730 Days of Running Every Day

What happens when you lace up your running shoes every single day for two years? Let’s find out.

It’s been a year since I shared my journey about my year-long running challenge. If you haven’t seen that post yet, I’d recommend giving it a quick read for some background.

Since December 31, 2019, I’ve made running a daily habit. Every single day, I’ve tied my shoes and stepped outside for a run. No matter how I felt, where I was, or what the weather was like. That’s 730 days filled with highs and lows — euphoria, pain, joy, boredom, and everything in between.

From day one, my Garmin watch has been quietly collecting data. In these posts, I dive into that data using Python. It’s a way to track progress and reflect on the journey — even if most runs end right where they started.

2020 vs 2021

Back in 2020, most of my runs were on asphalt and flat terrain. It’s convenient when you live in the city, but not the best for your body. Hard surfaces can be tough on your joints, and running near busy roads isn’t great for your lungs either. Plus, city runs can get pretty monotonous.

By the end of 2020, I started exploring nature more. Trail runs bring variety to the terrain, which spreads the load on your body differently. Sure, it’s tougher, but I believe it lowers the risk of injury compared to pounding the pavement every day. So, 2021 was almost all trail running.

In 2020, I didn’t have any performance goals. The main aim was simply to make running a daily habit. For 2021, I set a new goal: run at least 5 km on average each day.

I also added a heart rate monitor in 2021, which gives more accurate data than the watch’s built-in sensor. It even tracks running dynamics like ground contact time, vertical movement, and power. More data means more to explore!

Looking back at 2020 was fun, especially with some photos to remember the journey. So in 2021, I made an effort to bring my phone along more often to capture moments from my runs.

Two Years of Running Data Visualized

Check out this chart — it shows how far I’ve come over the last two years! The solid blue line tracks my cumulative distance, while the dots in the background reveal rolling 14-day averages for distance, heart rate, and total ascent.

Running progression over the past 2 years

Since I started, I’ve run a total of 3,616 km. With an average stride length of 0.95 m, that’s about 3.8 million steps — averaging 5,200 steps a day. And all those runs add up to 15 days, 17 hours, 51 minutes, and 8 seconds on my feet.

In 2021, my average run distance was 5.57 km — so I crushed my goal!

Total distance by year

Looking at the yearly totals, 2020 saw 1,523 km, while 2021 jumped to 2,096 km — a 37.6% increase. Interestingly, 2020 started stronger, but 2021 overtook it by early April.

Total ascent by year

Switching to trail runs brought a big jump in total ascent.

Running heatmap by Weekday and Hour

Saturday has been my most active day over these two years, usually reserved for long runs of at least 1 hour and 30 minutes. I prefer running around 9 AM, but since I trade stocks (which open at 9), most of my weekday runs happen after the market closes around 5-6 PM.

Joint plot of Distance and Ascent, by year

The longest run in 2020 was 22.47 km. In 2021, I hit 33.65 km — though I actually ran closer to 50 km before my watch died mid-run. I even got lost in the woods, in total darkness!

This plot shows how 2021 was more varied in both distance and elevation.

Joint plot of pace and stride length, by year

Looking at pace and stride length together is pretty interesting. Pace is inverted here, so lower means faster. Most of my runs have been slow and steady. I keep my stride short on purpose to reduce strain.

These calendar heat maps show my running duration in minutes over two years. It feels great knowing there’s not a single blank day!

Calendar heatmap of running

Most runs happen near where I live — it’s easier to stay consistent that way. I’ve found a few favorite tracks and some short ones I turn to when motivation dips.

Runalyze Grid

Next Stop: 1,000 Days of Running

September 26, 2022, will mark day 1,000 of my streak. Honestly, my motivation to keep going isn’t as high as it once was. But this challenge has taught me so much about running and myself.

If my goal was to get faster or run longer distances, running every day probably wouldn’t be the best way. It’s tough to follow a traditional training plan when you never take a full rest day. Hard runs can’t be too hard, because you need to run again the next day. Same with long runs — your body never gets the full recovery it needs to get stronger.

Instead, you end up with mostly slow to medium runs — “junk miles,” some call it. You don’t push yourself hard enough, and you don’t fully recover. So, you don’t improve as much as you might hope. A good training plan balances quality sessions with rest.

That said, running every day has plenty of perks. I haven’t had a cold in over five years. Since starting, I’ve never even had a runny nose. Even though I stopped meditating, I feel more present and calmer than ever. Running, for me, is a better meditation than actually sitting still. Honestly, meditation feels like something for folks too lazy to run or do other focused physical activities. Try juggling — you’ll see what I mean.

So, will I keep running every day? Now that 1,000 days is within reach, I feel a bit obligated to continue. Call it the sunk cost effect if you want. But I’ve found a deep joy in running far — really, painfully far, with all the salt in your body leaving the atmosphere.

Though I haven’t set it in stone, I have a goal tucked away in my mind: to run a 100-mile Ultra Marathon. That’s 160 km. My longest run so far is only 50 km.

I’m aiming for 1,000 days. After that, I’ll decide if breaking the streak helps me reach that 100-miler sooner. Right now, everything points to yes.