12 Weeks of 5K’s Virtually UN-Canceled

I guess you could say my training took an interesting twist this Spring. 

With all of my races either getting canceled, or assuming virtual status, nothing was looking normal. COVID-19 may have wreaked havoc on my races, but I wasn’t going to let it dictate my (running) livelihood. 

Thanks to the UN-Canceled Project, (promoted by Run The Edge), I fostered a new game plan. 

Coffee, Chai, & Chatter

Here we are again.

A new month. A new season. A new set of things to chat about.

Shall we gather (virtually, since that's the thing to do these days), and have a chat? You can have your (virtual) coffee, or any other beverage of choice. Myself? I'll be sipping a hot chai latte (yes, even in the heat of summer, I prefer my chai's hot).

Scaling It Back

I was due for a scale-back. 

So I took one last week. No frills. No guilt. No regrets.

Have you ever taken a scaled back week? I know most of us talk about them, and we all know we need them...but, let's be honest. They are tough to commit to.

Switcheroo, Anyone?

A switcheroo? Yeah it happens. This week was a prime example.

By definition, a switcheroo is a sudden unexpected variation or reversal, often for humorous purpose (source). Well, I did my best to find the humor in how this week played out. Although the laughing was at the minimum, it still was there. After all, if we can't laugh at ourselves, our attitudes may need some adjusting.

Not many things played out as planned this week. UGH, there was plenty of switcheroo'ing (if that wasn't a legit word, it is now) going on, and I am most thankful to have made it through (somewhat) vertical and still smiling.

6 Weeks of 5K Time Trials...a Few Reflections

Well, this has been an interesting ride!

The 5K distance has always been a challenge to me. 

Early on, it was tough to find the endurance to run non-stop for 3.1 miles. Once I had the distance mastered, next came the task of running those 3.1 miles a little faster. Then, it was only a natural progression to run that distance even faster - but not too fast - to ensure a true "racing" experience. Fifteen years later, I still don't have it mastered.

Truthfully, it's a distance I've never really trained for. Well, I did have to train my body to run the distance, but any 5K-specific speed work  has never taken place. I have gotten somewhat faster over the course of my 15 years as a runner, but my finish times have never been consistent.

In the wake of all the COVID-19 race cancellations, a slew of virtual races and racing series emerged. I quickly jumped on the band wagon and signed up for the UN-Canceled Project  series. Affiliated with Run the Edge, the UN-Canceled races offered various race distances with different themes each week. There was a Facebook group and a user-friendly site to submit your "finish times" for each of your races.

Since all of my Spring 2020 races were either canceled or postponed (from mid-March and on), these virtual races gave me a new focus for my training. And, since the 5K has been such a nemesis for my running self, I thought this was the perfect time to face it head-on.   

Humor...It's a Good Thing

Give me some humor and no one gets hurt.

That's right. A sense of humor is a good thing. It's also a valuable weapon, in one's arsenal, when forging through the unexpected challenges that get thrown at you.

If there ever was a time for an endearing sense of humor, it would be this week. For starters, we're talking major instability in all things weather-related. There were some interesting workouts. And, the UN-Canceled Project treated me to three (count 'em, three!) virtual races, all with unique race day attributes.

Virtually Quite Content

I have a feeling this will not be my last post on virtual racing, so bear with me.

I promise to vary the content and the details. After all, there will not be any race recaps in the foreseeable future. I guess highlighting some of the experiences from this temporary "normal" will have to do.

Anyways, we are barely one month into the COVID Cancellation Crisis, and I have already run five virtual races (and done one virtual stair climb event). YIKES. I think I have matched my previous "record" of virtual events, all in the matter of a few ((short?)) weeks. And, this has barely scratched the surface of what is yet to (virtually) come.