streak as often as you want and have no adverse consequences. 

So why is being thankful so beneficial to life and to running? Because.... 

Grateful people:

1. Have better relationships. 

2. Have better health. 

3. Are emotionally healthier. 

4. Are more compassionate. 

5. Are less resentful. 

6. Are more resilient. 

7. Are calmer. 

8. Have better immunity. 

9. Are better team players. 

10. Are less materialistic. 

11. Are more optimistic. 

12. Are less self-centered. 

13. Are more productive. 

14. Feel more joyful. 

15. Are more relaxed. 

Speaking of streaks, check out this story published by Runner's World on May 24 that shows the benefits of being consistent over a lifetime. Ron Hill, one of the greatest marathon runners of all time, who smashed the Boston Marathon record and also inspired the “streaking” movement by running every day for more than 52 years, died in his home town of Hyde, Cheshire, England, on May 23. He was 82. Three years ago he announced that he was suffering from dementia. Hill’s standing in elite running history rests on a superlative sequence of races that began in 1968... the article went on to give his very long list of lifetime achievements including breaking the Boston Marathon record in 1970 by 3 minutes running 2:10:30, becoming the first Briton to win the race and winning the Commonwealth Games marathon in Edinburgh in a record time of 2:09:28, making him only the second person in history to break 2:10. 

And get this? Ron's day job was as a textile chemical engineer who applied his scientific mind to the sport he loved and was thankful for and so (being thankful causes you to think about other people and be a team player remember?) pioneered many of the things you and I use today (thankfulness breeds productivity), like synthetic apparel, mesh vests (for ventilation), "freedom shorts," and reflective strips for safety when running in the dark. And guess what else he did that millions of runners around the world will be forever grateful for? Ron pioneered a then-unknown race distance named the half-marathon, winning the first ever one staged in the U.K. in 1964 in a time of 1:04:45, which is still the race record. Not too shabby for a boy who was said to show no sports ability until he discovered in his mid-teens that his small (5'6", 134 pounds) frame was an advantage in running (thankful people see obstacles as opportunities).   

As his elite career faded, Hill kept competing but never became a top contender as a master. His focus then became his innovative "streak." He ran every day for at least one mile from December 1964 until January 2017, a total of 52 years, and 39 days, including hobbling on a crutch after bunion surgery (thankfulness breeds resilience right?). For many admirers, that streak was his supreme achievement. Now a formal organization has oversight of hundreds of "streakers," and when Hill's record is eventually broken, it will surely be a media event and cause for celebration.

Ron Hill was truly a legend in the running world who was always seeking new challenges, even up to his death. He estimated his lifetime miles at close to 160,000, which is likely accurate, it was said, given his painstaking recording of each run. In May 2018, at age 79, he announced that he had Alzheimer's but intended to stay active (thankfulness breeds optimism) which he did up until his death. Does this sound like a guy who was thankful for every day or what? So thankful that he refused to waste any of the time he was given on things that didn't matter. 

So there you have it friends. Being thankful each and every day truly has many more benefits than what I've listed above. There are just so many positive things that come out of a heart filled with gratitude, including the motivation to get out the door and get in those miles because you know what a blessing from our Creator they truly are. And if you still think you have nothing to be thankful for, consider this... no matter how slow or fast you are, or how many miles you are able to run, there will come a day when you can longer do this. And if today is not that day, mark it down as one of the things you are thankful for and then look for the many other blessings you can be thankful for as well. It will surely have you smiling as you put forth those purposeful steps. 

Happy Running!!!