I’ve posted the first 100 days of the ninth straight year of my Days in a Year project and it feels a lot like the marathon training I’m currently a few months into. It never really gets easier, every run and every photo takes effort and showing up and sometimes you find these moments of pure joy along the way and sometimes it feels the hardest thing in the world to keep pushing forward. Over the years, I think I’ve gotten better at setting myself up for success with better planning and pacing. For running, I lay my clothes out the night before a hard run so I have no excuses in the morning and for my photo a day I just bring a camera with me basically everywhere I go.

If you want to read more about this project, I have a story in the current issue of @themainemag (Emma’s the cover model!). 

With five weeks left before the Sugarloaf Marathon, I know what I need to do to race successfully (just a few more hard speed workouts and only ONE more 20+ mile run) and then there is an end date where I don’t have to run hard ever again if I want.

There’s not an end date for the photo a day though. I just have to keep bringing a camera with me everywhere and stay curious about everything around me. Sounds easy but some days it’s hard enough to just get out the door. I’ll keep trying to plan for serendipity and maybe it’ll get easier once I make it to year 10?