COVID-19 and Running

Runners may be feeling a little lost right now. 

Amidst the orders to close the gyms, to stay home, to cancel group runs and activities, and of course the cancellations/postponements of all of our favorite events. 

So what should we do in strange times like these?

First and foremost, listen to what your state and city have mandated. Stay home if you can, wash your hands, and try to stay away from groups of people, especially anyone at a high risk. 

Can you run outside? Yes!

"Effective March 19, residents of the state of California were ordered to shelter in place until further notice, meaning everyone is to stay inside their homes and away from others as much as possible. However, as outlined in the directive first put in place in San Francisco, for example, most shelter-in-place mandates allow for people to go outside and engage in solo outdoor activity, such as running, walking, and hiking, as long as people practice safe social distancing (stay six feet apart), do not gather in groups, and do not go out if they are feeling sick." -Jordan Smith (Runners World)

Here are some ideas to keep us runners sane during this time of social distancing. 

Keep moving!
You are a runner, go run! If you have a treadmill at home great! If not, go run in your neighborhood or at the park if you can. Run solo, or with your pup. Don't let this get you out of your routine. 

Join a virtual running club! 
If you are a social runner like me, this time can feel a little lonely. So ask your running club if they can have challenges in their facebook group, or on STRAVA. You can share runs with your friends through social media! If your club doesn't have a virtual group or page, start one yourself!

Sign up for a virtual race!
If you are missing your usual events this spring, consider signing up for a virtual race. They can be run anywhere you want. You will just have to track it yourself and send in your results! This is not only a good option for runners who have spent the last few months training for cancelled races, but also could make a huge difference to the race organizers. The organizers who put on your favorite events are hurting right now, and could use the support!

Join a streak challenge!
Run a mile every day! or two, or three!
Try to hit a certain mileage every week, like a marathon, or 50 miles!

Create better habits!
This is a great time to start learning healthy habits. Stretch every day! Start doing body weight exercises to strengthen any imbalances you might have. Start doing youtube yoga classes, or Zumba classes. Make healthy dinners, use the internet to try new recipes! 

Learn new things!
The great thing about the age we live in, is that even though the world may seem shut down, we have unlimited resources at our finger tips. Use the Internet to learn something new! Start learning about something you never had time to learn about before. Like a new language, or a hobby you would like to start up! Read articles on it, or ebooks. Watch you tube videos and tutorials. This is a great time to learn!

Remember, this time will pass. We must do our part to keep each other safe. We are all in this together. 

-Stay safe out there!