When I started to become a daily runner, it wasn’t about performance or speed. It was about creating personal space. During the pandemic, I just needed more time to think, to process. Running gave me that time I needed and because of that it ended up becoming a daily routine. Running has always been apart of my life ever since my time in the army. It was simple and grounding and gave me time away from life’s chaoses. I wasn’t training for anything specific; I was just finding peace.
Grinding the miles
In the beginning, I was logging 5 or 6 mile runs a few times a week and trained for 1-2 half marathons a year, usually completing in about two hours. Not bad, not great but enough to be in shape. When I started grinding more, it was just to have the personal space. Without realizing it though, I was building volume. 30 miles a week became 40, then 50, then 60.
Remarkably, because I was so focused on just having space for myself and not on speed or time, I gradually built a huge running base that my body adopted to naturally. I wasn’t pushing on pace; just focused on putting time on the road.
Adopting running into my lifestyle
When I ran my first marathon, I was doing between 50 and 60 miles a week. Still not worried about time, just grinding. At some point, it occurred to me that I could do a marathon instead of a half. While unintentional, this consistent grind was forming the foundation for everything that I am doing today with my running and it has kept me injury free.
By gradually having a larger volume of miles become my normal, it allowed my body to naturally adjust. Core to that was having a comfortable pace for an uncomfortable length of time that simply grew. That is how I made distance running apart of my lifestyle and identity.
It was after my third marathon that I found speed on my halfs; I got my first 3rd place age group finish. I was surprised by it really. I never set out to be fast but finding speed caused me to change my approach. I had built up a massive weekly running volume. After that finish, it was more than just a grind.
Running injury free
Today, I am still doing 60-70 miles a week as long as I am not tampering. I’m not trying to prove anything; the miles are just part of who I am now. For me, running daily sustainable isn’t about chasing PRs. It’s about having a routine you can maintain forever. You don’t need to go far or fast. What matters is putting in the time, the daily miles on the road, and letting your body adapt little by little.
If you’re just getting started, ignore pace. Ignore races. Just show up, put in the time, rack up the miles, and let the grind do its work. Focus on running to create space for yourself and building a routine that you can commit to. Your running volume will build gradually with your body adjusting and staying injury free. Then see what happens next. I found speed and ultras; I love both. A running lifestyle is about having routines that let you be injury free.
Push Pace 