Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 128, March 2020 | Page 12

COACHING
CO
R
N
E
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By the Coach Parry Team
RUNNING IN
UNCERTAIN TIMES
The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world and has led to the cancellation of all public gatherings, including sporting
activities. This has resulted in all races on the calendar from mid-March to Mid-April being cancelled or postponed,
and many questions being asked. – BY COACH LINDSEY PARRY
The London, Boston, Paris, Rome and Barcelona Marathons are just a few of the
bigger races around the world that have been affected. Closer to home, The Two
Oceans, Cape Epic, Ironman South Africa and Spar Women’s races have either
been cancelled or postponed, and as that list continues to grow, so does the
speculation around whether the Comrades Marathon will go ahead or not.
If you’re reading this, we’re all in the same boat... And while this is gut-wrenching,
particularly for those that are juggling family, work and making huge weekend
sacrifices, we are facing an unprecedented threat to our population and we must all
make sacrifices to look after each other. The question is, how are you dealing with
this stressful time?
A Matter of Perception
Is your running cup half full or half empty? In times of major disappointment at
having your goal event cancelled just weeks, or even days, before race day, we
must always first focus on the positives. You may not realise it now, but you have a
lot to feel positive about – and be warned, this list is lengthy:
• You made it through an entire training programme.
• You are stronger than you’ve ever been before.
• You’ve learnt how to manage your work, family and training.
• You know what works for you and have a few ideas on how to improve on this.
• You are fit, strong and healthy (and able to run).
• You’ve probably made new friends and plugged into a new community.
• You are motivated and still have a score to settle.
For me personally, the difficult part is not knowing what or where the next target is.
A race I’ve been training for, the London Marathon, has been postponed to early
October, so that gives me a marker, but what is going to keep us going in the short
term? As a result, on my Sunday long run (yes, I still went out), I struggled with the
motivation to do the planned 20 miles (32km), but I didn’t struggle to get out the
door. I took the pressure off and ran a very easy 28km, realising that I don’t run for
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ISSUE 128 MARCH 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za
the races. I run because I love to run. Sure, the races are great,
and I enjoy testing myself over all sorts of distances, but in
times like these, try to remember why we run...
But the reality is that running has beauty in the flow, the
thoughts that flitter through, the escape into your own
space, on your own terms. It is important that, even in
these uncertain times, we still do that. So I am looking
forward to the next eight weeks, even though I am filled
with anxiety about where this will end.
Brad, my business partner and friend, shared something
with me last week that his late Mom used to say to him:
“Everything will be OK in the end. If things aren’t OK, it’s not
the end.” So, in the short term, running needs to be our shield
and the place we go to nourish ourselves. By getting out there
and doing what we love, we stay prepared, we stay ready, so that
when the opportunities present themselves, we can go out there
and test ourselves again.
Safety Tips for Staying Active
Of course, these times do mean that we need to be responsible and practice
what we love safely. Therefore, we’ve put together a few pointers of how to keep
fit and look after yourself. These tips are to keep you running safely through this
COVID-19 outbreak.
1. Keep Moving: The first thing I want to encourage you to do is to keep running.
There is lots of literature that points to the fact that moderate exercise boosts the
immune system, so it is in your best interest to keep on running. There is also
plenty of research that shows that hard training can cause a dip in your immune
system, so you do want to curb those really hard training sessions in the coming
four to eight weeks.
2. Eat Right: The second thing you want to focus on is your nutrition. Diet will
also play an important role in coming weeks, so you want to eat colourful veg and
fruit, with added vitamin C, but the most important aspect here is to eat fresh and
give your body lots of nourishment.
T
his month thousands of runners across the world woke up to the realisation
that the running landscape is uncertain, and that setting goals for races
needs to be put on the backburner, for now. Many have had races they’ve
prepped for for months, pulled from under them at the last minute – the list is
extensive, and it continues to grow daily.