Wanted to look for something pre-made that would do this, but couldn't find what I was looking for, so I found a good way to use all of the cardboard boxes I save (from the massive amounts of cereal, popcorn, cookies, etc that I eat).
I made... a Mileage Tracker! Its purpose is to provide motivation to reach my 1000/yr (stretch... realistically, 750/yr) goal. You want to add numbers and keep it moving up. You can also be proud of how far you've come, too. It ended up working out well that I couldn't find a pre-made one, because instead of just drawing or cutting out normal numbers, I turned the numbers into running-related gear or symbols, to give it a persoal and cool-looking touch. The major digits are the fun shapes, and the tenths digits are words written in the shape of numbers, describing my motivations for running (like #2... Boston Qualifier).
[PICTURE OF ALL THE CARDS TO BE ADDED LATER]
Anyway, as of today, I have 295.2 in about 4.5/12 months. At this rate, I'll hit 787.2 at year end. With these nagging injuries, 1000 just won't happen this year, but I can save the goal for next year. 787 would be the most ever, probably. I did 594.2 last year, and I probably didn't do more than that in HS, so it's a step forward. I gotta find a way to not get injured.
THINGS THAT SEEM TO HELP AGAINST INJURY:
1. Forefoot running (maybe not, though, considering the recent tibialis anterior hypertrophy that's been going on since I changed my footstrike, which is to the point of cutting off circulation sometimes... haven't quite figured this one out... I think forefoot has helped alleviate knee pain, although maybe the lack of knee pain is just from reduced LR's).
2. Not playing ultimate, where I'm prone to ankle sprains
3. Strenghtening my hips (strangely, running seems to unbalance my abductor:adductor ratio, which causes problems, so I may have to actively strengthen the abductors to keep things running smoothly. I always seem to feel better the day or two after strength sessions where I use the PT elastic band)
4. Stretching (probably... I don't do it enough to have a definitive opinion on this, but it's probably good)
5. Icing (feels good, too)
6. Listening to your body (I don't do it enough, but I'm getting better about it.
7. Arch supports for flat-footed ppl like me
8. And to a lesser extent, sleep, refueling within 30min, glucosamine & chondroiton, general nutrition.
Without a major race planned, I don't do risky workouts as much, which is kind of good, but I also probably don't do what I'm capable of. Like if I wasn't training for the CM Half, I wouldn't have done many of the workouts I did, and I'd still be far behind. So it's risky, but the rewards are good. The dangers are pretty big, too, I guess. You only live once, but you only get one body, too. Fine line to walk.
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