Today is my 44th birthday. It is also day 2100 of my daily running streak. I did not plan the overlap, but I will take it.

Birthdays mean little to me. I would rather celebrate other people than myself. A running milestone is different. Every 100 days I stop and look back, because 100 consecutive days is over three months of showing up. Day 2100 is the one I want to write about carefully, because the last 100 days were the hardest of the streak so far.

The context: a broken foot

Just before day 2000, I injured my foot. It started as a stress fracture. I took some advice that, looking back, was questionable, and I carried on without a supportive boot. The stress fracture became a full fracture. That was frustrating, and I will leave it there.

The injury landed about ten days before the 2000 day milestone. From the injury to running normally again took roughly 16 weeks. That is close to four months. I did not rest during that time. I kept the streak alive with 5km every single day.

Those were some of the hardest runs I have done. One 5km took me 1 hour 39 minutes. That number tells you more about the pain than I can in words. I am not recommending anyone does this. It was my decision, I own it, and I was fortunate to come through it. As far as I know, there is no long-term damage.

The context: the Austrian mountains

The second part of these 100 days was a trip to Austria with friends. I ran in the cold, in the mountains, above 2,000 metres. Some runs were in snow and blizzard conditions at minus 16 degrees. Altitude changes everything. Your breathing, your pace and your patience all change. Those are among the toughest runs I have ever done, and I look back on them fondly.

What I learned about consistency

Consistency is not intensity. During the fracture, nothing about my running looked impressive. It was slow, careful and sometimes painful. What mattered was the 5km minimum. The streak is built on a floor, not a ceiling. On a bad day, I do the minimum. On a good day, I do more.

That matters for how I think about the whole project. I am running every day towards 40,075km, one lap of the world. At day 2100, my cumulative distance is 16,166.45km. That leaves 23,908.55km. The streak I am planning runs for about 16.5 years. In that timeframe, a four-month injury is a small part of the whole. But only if I keep going through it.

What I learned about reflection

Looking back at 2100 days of daily running, I see more than a number. I see the broken foot, the Alpine runs and the early mornings. I see decisions I would make differently. Reflection is part of the work. If I only look forward, I miss what the hard days taught me. If I only look back, I stop moving. I need both.

What I learned about advice

The foot injury taught me to question advice more carefully, especially when the cost of being wrong is high. I now ask more questions, get a second opinion earlier, and treat my body as the asset that carries the whole mission. If the body stops, the streak stops, and so does the fundraising.

Why I keep running

I run for children. The goal is to raise £1M for children's causes, including Great Ormond Street Hospital and BBC Children in Need, by completing the ultimate ultra-marathon, a lap of the world in barefoot-style footwear. Every day I log is one more step towards it. A broken foot did not change the reason. It made the reason more important.

When a run hurts, I think about the children and families who face far harder days than mine. That puts my own discomfort in perspective. My foot healed. Not every family gets that outcome. Perspective matters because it keeps my problems the right size.

Looking ahead

We have come through the winter months. I am looking forward to spring and later summer running. The warmer weather motivates me. Fingers crossed for a more enjoyable 100 days ahead. I will take enjoyable over heroic.

If you run daily, or you are thinking about starting a running streak, here is what these 100 days taught me:

Set a minimum you can always meet. Mine is 5km. Separate the streak from the performance. Slow still counts. Get good advice early, and question it when something does not feel right. Review every 100 days. Write down what worked and what did not. Keep the reason in front of you. Mine is children.

Day 2100 is done. Day 2101 is tomorrow. If you want to follow the mission, watch the daily episodes on YouTube, subscribe, and share them with someone who runs or who cares about children's causes. Questions and comments are welcome, and I read them.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/Ri9Sz2M2Y58