CEO of Facebook has called on everyone to get off Facebook – he’s pledged to run 365 miles in his version of “A Year of Running.”
For those living under the metric system, that’s 587.41056 kilometers. The equivalent of 13.9 full marathons and 27.9 half marathons. It must be intimidating to wrap our heads around these numbers. It might even be too much for beginners to start with, but for Facebook founder and CEO, it’s not just about finishing 365 miles. It’s about being a role model for his Max, inspiring his employees to stay healthy and creating a positive learning environment for people he can influence (that’s us!). And so here are what we think his resolutions for us are.
#1 To get moving
Most New Year resolutions end up being skirted around and failing because we fail to even get started. Whether it’s deciding to save for new running shoes or to run your first marathon, we need to begin by committing with baby steps. Instead of thinking about running your first out of 13.9 marathons, think about starting with 1 mile tomorrow.In Mark’s words, “At a moderate pace it’s less than 10 minutes of running per day.” Do that for 365 days and you have successfully triumphed “A Year of Running.”
#2 To take care of yourself
Better physical health also means better health behavior – both towards your family and fellow work buddies. Healthier employees are more positive, productive and potentially more creative. Mark wants to empower his employees with their own good health. What’s more trustworthy than a good heart and your strong pair of legs? After 365 miles, you too would get to find a better and faster you. Training plans with rest days, tempo days, interval days can be scary. With Mark, it’s just a simple and straightforward 365 miles new year goal.
#3 Reflect often
Running 365 miles might not have been top of your list when it comes to New Year resolutions. Neither was building an AI system that can help run my life. Setting good resolutions come with understanding yourself after a good 2015 and would come with finding out more about yourself day after day. This challenge could just be another option you’ve never considered. Or another opportunity to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.
Whether you go out there and run 1 mile or not, and whether you choose to stop after that mile or go on to finish 365 of them, you’re slowly picking up the virtues of running. Qualities such as willingness to try, having discipline and perseverance, or even self-awareness. So don’t look at “A Year of Running” as just a numerical 365; it helps you make your next 365 days much more than just numbers.
