How to stay motivated... without competitions!
2020 has been the year of the suspension of sporting events of all kinds, at all levels and around the world, as a consequence of the pandemic.
Virtual races were an excuse to continue training with energy and desire, but the absence of sharing the street with other runners, going out and reaching the finish line, were personal achievements that we dreamed of during training.
But the problem does not end there: in 2021 we all expected that the situation would improve, but today the outlook is not clear, also with the possibility of new waves of contagion, which will lead us to another lockdown. In-person races are not foreseen in this first semester, but we trust that as the vaccine begins to work, in-person races will return.
Hence, one of the greatest risks that we athletes face is loss of form and lack of motivation.
So, some runners find their greatest motivation in competitions. That is, they go out to train and run miles with the competition in mind, with the idea that they are preparing to perform well in terms of competitiveness.
Why do we train if there are no competitions in sight?
You've no doubt asked yourself that question in recent months.
Getting up early most days of the week to train, sacrificing nights out, maintaining a diet, everything that we athletes do to arrive in optimal condition for a competition, which does not exist today.
It is clear that the uncertainty of not having a fixed goal has an influence. In addition, there is the fear of a possible new lockdown, which could lead to a strong psychological impact.
Tips to stay motivated
The inability to compete and the cancellation of sporting events are a problem for runners. As explained, some feel demotivated when it comes to training because they feel that it will be in vain and they have no clear goal. So, some useful tips will be given for those runners who need motivation under these conditions.
New challenges
Set yourself new short-term challenges: put aside the idea of competitions and find personal challenges that you want to face on an individual basis.
A great option is personal time trials, to improve your times or face new distances. Clearly, you need someone to accompany you in these challenges and help you with hydration or logistics. Sometimes running alone is also difficult, so when we run with a training partner , it is the perfect complement to support each other.
One of the good things that the pandemic has brought is Strava, which has become the best sports social network. Different route segments show us who is the king on that circuit.
We admire and compete with the different athletes who are users of the platform. Sometimes, we even see each other while each one is training, and while we are out of breath, we greet each other.
We may also come up with the crazy idea of running up the Alto de Letras or cycling up Palmas 12 times, or any personal challenge you have in mind, but the most important thing is always to seek out your best version and improve yourself every day.
Competitions are important, but competitions do not give you achievements by themselves. The greatest achievement that a sport leaves you with is feeling that so much training, getting up early to train in the rain, not eating that hamburger, not drinking that beer or not being able to fall asleep doing "snuggling", have actually been worth it, because you are becoming a better athlete each time and you also motivate many people.
Well, I hope you liked today’s article.
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By: ORTEMAN10