In this episode of the Art and Science or Running Podcast, hosts Jacob Puzey and Malc Kent discuss how much has changed in the past month. Races have been cancelled or postponed. Borders between nations, states, and provinces have been closed. People are working remotely or working from home. Schools are cancelled. Kids are home with parents. Travel bans are in effect. Many are being asked to self-quarantine and / or self-isolate. Training for most has been impacted and often limited by the ever changing environments in which we find ourselves.
Increased Activity
In some respects, we note that this change in lifestyle has led to an increase in outdoor activity and movement. Gyms and other public places have closed in many areas meaning that for many their only option to exercise of get out of the house is to run.
The New York Times noted, “With gyms and pools closed and sports leagues shut down, a mini boom is emerging in running, a natural for social distancing,” in “Running from Coronavirus: A Back to Basics Exercise Boom.”
As fans of the sport, we are excited about this mini boom, however, we are concerned for those who don’t take a gradual approach to increasing their training volume as we outline in “It’s All About the Base.” Furthermore, we are concerned that many who begin running more may not have the foundation necessary to avoid injury with a dramatic increase in volume or intensity.
We recognize that training options vary from place to place and that restrictions and limitations continue to change and evolve. Here are some general guidelines on How to Run Safely Amid Coronavirus Concerns. Please keep in mind that these may change depending on what your local, regional, and national governing and public health officials deem necessary.
Indoor Training Options
While many are permitted to train outside, there are just as many places and people around the world confined to their homes. We have been asked for suggestions of things to do inside.
If you have a treadmill or a spin bike, those are great aerobic options and we’ll share articles and resources about workouts that you can do on those. There are apps such as iFit, Zwift, Strava, and others which make training fun and social even when you have to do it within the confines of your own home. However, even if you have the option to run or bike indoors, this is a good time to work on injury prevention while you are streaming videos or working from home.
Now is the Time to Build a Foundation
Whether you can run or ride (indoors or outdoors) or not, we recommend that you use this time to work on areas that are often neglected. With just a few minutes a day, you can increase your durability and therefore your ability to sustain more training more consistently. We created this video series so that people can follow along with us before each run.
FOUNDATION SERIES FOR INJURY PREVENTION
In addition to injury prevention, this is also an opportunity to work on strength, durability, and skill development. We’ve created the following strength routines that can also be done from home.
DO ANYWHERE BODY WEIGHT CIRCUIT
CRUZ INTERVALS – THE ORIGINAL HIIT WORKOUT
RUNNING FORM DRILLS
RUNNING FORM CUES
EVENT CANCELLATIONS AND POSTPONEMENTS
This is a time of uncertainty for many of us. Races, events, and travel have been cancelled or postponed. Some dates have been set. Others are to be determined. We discuss how to approach these ever changing conditions from the perspective of athletes, coaches, and event directors. Specifically, we discuss the Rocky Mountain Running Retreat that we had scheduled for April 30 to May 3 and the various decisions we have to make around refunding, postponing, or offering a virtual retreat to those who have signed up and potentially even more from around the world.
Some important articles and things to keep in mind when deciding how to respond when a race is cancelled or postponed:
A Dream Deferred: What to do if your race has been cancelled or postponed.
6 Things Race Directors Wish Runners Understood About Canceled Events
An open letter to my run community from the (home) desk of a runner and Canadian Race Director
All of this and more in episode 22 of the Art and Science of Running Podcast.
Shout Outs and Social Media
Intro and outro music GOIN 4 A WALK by Dallin Puzey. Now available on Apple Music and Spotify.
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