Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved

-Helen Keller

            In my adult life I have not had a positive relationship with running, especially for any distance over a few hundred meters. For a huge chunk of time the idea of running a mile seemed, if not impossible, very arduous. In fact, for a while I could not complete the task without breaking into a walk around the halfway mark, if not sooner. Even after getting to a point in my life where I was more confident in my “fitness” – the idea of running a mile still presented itself as a major obstacle. Along comes The Sisu Way to issue a challenge for the month of December in the year 2020 that they called: “The Character Mile.” This was a challenge to run a mile every day of the month. 31 miles in 31 days. Character, in this context, is most likely defined as an attribute of “moral excellence and firmness,” or better put by the challenge itself, attributes of “resilience, gratitude, connection, community…” This would be a challenge of grit and determination.

            As previously noted, a single mile was already a challenge to me, so to run thirty-one of them was a daunting task. A beautiful aspect of the challenge came in the form of accountability and community. Though I ran every mile alone, I had friends and family that kept me on track. For most of the miles logged I used the Strava app to track my runs, and I was able to share my efforts with others. I cannot say with any certainty that that I would have completed this challenge without the accountability and support of my friends. There were three friends who took on this challenge with me, and through their mutual participation I was able to maintain my motivation. On days where I felt like throwing in the towel, I would see their posted runs and through a sense of responsibility to them, I would force myself to hit the pavement. Many days I considered walking the “hard” mile, and I gave into that impulse on one account, slowing to a crawl while taking one of my dogs with me. This did not go unnoticed, and I was rightfully called out for my soft effort. Through the observation of my friend, I was guilted into a second effort – recording my challenge best 7 minute 12 second mile.

            In this comradery, I did doubt my true character. If there was no one to witness my efforts, I cannot guarantee efforts would have been made. My only resistance to this doubt comes from every run I completed after I was called out. There were still many days where my back ached, my legs were sore, and my knees felt likely to explode and the thought of walking reentered my mind – but I always managed to turn in a brisk jog at the very least. Every honest run came in under 10 minutes, most under 9 minutes, and a healthy few were sub 8 minutes. There were even days, when my lungs felt up to the task, that I moved more than a mile. This reached an apex of my “distance” running around the 2.5-mile mark.

            While the gathered community provided a much-needed crutch. It did not alleviate all struggle from the challenge. Life itself can be a challenge. With work, rough weather, or other responsibilities, a running challenge will often come to seem trivial. Lacing up my running shoes after a long day’s work was regularly the biggest obstacle to overcome in the first half of this challenge. On particularly cold evenings or rainy mornings these runs became even harder. And running through grief was the most challenging, yet most cathartic run of them all.

            In the midst of this challenge, I was faced with the concrete reality of one of my dogs’ failing health. He struggled though pain, and surgery – to no avail – and I was left with the challenge of a hard choice. On December 18^th I said goodbye to my boy Chappie, and after crying the whole drive home, I replaced one pain with another, and logged my 18^th mile. In this capacity, the trivial challenge of a daily run may have saved me from a deeper despair. Grief is a strange and overwhelming feeling, and the physical release of that evening run made for honest therapy on a cold winter night. I will take minutes or days’ worth of burning lungs and swollen knees over a single moment of pain from a fractured heart.

            From the reluctant first mile, to stiff mid-winter runs, to milestone victories, and grief fueled efforts, this challenge taught me the value of friendship, and pain, and health. I am not sure if the challenge really was a testament to my character. It was most often presented as a physical thing, an issue of mind over matter… The challenge was also a welcome distraction from the trials which life so consistently offers. I am happy to have run all thirty-one days, and to have extended my efforts beyond thirty-one miles. I am grateful to know that my mind and my body are capable of overcoming such obstacles. I am glad to know that something that once seemed so intimidating to me I can now label as trivial. The Character Mile Challenge has finished, but I feel like this is only a start.