Race Cancelled Due To Covid-19?
Here's How To Stay Motivated
Training for a big race is a great way to develop a sense of community around a common goal. Running groups can provide support and motivation from others who are able to empathize with the highs and lows of preparing the mind and body for race day, but Covid-19 has changed the way we’re able to interact with these communities as many big races have been cancelled while we do our part to flatten the curve. Without the in-person encouragement and camaraderie of your team, there are still a number of ways to stay motivated with your training.
Mark A Cancelled Event
While you may not be able to run your race in the conventional way, you can still mark a cancelled event with a solo race that adheres to social distancing protocol. With Vancouver’s annual Sun Run cancelled this year, many participants still ran the 10km solo and shared their times online with others who had also spent months preparing for the big race.
Join A Virtual Race
Runners are incredibly adaptable people, having learned how to overcome and persevere through many physical and mental challenges, so it should come as no surprise that an entire virtual race calendar is available online. With so many options to choose from, you can be sure to find a virtual race that supports your particular goals while also contributing to a good cause. The Quarantine Virtual Challenge Online Race is free to join and offers prize money for the most improvement over a personal best time!
Create Your Own Challenge
My 25km and 50km online programs are designed for solo training and can help to keep you focused and motivated with your fitness goals. There are also so many tools and apps available to help you create your own training objectives, track your performance and stay connected to an online community while you train. Strava is just one great option that allows you to create your own challenges, which also offers a safety feature that can share your location with someone you trust for added peace of mind while you pursue your running goals in remote areas.
Start Preparing Now For A Future Event
Don’t allow yourself to become too discouraged by the cancellation of a race you were looking forward to; there will be more events to prepare for down the line, and you can start working toward new goals right now. You might take this time as the world slows down to reevaluate your goals and objectives and find new ways to push yourself in different areas.
Access Your Inner Strength
A race is just one opportunity to test and push yourself in pursuit of your running goals, but having an event cancelled shouldn’t be a reason to give up on your training. As frustrating as it can be to have a race cancelled that you’ve been putting a lot of physical and emotional energy toward, try to see it as an opportunity to dig deeper and pick yourself back up again after a setback; it’s in these moments of adaptation through adversity that we can discover more growth than we ever knew was possible.
Make A Trail Run Bucket List
This is a great time to get into some runs you’ve always wanted to check out - make yourself a list and start exploring! Not sure where to start? Check out what www.runbcadventures.com is offering to find some inspiration. Trail runs are still a great option for safe, solo training and maintaining a strong body and a healthy mind.
While many big events may be cancelled, your training doesn’t have to be detoured or take a back seat; fresh air and regular exercise are helpful tools in supporting your immune system. Tap into the focus and determination that you’ve been cultivating through your training and remember that you can always reroute and keep going.
Check out my 25km and 50km training programs to help you start prepping now for your next race day and receive expert guidance and support along the way.