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Well folks, it's amazing how things can change in a week. Seven days ago we were talking about tempo intervals and speed work. Now we're trying to figure out how to put the pieces together after every race for the next six weeks has been cancelled. We're all going to have to roll with the punches as we deal with something much bigger than all of us, but don't let that get you down. Whether it's battling an injury, increased workload at your job, or other unforeseen circumstances: runners are used to this. Treat this the same way as any other training interruption. It's OK to be frustrated and it's OK to be angry, but the beat goes on.
Before we go forward, let me emphasize this: PLEASE BE SAFE. Much of your training should, and must, be solo. There are very real possibilities of transmission at play. Please follow all state and federal guidelines regarding social distancing. That means six feet! If you feel sick, DO NOT RUN. While we're aware of some general symptoms of COVID-19, this is a very new virus and you can't make any assumptions. We all have many years of happy and fast running ahead of us. In the grand scheme of things a couple weeks won't matter one bit. Do not feel obligated to run. Take care of yourselves and your families first.
The good news is that as runners and athletes, we're already in good shape; literally and metaphorically. Studies have shown that consistent exercise boosts immunity and leads to reduced chance of infection. Please note that these are cumulative and not acute effects. The change in immunity from one exercise session will be negligible, and not worth risk of exposure if that's a factor.
I hope it's clear that I hope you look beyond just running right now and take care of yourselves. That said, if you know me you KNOW I'll be training. If you still want to, and I think many of you will, here's what to do:
- Forget about your cancelled race. It's gone. It happens! Don't think about it again.
- If your race has been rescheduled, and that new date works for you, congratulations: you're one of the lucky ones. You can begin to reorient. Please contact me or any of your coaches and we will work with you to transition you into a CERC training plan that is appropriate for your reschedule date.
- Be careful with your training. When you train, you put your body under stress. That's the whole idea. There are some visible signs that you're under this stress: hunger, soreness, etc. But there are other things going on as well, including reduced immune system function. That's what happens when you're trying to push your body to the next level. So what do we do?
- Maintenance. This means cutting back slightly, maintaining mileage, and not pushing your body. This will look different for each person, but in general:
- Reduce training volume to a manageable level. Shoot for something like 80% of your current peak. Another method is to take the average mileage of your last 8 weeks. Don't think you can just keep adding mileage.
- No hard workouts. No tempo runs. No intervals. Use the above weekly mileage guidelines for long runs as well. It is important to keep your legs turning over with as little stress as possible, so once a week, if you want, do some strides. More advanced runners can do an easy (EASY) progression from easy pace down to marathon pace once/week - and not in your long run.
- That's it. Start thinking about fall races, but be aware that we don't have any idea how long things will last. Run for mental health, run for fun, run for fitness. Remember why you started in this sport, and why you love it.
Please don't hesitate to contact me (cerc.coaching@gmail.com) or any of your other coaches. Please know that we are doing our level best to monitor the situation. We will continue to be in touch with weekly newsletters, and we'll still be here for you.
-Coach Charlie
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