Thursday, March 19, 2020

5 Coping Strategies for a COVID-19 Cancellation


COVID-19. How's that for a buzz word!

That's the current reality.

It's affected all of us in one capacity or another. Unfortunately, no one is exempt.

As runners, many of us have had road races cancelled or postponed, leaving us in limbo for the next couple months. A lot of time and energy have been spent, all in preparation for these events that now may (or may not) happen in the foreseeable future.

What's a runner to do?

Well, it's not the end of the world, and all is not lost. Actually, there are many options to consider in the wake of this turn of events...

First of all, you don't need to let all that training go to waste. Even if your event has been outright cancelled, there will be another race when things get back to normal (hopefully sooner than later). For now, consider scaling back the mileage a notch...and treat this period as an early taper. If and when your event gets rescheduled, or another event is on the roster (that has not been affected), you won't need to start over with your training.
keep on keeping  on!
Secondly, something to consider ... a race getting cancelled (or postponed) may give you a chance to do a different race that didn't previously fit your schedule. For example, there's a half marathon that I have wanted to run for a few years (the Kewash Trail Half Marathon), but it's always been the same day as a favorite one I feel especially loyal to (Drake Relays Road Race Half Marathon). Well, both of these races were scheduled for April 19th, and both have been postponed. The good news is it's looking like they will be happening on different dates (later in the summer). Win-win!
a new or different race could be on the roster
Thirdly, how about the virtual option? Some races, due to these unique circumstances, are sending out the race shirts/medals/bibs to their registrants and encouraging them to run the race distance at their own convenience (on, or near, the date when the race would have happened). If you feel like a schmuck for keeping the event shirt (and/or medal), for a race that you didn't actually run, you can always donate those items to a child (or adult) who isn't able to run themselves. Or, keep all the swag and pat yourself on the back for making the best of the situation. Doing a virtual race can be rewarding in that it may give you closure on the event that wasn't meant to happen. The odds are good there will be others doing the same thing.
going virtual
A fourth option to consider is utilizing the distraction technique.  Instead of dwelling on the race(s) that didn't happen, take on a challenge that you might not otherwise consider. Need an example? Next week, Deborah (Confessions of a Mother Runner) and myself are kicking off the 19 Minutes for 19 Days Challenge. We're tired of all the COVID-19 chatter and anxiety, so we're encouraging peeps to do 19 minutes of fitness, everyday, for 19 days. This can be 19 minutes of continuous activity (biking, running, walking, etc.) or cumulative minutes of exercise (various calisthenics, for example). Stay tuned for more information over the weekend and early next week!

#19for19challenge
Finally, why not just enjoy the simplicity of running without an agenda! All of us now have a couple months with nothing (official) on the racing calendar. FOMO shouldn't be an issue because no one else will be racing either. Let's not forget, we still get to run regardless if it's on a race course or not. After all, it may be refreshing to NOT have the pressure of an upcoming race, or the stress of dealing with the weather. This racing reprieve could be good for all of us.
jumping for the joy of running
Anyways, those are some suggestions on coping with this new "normal" for the time being. I don't think any of us could have seen this coming, and it's probably going to affect each of us differently. Thankfully, as runners, we all got each others' backs. Lucky us!


So, have you had some races fall victim to COVID-19? If so, how many? Do you have any races that haven't yet been cancelled or postponed?

 I'm linking this with Meranda and Lacey for the Friday with Fairytales and Fitness link-up. 

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20 comments:

  1. Nice post, thank you! So far, 1 race was cancelled and 1 postponed, new date to be announced. That's fine for me.
    I love the 19 minutes for 19 Days Challenge you are doing with Deborah! What a brilliant and creative idea!

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    1. My current count is not at 6 LOL One was the race in Florida (we'd cancelled our travel plans anyways, but I learned the race wan't happening). Four have been postponed (TBD) and one went virtual. Oh well, it is what it is, and I'm alright with everything.

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  2. Haha, I love " No FOMO because no one else will be racing either". So true! Sometimes it is nice to just run without an agenda. That is a pretty clever challenge you created!

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    1. Right? The main thing I struggle with when I miss a race is the FOMO, and that won't be an issue for awhile LOL

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  3. The race I considered for April was canceled. The one is June hasn't been so far -- but I'm mentally prepared if it is. My feeling is always that things happen the way they're supposed to.

    I'm a virtual race kinda gal, but I am enjoying running just for running's sake.

    I've been really busy -- working on a Yoga challenge -- I'd really like to have it out beginning of April (heck, I wish I could release it right now), but there's a lot of behind the scenes work and also it's a collaboration & I'm waiting for some of the contributions as well.

    It's a good time to be an introvert. :)

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    1. I still have a team relay on May 9th and a 20K on the 30th...crossing my fingers those still hold.

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  4. no FOMO ha ha. Virtual races are a great option right now. Looking forward to our challenge next week

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    1. I just got back from doing my virtual for the 10K that was to happen next weekend. The swag had showed up in the mail, so I thought "why not now?" ;-) The 19 for 19 is gonna be fun!

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  5. The race I was supposed to do this Sunday was canceled. It was very expensive and we are getting only a very small fraction of our money back ($20 out of $155) with no postponement or deferral option for next year. I will do the virtual race so I can get my T-shirt and goody bag sent to me but I am kind of upset about the race management is handling the situation. Grrr...

    Your suggestions are great. All of t postponements are really opening up a lot of possibilities later in the year, which we can look forward to. Stay safe out there, Kim!

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    1. Thanks, Laurie ;-) It's gonna be a busy fall season for racing!

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  6. I've been trying to decide if I just want to run for fun/stress relief right now or maybe do some virtual races. I'm thinking once the initial shock of all this wears off I might be up for virtual races, but for now I'm just taking it easy.

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    1. You do what feels best for YOU. All of this stuff hits us all differently...

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  7. None of my April & May races have been cancelled yet, but honestly, there's no way they'll be happening, and even if they did I'm not sure I'd go. But daily training is awesome and more so than ever it's such a pleasure to start the day with a run. I know a few people who have never run before who are starting couch to 5k and I think there has never been a better time to start running.

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    1. That's awesome for the newbies doing the couch to 5k!!! You're probably being an excellent influence on them ;-)

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  8. Great idea for the 19 days challenge, I look forward to hearing more! I am looking forward to running without an agenda and just for fun, whatever I feel like that day.

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    1. It is lind of liberating having the freedom to do as you want...

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  9. I'm signed up for a 19 mile virtual challenge. Stay tuned.

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    1. I'm signed up, too ;-) I got 6.2 miles done after work, so I have until 5:00 tomorrow afternoon to finish off the remaining 13+/-. Good luck!!

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  10. The 19 minutes for 19 days challenge sounds cool! Since I'm working from home for the next few weeks, I'm committing to getting outside for a 30-60 minute walk every day - either during lunch or right after work. I've seen SO many people out walking which has been nice. I think this pandemic has forced families to spend more time to together which is great!

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  11. I love your optimistic perspective. I know my Hot Chocolate swag bag is in the mail - race was supposed to be this weekend and I’ll probably do a virtual run (opting for the 5K instead of the 15K though!). What a great idea for a challenge - 19min for 19days. I’ve been keeping up with a workout regimen this past week - not as much running though because of the rain. Thanks for the tips!

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