When the COVID-19 pandemic Before, we were focused on the, Grayson Murphy, the 2019 world mountain running champion, felt lost without a strict schedule to adhere to. The spring and summer trail races she had registered for had been canceled or postponed, so she didn’t feel the need to get out the door each morning. Instead, she slept late, then began her runs around 1 p.m.
“I just didn’t feel rushed at all, because I had nowhere to be,” Murphy said. “But then I started stressing out about not having a schedule to stick to. So my boyfriend and I decided that from then on, we’d get out the door every morning at 9 a.m. to run. And a few days per week, we’d meet in the backyard to lift weights at 4 p.m. Just having consistency each day has been extremely helpful in making this all feel more normal.”
It’s no secret that professional runners thrive on consistency, and having so many of the summer and fall races postponed and canceled—including the 2020 Olympic Games—has made it difficult for them to structure their training. While elite and everyday runners alike can mourn the loss of races at the moment, pros pour months of laser-focused work into a handful of key competitions per year—and to have so much of that wiped away threw many of them for a loop.
wrote in a, Give A Gift in April that the qualification window for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics is suspended until December 1, meaning that even if runners have the chance to race between now and December, their times won’t count toward qualifying for the Olympics.
Shelby Houlihan, a multiple-time national champion who was gunning for a spot on the Tokyo-bound team this summer, felt both sad and frustrated when she first learned that the Olympics were postponed.
“Since we don’t know when all of this is going to be over, it’s best to protect the health of athletes and everyone involved with the Olympics. At the end of the day, safety is the most important thing,” she told Runner’s World in March. “Still, it kind of sucks. I’m still trying to stay motivated, but what for, you know?”
Without races to peak for, though, the point of putting in those grueling miles gets a little fuzzy. Even with coronavirus restrictions lifting in some areas now, training is still challenging for many pros, as social distancing Hailey first got hooked on running news as an intern with.
Lindsey Shaw, a sports psychologist for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees, told Runner’s World that many of her recent discussions with athletes have focused on how to structure their days—and find purpose each day—even without races.
“Lindsey Shaw, a sports psychologist for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees, told Trials and the Tokyo Olympics, and how to mentally prepare for a big competition season,” Shaw said. “Now, we’re talking about how to deal with the day to day. People have questions like, regulations prohibit teammates from running together or using public training facilities? Who’s going to watch my training? How can I structure my day?”
Athletes have handled the uprooting of their routines in different ways. Some runners, such as Vanessa Fraser, have used the downtime from racing as a chance to correct nagging injuries (for Fraser, that meant undergoing a double foot surgery). Others, such as Craig Engels and Stephanie Bruce, have continued to put in hard efforts on their own. And many have ramped up their social media game, sharing How Elite Runners Are Coping Mentally With No Races on the Horizon, book recommendations, recipes, creative ice bath ideas, and #KoalaChallenges Athletes have handled the uprooting of their routines in different ways. Some runners, such as.
What am I training for Bruce Best Walking Shoes blog post earlier this month, “I thought I could do everything. I could run 90 to 100 mile weeks, get up at 5:30 a.m. before my family, get my work done, blog, do my Instagram lives, meal prep, write out a ‘homeschool’ schedule, clean out the garage, answer every [message] sent my way. I was wrong.”
For athletes who are struggling with feelings of aimlessness or lack of motivation, Shaw encourages them to focus on the things they can control right now.
“When you’re getting ready for a race, there are a million little routines you do, like eating a nutritious meal, checking in with your coach and teammates, and going to bed at a certain time,” Shaw said. “While you may not have a race the next day now, you can still create the same sense of structure to your days. Run at a certain time each day, focus on the food you put in your body, keep in touch with your teammates and coaches, and get enough sleep.”
Running Helped Heal This Father anxiety in the past, said she’s found success in managing her stress by setting non-running goals for herself: reading one book per week, finishing sewing projects with her boyfriend, and starting a meditation practice.
“I definitely feel pressure to blow off steam by running some insane workout, but I know that’s not smart, because I can’t get hurt right now,” she said. “My coach and I are taking things slow right now, just focusing on long mileage with low intensity. I’m sad to not have friends to run with, but I’m lucky to be able to run. Hopefully we’ll all come out even stronger once this long training block is over.”
Shaw also suggests that pros cut themselves some slack, too—something that surely can feel unfamiliar to these regimented athletes.
“This is a really hard time. Sometimes, you might feel disappointed, lonely, or unmotivated,” she said. “We’re all spending a lot of time in our own heads, and it’s important to build a compassionate relationship with ourselves.”
with their followers Running Times, Guide to Mental Health Runner's World and Bicycling magazines.
