Running 30 minutes for 30 days: Epic fail or wild success?

It's been a month since our plane landed in Salt Lake City, Utah.   The very next morning after we flew in, I went out for a sleep deprived 30 minute run at 5000 feet elevation and felt a little gaspy.   I determined to get more running in...after all, I hadn't done a marathon length run since last October.  Quite a long gap for me.  So I determined to run 30 minutes a day for 30 days.  I figured that would be enough to jump-start my fitness, help me discover the new neighborhood, and provide a positive habit for my new life.

Bryce Canyon NP on our road trip.   Running down in the spires...on the bucket list!

Did I succeed?   Well....I made it at least 14 days of running in a row....sometimes I had to fit in a run at 10:30 at night!    But it was great to run under the stars, through a little snow, under the shadow of the mountains dominating the landscape here.  

After that, I got a little less dedicated.  I absolutely forgot a day whoops, and then we went on a spring break trip down to southern Utah, where it was hard to find the time to get a run in.  To tell the truth, I didn't try that hard.  We were hiking and biking and running and playing and exploring, all of which meant more than a run against a clock down a highway or something.

And, I was getting into other activities during this month too.   Bikram Yoga, I really love the hot sauna aspect of it.   The indoor climbing wall is just down the street, and my nephews and old friends became instant partners.  The Utah snow is still fluffy and powdery so we got a couple days of skiing in.    Paragliding is close too, and kiting around on the training hill is some great exercise.   We brought bikes down to Moab and just had to get some pedal turns on the slick rock.   And at times I ran longer than 30 minutes, on trails near the house.

To tell the truth, 30 minutes is a boring length for me here.   It's hardly worth getting dressed and out the door, and at the 15 minute turn around point, I am just getting to the trailheads to run off-road.  So I might as well run an hour.   I think an hour every other day would be a better fit.   Or perhaps I'll just do whatever sounds good for the day.    Biking, gardening, climbing, yoga, hiking, paragliding, skiing. Too many fun things to do, too little time.

One thing is for sure...the 30 minute runs did jump-start my exercise plan here, and I feel like I am in really great shape.   Part of it was just the reminder that I needed to get moving...like an alarm clock to get me out of bed in the morning, that daily decision to run pushed me to be active.  

So....success!