With COVID-19, small races, big races, 5Ks, Marathons, Ironman Triathlons, Ultras and everything in between is being cancelled. This can certainly put a damper in both your training schedule and motivation to train. Despite the cancellations, it is important to keep training. Here are 5 shifts to training when your race is cancelled:
- Stop and Re-Group
If you’ve been training for 6 months for a race that gets cancelled, it can be disheartening. When this happens, the first thing to do is take a step back and re-group. Take a look at your training so far. Analyze the positives, negatives and any areas that could use some improving. How did your progress match your actual plan for progress?
The time, energy and efforts invested in training are not lost! Consider them “in the bank.” Since the race has been post-poned or cancelled, you will call upon that training, just not when you thought you would. Now might be the time to back off the endurance part of your training. For example, if you were planning on a marathon in a month and your next long run was scheduled to be 20+ miles, if the race is cancelled or post-poned, you really don’t need to be doing a 20 mile long run just yet.
2. Set Personal Training Goals
You might have been doing this already, but if you weren’t, now would be a great time to start. These are mini-goals that will keep you energized and encouraged between races. These are completely individual and can be as small or as big as you can create. A few examples are: completing a 100 yard swim set with a faster average than before, perfecting your nutrition on a long bike or even just finishing a long, hot humid run without experiencing any chafing. Each little thing you can do that furthers your progress, no matter how big or small, will help set you up for a successful race.
3. Work Your Weakness
Now, no one likes to hear this one. Most people have one discipline in which is considerably behind the others. It doesn’t really matter which one it is, what is important is that it is likely your least favorite one. Because it is your least favorite one, you tend to push it off to the back, dread the workouts or, worst case scenario, skip those workouts frequently. Therefore, you are getting stronger in the other disciplines while your poor least favorite one gets left in the dust. When races get closer, there is no time to dedicate to improving a weakness because it is more beneficial to work all three disciplines in preparation for the event. Once your event is cancelled, now it’s time to put more effort toward that one discipline that seems to hold you back. Improving it now will help you bring it up to the level of the other two disciplines to make you a more well-rounded athlete.
4. Re-Evaluate Your Why
This one takes some soul searching. It’s time to sit down and reflect on WHY you are participating in this sport in the first place. What is it that gets you out of bed at the crack of dawn to do that long ride or run? What motivates you and keeps you on track so that you forego parties and staying up late nights so you can get enough rest for the training day ahead? Why are you giving up on so many other extracurricular activities to focus on training and racing in triathlon? Think long and hard about this one. I’ll bet it’s not because of just one particular race. It might be one particular distance, i.e. an Ironman or a Marathon, but does it matter which one? If it does, does it matter which year? If you do a different race or the same race in a different year, does that really make you want to just throw in the towel altogether? Re-evaluate your why. Remember it. Use it to keep pushing forward.
5. Target a New Goal
One thing that is common among endurance athletes – we hate to quit. We push ourselves beyond what our mind tells us is reasonable. When faced with adversity, we find another avenue. Your goal race is cancelled? Find another goal race. We search for the other avenue. Sure, when a race you’ve trained months for is cancelled, it is a set-back, but it isn’t the end. Spend a day or two being bummed/angry/disappointed/frustrated or whatever it is that you need to do. Then, make a new target. Map out your new plan. You are an endurance athlete, you have trained hard and you don’t give up. The plan doesn’t always go according to schedule, so now it’s time to adapt, reformulate the plan and move forward.
Need help with your training schedule or re-evaluating your goals? Please contact me for a free consultation!
Train Right, Tri Right!
Coach MJ
