The Virtual Run

COVID-19 HAS forced us all to look at how we are living our lives and how it could be done differently.   Some have been really effective and some not so good.   One thing I am going to take away when all of this does come to an end is "simplicity".    We all live complex lives but it doesn't always have to be like that.   When you are forced to simplify things then everything becomes easier.

The vitual run has sprung up everywhere and personally I am not a big fan of it.   However, due to COVID-19, the lockdown and social distancing it has been a way to run events in a simpler and easier way and I am thankful that people have taken the time to plan and execute them to such great effect.

It doesn't replace meeting people at the events, looking and talking to the sponsors, running with groups of likeminded people, the crowds who help motivate you on or crossing that finish line.    But with the times we are living in it does keep you motivated and engaged with the running community who are so isolated at the moment.

I have managed to compete in three virtual runs over lockdown.   There were other ones that I wanted to run but I couldn't work out the cross country routes and I needed some assistance with places that I have never run before.   So I put those to one side and perhaps when lockdown ends I can reconsider them again.

The Surrey and Sussex Healthcare (SASH) was the first one that I entered.   It's run by the people who organise Run Reigate and Run Gatwick aka Run Series.    The aim was simple but very effective you pay to enter and then record your mileage on their website with evidence (screen shot of Strava) to show you did the run.    Everybodies mileage is accummulated and is then turned into cash.   All money goes to SASH which means the NHS.   It was a great idea and I recorded all my training and normal runs adding to the accumulated miles.   The final result was an amazing 122,000 miles run by everybody (the target was 30,000) and £13,224 for the NHS.

The other two were arranged by Haywards Heath Harriers for the senior endurance groups.   Three 5km and 10km runs.   The window of opportunity was opened over three days allowing runners to take part at any time over the days that they wanted to run it.    The route was set up on Strava as segments which recorded and created a leader board for each event.   This was a great idea and a real race allowing people to particiate when they wanted without a lot of runners turning up at the same place and time.   Great work in planning, organising and executing by Haywards Heath Harriers.

Over the last few weeks Haywards Heath Harriers have returned to training.   Due to lockdown it has been by invitation only, ensuring that the numbers are kept manageable and team leaders taking people for specific run training.   Again the planning and organising has been amazing.

I may not be a big fan of virtual runs but they certainly have their place and have kept people motivated and running during this very difficult time.

Safe running.

A tentative return to normality

THE LOCKDOWN has forced everybody to abandon their old routines and start to create new ones.   To begin with I felt out of my depth as I was off work with a high temperature and cough which left me fatigued.   Then I had some leave booked so had that before returning to the work place as a key worker.

Within all of this I started to create new routines but longed to return to what I knew.   It wasn't until I went back to work and slipped into a familiar routine that I started to feel better about things.   In between we managed to get a lot done.

• Decorated the bedroom
• Cleared the loft creating a pile for charity
• Cleared the front and back gardens
• Created a pile of rubbish for the dump
  

We even managed to deal with an emergency when the water tank in the loft started to leak.   This was the bank holiday weekend in the middle of lockdown!   And led to 10 days of showering at work and having to fill the cisterns of the toilets up with a bucket.

The last couple of weeks has seen a slight return to normality with Haywards Heath Harriers starting their training schedule.   But with so many restrictions still in place it can't be the same as it was before, so what is the new normal?

With a large athletics club you can't have everybody just turn up which means it has to be done by invitation only.   Ensuring that the numbers are kept to a manageable level maintaining the current restrictions.   This week I got my invitation and it felt like I had found Willie Wonkas golden ticket.   It had perfect alignment with my working week and gave me something to look forward to, that oasis of normality starting to return.

The runners are split into groups and each group has it's own activities.   This means that they are getting as many runners as possible to attend the sessions, but limiting them in each group ensuring distancing is maintained and safety is the priority.

The group that I was in went for a steady long run around Cuckfield, down towards Haywards Heath and looping back through some of the amazing footpaths that Cuckfield has to offer.   It was amazing after so long just to go for a run with other people, enjoy the countryside and have a chat about running in lockdown.

There are a lot of people that you miss but don't realise until you see them again.   The interaction you have had with them is either on Strava or a virtual run.   That one and a half hours of training has made a difference in terms of having social interatction with the people you have missed.

There are three main elements to good mental health ...

• Sleep
• Eating
• Moving

As long as you can maintain those then you are maintaining a good mental health.   But social integration also has go play a major part of it as well.   Lockdown has not helped in this area but there have been ways around it with telephone, Skype/Zoom and emails.   But the physical act of seeing someone and having that face to face interation has been so missed.

I have to thank Haywards Heath Harriers committee, coaches and run leaders for the work they have done through lockdown.   Keeping eveybody together as much as possible and sorting out the return to training schedule.   It wasn't an easy or quick task but they have all done an amazing job.