It’s disappointing and kind of sad when we forget to celebrate the milestones we reach. Do you know the real benefits of celebrating your running anniversary? Learn why you should put your running anniversary on the calendar and plan something special for your great work this year!

3 Reasons to Celebrate your Running Anniversary

Why celebrate a running milestone? Honor your investment and reflect on the personal benefits of running to keep you from quitting later. Being healthy really pays (in a few ways) and you’re worth celebrating!

1. Less Chance of Quitting

People are most likely to quit their jobs around their one-year work anniversary, according to a Harvard Review study. Why does this happen? People have a heightened awareness of the price they’ve paid when they reach an anniversary and are more likely to weigh that against the return on investment (ROI). While this is a core business concept, it applies to relationships and volunteer work and recreational activities, like running. Take time to acknowledge your progress and celebrate your hard work. It’s going to propel you forward and encourage you to see it through when your running practice gets hard.

2. There’s Room in the Budget

Runners can and should be saving money on health insurance and life insurance. So, of course it makes sense to splurge on a treat to celebrate your running anniversary! If you’re taking advantage of a life insurance health benefit like the John Hancock Vitality Program, you’ll save 15% on the annual premium. It’s far more rewarding to spend your money on new running gear and fitness equipment than to pay more for life insurance.

In New Jersey, even health insurance companies are beginning to reward people like you for choosing a healthy lifestyle. Blue365 is a wellness savings program offered to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield members. AtlantiCare also has a wellness program to give health credits to employees and their spouses. These health credits can be applied to lower the cost of the deductible or employee contribution, or can be applied to the employee’s HRA. This program can save a family $1,500 or more a year for taking steps for preventative check ups and lowering blood pressure and reducing BMI.

3. Because You Deserve It

The simplest way to sum it up is this: You deserve to be celebrated! There are many other things you could have done with your time and energy besides running. The fact that you chose to become a runner and take your fitness and mental health seriously is worth getting excited about. Instead of sleeping in late or binge-watching TV, you chose to go for a run - and that is inspiring! Celebrate your running anniversary and feel proud of yourself for investing in a legacy of health.

Great Ideas to Honor your Running Anniversary

There are many things you can do to honor your running anniversary. If you need some ideas, there’s a nice list we found on the Run For Good blog - but here are some more things we came up with to help you get onboard with the celebrations!

Buy yourself a gift of running gear, like a new pairs of sneakers or a upgraded FitBit

Convert a new runner - find someone to mentor as they grow in their running practice

Treat yourself to a dinner (but don’t let it derail you from your clean eating commitment)

Create a new playlists and spend a few bucks to get new songs to listen to while running

Sign up for a race or running event that’s around the same time as your anniversary

Write yourself notes of praise and leave them in your car or on the fridge as a reminder

Find out what it takes to feel that “runner’s high” so you know how far to push yourself

Tell someone who will be proud of you because they know how hard you worked for this

Read a book that will take you further in your knowledge of health and wellness

Try a new route to liven up your running routine - even if you’d have to drive futher

Set a non-running goal for the upcoming year, whether it’s journaling or cross-training

Hire a running coach to help improve your form, try new techniques, and offer support

Meet up with local running friends and go for a celebratory run together

Subscribe to a podcast that will keep you motivated and uplifted

Running Anniversary Shout-Outs for Keep Calm and Run To The Best You Rockstars

It’s no surprise that our team at Keep Calm and Run To The Best You loves to brag about its members and celebrate their achievements. Coach Tadris dedicates part of his weekly podcast to giving shout-outs and lavishing praise on his team members for reaching fitness milestones and crushing weight loss goals. Another source of sincere mutual encouragement and support can be found every week in our Online Accountability Group. Here in our private corner of Facebook, members share screenshots from their running apps or post pictures of their latest weigh in on the scale. If anyone is ready to celebrate your running anniversary, it’s us!

Here are a few recent achievements that we want to celebrate:

Kathleen Evans - Finished Hawke’s Bay Full Marathon in New Zealand (5 hours and 1 minute)

Jamie Burke - Lost 70 pounds through clean eating, intermittent fasting, and running consistently

Clay, son of member Andrea Ollie- Lost 100 (?) pounds since Covid shutdown his school, and he started running around his neighborhood each day

Marie Geary - Streak of 475 days walking 10,000+ steps (plus coming up on a full year without candy)

Lisa Keating and Chris Ballard - Finished the Rock’N’Roll half marathon (21.1k)

Tadris Parker - This week’s episode marks the two year anniversary of the Keep Calm and Run To The Best You podcast, which has been recorded and aired faithfully every single week since launching in Spring 2019.

Congratulations! Everyone from Keep Calm and Run To The Best You is genuinely impressed and so very proud of you! We are clapping and cheering you on from the bottom of our hearts. We know what it takes and how hard it can be, and we recognize your commitment! Awesome, amazing job to each one of you on this list. Thank you for the inspiration as we each continue on our own individual health journey.

The Reid Roy Interview

Be Intentional about your Running Anniversary - Reach Goals and Reward Yourself!

Are you getting bored with your exercise routine or tired of excuses, and want to do something worth celebrating? Aim a little higher and sign up for a race! Coach Tadris will guide you through this and our team of runners will train with you. We will see you through to the finish line, whether it’s a 5K or a full marathon. Join Coach Tadris and the team so we can help you reach this goal. Finish strong with a group hug and a round of applause from your fitness family at Keep Calm and Run To The Best You!

#104 - Don't Forget Your Anniversary: 3 Reasons To Celebrate Your Running Anniversary