COVID wasn’t all bad
With COVID-19 in the rear view mirror, I have reflected on the upsides. For instance, we had the opportunity for play rather than trying to squeeze it between structured activities. We spent more time on the trails, with meetups with friends almost exclusively outside. We were challenged to creatively incorporate our training and be motivated by new challenges rather than races.
We also had the unique opportunity to introduce our loved ones to the sports we are so passionate about, discover new trails, and incorporate a healthy lifestyle into our routines. And now when we hit a blip out of our routines, such as a vacation or sickness, we are prepared to adapt.
Outings to the park often included a bike ride with picnics, where the bike trailer provided an extra workout.
Sharing your passion with your household
During COVID-19, the highlight of the day was leaving the house. With restaurants, theatres, and other typical meetup locations closed, destinations often were a playground or trailhead. When hitting the trails together, whether hiking, trail running, skiing, or mountain biking, the faster person carried water and snacks (and sometimes a kiddo) while keeping the conversation flowing. Date nights during the pandemic were transformed from inside a bustling restaurant to picnics. Sometimes outings included undiscovered parks, favorite trails, and even rediscovered hobbies. Time constraints were lifted, so adventuring into a new area was welcomed.
When including the kids, we learned to adjust expectations based on our children’s age, ability level, and temperament. We tried to focus on having fun, stopping to pick wild berries, throw stones in the creeks, and marvel a bit longer at wildlife. Years later, we are reaping the rewards of investing in our children!
We worked up on the duration and mileage based on the child. We empowered each child, allowing them to determine the rock or log for a snack break location or to choose the route. This worked particularly well on trails or road rides, deviating us from our standard route where we discovered new flower gardens, berry patches, barn quilts, and unique trees. Before reaching the point-of-no return, we’d check with each child before making the commitment, to ensure a pleasant experience for all. We sometimes got a bit turned around, or needed extra breaks, but time constraints were typically not an issue. Nonetheless, we had ample character building opportunities and often I marveled at how the children rallied to bolster each other.
COVID-19 resulted in schedule flexibility, allowing great mountain biking / trail running on beautiful days.
We always had snacks (however, we ran out of reserves the day we had someone asking for lunch at 8:51 am!) to keep morale and energy levels supplied. To incentivize, unhealthy foods in the back of the pantry such as Halloween candy or grandma’s cookies made a great pick-me-up. Sometimes a favorite juice that had magical powers, was just the pick-me-up the child needed during an outing. However, we tried to focus on the fun during the outing so the “special treat” didn’t become the only reward (or worse, expected). It’s worth repeating, always make sure to pack enough snacks and water….and have some spares in the car. A picnic often transformed the outing into an adventure, which also revitalized the group.
Household gym
Gym closures resulted in makeshift home gyms. Slowly, we amassed more equipment. It all started with the medicine ball I found in a ditch in Louisiana one mile from the hotel during a run (where I got a second new workout lugging it home in my carry-on). Now we have dumbbells, stretch bands, a slant board (fortuitously discovered in a dumpster at a job site!), and more. As I age, I’m realizing the importance of strength training for injury prevention and long-term quality of life.
During mud season, sub-zero temperatures, and rainy days, a home gym allows me to still work out when I’m not pulled outside. Conversely, strength, mobility, and plyometrics routines are no longer confined to one area, but have been adapted to the park while the kids play (with the bike ride or jog there a great warm-up) or as an alternative to the couch during my favorite TV show. Additionally, expanding my library of strength exercises has provided me options when I’m waiting at child pickups or using the hotel’s workout room that appears more like a treadmill in a closet.
Motivation through new challenges rather than races
The absence of races during the pandemic allowed time to enjoy the experience.
With the race calendar wiped clean in 2020, I discovered other ways to motivate and challenge myself. Virtual races, Strava Segments, and Fastest Known Times (FKTs) blew up in 2020. Although there is something unique about the race day buzz,, the personal challenges allowed for flexibility of time, logistics, and weather and less anxiety.
Equipped for future blips
Even though life slowly returned to a sense of normal, I am now better equipped to adapted when life tosses a blip in my routine, whether injury, family emergency, work travel, when I am momentarily forced out of my normal schedule. Plus, I haven’t had a pile hit at once like it did in 2020!
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