Five things we are all inherently over with in 2020
I love a good meme about 2020. It is surprisingly cathartic.
If 2020 were a run…
December 15th. 10 Days until Christmas, and about the millionth day of 2020. We are all looking ahead but possibly without too much awareness of what to…exactly. This notion brings back nostalgia of the Tour du Môle, where, on one of the final climbs of this 3000m, 35km race, I could not see what was over the brow of the hill I was trudging up. Endless trudging, but the speculation kept me going. Would it be gruelling further incline (turned out to be true) or the start of a nice downhill to a Coke at the end? Oh the possibilities…
Given we do not know what is ahead but definitely know what we have experienced, here’s five thoughts on what I think I am over ahead of 2021:
People judging what you wear to run
We`ve spend the majority of the year with our faces covered. What we choose to cover the rest of ourselves with is our choice. As long as you are at the right temperature to be safe and comfortable and are following race regs or mountain wisdom, go wild.
Goal panic
Life has changed, and therefore it is okay to ease yourself into the next set of projects and races. Or aim high. Or don`t. Running healthy seems a great unanimous goal, to be honest. Performance or race pressure, unnecessary comparisons, or social media relevancy is changing. This actually looks to be for the better.
Listening to podcasts that wind you up.
My general rule is it I want to spend my run largely relaxed, with something of interest to help the time go during tricky bits. It is up to you whether listening to the latest on tabloid commentary on the pandemic is going to be a means to an end here.
Layering on runs.
Wear too much, take off too much; switch and change in between. This is not specific to 2020/21, but the inevitable dilemma of winter and being initially less resilient when first heading out the door. Already dreaming of summer projects…
Not being able to plan.
This of course, is completely understandable given the times, but it doesn’t make it easier. What we hope, is that we can go back to planning the big adventures with our mates, or the race ambitions etc. It will be a sign of a better time, so we can keep our fingers crossed…
What I am glad of:
Resilience and endurance: the keywords of 2020 and the very nature of our sport. Expect your head game to be strong in 2021, after all, you`ve been through daily training.
