First off, I’d like to give credit to Mark Zuckerberg for this idea.  His personal challenge is to run 365 miles for the year.  I’d say, maybe we could challenge ourselves to do at least 366 miles (589 km) this year (since 2016 is a leap year)?

…Or maybe 366 miles (589 km) is a bit much?  366km perhaps since we’re using the metric system?  Or maybe 10km per month?  Whatever it is, it’s a great idea to set a challenge for yourself this early in the year!  And it should really be challenging enough that you can proudly say at the end of the year that you bested yourself.  Ensure that you define SMART goals:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

For those who needed additional motivation you may join A Year of Running community on Facebook.  I already saw some familiar faces there and maybe joining it could help!

How do you track the distance you’d run?  The simplest one is to download a fitness or running app that usually uses your smartphone’s GPS to measure the distance you’re running (provided it’s outdoors).  They usually log your progress so you can keep track if you’re meeting your goals.  Personally, I use these apps:

If you don’t have a smartphone or don’t want to run with a smartphone, your next best bets are smartwatches or GPS watches.  The first one I’ve used is a Garmin Forerunner®405 and later on a Soleus Fit 1.0.  Currently I’m using a Garmin Fenix 2 (review coming soon!).  Just remember to log your distances elsewhere in case your device does not have enough space to keep your records for the entire year.

If wearing any gadget still isn’t your type, you can just manually measure the distance you’d be running by using mapping websites like Google Maps.  Just load the location you wanted to run, right click on your starting point and choose Measure distance.  Right click on all the points along your route and you’d see a ruler giving you an estimate on the distance.  Again, don’t forget to log your distances!

Finally, if you’re in Metro Manila, here are my picks for five best places for running.  It’s not a complete representative of running-friendly places in Metro Manila so feel free to comment on places you think should be added on the list!

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Have a safe and healthy 2016! 😀

Motivation is what gets you started.  Habit is what keeps you going.
–Jim Rohn