100 Day Running Challenge: "It's ideal for a strong-willed sloth"

These days, it seems like every other person is running. However... How do you start running if you used to just sit?

I'm talking Arnold Rogozny, Internet People Conferences LOGIN the founder. He set himself a crazy challenge run for 100 days in a row and accidentally ran an average of 4.9 kilometers each day.

...Why did he start running? Where? How? Let's listen.

🏃 Hi Arnold! It's... What kind of character are you?

I am an advertising specialist and LOGIN conference organizer. I'm also an adrenaline fanatic and I try to get it in every possible way: jogging, motorbikes, extreme activities - from waterboarding to bungee jumping.

🏃 Do you often challenge yourself? Where would you place yourself on the scale from Gray Mouse to Batman?

It is difficult to single out life's adventures as challenges. I usually don't think of it as a challenge. I have gone 960 km along the Camino del Norte to Santiago de Compostela in 25 days, jumping from the Vilnius TV tower with a rubber... But can it be called challenges?

I am curious and can try many things if the opportunities allow. It's a pity that most of the time these remain attempts, nothing sticks for a longer period of time.

If you ask my friends, I'm definitely pretty boring, but maybe that's not related to challenges and adventures? After all, I usually overcome all challenges alone. Anyway, I choose the middle option - Winnie the Pooh, who said: "When you have nothing to do, you still need something to do."

🏃 Why did you start running?

I wanted to run more often. I read somewhere about a 100-day challenge to run at least a minimum distance every day, but for a hundred days in a row. If you miss a day, you count from the beginning.

In 100 days, you should get so used to jogging that after that it will no longer be a big effort to exercise regularly several times a week. 1 The rules were very simple - run at least 1 km every day, no matter when, no matter how, no matter where and no matter with whom.

I thought it was the perfect challenge for me, a big willed slacker. Since I have been running irregularly for several years now, there was a need to reinforce this addiction.

🏃 And how was your daily run?

In the beginning, I was eager to show myself that I could easily overcome such a challenge, because it didn't seem difficult to run a kilometer or two every day. However, after the first week, fatigue set in, both physically and emotionally.

I just wanted to take a break: not running when it's raining, when it's cold, when I have a headache (I have a migraine), when dinner is too filling and I can't seem to really move, when the weather is good and you want to go out for a beer. Many factors prevented me from reaching my goal every day, but I managed to overcome myself and run not a kilometer every day, but an average of five.

Halfway through the challenge, my joints started hurting and I could barely run 1km for a few days, but after consulting with experts, I started taking supplements and after a few days I was full of energy again. It seemed like a no-brainer to end the challenge afterwards, once you've hit 60-70-80 days, the rest seems ridiculously easy!

🏃 how did you feel ...Have you achieved what you initially hoped for?

I felt so elated that I even thought of writing everything down to my Facebook friends. Now I think it's nothing special. People do really great things for other people and it's just a daily sport for themselves. I don't think it's worth much attention.

🏃 What did you learn and experience during these days of running?

I realized that determination is easy, but determination often evaporates along the way. The will must be developed constantly. It wasn't as hard as I imagined, so I'd go for 365 days if a reasonable need arose.

During the challenge, whether you like it or not, a lot has changed: more constant and planned meal times have appeared, and the food itself has changed, alcohol consumption has decreased to an absolute minimum, after about 0.5 l bottle of cider per month, 🙂 better sleep and a fresher day.

Now I could continue to run every day, but there is simply no need. So I continue to run, but less frequently, every few days.

🏃 What advice do you have for people who want to repeat or go beyond? (...run over?) your challenge?

I believe that challenges should not be done for the sake of challenges. Challenges should be done for yourself. If it seems that something is missing or you need to improve something in yourself - to develop willpower or something like that - take up the activity that seems appropriate to achieve that goal. It doesn't have to be jogging for a hundred days straight.

🏃 So what challenge will you take on now?

I will be traveling to Iran soon. I fear that in the global world there are fewer and fewer places where you can have a culture shock, where you can be thrown out of your comfort zone, but I believe that Iran is still one of those places. It's not a challenge, but it seems like an odd choice to many.

🏃 Thanks for the chat, Arnold!

Well, there it is... Inspiring! Arnold inspired me to try the jogging challenge. I didn't run for long, just a few weeks, but I tried. 🙃

...Running challenges are sometimes organized by Ignas Dombrauskis, whose running blog I recommend.

Oh, and I also recommend these two videos about running by Jedi Linas Matulis: how to run correctly and how to breathe while running.

Thanks for joining us and if you have any questions, comments or want to brag about your challenge - I look forward to hearing from you! 🏃