Weekend Motivation 138

As a runner running related news stories have a way of finding their way into my newsfeed, social media and suggested stories. I saw an info graphic recently that broke down pandemic running habits from before and after we’ve all been cooped up. It turns out sporadic runners are getting out there a lot more (30% more), occasional runners are 25% more active and regular runners are doing a little more than 10% less running. I tried to find the graphic again with no success. It’s great that people who don’t regularly run are embracing this opportunity to do more exercise but it’s a little disheartening that the regulars are slacking off a bit. I totally get it though with pretty much all the races canceled for the foreseeable future it’s hard to see why you should be pushing as hard as you were before. If we’re being honest I’m right there with you. Why get up at 5 something with no chance of a medal/race bib combo on the horizon?

It’s easy for me to say now that I would have totally done my first marathon this year from where I’m sitting now because we’ll never really know if that’s true. I’m sure all regular runners are finding it hard to keep up our consistency and endurance to where it would have been otherwise at this point. However, I encourage you (and me) to stick with it as much as possible. Even though I’m sitting here thinking what’s the point of running 5 days a week and getting my long runs back to 20+ kms this year. It is raining and cold at the moment so that doesn’t help but ultimately it will make a huge difference. Even if that difference is only realized in 2021 (or god forbid) even beyond that.

Here’s the thing though, if we only go for a couple of short runs a week when we feel like it this year next year it will be so much harder to hit the ground running hard and long. If we push ourselves a bit, maybe not to the extent we would have otherwise, but still challenge ourselves this year we’ll be all the more prepared when we do get to train and race again. If you’re finding it hard to get out there for as long as you regularly would remember that this whole year even is just for now. Next year and tomorrow will come and when it does you want to be fully prepared to embrace it!