For most people Feb. 5 was just a normal day but for two Digby runners, Megan Moore and Jana Amirault, it was a milestone.
Rain was smashing against the pavement and the winds were blowing hard. But both women couldn’t have been happier.
They set a goal last year to run every day for 30 days. Nearing the end of that period they extended the goal to 100 days.
“It started off as us just wanting to set a goal and see if we could do it,” Amirault says.
On Feb. 5, they officially ran every day for 365 days and they have no plan on stopping anytime soon.
“We’ve had some bad days where we didn’t feel like running but it’s almost like we had that obligation to each other to keep going,” says Amirault.
The two best friends and co-workers started running 14 years ago when they registered for an online Running Room training session.
“If I can do it, anybody can,” Amirault adds.
Now, the women are averaging running two kilometers a day. The run isn’t focused on their speed, they say.
They have both previously ran half marathons but haven’t decided if they are going to peruse training for a full marathon – although they do agree it would be bittersweet to cross a full marathon finish line.
“You never know what could happen though I guess,” says Amirault.
The pair prefer running outdoors but some days they have to resort to using the treadmill.
“We like to call it the dreadmill,” Amirault jokes.
The women kept running through the flu, injuries and while on vacation.
Running gives Amirault some alone time and allows her to decompress, she says.
Moore does enjoy running with a group and the activity has become therapeutic for her.
“My university roommate tried to get me to start running with her at St. Mary’s, just around the track. I didn’t think it was for me. I was never an athletic girl,” says Moore.
The pair share some tips for anyone who wants to try to start running.
They suggest starting slow and working your way up, like running from one telephone poll to the next.
“Some days you feel great and others your legs feel like lead,” Moore says.
Anyone can run on a low budget. All that’s required is a pair of running shoes.
Moore keeps spare running shoes hidden in the car and her office so she’s always ready to run.
She does take credit for occasionally running in her hiking boots and once in a skirt on the treadmill, saying, “Whatever it takes to get the run in.”
