How to Run 1,000 Miles in 2020

Always take enough water for you and your companions

This blog post is inspired by my participation in the Trail Running Magazine 1,000 mile challenge.

Running 1,000 miles is easy, all you've got to do is put one foot in front of the other approximately a million times!

Or, to be a bit more useful, you have to run an average of around 20 miles a week or three miles a day  (yes, I know those figures are approximations). When you break it down like that, it doesn't seem too much. However, injury, work, family commitments and a lack of motivation (it happens to all of us) can make what seem to be modest targets into impossible mountains.

I've managed to run 1,000 miles in four of the past five years, but I'm not a super runner. I'm slow, I'm overweight and I'm in my sixties. If I can do it, then so can you. Here are a few things that I've learned along the way.

Consistency is the Key. Most of the people who hit the 1,000-mile target in the FaceBook group do not run massive distances. They run 5-8 miles, but they run it regularly. You don't have to run ultra-marathons to clock up the magical thousand. That being said, I do run the odd ultra, but the key is still to be consistent. I run four or five times a week and build up my longest run to around 20 miles when I've an event coming up and then cut the distance afterwards to avoid injury. It's getting out regularly, not running long distances that makes the difference.

Get the Balance. You won't manage to run 1,000 miles if you don't sometimes push yourself to run when you don't want to, when the weather is rubbish or when you'd rather be watching something on the telly. We all have times when we don't want to run and we all have runs that aren't much fun - we lose our "running mojo" as the jargon goes. Push on through it, the good times will return. But... the whole point of this is to enjoy yourself, so don't get too fixated on targets and allow yourself the odd day or week off. It's all about balance.

Don't Obsess Over Targets. One thousand miles is a long way, don't worry about whether you are up with your target in January. I tend to aim for an average of around 100 miles per month. However, in practice, this means that I do something around 80 miles in the early months of the year and then significantly more in the summer when I enter races and when the weather is better. By the end of March, I'm usually way off the pace, but that doesn't matter.

Your Run; Your Rules. This phrase from Katherine Guth is really helpful. Don't let peer pressure or guilt push you to run in any particular fashion. Here is a confession from me; I don't run all of the miles I count - I walk some of them. On technical trails, or going up steep hills, I often walk. It's faster (and safer) than trying to run sometimes. My rule is that if I put my trainers and shorts (or tights) on and go out with the intention of running, any miles that I cover count - whatever pace I go at. I don't count the miles when I'm walking the dog at lunchtime. I'm not suggesting you adopt my approach, just giving one example. It's your challenge, so make it work for you however you can. No one is coming round to check your Strava account to ensure that you hit a particular speed or cadence.

Don't Worry About Others. Some people are able to clock up 1,000 miles by the Spring, others get there in the last week of December and others don't actually make the target. Don't feel pressurised by the amazing mileage that some people manage to achieve. They are them and you are you!

Participate in the Facebook Group. The #run1000miles group on Facebook is the best online community I know (it's a closed group, so if you can't find it, let me know and I'll invite you to join). There are always people ready to ask and answer questions, give good advice and to share both triumph and adversity. Read other people's posts, comment on them and post your own stories and photographs. This is especially important if, like me, you are a solo runner. Oh, and sign up for the challenge at the Trail Running Magazine website (link at the top of this post) - you get useful emails and encouragement through the year.

Have Fun! If you love running hard and fast, setting personal bests and burning up the track, go for it. If you like to go more slowly, stopping to take photos, do that. Short distances, long distances, roads, fells, or trails do whatever appeals to you and enjoy it.

If you have any additional advice, put it in the comments below, or comment on Facebook.