My Thoughts: Returning to Racing...

I thought this week I would write about something that I’m sure has been occupying most of our running minds! When will we get back racing? I have no clue as to when and how this may happen, but I have been thinking about it a lot. In all honesty, my thoughts about it are very split. Part of me is desperate to get back racing, but the other part is nervous and anxious as to how it may all happen. 

With the gradual easing of lockdown, things are starting to change and certain aspects of society and life are being reintroduced, so I can’t help but wonder at what point will running races return. Whilst it is lovely to finally be able to see friends from a distance, and other sectors of society are starting to open again, racing is very much on a lot of our minds and little has been said. Ultimately, it is the reason a lot of us train as hard as we do. However, I can’t help but feel anxious and apprehensive about the prospect of things returning ‘to normal’ (whatever that means now).

Can’t wait to race.

I am desperate to get back racing, for so many reasons. Racing is ultimately the reason a lot of us put ourselves through such pain in training; to become the best version of ourselves and prove this in races. Racing allows us to see where we’re at, so we know whether our training is heading in the right direction. Having goal races in mind, means we constantly have something to work towards. Whether it is qualifying for another race, running a set time, or just being able to give our all, every race acts as a big stepping stone. Not only is this sense of achievement and progression something we work for, but it is the excitement and buzz of the entire race experience. Running amongst other like minded competitors and friends, doing something we all love, and pushing ourselves to our limits, creates such an incredible feeling. You can never run quite as fast as you can when you put on your racing shoes and you are surrounded by others, either racing or cheering you on. I can’t wait to do it all again soon!

Scared to race. 
However, I am also very nervous about the prospect of lining up with lots (sometimes hundreds) of people on a start line. The fact that coronavirus sanctioned us all to staying at home as much as possible, I find it difficult to believe that it can just magically disappear and feel surely restarting normal life will bring about another wave of the virus. Therefore, I find it hard to believe that reintroducing lots of races won’t just bring about a breeding pit for the virus. It is fair to say, lockdown has made me extremely paranoid about it all! 

So, if and when they do reintroduce racing, what will it be like? If social distancing is here to stay, how do we race? Will the winner be decided before the race has even begun? Surely it will be very different from what we knew racing to be, at least for the first few months of racing anyway! Maybe numbers will be limited in races? Maybe we’ll have to race in face masks? (Now that would be intense!). We might even have to do time trials one at a time!

I have so many questions and so many wonders, but none of us know what will happen. At least for now, we will all continue training, hard but sensibly, so we can be ready and in one piece when the time to race comes. Whenever that is, I can’t wait!