How to Navigate Life as a Runner During the Coronavirus Pandemic

With the fast-evolving state of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us are leading lives of uncertainty and, perhaps, anxiety. What does this mean for your life as a runner? Here's what we know today:

As runners, we are incredibly lucky to be among a healthy population that is generally used to exercising by themselves. So what does this mean for your running? For the most part, it means we can continue doing what we love and getting outside for some much needed exercise and fresh air (Note: some areas with strict quarantine rules have deemed outdoor running too unsafe for the time being. For those areas, we address how to navigate a strict quarantine below).

Running is, in fact, one of the best things you can continue to do for yourself. It provides benefits to both physical and mental health, provides structure and routine to our days, and allows us to set goals that can help us stay motivated.

This one is a little bit trickier. As of today, most organized events have been postponed or canceled, and public health experts have recommended that everyone do their best to avoid crowded public spaces and try to keep a distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and others.

Based on those guidelines, it should be safe to meet a friend or two for a run provided that you keep a safe distance from each other. Even so, remember that the principal of Social Distancing relies on individuals coming in contact with as few people as possible, so we each need to do our part to keep our physical network small. Additionally, COVID-19 is spread through airborne particles, and while running some of us tend to pant, drool, or blow snot around more than normal. Remember - even if you or your friend doesn't show symptoms, that doesn't mean you aren't carrying the disease.

Most events have by now been canceled (and if they haven't been yet, it won't be surprising if they are soon). Within the running community, the general consensus seems to be: "Well that's a bummer but was the right thing to do."

So if you've been training for a big race and suddenly find yourself unable to compete, how can you cope? Everyone is different, but a few ideas are:

• Create a homemade course on your local streets or trails that matches the event distance.
• Get a few friends to do the same in their area. Even if you're not running the event together, there is great power in knowing others are out there suffering and enjoying the experience too!
• Join a STRAVA Challenge.
• Recognize the training process as the goal and congratulate yourself on your improvement over the past weeks or months!

A lot of us are, understandably, feeling a great deal of stress and anxiety. Running can be a great way to help alleviate stress, but in addition to that, consider the following ideas:

• Make running a routine. Building a training program (an online coach can help!), or even just running at a regular time each day, can add structure and a sense of normalcy in a time that, for many of us, feels chaotic.
• Practice meditation. If you are just beginning, there are a lot of free apps out there that can guide you through the practice. Meditation can help improve focus, bring a sense of calm, and provide feelings of comfort even with uneasy emotions.
• Remember not to over-do it on the intense exercise. During times of stress, some athletes overcompensate by diving headfirst into their sport and end up with fatigue, injury, and more stress.

As of today, there are several places in the world have issued strict quarantine rules or shelter-in-place mandates, and if you contract the virus, you may be expected to quarantine in your home for some time, even if you aren't symptomatic. While this may seem like a nightmare for runners who thrive on outside time, there are some things you can do to stay fit (and sane):

• Practice yoga, stretch, or actually use that foam roller that gets ignored most the time
• Work on your core
• Spend time away from fitness for a period of rest and rejuvination
• If you have one, ride a stationary bike, run on the treadmill, or get creative with a homemade cardio circuit

Things are changing fast, and while this article was written with the most up-to-date information we have, keep in mind that there may be changes by the time you read it. Stay informed of the policies in your area, and do what you can to contribute to the greater good. Just as with running, this is an opportunity to flex your mental toughness and reach out to your community with positive vibes. We're all in this together!