Plenty More Races to Run

Darwin Falls, Death Valley National Park, April 2019

As this week unfolded, many upcoming races have been canceled or postponed including the NY Half Marathon, London Marathon, and Boston Marathon. Friends have written to tell me that many of their local and/or smaller races have also been canceled. Today, we discuss how to face the situation and move forward. 

Two Novembers ago, I was sitting down to dinner with my husband and friends in Monterey, CA, when we received an email that the half marathon we had planned to run the next day was cancelled. This was due to the air quality from the fires in San Francisco. I remember the first thing I felt. My heart sank. It was mostly with sadness. There was some frustration too. After all, I had trained a lot of weeks for this. I wanted to test my fitness and see if I could nail that PR. This was a destination race for us, traveling from the east coast. 

It took all of a few seconds to let those feelings pass and consider that this wasn’t about me at all. Fires were spreading north of where we were, and people were losing their homes and their lives. It could not have been an easy decision on the part of the race and medical directors to cancel such a large event at the last minute, but they had our best interests in mind. 

With that, let’s grab our training journal and a pen...

1 - Acknowledge the feelings

Whether you’ve had a recent or upcoming race cancellation, or not, it’s time to check in with ourselves. We are moving quickly, information is coming in quickly, and it can be hard to slow down and look inward. For just one minute, write down what you are feeling.

2 - Celebrate current fitness 

We’ve put in the training. We feel ready to race. Our current fitness doesn’t go away just because we can’t race in a group and show it. So, let’s take a moment to celebrate the training we’ve completed, because it’s a big deal. Think about this past week, and write down what makes you feel proud.

3 - Move to Plan B

Do you want to try for that PR?  Take to the pavement in your neighborhood or on a treadmill, and go for it. Run anyway! Take this time to make lemonade out of lemons. In my experience, after a few minutes of feeling the feelings after getting word of the cancellation, we ordered more food and beverage and hashed out our Plan B. (We decided to hike the next day, make the most out of our vacation, and all was well.)

4 - Be Respectful

In these last few days, I have read and received some great advice. We each have a responsibility and a role to play. One of my favorite pieces of advice has been: Let’s be respectful of this virus and of each other. 

5 - Take five

In these times ahead, let’s continue to take time for ourselves every day, even if it is just for 5 minutes. For our fitness, maybe that looks like a walk or run around the block, using the fitness equipment we have at home, or doing some meditation in our living room. 

Let’s be grateful for our health and for our ability to stay active. There will be plenty more races to run. For now, head over to the Mindful Marathon Facebook page, and let us know your plan B!!