So I entered March coming off a huge mileage month of running, with a goal of switching to lower mileage and faster paces, as I started to target my Spring A race of a 15km at the Bluenose. Week 1 was really blah. I tried to ease down but ended up not feeling great, this proving I needed a rest. My traditional weekend parkrun actually took place on International Women's Day, so I volunteered instead of running. Which was probably smart.
A trip to Seaside Chiropractic and some self care and I was back to some good running though. Then the Coronavirus started to affect things in Nova Scotia, at first indirectly, then more directly. Parkrun worldwide decided to cancel / postpone their weekly runs, and though we weren't technically doing the Self Distancing thing here, we had no parkrun.
So I went out to do the route and get my sub 18 min 5km for the month.
I achieved it with a 17:57. But then things got more real. While I did that run with Craig, by the start of the week, I was working from home and we were not supposed to be within 2 meters of anyone now.
This has meant all solo training for March, work from home and lots of dog walks. Work is crazy busy as well, but that is probably good. It is easy to over train in situations like this and get injured. I want to stay healthy, but I also feel like I am primed for some good race results. So I decided to do weekend time trials instead to see where I am at.
PB's in the time of Covid-19? Sure they aren't races on measured courses, relying on GPS instead and purpose chosen courses. But they are a good indicator of relative fitness. I'm fine with them being PB* instead if it comes to that. I know the effort I gave.
Next up, on a nice weather day, I hit the trail again, throwing down a 17:18 5km. This one was point to point with a good tail wind. I also had to cross two roads which I got lucky to find no traffic on. This course has been retired due to it requiring luck.
Then I tried my hand at 10km effort. I had run sub 37 minutes twice, but both times I think were odd. The first was an all downhill effort in a 15km race, then what I think was a slightly short route for the next (it is hard to say as that course has huge GPS issues). This one was net downhill, but included a 3 km long climb at 2% avg in the middle. I blew away my previous efforts and that felt great.
Following after the master of the Litter Run, I attempted to get some of those in as well with the pups. Sadly, it became obvious later on that this probably wasn't the best thing since you can't tell if someone infected had handled the garbage.
When the weather has been bad I have taken to the bike trainer as well. I am incredibly thankful for this tool. I bought it a couple of years ago at Sportwheels in Sackville (a Tacx Vortex). While I don't do things like Zwift, I have been putting some time on it for sure.
I have also taken up skipping. I used to be a really good skipper as a kid and I quickly found my rhythm again. It is an excellent cross training tool, helping work on lower leg and foot strength.
So, things are going well in sports town, even without a race on the horizon. I miss the parkruns, I miss the MonRuns with the BLTRunners, and I miss some of my more interesting training routes, but I'm still doing well. Thanks to Aerobics First we are set with shoes (at home delivery during this time is amazing - Support Local!). My go to shoe being the Saucony FreedomISO, with a dabbling of a few others in my vast collection (I'll do a post about my shoes maybe).
I'm also hanging out with my wife and these amazing dogs a lot more, which is awesome.
Take care every one. Try to relax when you can as recovery is an essential tool in training. And don't overtrain. It is so easy if you find yourself bored and more time on your hands than normal. Instead add cross training, which is often neglected.
Oh and as a Nuun ambassador I have to say, stay hydrated. A healthy immune system is key right now, and hydration in the form of water, tea, and electrolytes is key to that.
