How to Keep Running During a Pandemic
Life as we know it is changing rapidly around us. Covid-19 has ground many things to a halt. For me, I was feeling very overwhelmed by it all. Running was always been a stress reliever for me. I had a couple of weeks where I gave into the fear of it all, and just stopped running.
Race Cancellations
With races being cancelled, It can be challenging to find the reasons why to continue. Struggling with what to do or how to move forward, I knew had to redefine my goals.
I had planned to run a marathon in May as a training run, for an ultra I was planning to run in June. The marathon ended up being cancelled. Learning that the June ultra marathon will be cancelled also, I decided I had to keep moving forward but made some adjustments to my goals. The race I had planned to run in June, was a 15.5 hour ultra marathon. My main goal was just to see how many miles I can pile on in 15.5 hours. The race was more of test run for my bigger goals next year, which is a 50 mile or 100 K. I know bigger things are yet to come, but I was still disappointed.
Developing New Goals
First I decided to first tackle what would help me the most. As a goal driven person, I am always trying some sort of new challenge. As I thought about what I could focus on, I thought why not try something non-running. A new diversion was what I needed.
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”— Eleanor Roosevelt
I came up with an idea. Why not start a 30 day yoga challenge? For me Yoga has always been a great stress reliever. Amazon is a great place to find yoga videos. I was easily able to find a 30 day program. I chose the series 30 Days of Yoga to a New You. It was a great challenge. One thing it helped me with was a new inner peace, which is very hard to find these days. Yoga has been amazing for my flexibility. Sitting all day at work is not ideal for a runner to say the least. I finished the 30 days. Going forward I plan to incorporate yoga into one of my cross training days.
Virtual Races
Knowing I needed something to work towards, I signed up for a virtual race. I would highly suggest a virtual race if you are looking for something to keep moving towards your goals, or if you just want to add to your medal collection. Pick something with some fun swag ,or perhaps something that inspires you. There are many virtual races out there to choose from.
I had finished the Rocky Raccoon 50k in February, and it was such a life changing experience for me. Tejas Trails puts on the Rocky Raccoon. I had learned that some of the Tejas Trails spring races had to be cancelled. They had decided to change to virtual race options. The virtual race I chose was called The Mirage.
For this virtual race you could pick to run one or two races, race distance and location. I chose the option of running two races. Why not, I was in the middle of a training block anyway.
Benefits of Running a Virtual Race
The nice part about running virtual races is that you have a longer timeline to complete the races. They often cost less money. You can choose where you would like to run the race. Another bonus of running a virtual race is that it can be run when it most convenient. This will help you to avoid undesirable weather and allow you to run your best race.
“Running allows me to set my mind free. Nothing seems impossible. Nothing unattainable.” — Kara Goucher
Having the option of choosing the race distance, I chose to run a trail half marathon for the first race. I decided to pick one of my favorite trails closer to home and headed out. The park I ran at was mostly single track, with hills and tree roots a trail runners haven. Finishing the first race, I began to focus on my second race.
I had several weeks to complete the second run. I decided to head out to a section of the Ice Age Trail and run a 25 K. It was fitting to start the 25 k at the terminus, as one of my life goals is to run each section of the Ice Age Trail. I achieved two goals in the process of finishing this race.
Never Give Up
The current events are nothing that has to stop you from achieving your goals. Sometimes in life goals just need redefining. Perhaps set a new goal. Get out there and try something new it might surprise you!
What are you doing to keep going?
