“A life lived in fear is a life half lived.”
Baz Luhrmann
On March11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19, a novel coronavirus with origins in Wuhan, China, a global pandemic. Since then, nothing has been the same. Around the world schools closed, non-essential businesses shuttered and everyone was told to stay indoors. People were no longer allowed to gather in groups. Words like “socially distant” and “social isolation” became part of our vernacular. Fear over what would happen next was palpable.
From where I sit, almost five months later, we’re now entering Phase 3 of reopening Ontario. I’m back to working in my office and my kids are scheduled to return to school in September, albeit in a very different environment: my son will be attending college online, while my daughter will be wearing a mask and following a whole new series of protocols. Social distancing is the norm and life is definitely not back to normal. It’s clear that COVID-19 has been devastating to a host of industries: tourism and the arts come to mind, really anything that depends on visitors. And that includes running races.
2020 was shaping up to be a stellar race year, including my first road marathon in Halifax, two trail marathons, a 25km night run, a 30km at Bon Echo Provincial Park, a place I hold close to my heart, and my first 50km. One by one, each race was cancelled. And this was happening globally. Even the Boston Marathon was cancelled: the first time in its 124-year history.
Runners take on gruelling training blocks to prepare for goal races such as Boston. So when these “goals” disappear overnight, many are left wondering, “What now?” Social media screamed with runners devastated at their loss and how their training “went to waste.” There was much uncertainty over how long the pandemic would last (there will is) and planning for the future became impossible. Many runners lost motivation.
I’m a solid middle-of-the-pack runner, and I put my focus into competing against myself rather than anyone else. Races are a great way to test fitness and focus my training, but they’re also just a lot of fun, especially trail races. (S’mores and quesidillas for an aid station, yes please!)
But still I wondered, what now?
Here are four things that kept me running in this strange uncertain time:
1.) Reconnect with your why: The pandemic helped me realize that the benefits of running was much more than race swag and bling (though those are pretty fun): running was (and is) a way for me to process the emotion and stress of the rest of my life, it’s a way for me to learn about strength, resilience and goal setting, and lessons learned while I’m training help give me perspective that serves just about anywhere. Running is a part of my self-care routine: when I’m training I make sure I eat better and sleep better. It keeps my mind in check and my heart open. And it’s a way for me to explore the world in intimate and immediate ways. Maybe running is a way to help you lose weight. Maybe it helps you keep up with your kids. Whatever your personal why, connecting with that helps with motivation, whether there’s a pandemic or not.
2.) Run virtually: Race directors, who have a big enough (and often under appreciated) job during “normal” times were faced with “what now” after in-person races were cancelled. Some deferred races until next year. (And who even knows what next year will look like.) Many found ways to “pivot” their races to a virtual format: run a socially distance race on a “course” of your choosing, register your time and get your merch/bib/bling. I admit that virtual racing isn’t the same as racing IRL, but it is a way to support RDs and ensure there will be races in 2021. It’s also great for community building: finding a way to run #AloneTogether.
3.) Set a big goal for yourself: Running can be as equal a mental challenge as it is a physical one, and setting a big goal – one that’ll ask you to dig deep yet can be achieved – is a powerful way to fuel motivation. My first “goal” race was Going the Social Distance, hosted by Happy Trails Racing: you pick your monthly goal, in 50km increments and get out there and run. At the end, you get a sticker (things runners will do for merch) and an incredible sense of achievement. Over 3,000 runners worldwide participated. Then there was the Midwest States 100: run 100km (or 100 miles) in 10 days or less. I finished in 28th out of 273 people with a total time of 9:23:22. I have no illusions that I “ran 100km race” but dedicating myself to that goal rather than worry about things I couldn’t change helped keep fear a bay. Perhaps the biggest virtual event during the time of COVID-19 is the wildly popular Great Virtual Races Across Tennessee, hosted by Gary Cantrell, aka Lazarus Lake, race director of the infamous Barkley Marathons. In April, Laz announced a virtual race where participants would run virtually across Tennessee – 1021.68 km – between May 1 and August 31, 2020. Finishers get a T-shirt and either a belt buckle or medal. He expected 200 runners: over 19,000 from 78 countries are registered. I’m one of them: 700km down, 300 km to go. Stay tuned for my report from the finish line.
4.) Ground yourself in gratitude for what you do have and put your time and energy into the things that fuel you: OK, this is good advice for living a good life, not just running. Early in the pandemic when all the trails were closed, I realized that restrictions on shopping (even for groceries) were far less a loss than not having access to nature. Recognizing and grieving those closures made me appreciate the experience even more once trails reopened. Since then I have made time every weekend to spend time in nature and explored new trails.
We are living in a momentous time in history. There is a lot of talk about a “second wave” and uncertainty about how (and when) this pandemic will end. But it will end. In the meantime, life under a pandemic is marathon, not a sprint, and finding ways to keep you moving when the world seems to have come to a standstill will serve you long past the time of social isolation.
Finding Fiona 