If like many runners you’re struggling for motivation during this challenging time remember you’re not alone and it’s perfectly normal. However I wanted to share some advice on how to re-capture that mojo and get the spring back in your step!
With Spring races cancelled, many people social distancing, home schooling, lack of goals, concerns about health, your friends, family and career it’s easy to lose motivation for your running goals. However, if you can find the time, training is still very important and a great boost for your overall well-being and mental health.
Bottom line is your health comes first and running/training at the moment should be within the guidelines, respectful to others and being self-aware.
One thing that rings true is the fear of losing running fitness. While you certainly don’t want to go out and lose fitness purposely, a couple of weeks rest won’t do you much harm, and doing even a little training will keep you much fitter than doing no training. Extending peak fitness through to Autumn is not possible and will result in potential injury or further lack of motivation when results don’t go the way you want them too, so be smart with your training and speak to your running coach with regards how to structure your week to ensure you maintain fitness and be ready once the races return to the calendar.
During this time I am ensuring the athletes I work with are focusing on running to time and effort rather than pace or distance. We’ll also maintain turnover with strides and hill sprints to keep some quality in the plan. Next time you head out for a run why not hide the Garmin under a long sleeve or jacket and just run to feel and enjoy being outside? This is a great way to take pressure off.
If you’re low on motivation try to think of running as your escape from worries and stresses around at the moment. Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your mental health. Emotional benefits of exercise include decreased stress, better sleep, lower rates of depression, higher self-esteem and much more. Anything you can do, even if it’s home core, strength work or playing with the kids in the back garden, will be hugely beneficial for your feelings of wellbeing.
Photo credit – Dan Vernon
Set smaller process goals. This can be anything including working on nutrition, improved sleep hygiene; that could literally be going to bed 15-minutes earlier per night or working on your conditioning at home, which for me is a great tool for getting through this period.
Quick note on conditioning, social media is awash with crazy ideas and challenges. While it might look pretty on Instagram, please do keep it simple. Whatever you do, don’t get injured trying to do a backwards flip in your front room off a swiss ball 😉 when keeping it simple, the usual stuff, squats, lunges, core work, press ups etc are all great forms of functional exercise for runners. Like I say, don’t go mad and keep it controlled, focusing on good technique, ideally in front of a mirror if you can and why not get creative with gym equipment around the house? Filling up empty water bottles make a great alternative for a kettle bell as an example.
Without a clear picture of races ahead of you, it can be hard to motivate yourself. It may feel like there’s a barrier in front of you, blocking your view of the future. How can you persuade yourself to head out for a run or run hill efforts you don’t know when your next race will be?
Try and be positive and optimistic that the current situation will resolve soon and look at the bigger picture using the smaller process goals above to help. For example, imagine being able to race again in 3-months time. Would that change the way you feel about your training today? The work you do now will maintain fitness for a higher level of performance down the line. Smart consistent training gets the best results so remind yourself of this during periods of uncertainty.
Remember that nothing lasts forever, so keep half an eye on the long term plan and do your best to stay fit, happy and positive.
Looking for structure and guidance in your training to navigate cover-19? Get in touch today for more information.