After my last post (in February!) I said I was going to try to post more often, especially after races. We had no idea what was about to transpire in the world and how it would affect races! The Great Scott 25K was my last in-person race until the Olander 24-hour race in September (more on that will be coming in another post).
This was going to be my running year. I had decided to participate in as many relatively local races as I could in 2020 (meaning no overnight stays), and then for 2021 I was going to do only a few. Late last year (2019) I planned it all out. I signed up for more races than usual. For the first time ever, I signed up for the Toledo Run the 419 - Grand Prix Series, which involves running specific races in different parts of the 419 area code. I signed up for several races that were new to me. What a year it was going to be!
…
And then the pandemic arrived.
At first races were postponed, and then postponed again. Race directors tried to figure out the best options while everyone was waiting to see how this pandemic would pan out. It is important to note that when we sign up for a race, most of the time there is a very clear notification that there are no refunds. This means that not only are there no refunds if we cannot run the race, but if there are circumstances that the race is cancelled (most often it is weather related) there are also no refunds. This means race directors could have just cancelled the races and been done with it.
But, racers and race directors are a determined group. Race directors knew that runners want to run no matter what the circumstances. After all, we run in rain, snow, sleet, and unbearably hot weather. So, in the beginning, they started offering virtual options. This meant we could run the race on our own, in our own area, and still get the shirts and bling. After a while, there were so many virtual races that they began offering deferments to next year. For some races, it was either take the deferment or run the virtual option. It can be difficult to decide, because none of us know what the next year will be like (even without the pandemic). Some, like the Glass City Marathon, offered the virtual option AND did the deferment. Some organizations increased awareness of their already virtual options. I ran a Disney 5K series that I didn't even know existed before this year. Other organizations started offering special virtual races for this year only. Two I particularly liked were the the FaceMask 10K and the Social Distance Run.
Running Safely
Without in-person races, it can be hard to stay motivated. I signed up for some interesting virtual races like the ones previously mentioned, but that alone wasn't enough. On so many days, I found myself on choosing not to run because I was too busy, too tired, just didn't feel like it, etc. I noticed I was running less and less. So, I decided to officially challenge myself with a running streak. It started with a Runners World challenge to run at least a mile a day, every day, from Memorial Day to July 4th. Once July 4th hit, I decided to continue as I could. It kept me motivated and was a fun challenge. I sometimes ran a quick mile during lunch, late in the evening, even early in the morning at the local school under the lights. I ran in the rain and extreme heat, and a few times in between thunderstorms, barely making it home before the storm hit.
Very Hot Run
Social Distancing
Along the way I ran over 15 virtual races, ranging from 5K's to marathons. I picked up some cool bling and ran races I would not normally run. I always wanted to run Gasparilla (in Florida), but the timing has not aligned with vacation time. They offered a "flashback 1/2" so I finally got to get my pirate medal! One of the more unique race medals was the Social Distancing Run - it is a coronavirus. Let's hope that race was one-year only!
Gasparilla Pirate Medal
Social Distancing Run Medal
Once fall hit and I started teaching evenings again (I work full time during the day), running every day became more of a chore than a fun challenge. So I decided I would end the streak at 100 days, which was just a few days before the Olander 24-hour race over Labor Day weekend. The timing was perfect. I was able to keep motivated and prepare myself for the September race. It helped with all the stress and anxiety from the uncertainty in the world right now. And it was something I did just for myself.
I'm still out there running, just not every day. Now that the weather is getting cooler and I'm working both jobs, there isn't time to fit in a run every day. My goal is three days a week. But, I'm not done with challenges. I have an exercise/spin bike and just started a 100 day challenge for that! More on that in a later blog.
Gotta run/ride No Excuses!
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