The only thing that should surprise us is that there are still some things that can surprise us.      Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Who would’ve ever thought that this race would motivate me as much as it did?  DEFINITELY NOT ME!

We all know what a crazy year 2020 was. Virtual races became all the rage for many runners. Not only was this a good way to stay in training mode but it also gave us the opportunity to support some of our favorite race companies that were being effected financially by the pandemic.  Honestly, I didn’t do that many of them because I don’t race for medals or swag (well, sometimes 🤣). I picked my races this year very strategically.

When I heard about Every Damn Street (and Every Damn Trail), I was intrigued.  You can read more about it here. I was immediately attracted to the idea of running in my community. I love the idea the race was built on.  I also love first time experiences.

From the Aravaipa website:
“inspired by Ricky Gates’ Every Single Street project where he toured the streets of San Francisco, we are asking runners everywhere to connect to each other by sharing their hometown with this virtual community.”

If you know me, you know I am not a big fan of road running. However, I had a plan to run my first 100 mile race over 2 days on 12/30 & 12/31 at Across The Years as we entered 2021 (the year I turn 50!) This race is flat, mostly road and a 1 mile loop.  I figured Every Damn Street would be a great way for me to get road miles in as training for my 100 miler.  Bonus:  the logo and feel of the race swag was Sesame Street, which was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid.  It was a 3 month challenge and my goal was to run my 85283 zip code. I started out not thinking that I would do the whole thing because it looked like A LOT.   But the more I kept chipping away at each section of my zip code, I could start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  At the end of November, I decided I was going to run every damn street in my zip code.

Love the swag!

I decided to document my journey via Instagram Stories.  I actually had to create a Part 2 in my Highlights because apparently you can only have 100 stories in each one.🤪  I may have got a bit carried away with them but this was a fun part of the challenge for me.  Not sure if you need to have an Instagram account to view them or not but here is EDS Part 1 and EDS Part 2  (you can use your arrow keys to scroll forward).

Here are some things I learned in the last few months while doing this race:

• Strategy was more important than I anticipated: From Day 1, this was all about strategy.  My first run was Labor Day weekend and I wasn’t sure what the best way to start was. Greg (my BF), suggest to start out with the perimeter of the 85283 zip code.

My first run for this race

And so it began…

• • Tools: Aravaipa suggested using the Caltopo app. After every run, I could upload my Garmin file and it would continue to add my mileage as I went (see pic below).  I would keep this open in my browser on my phone so I could tell what I had done on previous runs.  I couldn’t see what I was doing real time though.  I finally figured out to use my All Trails app and record as I was running so it would capture what I had just done. It sounds crazy but when you start going in and out of streets, it’s easy to lose track of what you did.  I had to keep taking out my phone to see what I had done and where I was going next.  This was much more mentally challenging than I expected.
  • Brought to you by: 
    • I was an Altra sponsored athlete last year so every shoe I wore was theirs (they are the only brand I wear and love)
    • My Noxgear Tracer 360 vest for early morning and evenings helped me be visible and safe. My Noxgear 39G Bluetooth speaker kept me company with music, podcasts and audiobooks. I am also an Ambassador for them: use code RUNNINGU1 for 35% off
    • I am always focused on my technique and there is no way I would’ve been able to do all that mileage without ChiRunning and ChiWalking. No injuries in 7 years because of it! (and I walk/run a lot of miles! I averaged 31 miles a week in 2020! I never say this to brag but to really point out how much I avoid injuries because of good technique).
• Miles flew by:  I was really surprised at how quickly I could get mileage done in a small space.  I would assume 3-4 miles and it would end up being double.  As much as I don’t like street running, I know I will use this in the future because time went by quickly.
  • I did anywhere from a 2 mile run to a 22 mile run for this project.
  • My total miles were: 202.95 in 23 runs!  I just totaled this up yesterday for this blog.  I would’ve been so mad if I ended at 199 on 12/31.  🤣 
  • Speed work goes by faster this way than on a track
  • I did 20 miles on Christmas Day since my family had decided to not get together
  • My boyfriend Greg joined me a few times for exercise dates!
  • In the last month, I felt like a drug addict having to get a fix.  I was obsessed and have never been that motivated to go out for runs on the road in my life before.
  • It was awesome to finish my last run on 12/31/20 with a rainbow!
• I love my neighborhood: when I first moved to AZ as a freshman in HS, we were in  Tempe. I went to McClintock High School and I am an ASU alumni.  I have always loved this city but I have a much bigger appreciation for it after this experience.
  • There was a Little Free Library on just about every run I did!
  • Ironically Sesame Street was in my zip code and I loved seeing it every time. The theme song would come in my head and it would always make me smile.

• • So many treasures found!  From beautiful lakes and houses to funny election signs.  In one neighborhood I was staring at house all decked out with human rights signs and across the street there was a house full of Trump signs.  My favorite election sign was “In Dogs We Trust” “Dogs 2020 Because Humans Suck”🤣  From election signs to fun Halloween decorations to Christmas ones. At one point I even found a purple house!  (you all know this is my favorite color!).  I had no idea Mission chips was local and also found The Early Bird (have not checked them out) yet but I saw their cart parked in a driveway so I had to google it. I love supporting local businesses.

I challenge you to try something like this out.  Pick your immediate neighborhood and/or zip code and just start chipping away at it.  This blog post and my Instagram Stories don’t even do my experience justice.  As I rewatched my IG stories, I got fuzzy feelings of the memories I created with this event.  As a matter of fact, it ended 13 days ago and I still have weird withdrawals.  I know I can go out and run in the neighborhood (I am about to as soon as I get done writing this!) but it’s not the same without the deadline of the “finish line.”  This has given me a new appreciation for road running for training as canals get old after awhile.

Huge thank you to Aravaipa Running for giving me something new and fun to do in the crazy 2020 year.  I just thought this was going to be another virtual race but I had no idea that it would impact me the way it did. 🥰

The final map!