RACE CANCELLED? LESSONS FROM ZOMBIELAND
Believe me, I get it. You trained through months of frigid temps and whipping winds to participate in your spring race only to have your possible PR trampled by COVID-19. In the wake of its destruction are hundreds of races that were never meant to be. Before we hang up our running shoes, let’s turn to our friends from Zombieland for guidance. Because racing season WILL resume, and when it does you are going to want to make sure you are in the kind of shape that Tallahassee would be proud of. Here are several strategies to help you survive the Great Race Shake-Up!
Rule #1: Cardio
You’ve already been working for months to build up your distance, now let’s amp up the speed. Everyone knows zombies can walk for miles and miles, but you can almost guarantee survival if you can go FASTER. While you take a break from building additional mileage, take one to two days out of your weekly running schedule to incorporate speed workouts: tempo runs, 800-meter repeats, hill sprints, fartleks... These workouts will do amazing things for your fitness and will also help you trim vital minutes off your next race time.
Rule #2: Double Tap
While Columbus might have meant something slightly different, here at RunFit MKE, we refer to Double Tap as the days when you get both a run and a strength session in. Double tap workouts will get you strong, fast. Follow up your easy runs with 20-30 minute full-body strength training that uses your own body weight for resistance. Planks, bridges, push-ups, squats, and lunges are all examples of exercise that will get the job done!
Rule #7: Travel Light
Training for distance runs requires a certain amount of gear - water, fuel, GPS, music, layers, toilet paper, pepper spray, baseball bats, ammo, etc. Take advantage of the opportunity to get out the door and leave it all behind. Choose 2 runs out of your weekly schedule to run without any gear, and embrace the experience of traveling light.
Rule #18: Limber Up
Columbus knew the importance of stretching before running… especially downhill! Build a pre-run routine if you haven’t already incorporated that into your training. The 15-minutes immediately before your run will make for a completely different experience come race day. You won’t have to worry about what to do or when to do it because it will be second nature. You will know exactly what to eat and drink, what stretches to do, and give yourself the time you need to visit the porta-johns. But don’t forget Rule #3: Beware of Bathrooms - don't let them catch you with your pants down.
Rule #32: Enjoy the Little Things
It’s easy to critique ourselves during training when runs don’t go as planned… when we don’t hit our exact paces, or fall short of our target mileage. In an instant, we can question the entire reason we signed up for a race and our ability to run it well. Take a step back and enjoy the little things during this time of uncertainty. You have the ability to run, and not everyone does. You can spend time outdoors, staring up at blue skies and down at green(ish) grass. You will soon see your running buddies returning to the paths and will be able to wave at them from a minimum of 6 feet away. During this time of uncertainty and unease, having the ability to stay active while getting fresh air are little things that have suddenly become GREAT BIG THINGS.
Finally, in closing…
Rule #17: Don’t Be a Hero
As runners, we are some of the healthiest people with some of the strongest immune systems. While you take care of yourself, reach out to those in your community who are in the high-risk population and may need help with things like grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, or making it to critical doctor’s appointments. In zombie movies, straying from your safe space is almost a sure-fire way to become a statistic. Stay safe, but be a hero - because hey, rules were made to be broken!
See you in the corrals!