Seventy-Five Days, One at a Time

Yesterday I ran the Icebox trails at Whitetail Ridge with no watch, no distance in mind, and for a few stretches, not much care about either. Somewhere out there it hit me: I’m closer to 60 than 50, and I still get to do this. Better yet, I still want to.

I don’t compare myself to other runners much anymore. But every so often I’m grateful I chose the harder path, because it’s the one that brought me here.

(Quick aside: Icebox 240/480 is November 7. If you’ve been on the fence, registration is open on UltraSignup, and the trails are in great shape. I checked.)

Lutsen didn’t happen, and I’m okay with that.

The summer plan didn’t end with a finish line in Lutsen. I’ve made my peace with it. What that summer left me with was confidence. The kind that says find the next adventure, whether it’s running or something else entirely.

I tried to talk myself out of running. It didn’t work.

Lately I’ve been kicking around the idea of pausing running for the winter. Lift some weights. Try something new. Give the legs a break.

Every time I think it through, I end up back where I started. Running is the thing I love. It’s the thing I don’t want to leave.

So instead of trading it in, I’m adding something.

Starting November 1, I’m trying the Hard 75

Officially it’s called “75 Hard.” I keep saying it backward, and at this point I’ve decided that’s my brand.

If you haven’t heard of it, entrepreneur and podcaster Andy Frisella created a 75-day challenge. The idea is that discipline is a muscle, and you build it by doing hard, boring things every single day. The rules are simple. Following them for 75 straight days is not.

Every day, you follow a diet of your choosing with no cheat meals. You do two 45-minute workouts, and one must be outside. You drink a gallon of water. You read 10 pages of a nonfiction book; audiobooks don’t count. You take a progress photo. And you skip the alcohol.

Here’s the catch. Miss one thing on one day and you start over at Day 1. Day 74 included. That’s what gets people.

Let’s talk about the calendar for a second

Day 1 is November 1. Day 75 lands on January 14.

In between: directing Icebox, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and a full helping of Wisconsin January. With an outdoor workout every single day. Plus a gallon of water, which means I’m about to learn exactly where every outhouse in the St. Croix Valley is located.

I’m not saying I didn’t think this through. I’m saying I thought it through and signed up anyway.

A couple of house rules

The daily pictures are staying private. Nobody needs a daily progress photo from a guy my age. You’re welcome.

And I still like a beer or two with friends. That’s not going away. Yes, purists, I know that technically breaks the rules. Call this the Western Wisconsin Edition. My point isn’t to pass somebody else’s test. It’s to build better habits than I ever have, one day at a time.

Here’s where you come in

I’ll be honest: I’ve never been great at changing my diet or my routine. I can run all night, but skipping the cookies at 9 p.m. is a different sport.

So I’m asking for a little support. If you see me on the trails, ask how it’s going. Send me a book recommendation, since I’ll need about 75 days’ worth of pages. And if you want to try a piece of it with me, even just a daily outdoor workout through the winter, let me know. Company helps.

I’ll post a report every month or so: what’s working, what isn’t, and whether I’ve learned to enjoy a gallon of water.

Day 1 is November 1. Wish me luck.