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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